How to make friends and learn something too

“Stay Hungry, stay foolish” – Steve Jobs

Shortly after beginning the program last fall, I was in a conversation with a guy who was about to finish. He told me that to him, MBA meant one thing: “MBA means ‘I’m better than you’”. I humoured him and laughed at the time, but after completing my 1st year with good grades and a successful CV of handshaking events and networking, I respectfully disagree.

FIRST YEAR MBA

One thing that is interesting to me about the way programs like the MBA are set up is that “cohorts” (I dislike this word…different story for a different day) move through the program and end at various times but end up in courses together, even though one part-time student is in their third year and a first year full time is in second semester. One result is a mixing of what I will call “generational ideologies” where older/more experienced students have become jaded and lackadaisical, while the other is fully dedicated and hyper eager. One looking forward to the end of the degree, while the other looking for nothing short of an A. What’s funny is that we all did that once the first time around.  “This is the last exam I’m ever going to take”. WRONG. What we should have said is “this is the last exam I’m ever going to take until I decide I don’t want to work at the job/jobs I will have in the next few years until my company offers to pay for a parttime program in something or I quit and dedicate two years to school!”  That would be more appropriate, anyway.

“I don’t give a [crap] mode” is a special period of time in everyone’s career (work or school) when they know a transition is imminent. This happens for students who have a good idea they will be finishing their program within the semester and to workers as they hand in their letter of resignation. If you’ve never experienced this felling, go: quit your job (but actually, do what makes you happy).

I have really enjoyed my time over the last months. Not only did we have long weekends every week, but the program is actually much more difficult than I had expected (in a good way) and low and behold I learned a thing or two. Grad school is a whole new world: B- is minimum pass, professors (usually) actually care what your name is, and going to class really does matter. Like many grad school programs, MBA is difficult to fail but easy to do poorly. Unlike most grad school programs, we pay a great deal to do it!

Truth of the matter is I, as did many of my classmates, expected the MBA to be a daily gathering of our class to discuss intellectual matters, write a couple of papers and BOOM: Degree! Well, turns out they actually want you to learn something this time around (as compared to many people’s fluffy first degree *cough* engineering or comsci *cough*). I started out with experience in sales, recruiting and sales management and I wholeheartedly believe that I have a background that suits the curriculum. Without supervisory/management experience (especially in tasks like conflict resolution, hiring, etc) I wouldn't have had the right background to actually learn anything…which would have make the whole exercise purely academic.

The great debate: full-time or part-time. Full-timers are seen as the academic types. University (as it was in undergrad) is designed to show prospective employers that you know how to learn. Of course, the running joke is that MBAs are entitled and don’t actually know how to do anything, even after graduation. Well, I don’t have the most spectacular GPA and never have and care less about amazing grades than actually getting something out of the education. Sure, exams and grades are a supposed measure of how much of the course you understand, but “common sense” and “analytical skills” more important than memorizing the formula for “master budgets” or the definition of “hollowed out”.

I believe in doing the right thing. I believe in doing things that make you happy. I believe it is possible to do the right thing, be happy and make money all at the same time. Call me naïve, but I believe you get out what you put in. MBA is about creating relationships and developing skills.

So, if being happy while doing the right thing makes you happy, and being happy makes you a better person, maybe MBA does mean I’m better than you…or maybe we’ll just turn out like this guy:  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Vx1BTBhg4c

Now there’s something we can look forward to. But for now, I’m just going to continue the journey and see what happens. 

Here's a video I put together for the Haskayne MBA Society:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yXCljkgjHD8

PS I’m working doing marketing for the University this summer. WOO!