So, this month I thought I’d take a break from finishing up house projects (and there are a ton) to tell you all a little about the faculty at Kelley Direct and how my overall class experience has been, thus far. I have to say, it’s been pretty awesome.
I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect when I started my online MBA last year. I had seen a lot of people I worked with take online classes in the past and, to be honest, it didn’t really seem that great to me. I never thought they were very challenging and just seemed like something you did to “check the box” and get a piece of paper. I knew IU had a great reputation and its online MBA was very highly regarded, so I was hoping it would be different. Not only was it different, but it has been one of the most challenging and rewarding educational experiences I have ever had.
For starters, the faculty is one of the most experienced and diverse groups of educators I’ve encountered. That’s all well and good, but if your class is boring and you can’t engage with students then it doesn’t really help them out. Luckily for me most of my classes have been very engaging and the live sessions really add value and context to the material. The professors all encourage discussion and make the classes very engaging. Although, I’d be lying if I didn’t watch some of the pre-recorded lectures on 2x speed (we all fall to the dark side every now and then), but I’ll chalk that up to the fact that some people just naturally speak more slowly than others.
As for the overall class experience, specifically, the online class experience: it has been great. The way the courses are structured most of the classes give you the flexibility to work around your schedule. When you consider that the vast majority of Kelley Direct MBA students are professionals with full-time jobs (and many have families) this is a definite plus. Don’t get me wrong, it is still a big-time commitment and takes a lot of effort to go read a chapter of a textbook or work on a class assignment after my day job. It certainly took some time to get back into the swing of things after 10 years out of college, but it’s manageable.
I’m sure I’ve said it before but getting to meet my classmates and interact with professionals from various industries is one of the best parts of the program. Each and every breakout session is an opportunity to meet someone new and in an industry that I’ve almost always never interacted with before. Meeting these new people alone is almost as beneficial as the topics we are covering each night.=
In summary, if you’re wondering if the instructors at Kelley are any good, the answer is “Yes, they’re awesome.” And if you’re wondering if the classes themselves are any good, the answer is “Yes, they’re also awesome.”
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