In my last post I mentioned how it’s nearly been a year since I began this program when I started IMS over the summer. I noted how I’ve learned a lot and have gained knowledge and insight into both business and healthcare administration. When I first began the program I really did not know what to expect, IMS was challenging for me and summer was definitely an adjustment period. In thinking about my time at Baylor and how I’ve adjusted and grown as a student, I’ve realized that I’ve learned a few things that would have greatly benefitted me if I knew them before beginning IMS:
1. It really does get better after IMS, you can survive!
I DID hear this tip at the time, but I didn’t believe it. IMS was very challenging for me at times and I worried about whether or not I had made the right decision in beginning this program. The truth? It does get better, much better and I did, absolutely 100% make the right decision. If you haven’t taken business courses before IMS may very well be challenging, but you CAN make it through!
2.Figure out the best balance of group study and independent study for you.
When I first started business school my impression was that group study was essential for success. As someone who prefers to study indepdently, this worried me. Now, don’t get me wrong, there is a lot of group work, team meetings, and team presentations, but studying for everything in a group isn’t as necessary as I thought it would be. I do work with my classmates on projects and ask questions and help others, but I rarely attend group study sessions for quizzes or tests. Why? I simply study better on my own. Finding the right balance of group and indepdent study can make you the most successful you can be in your time as an MBA student.
3. Schedule “me” time.
As an introvert this tends to equate to watching movies at home, reading a book or magazine, and relaxing. For extroverts this could mean going out with friends. My school schedule is far more jam packed than I thought it would be before beginning this program. The truth is that there is a lot of work and there may be days or even weeks when your personal time is short. Scheduling some “me” time can help to make sure you don’t get too stressed.
4. Grades matter, but doing your best matters more.
I care about my grades. Sometimes I think I care too much. College helped me to relax some about grade perfection, but I still care. In my case there is the potential that I may want to go back to school again one day, but it’s also simply in my nature to want to do the best I can for myself. While this is a good thing because it helps me to stay motivated, it can also be discouraging when I get too fixated on my grades. Today I try to focus much more so on doing the best I can than on obsessing about each grade I earn. As long as I feel as though I have put in as much effort as I could and that I am not disappointed in that effort, I am happy.
Erin