So, for those of you who don’t know (I didn’t know until the first day of orientation), we are on a quarter system here at the Freeman school. So, as a first year MBA in your first semester you will have a total of 8 classes. Crazy I know. Since we recently completed the first session, I thought I would give some words of advice, some tidbits that I really wish someone would have told me before I started…..
1.) Get all of your affairs in order. Yes, it may seem somewhat ominous, but you will really be that busy. During the first few weeks of class I barely had time to sleep, much less go to the dentist, visit my friends and family, pay bills, and the list goes on. The lesson to be learned is think about all the things that you would normally do over a six month time period and do them all before classes start.
2.) Talk to the 2nd year MBAs and find out what classes you will REALLY need books for. I went out and ordered all of my books like a good first year, and essentially forced myself to use them because I had spent so much money. There are just some classes where you really don’t need the books, the teachers have lecture notes, or you use case packets. Ask first, buy later.
3.) Buy a planner. This may seem like common sense, but many of my classmates learned this the hard way. You will have so much going on with school, socials, and clubs that if you don’t write it down and plan, you are bound to forget something.
4.) Go out with your classmates. When school first started I was so bogged down with work that I never went out to do anything social. When I finally did go out, not only did I have a blast just being out in New Orleans, but I also developed some really good friendships with my classmates. When you’re on campus and in class, you don’t really have time to talk about fun stuff, so going out gives you the opportunity to see people in a more relaxed environment and bond.
5.) Last but not least. If you weren’t a business major in undergrad, and even if you were but you’ve been out of school for a while, come in the summer and take the intensive. Now, I have to be honest, I didn’t take it and but if I had to do it all over again I would, and I was a business major in undergrad. The intensive lasts a month long (this year it was July 8-August 1), and you get the opportunity to take classes from teachers that you will have in the Fall, refresh your business skills, and most importantly, get acclimated with the school and the campus.
Seven weeks of classes goes by so quickly that missing one day of class is like missing two weeks of a semester long course. You will be learning at rapid speed, so make sure that when the first day of classes start you are ready to roll. Not only will your life over the next few weeks be easier, but you may even have time to sleep!
Amina