Here we are, five weeks into the semester. The New Year seems like it was just yesterday, but somehow midterms are just a whisper away. With time racing by and deadlines approaching, I thought I’d stop and take a moment to give you all a glimpse into what it’s like being a second semester Social Impact MBA Student.
Let’s start with Tuesday, Managerial Accounting (required). “Calah! What about Monday?” Well, there are no MBA classes on Mondays this semester. However, for many of us, that day is filled with work, internships, future planning, etc. But let’s not get into that right now… Back to Tuesday. Managerial Accounting starts at 2:20 PM and ends at 5:10 PM. For this class, reading and homework are voluntary, but I would strongly recommend both! When testing rolls around (like today), it comes in handy!
On Wednesdays I have two classes: Social Policy and Management through the Lens of Equity (elective) from 9 AM to 12 PM and Financial Management (required) from 2:30 PM to 5:20 PM. The electives you choose to take are often just as important as the required courses, but not for the reasons you may think. While you are still learning theory and/or practical tools in your elective courses, these courses are also almost like a refreshing pause. It is a time to really engage in material you are passionate about. Not to say someone can’t be passionate about balance sheets and process flow charts, but I would much rather discuss intersectionality. Reading for different elective courses may be optional, but I have found that it is often some of the most engaging material. We are always more inclined to read what we are passionate about. As for Financial Management, this class provides multiple opportunities to engage in real world application. All of the opportunities are mandatory assignments (lol), but as I recognize my understanding of financial planning and decision-making grow, I don’t mind them too much (most of the time…).
Strategic Management (required) happens on Thursdays from 9:35 AM to 12:25 PM. This is where reading becomes a little more mandatory and also a little more intensive. Recommendation: don’t start the reading for this class the night before. You will not finish. The same goes for Operations Management.
Friday mornings are for Operations Management (required) from 9:35 AM to 12:25 PM. You can’t get to the weekend without going over process flow, capacity, and bottlenecks, right! Although they are content heavy, a particular highlight of the Strategic and Operations Management courses is the field project for each class. Do you have an idea of what you want to do post-graduation and/or the organization/sector you want to work in? The field projects allow you to get a head start. While it personally feels a tad daunting, I am grateful for the challenge and the encouragement to start thinking about the future. After all, I won’t be in school forever. *asks self if that is an option…*
A common theme for all of my classes this semester and classes at Heller in general is: you choose. You choose when, what, and how much to read and engage with the material given. Most courses only have an average of 3 to 5 required assignments for the semester, but outside of those, it’s up to you. This has been one of the biggest adjustments for grad school life. During my time in undergrad, I was the all nighter, study beforer, and never reader. My, how times have changed! Not necessarily because the amount of content changed, but because I chose to change. I knew coming into Heller, I wanted to learn and take advantage of every group project, individual paper, case study, and article reading. Now, realistically have I skimmed through a handful of articles while ignoring a couple others? Yes. But who doesn’t! It is all about balance. Doing what you need to do today so tomorrow isn’t too hectic. But if you choose to take a nap instead of making a spreadsheet, don’t worry. Lack of rest can cause a bottleneck in your brain and limit capacity. I learned that in Operations.