Last week was midterms at St. Thomas and I was preoccupied with preparing for my economics test. Summer classes – opposed to their 14-week spring and fall counterparts – are only 10 weeks long, meaning a lot of material is condensed into a short amount of time. While reviewing my notes, it became apparent that I wished I had known to purchase a graphing notebook for this class, instead of the standard college-ruled variety. There is simply too much economic modeling being done and my notes surely would look better (along with having graphs built to scale) if I had known to buy a graphing notebook.
Needing a study break, I began to make a mental list of other things I wish I would have known before jumping into the St. Thomas MBA program, along with ideas that I have found helpful:
- Don’t be afraid if you don’t have an educational background in business. While economics and finance majors may have the upper hand when it comes to running the numbers, liberal arts majors seem to find it easier to connect and apply abstract concepts. This makes class discussions interesting as we each have unique skill sets that allow us to approach problems from different perspectives.
- Get to know your advisor. These people know what classes you should take that align with your personal goals. They are like walking, talking, MBA road maps who are really friendly, too!
- Go to the career development events hosted by the Graduate Business Career Services folks and the Evening MBA program. These events, which include Master’s Pub (beer and pizza and business – what could be better?) and weekend career symposiums that cover topics including creating a resume and Linked In profile with impact offer helpful advice that can help you stand out. Go, learn, enjoy, and make friends along the way. After all, a huge aspect of business school is networking.
- Celebrate successes with other students. Being in an MBA program and working fulltime is an intense situation, so make a point to go out to eat and drink once a semester before or after class to celebrate milestones in the program. It is a great way to compare notes on classes and blow off some pent up, Type-A steam.
- There is a Target and a Macy’s connected to the Opus College of Business via skyway, which is awesome. There are also three major coffee shops within a few blocks distance.
- The librarians are godsends! When you can’t locate an article for your class, these miracle workers will track it down and give it to you. Also, many of the articles you will need to read for class are available online to St. Thomas students, meaning you can log-on from your living room, a proposition that puts the Dewey Decimal System to shame.
Back to optimal consumption bundles and demand curves! Wish me luck!
Lindsey Buhrmann is a student in her second semester in the Evening UST MBA program this summer.
