Real-Life Stuff
Tick tock, tick tock…
What’s that sound?
It’s the real world—you know, that thing you put on pause almost two years ago. It won’t stay paused forever!
Those of us in the MBA Class of 2018 have learned that the second year is a huge departure from the first year of the program—sometimes it truly feels like an entirely different program altogether.
Where the first-year core curriculum is highly structured, the second year brings autonomy and flexibility with both class times and subject matter.
Where the first year is defined by the demanding academic workload, the second year offers more time for introspection and hands-on growth through leadership roles in student organizations.
Many of these changes are welcome, though I don’t mean to speak ill of my first-year experience. I do miss the close camaraderie of seeing all my classmates in lecture every single day and spending time with my core team. I’m proud to know that I navigated the first year successfully, but let’s just say that I’m glad a younger Michael was there to tackle it.
The second year, however, is not without its own unique challenges—and while the stresses of the first year were anticipated, the stresses of second year can catch you off guard. This is because during the second year, you start to feel the real world encroaching.
Where will you work? Where will you live? Have you picked the right career path? Will you relocate? Will you be uprooting a significant other, spouse, or child in the process?
These are some of the questions you must find final answers for during your second year. No doubt, these are fortunate problems to have and part of the great growth of the MBA experience—but their permanence and weight can make them rather slippery.
The good news is that you are never alone. Every day, I'm surrounded by 91 friends going through the same process, asking the same questions, thinking the same thoughts. Then, of course there are the other resources all around us—career counselors, professors, staff. The key is to remember to enjoy the ride; with patience, the right answers have a way of finding you.
Our time here may be winding down but it is far from over, which means our task is to make the most of what is left. The real world will have to wait... for now.