At the Freeman School, the MBA program is more than just coursework.

From group projects to local internships, here’s how two second year MBA students spend a typical week.

Kendall Zenk

Monday

Kendall Zenk spends her Monday mornings in class. She is pursuing a career in special event sales, and many of her courses focus on marketing and innovation.

The week’s first class is a Leadership course that gives Freeman MBAs the chance to consult with real companies. Zenk recently returned from a trip to Argentina as a part of that course. There, she and Freeman peers met with a local company to discuss business plans and growth potential.

Next, Zenk heads to Management of Technology and Innovation, a course that teaches students how businesses can adapt to changing technological advancements.

She uses her free time on Monday afternoons to meet with groups for projects, start homework for the week or exercise. Her day ends with one evening class – New Product Development – then Zenk heads home.

Tuesday

After a busy Monday, Zenk spends Tuesday mornings working a part-time internship at Tujague’s, a restaurant in the French Quarter, where she facilitates catering and special event sales.

She leaves work at 2 p.m., then heads to campus for her social media marketing course. It’s her only class of the day, and the downtime gives her a chance to spend the afternoon catching up on homework or taking a walk under the oaks in nearby Audubon Park.

Wednesday

Wednesday mornings include Zenk’s Leadership and Technology and Innovation courses, and she spends her free afternoons working on group projects or attending Pilates classes.

Every other Wednesday evening, Zenk attends a meeting with the Graduate Business Council, where she serves as Student Affairs Liaison. In this role, she plans networking events and spends a few hours a week emailing vendors for quotes, finding DJs, and working with advisors to get events approved.

After the meeting, Zenk heads to her last class of the day: Real Estate Development.

Thursday

On Thursday mornings, Zenk returns to Tujague’s to organize catering gigs and communicate with event planners.

She attends her social media marketing class in the afternoon, then can relax, get her homework done and begin planning for the weekend.

Friday

Freeman MBAs have Fridays off from classes, so Zenk uses that time to run errands, study for any upcoming exams and catch up on group projects. She is a member of the Women in Business Club, and on some Fridays, she attends volunteer events for the Junior League of New Orleans.

Saturday and Sunday

With Fridays off to catch up on work, Zenk spends her weekends relaxing and enjoying the city. She often tries new brunch spots, bars, and restaurants with friends. Jacques-Imo’s, a down-home creole restaurant within walking distance of Tulane, is her all-time favorite.

She spends the rest of the weekend watching football games and studying at home.

“As long as you have good time management skills, there’s a good balance between school, having a part-time job and still having a social life,” Zenk said.

Alex Cooperstone

Monday

Mondays are busy for Alex Cooperstone. Like Zenk, he attends a Monday morning Leadership course. At 11 a.m., Cooperstone heads to his Investments class.

In the afternoon, he likes to get organized: he plans when he will complete assignments or meet with project groups outside of class. He typically studies at the Freeman School — the technology lab on the 3^rd floor of the Goldring/Woldenberg Business Complex is a favorite spot because it’s a quiet workspace and houses multiple Bloomberg Terminals.

From 3 to 5 p.m., Cooperstone works as a tutor, helping peers in the MBA program understand statistics coursework. He attends a financial modeling course at night, then finally heads home after a busy start to the week.

Tuesday

On Tuesdays, Cooperstone takes advantage of a morning off: he sleeps in. He spends the rest of the morning running errands or working out and said he enjoys taking time for himself during an otherwise busy week.

At 3:30 p.m., he attends a modeling and analytics class, then returns home around 5:30 to make dinner and complete homework for the next day.

Wednesday

Cooperstone returns to his Leadership and Investments courses Wednesday morning and uses the afternoon to meet with professors.

He attends as many office hours as possible and said he enjoys asking questions of professors and diving deeper into coursework.

Thursday

Thursday mornings are free again, so Cooperstone takes advantage of the time to rest, complete homework or exercise.

He returns to his modeling and analytics class in the afternoon and at 6:30 p.m. he heads to his last class of the week: Private Equity.

Friday

Fridays are free of formal classes, but Cooperstone often attends supplementary meetings for courses like Investments, where he can spend extra time reviewing problem sets and understanding course material.

Cooperstone believes in hard work: he served in revenue operations roles for six years before pursuing his MBA, and now, he said the Freeman MBA program will expand his skillset and propel him to a financial management career in music or sports.

To reach that goal, he makes the most of the free day. But by the evening, he makes sure to take time for himself, either by going out to dinner or taking a walk in Audubon Park.

Saturday and Sunday

On the weekend, Cooperstone balances studying for any upcoming exams with exploring new restaurants and enjoying time off. But especially after a busy week, he said there is nothing better than taking time to relax at home with his girlfriend and their cat. And he knows the hard work he puts in now through networking and studying will pay off.

“I knew coming here would be challenging,” Cooperstone said. “But I also knew the reward I would receive for succeeding.”