So, how busy will I be at B-School??

Question

I was reading something Letsgomets wrote to me via PM and it got me thinking

For those who are in or have been in b school, is it truly overwhelming at first? I've had demanding jobs for my WE (not like ib or mc) and still get out....

Look forward to your thoughts.

highhopes · Answer

Don't worry about getting out...part of the reason you will be busy is because you spent time going out.

I think this all depends on how good your time management skills are, how you handle stress, and your expectations for yourself (and for heavy team oriented schools, how well your team works).

For example, I pride myself in excellent time management and prioritization skills and <gasp> I have free time. Now, I generally spend my free time worrying about why I have free time when no one else seems to, but that's another story. I am also not looking to be the smartest in my class academically speaking, so that probably helps me as well. I study an average amount and do well in the classes that interest me and average in the others. But the good news is that in B-school, that's good enough.

I think it's kind of all up to the individual. If you go to every event and recruit for 3 industries, no doubt you will be very busy and stressed. If you pick and choose wisely it will busy, but very manageable. Fun busy as some would say.

gregarious · Answer

Many people call it overwhelming, but I think that's an inaccurate way of looking at it. In terms of academic experience alone, the classroom and homework/study hours add up to a regular full job. As you can imagine, it's the extra-curricular stuff such as socializing, recruiting, and clubs that take away your free time. If you have a family or a time-intensive hobby, then it pushes your time management skills ever further.

My advice would be to start off by keeping things in moderation until you get a sense for what kind of proportion you want your activities to be in. For example, you might end up being in the going out every night crowd or you might find that once or twice a week is more than enough. Similarly, some people enjoy being in half a dozen clubs while others just do a lot with one or two. For recruiting, the aspiring I-bankers and consultants seem to spend the most time while others are somewhat more relaxed.

In the end, resist the temptation to follow the herd and find your own work-life balance.

oldguru82 · Answer

I think an MBA is flexible enough to let you choose the degree of "overwhelmedness" you want. You are not obliged to attend every social event, every conference, every recruitment event, etc.

refurb · Answer

Since most students want to get everything they can out of an MBA program, most people end up very busy.

In my first year, I spent pretty much 6 days a week going non-stop from 7am to 11pm or so. The seventh day was a little more laid back. That was a combination of academic, recruiting and socializing. My summer internship was great because I was only doing 50 hours or so a week. It seemed like a vacation.

However, even though I was really busy:
- I pretty much got to do everything I wanted.
- I always got 7 hr of sleep a night, if I wanted to.
- You spend a lot of time socializing/networking, so it's not all work
- I found it so interesting that being that busy was actually fun

RF

AlexMBAApply · Answer

It's apples and oranges.

At work, it's a "bad busy" -- you're busy because of other people's sh*t: your boss, colleagues, etc. and it's not *your* time but company time.

In school, it's a "good busy" -- you're busy because you choose to be on your own sh*t. For the most part (except for group projects, but it's nowhere near as tedious or dreadful as work).

bakfed · Answer

well said <img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_biggrin.gif" alt=":-D" title="Very Happy" />

Rux10 · Answer

Would I be right in saying that how hectic/busy/crazy your early business school life is - is strongly related to your own personal levels of FOMO (fear of missing out). People will have a disaster timetable if they can't prioritize and manage time like highhopes!

progressiongirl · Answer

Lol, your explanation really makes sense and really put things in perspective for me.

costina · Answer

I just started my MBA with ESMT in Berlin. I have to say I was considering getting a job myself, to help with the financing. However, once I started I realised it was not a very realistic plan.

There are courses all day every day. Many of the assignments imply groupwork, which is good learning, but quite expensive in terms of time. You don't get to just sit down and do what you can at your laptop. You have to discuss, debate, find common grounds and integrate. It is challenging and interesting, but this means you will get home late (assuming you don't go out to a club, too), and do some self-study.

It probably depends on the MBA programme, but this is the same story that I have heard from other MBA friends, and that I am experiencing right now.

Costina
(*in a group work meeting at school)

tdave · Answer

B-School is as busy as you want it to be with one exception - if you're planning to recruit for i-banking and to a certain extent, MC.

I-banking recruiting is brutal and looong! Please plan accordingly. In fact, expect to write-off your first semester or first two quarters academically if you plan on recruiting for ibanking. It's just harsh, stressful and extremely time-consuming.

southernstunna · Answer

fuccc, I have heard it was bad, but I didn't realize it was THAT time intensive even before the 2nd semester of your first year. Damn. I was hoping b-school would be like a 2 year vacation before the real world kicks in (haha just like undergrad is).

tdave · Answer

You should only expect ibanking recruiting to affect your first semester (your first two quarters if your school is on the quarter system). And yes, it's long and brutal. You two-year vacation doesn't start until you get a summer internship under your belt. Until then, it's anxiety-ridden madness.

Good luck!

mikeepeck · Answer

Here's a corollary to this thread:

I love the drinks industry (beer, wine, spirits) and I want to get a little bartending experience while getting my MBA, but I'm not sure if that's a realistic goal or not.

Just a touch of bartending experience would be great to have under my belt as I build experience and credibility in this industry, but working as a bartender is a bit of a step back once you're in a sales or marketing track. I figured getting the bartending experience while going back to grad school would be perfect... even if I have to read case studies from behind the bar when things get slow! Plus having a bit of income while at b school would be really nice...

Is this unrealistic, am I going to be plenty busy enough with MBA classes? In a perfect world, I'd also be able to play some club lacrosse, work out, and see my girlfriend regularly throughout grad school, but there are only so many hours in the day

FYI I'm looking to go to a top 10/20 school.

Thanks for your help and feedback!

FYI I'm looking to go to a top 10/20 school. Thanks for your help and feedback!

tarkaston · Answer

<img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_smile.gif" alt=":)" title="Smile" /> well said

humphy · Answer

Thanks for this insight. Good to hear that one still has time to sleep!

lazerguy82 · Answer

A friend of mine who goes to Wharton told me that they have a non-disclosure policy when it comes to your MBA GPA. In other words if you graduate the employer can't ask for your GPA. My friend tells me she just aims for average and has enough time for social events. The only way to distinguish yourself would be through an honours degree.

jordanhendrix · Answer

I thought you can't tell a recruiter while you are in school, but once you graduate its open season on your grades (confirmation?). And the awards give away the better students right away. No grades? The top X% get this award the top Y% get that one. similar, but not the same.

People should care about their grades in school. But you friend isn't doing anything wrong per say.

Also lots of schools have grade disclosure.

Noven · Answer

Any other experiences people would like to share on how busy they are?

MBADatingStrategy · Answer

I'm on a 1 year course and the consensus is: Enough sleep - Good grades - Social life - choose 2. ;-P Seriously though, I think you just need to know what your priorities are and time management is key! Good luck!

So, how busy will I be at B-School??

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