A Week in the Life of a Full-Time MBA Student
Many prospective students wonder what to expect from a full-time MBA program. How much time will I need to spend studying? Will I have time to work? How do you juggle family/friends/significant others? This post is my schedule; full-time MBA student, regular class load, working 2 part-time jobs, and dog-mom. Subsequent posts will highlight some of my classmates with families and those in the evening program.
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Student Profile |
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Susanna |
2nd year |
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Course Work |
Average (4 classes) |
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Time in Class |
9.5 hours |
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Average time prepping for class |
10-15 hours |
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Average hours worked per week |
15-20 hours |
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Tips and Tricks |
I bike to class to get exercise during the week--Multitasking! |
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One of my part-time jobs ties directly to my classwork; this increases my productivity |
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My boxer, Tucker—I try to bring him with me whenever possible!
Monday
7:00 am: Wake up, take care of my dog, make breakfast/coffee, check email
8:00 – 12:00 pm: Horseback riding lesson in Fort Collins (4 hours)
12:00 – 4:00 pm: Work for Job #1 (4 hours) Bring dog to work!
5:00 – 7:00 pm: Play (1 hour). Go out to dinner after.
7:00 pm – 11:00 pm: Prep for classes, bedtime.
Tuesday
7:00 am: Morning routine
8:00 – 9:20 am:
9:30 – 10:00: Weekly meeting for the (Job #2)
10:00 – 11:00: Group work, attend professor’s office hours if needed, time on campus
11:00 – 3:30: Lunch, walk dog, work from home for Job #1 (2 hours)
3:30-6:15:
6:15-11:00: Dinner, class work, Netflix, bedtime
Wednesday
7:00 am: Morning routine
9:30 – 12:15 pm:
12:30 - 1:30: Group project time
2:00 – 4:00: Work from home for Job #1 or Job #2 (depends on needs)
4:00 – 6:00: Class work and prep time
6:00 – 8:00: “Family dinner” with classmates; I usually host
Thursday
7:00 am: Morning routine
8:00 – 9:20 am: Digital Marketing Class
9:30 – 11:00: Weekly meeting for Group Project
11:00 – 3:30: Lunch, walk dog, run errands, exercise
3:30-6:15: International Business Strategy class
6:30 - ??? : Thursday Night Out—happy hour with classmates
Friday
8:00 am: Morning routine
9:00-3:00 Work at Job # 1 (bring dog to work!)
3:00 It’s the weekend!
Option 1: Stick around Boulder; go for a hike in the Flatirons, tailgate with friends, catch up on sleep, clean the house, game night with friends, bars in Boulder, go to a Rockies game in Denver, or find a local festival/concert/activity.
Tailgating with the 2018 cohort before a CU football game
Option 2: Explore Colorado—For me this includes camping, backpacking, and rock climbing. Day trip to Rocky Mountain National Park (only an hour away!), or climb a 14’er. My favorite place for a weekend trip is Twin Lakes; for a longer weekend (you might have noticed I have a 4-day weekend with my current schedule), I like to go down to the San Juan mountains or all the way to Durango.
Backpacking the Colorado Trail with classmate Erika Daun