With a new year upon us, I’ve been reflecting on the highs and lows of 2013 which included completing my first semester of the mid-week Executive MBA (EMBA). Given that I questioned my sanity on a number of occasions during semester 1, I am pleased to say that the EMBA was close to the top of my list of highs.
In my experience, maintaining a sensible balance between study, work, and a personal life was the largest challenge of the past 3 months. Be it lectures, readings, assignments, team meetings or guest speakers, the MBA can consume all of your time! In the case of the MBA, the old saying of “you get out what you put in” is certainly true, however the ability to prioritise and effectively manage your time is key.
Aside from the academic benefits of an MBA program, some personal highlights to date have been:
- Attending an entrepreneurship club event which had a number of guest speakers from Irish start-ups
- Participation and insight gained in class group presentations
- Attending a series of guest speaker panels organised by a group of MBA alums, with a particular highlight being the visit of Des Traynor of Intercom.
- The Leadership Development Programme events
Above all, the essence of the MBA program is the people (legends) you meet, be it team mates, classmates or those in the alumni network. In just 3 months, the MBA has provided numerous opportunities to meet and work with exceptionally talented people. As a group, the midweek class has learned a great deal outside of academics, such as:
- Tina is an awesome electric guitarist.
- Not all pharmacists are boring!
- Tullow Oil is the greatest company to work for in the history of the world, ever.
- Frankie works in a bank.
So as we embark on semester 2 in just over a weeks’ time, where we will have new teams and no doubt new challenges, three pieces of advice I have are:
- Manage your time & work hard but make sure to maintain a work/study/life balance
- Attend as many extra-curricular MBA events as possible (and in particular the monthly guest speakers organised by Joe Kenny)
- And, most of all, enjoy yourselves!
Over and Out
Michael O’Dwyer
Midweek EMBA 2015