Posts Tagged ‘#IE#8217;

By Alaba, London, UK – Current student of the IE Brown Executive MBA

After 3 months of juggling, reprioritizing and basically having no life (work/study/life), I am getting ready to return for the 2^nd Residential period of the IE Brown EMBA (aka Welcome to Hell part 2 of 7) in Providence and it feels markedly different from the first time I went.  None of the mad rush and panic of trying to do 1001 things in one day.  None of the very early and very late work nights trying to compensate for a 2 week absence.   Work is less busy this time  around, I am more familiar with the course and of course our group has settled down nicely and is working very well.  Now, I also have an able assistant called IPAD that goes everywhere with me, and I use terms such as  dropbox, blackboard, good reader, and acronyms such as CS, ME, & LPO as if they’ve been part of my vocabulary all my life.

As a result I am mostly packed 2 days before my departure as opposed to 2 hours.  Of course it wouldn’t be the same course if I didn’t have a 90 minute video to watch, a book to read, readings in preparation for the residential classes – thus my new mantra – I’ll sleep when I’m dead.

Never a truer thing has been said than “We’re all in this together.”   What has got me through these last 3 months was the knowledge that 23 other people (my fellow pirates) were going through similar trials, tribulations and emotions.  After months of online interactions, conference calls, skyping, and e-mails – we all finally get to catch up face-to-face and on the same time zone.  I am really looking forward to catching up with everyone (including the course team) and spending more time in the hotel bar than the last time.  I might even get to see the museum this time.

Roll on Providence

One of the most interesting things about learning in the IE Brown Executive MBA is learning to prioritize. Having so many professional and accomplished classmates can be an interesting laboratory for observation. As we have each gone back into our routines after the intense residential period, many have acquired an interesting perspective on time management. While some prefer to keep things loose and informal others among us cherish strict almost military type regimens. However, one thing remains constant we all enjoy putting time in our day to speak with our classmates, who have become one of the greatest resources in the program. So while balancing work and family takes a great deal of discipline, balancing new friendship does as well.