Two Months into an MBA
You’re reading From the Desk, a newsletter about the arts, spirituality, and the good life.
When you step back onto campus as an adult student, the first thing you realize is that you don’t really belong. The undergrads look young and dress better than you (subjectively). They stare at your children when you take the family to the student center to pick up your ID card.
Nevertheless, I enjoy walking onto campus at night with my backpack on and seeing the crosses of St. Aloysius lit atop their spires and settling into my seat in the Jepson building, and I wonder why I was so fearful about going back to school.
I’m taking two classes right now. In April, I’ll take a third one-credit class on a weekend blitz. Since I come from a humanities background, most of these early classes cover the basics of accounting, finance, and information systems. Accounting and finance were the courses I feared the most because, you know, numbers.
Of the two, accounting frustrates me more. My brain does not work like an accountant, in systems of reconciliation and exact filing. Finance has been more enjoyable, probably because of the personal finance tie-ins, and also because finance has more conceptual appendages with broader applications, like the Time Value of Money, sunk costs, opportunity costs, etc. In any case, both courses open your mind to a better understanding of business, and that’s what I’m here for!
School feels different now than it did a decade ago. I’m a better student, or at least a more focused one. I recall browsing the internet or fitting in homework during class as an undergrad. The anxiety of graduating and entering the job market hung over everything. So did the social uncertainty with my peers, the pressure to never say something stupid, ask a dumb question, or stick your neck out too far. Now? Who cares? I’ll happily take a stab at answering a question or raise my hand when I don’t understand something.
Artificial intelligence is new, too. It’s the ultimate cheat. Write out a word problem, and it will spit back the answer. I think AI is a lousy writer, but I guess you could cheat on your essays, too. I find it useful to triangulate knowledge between the classroom and the textbook. It’s helped me understand concepts quickly in plain English and gives immediate feedback when I mess up. It’s the most amazing study tool ever, as long as you can resist the urge to replace your own thinking.
So far, the class size is small. They’re limited to twenty students, but mine have had fewer than ten. The students I’ve met have wide-ranging backgrounds. Several are recent college grads, one is a JD/MBA, several are university employees, a few are new international students who recently moved to the US, and the bulk are like me, not exactly early in our careers but not yet into management, either. I’m the only one with children. Everyone else seems to have a dog or a cat. I hoped to have more profound observations regarding my classmates, but really, everyone is nice, laid back, and eager to participate. We all sit in the front two rows and keep our phones in our pockets.
For every three hours in the classroom, I spend an additional 90-120 minutes studying. The topics probably deserve more time than that, but 90 minutes is about all I have most days. I usually jump straight into the homework problems, read the relevant parts of the textbook, then review my answers with AI and go deeper on problems I don’t understand.
Grad school has made family life busier, but not significantly so. My East Coast work schedule means I conclude the workday at 2:30 pm, giving me time with the kids before I leave the house at 6:00 pm for class. The mental strain, while also not too overwhelming, has been harder. But on the other hand, I was feeling a tad bored before my MBA. I guess the lesson is: be careful what you wish for.
Going back to school wouldn’t be possible without Mickelle, for several reasons. She has picked up a bigger load at home, and not just on the nights I have class. Furthermore, she’s basically paying the entirety of my tuition with income from her art business. I’m grateful, lucky, and proud to have her as my partner in all things.
So, why go back to school in the first place? I have five goals:
Add professional credentials to my liberal arts bachelor’s degree
Learn practical knowledge and skills in business management
Develop a professional network in Spokane
Qualify for management opportunities and roles
Make myself more eligible to teach college courses down the road
In the decision to go back to school, perhaps the hardest hurdle to overcome was my ego. Let’s be honest, no one’s putting the Gonzaga part-time MBA on their dream board or bragging about their acceptance on LinkedIn.
It’s hard not to care about prestige. While I’m still not immune to those feelings, they’re diminished by a larger narrative in our family, namely, that God led us to Spokane and has a plan for us here. When Mickelle and I debated and prayed whether I should get an MBA, the program at Gonzaga fit nicely into the bigger picture of the life we’re trying to build and the opportunities that living here affords us.
As always, great update and fun read. Good luck in this new chapter of your life!!