There appears to be a slow realisation descending on my cohort of full-time MBA colleagues that we are at the start of a truly demanding year.
The foundation week was an enjoyable and exhausting “getting to know you” with our new colleagues and lecturers. The following week of lectures comprised mostly of introductory talks from lecturers on what was to come. Course outlines were presented with a dazzling array of group and individual assignments. So dazzling that it was easy to lose perspective. It was like an out-of-body experience.
And suddenly, at the start of week two, we were suddenly re-animated and putting out fires. Impending group assignment deadlines are being re-discovered and re-appraised (“Oh yeah, I forgot about that presentation”). Some are already regretting not getting small tasks out of the way when they could; or not having that first group meeting sooner. And the time management learning curve is steep (“why did we just use 6 hours preparing a 7 minute presentation for 5% of the overall grade!?).
All this said; behind the stress and the panic; there is a collective confidence that we will get through the coming year all-right. No student on this course has reached this point in their career without proving his or her mettle in the professional arena. It is a refreshing change from my undergrad days that no one wastes time by focussing on the scariness of the task at hand, but pulls up their sleeves and starts working.
Now, back to that group presentation…
Niall Ó Muiré
FTMBA 2013-2014