This week I am going to focus on stress in the MBA program. For those of you already in the program, you know all too well how intense it can get at certain points. But for those new incoming students, this may be somewhat of an unknown. When I first came to school back in August, I wanted to be everywhere and do everything while maintaining a high GPA. As a result I just got burned out quickly and was a ball of stress (just ask my roommates), but now I feel that things have gotten much better. The final term of the year is definitely the most intense, and yet I am far less stressed.
I definitely do not want to discourage you from getting involved with everything that interests you (the opposite is true). I just feel that prioritizing those things is equally important. Want to be a student ambassador, hold a position on a club, get good grades, have an internship, and job hunt at the same time? I sure hope so!! But I will also say that it can be a FULL load once midterms or finals hit. I have found that taking care of my club obligations and job hunting during the slow academic weeks and then going hard during midterm and finals has helped quite a bit. The academic side of school can be intense, but it is not punishing in an unfair way.
You’ll definitely find yourself with some down time, and you should enjoy it, but make sure you are proactive in your goals and capitalize on those less chaotic intervals. Take a deep breath and go out for a night even if you feel you do not have the time. This was really hard for me; I just felt like there was no way I could put things on hold for the night and enjoy a drink with friends when, in fact, this is exactly what I needed to do. There will always be more to do if you are really involved in the program, and taking a break, even when you are sure you can’t, helps tons!
I know for some, everything I am saying seems like common sense, but when you first arrive you are very likely to get caught up in things, and taking a big deep breath can really help (for me in the form of an adult beverage and a game on TV with friends). Hope this helps. I am now going to get back to my marketing paper.
Woosa.
Brian Clark, MBA Candidate '13
Latest posts by Brian Clark, MBA Candidate '13 (see all)
- How to Avoid the MBA Burn Out - March 28, 2012
- How to Play the MBA Internship Game - March 19, 2012
- Why Pepperdine Alumni Are Your Biggest Internship Resource - March 6, 2012
