Best Lessons From The MBA Class of 2016

BE DELIBERATE IN YOUR CHOICES

“Take every opportunity seriously, from interview choices to experiential learning. No matter where you get your MBA, there will be boundless opportunities for professional development (networking events, case competitions, student involvement, Global Immersions, community impact), and I learned that the opportunities that you choose to take and experience will define and shape your network and career path.” — Lexie Cegelski, University of Florida, Warrington College of Business

“Focus on depth rather than breadth in what you involve yourself in. I made the rookie mistake of taking on too many channels of involvement my first few weeks as an MBA. Everything will sound enticing to you, but it’s critical that you buckle down and decide what will likely hold the greatest meaning for you down the line. As time continued, I found myself investing my time in activities and positions I knew had the greatest capacity for me to leave a legacy in my community and make an impact on my growth as a leader.”  — Rahul Sharma, USC, Marshall School of Management

“Business school is a balancing act between coursework, club meetings, part-time internships, and getting to know peers better — you’ll find that your time is incredibly valuable. I learned to be thoughtful about how I spend my time each day, which is a lesson I’ll continue to carry with me as a manager. Even though no week is the same in business school, I found that it was important for me to find my own rhythm and craft some sort of consistency in my schedule. It was helpful to have regular time with some of the friends I’d made in school to unwind and bounce ideas off of each other — whether it was exercising with running club members or grabbing dinner and wine with the ladies in my cluster. These regular activities were crucial parts of my business school experience, and helped me get to know my peers in creative ways outside of the classroom.” — Sonie Guseh, Columbia Business School

 

IDEAS ARE THE EASY PART

“For me, the core of business school can be distilled to two key principles: (1) use data to drive decision-making and (2) establish intentional structures (processes, HR policies, org charts) to achieve specific goals. I will definitely take this approach forward into everything I do.” — Sarah Esty, Yale School of Management

“I learned that business ideas are small and inconsequential when put in context of all of the moving parts associated with building successful businesses. I believe much more weight should be put on building quality products, the strategy of delivery, and the finances needed to stay afloat.” — Ian Folau, Cornell Tech

“To approach a problem with an open mindset and think holistically about the challenge. I’ve learned so many different methods to think about a problem set and I’ve seen that there are no particularly best strategies to employ. You have to be open-minded about everything and think critically to arrive at the best possible solution.” — Wyatt Batchelor, Columbia Business School