There were two experiences I want to call out from my MBA program that were particularly rewarding and great learning experiences. The first was a two week trip to Japan. At my university, they offered international travel business electives. For my trip to Japan, we visited about 12 Japanese businesses and learned a lot about their culture. We were graded on several large papers we had to write. I had never been to Japan and it was quite a journey!
The second experience was a one-week intensive course I took on World Class Business Operations. I got permission to take five days off from work without using vacation time. The class visited eight New England companies who had won "Best Place to Work Awards". We met with senior management, got tours of their operations and learned more about their unique offerings. It was fun and I learned a lot of relevant info I could then apply to my day job.
Overall, are you happy with your decision to earn your degrees through part-time programs? Do you ever wish you would have chosen to attend school full-time instead?
No, I have no regrets. Because I went to school part-time, I have a lot more work experience than other working women my age. In this challenging economy, with a lot of competition, I now have both the degrees and the work experience. As someone who has done a lot of interviewing and hiring of employees, I have found that the mix of experience and degrees helps to set an applicant apart from other candidates.
Do you have any additional advice for students who are considering a part-time program?
- Even taking one class en route to a degree is valuable from a personal development and a resume perspective. Employers like to see that you are striving to complete your education. Also, taking classes that relate to your full-time job will often lead to better job performance.
- If you don't have any college experience, think about getting a certificate first. Complete that, and then enroll in an Associate's program, etc. This is a positive, rewarding path to follow, and when you complete a step, it feels great!
- Last, if you are getting your MBA, do some additional research to learn more about the ratio of full-time and part-time students in the night classes. I would recommend schools who have fewer full-time students in these classes.
