Going Back to School… Why?
Posted on August 27, 2009 by Som Seng
Well, to be truly honest, the last thing on my mind when I graduated from UMass Amherst Isenberg School of Management was to take another class. I was ready to be done! Senior year is always an intense year, and on top of that I was writing a thesis for the Honors program (a requirement in order to graduate Summa Cum Laude). Looking back, I don’t know how I did it all, but that’s the thing about school – when you’ve completed a semester, you feel this great sense of accomplishment. I guess the mix of motivation, adrenaline, and organizational skills put me into production mode. Also, I work very well under pressure!
Back to how I am only two classes away from earning my MBA. So graduation came, and I was “done” with school. I did not want to take another class for a very long time. However, I did not realize then that I love to learn, and that I would become a life long learner. It only made sense that I worked at a University right? All the pieces started coming together and I was offered a job at UMass. Within three months of starting my position, I audited an Access course, and then took my first MBA course the following semester. I was hooked. It’s taking me five years to complete my degree, but I wanted to take my time, only taking one class at a time for the first three years. The past two years I started to take two classes per semester to complete my degree by end of 2009. And, I took breaks here and there just because life happens.
Five years have gone by in a flash, and why did I really go back to school? First, school was different this time around. I could fully grasp the concepts and strategies, and I was able to apply the knowledge to my real life work experience. It didn’t just leave me after the final exam. Second, I got a better understanding of the business environment (how it works, the players, the complexity and instability), which helped me become a better decision maker. Third, I am constantly improving what I do! For example, I took this Project Management course that helped me think through the steps diligently, understand the stakeholder’s interests and how to use that knowledge to push any project along, and lastly make intelligent decisions to improve my organization.
I can’t express enough how invaluable working on my MBA has been for my career and personal life. If you have any questions about our online MBA programs, please do not hesitate to ask.
Now, I still need to get through this semester to complete my MBA. What’s next on the To Do list?
To Do list
Review degree requirements – check
Triple check with advisor that you meet all the graduation requirements – check
Pick out last two courses for the program and make sure they satisfy graduation requirements – check
Make sure there are no holds on the account - check
Register for the classes – check
Order books – check (still waiting for books to come out, but pre-ordered)
Follow up on book order – check (pick up on Sept. 3rd)
Pay for the classes – wait for Tuition Waiver to go through
Fill out Tuition Waiver – check
Print Class Schedule, Class descriptions/requirements – check
Put online chats, Thursday on-campus class on outlook calendar – check
Put assignments, quizzes, all deadlines on outlook calendar
Print syllabus
Log into class Aug. 27th (I recommend 1 week before classes start)
Fill out Graduation Clearance form in the middle of September
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