“It’s a walk in the park,” I said, after realising that the basics of a Master of Business Administration (MBA) were quite simple, and easily understood by astute business enthusiasts.
THIS ARTICLE COVERS:
- Dispelling the mystique of the MBA
- A multifaceted perspective
- Two main challenges
- The mindset you need for an MBA
“How did you come to this realisation?” you might ask. Well, I was lazing around with no ‘midnight studying’ to do when I received my final MBA results, stating: “Qualification complete.” I realised then that what had been touted as an impossible quest was indeed possible. And I had an epiphany: the basics of an MBA are simply life experiences that, condensed and conveyed through an academic lens, have become the tried and tested methodologies of the business world.
Dispelling the mystique of the MBA
The mystique of the MBA is perpetuated by those who fail to grasp the basic principles, which makes the MBA degree appear more complex than it really is.
You likely want those who convey this life experience to you to boil it down into pearls of wisdom in their simplest form through your course material, allowing you to drink from their hallowed fountains of knowledge … but what business administration students often find is that the fountain seems to be a tsunami of information that floods every nook and cranny of their brains.
A multifaceted perspective
There is a method to the MBA madness. The basics of business administration at master’s level are curated into different disciplines by academic institutions so that you don’t just see business challenges from a transactional perspective; they are broken down into their parts so that you can take a holistic, quintuple bottom-line view to solve them. This requires a co-ordinated, multidisciplinary approach that incorporates a humane, sustainable outlook in underpinning your business purpose, and supports your ability to pivot, remaining profitable. Once you have a handle on the interrelatedness of all parts, you will be well on your way to distilling what matters in your own context, and be able to apply those life experiences in this context.
Two main challenges
For me, there were two main challenges in getting an MBA:
- Transitioning back to life as a student; and
- Striking the right balance between work and study.
You must evaluate how much free time you have, and set clear expectations with family and friends to gain their support. ‘Work-life comprise’ is important if you hope to attain any kind of holistic balance.
The mindset you need for an MBA
If you enrol for this qualification with a clear purpose and for the right reasons, and have a genuine desire to further your studies and gain new career opportunities, you will be poised to network with like-minded professionals, and this will ease the transition back into academia.
Step into it with an academic mindset, a general desire to take advantage of networking opportunities, and a commitment to your schedule as well as completing the required coursework. Burning the midnight oil and managing your time are key to getting your MBA.
Let your journey begin!
Read these for more perspective on the Master of Business Administration journey:
