School-Life Balance

The W. P. Carey Full-time MBA is rigorous and immersive, and fitting everything into your busy schedule can be challenging. In addition to classes, team meetings, club activities, career events and social gatherings, you need to find time for homework and studying. Managing your time effectively is of utmost importance to your success in the MBA program.

Typical MBA Days in Your First Year

Dan Genduso

"The everyday life of an MBA student is very challenging and requires tremendous time management. There are always networking events, club activities and student gatherings that not only provide a nice break from case studies or team projects, but also create a sense of camaraderie among the diverse student body at W. P. Carey. Here's an idea of what a couple of my days look like."

Dan Genduso — W. P. Carey MBA

 
Monday
6:30 a.m. The alarm goes off and it's time to get ready for a new week. I leave home by 7:15.
7:30     I arrive at campus, walk to the W. P. Carey School of Business from the parking lot, grab some coffee at the Starbucks downstairs and review my homework from the night before. I complete a quick print out of today's case write-up that I need to turn in.
7:55    The graduate suite empties as students scramble to get to class.
8:00-9:50  Class starts at 8:00 sharp. I love to get the day going with my first class. Today we have an energetic discussion about management strategies. While I thought I knew a lot about management, I realize the international students make a great contribution by drawing on their experiences and bringing up issues that never crossed my mind.
9:50-10:10  During a break between classes I check in with other students to discuss the takeaways from the previous class discussion. I jump online to download the slides the professor made available for the next class.
10:10-Noon Time for my second class. This class drifts away from case discussions for a quantitative problem-solving lesson in statistics.
Noon-1 p.m. Lunch!  I take off with a group of students to the Memorial Union next door. Maybe I'll grab some coffee and relax in the courtyard surrounding the business school. I love to take advantage of Arizona's great weather to get in some quick study time outdoors.
1:00-3:00  I head back to the graduate suite to meet with my team members in one of the many high-tech meeting rooms. I take this time to study, go over what was discussed in class and finish up some group homework.
3:00-4:00 I'm off to meet with one of the career center counselors to talk about my resume and potential internship opportunities. It's great to get some feedback about the interview I had last week and to strategize ways to improve for next time.
5:30-7:00 I attend a company presentation about upcoming internship opportunities and learn more about the firm's industry and the specializations they are recruiting for.  I get to meet some W. P. Carey alumni working for the company.
7:15  It's finally time to leave campus and head home to relax and prepare for the next day's classes.
11:00   I'm off to bed to rest up for another day of class, meetings and activities.
Thursday
7 a.m. I leave for campus a little early today. Breakfast is on the run.
7:30 I meet with team members to add final touches to today's assignment for class.  We submit the assignment through the online drop box.
7:55  I remember to put my suit in a locker. I'll need it this afternoon.
8:00-9:50  It's time to wake up the quant side of the brain. This morning's class is accounting.  Class starts out with a quick discussion of the latest accounting scandal to hit the news.
9:50-10:10 During the break between classes I grab a quick snack and catch the latest headlines on television in the graduate suite.
10:10-Noon My organizational behavior class focuses on employee performance today.  Having prepared the case last night, I'm ready with a wealth of comments about how my old company tackled the topic through its bonus program.
Noon-1 p.m. I participate in an MBA Association meeting. As an elected first-year representative, I bring up the topic of starting a new club for students interested in attending cultural events.
1:00-2:50  I attend Career Leadership Class. Today's session features a panel of second-year students discussing how they selected their specializations and the projects they worked on during their summer internships.
3:00-3:20  I'm off to the changing rooms to change out of my casual clothes and into my suit for an upcoming interview. I review notes about the company and its internship opportunity.
3:30-4:00  Time for my on-campus interview for an internship.
5:30  The week is almost over and most everyone is off to happy hour. I'm hoping to recruit a few people to tackle a hike over the weekend.
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