Do These Things Before Starting Business School

Many students will start their MBA journey this fall. Most MBA programs will be two years of rigorous coursework, challenging internships, and plenty of networking.

US News recently highlighted three things every incoming MBA student should do this summer to ensure a strong start to the MBA journey.

TAKE A BREAK

Business school will be challenging and time consuming. It’s important to take time to mentally reset and relax prior to the fall semester.

“Travel, sleep, hang out with friends,” says Brian Mitchell, associate dean for full-time MBA programs and global strategy and initiatives at the Goizueta Business School at Emory University. “Because what’s coming on the other side of enrolling in your MBA program is a lot of discomfort when it comes to new things, and that requires a lot of mental energy.”

BUILD A ROUTINE

For some, business school may be a transition back to academics after working professionally for many years. Planning your academic schedule and focusing on time management strategies can help ease that transition from worker to student.

“Start structuring your day as they’d be when you’ve been in school, so that you get used to your routine,” says Rodrigo Malta, managing director of MBA recruiting and admissions at McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin.

START NETWORKING

While you’ll have plenty of opportunities to network on campus, experts say it can be beneficial to start making connections before school kicks off. Brent Nagamine, director of full-time MBA admissions at the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington, recommends incoming MBAs to reach out to current students and peers to start building their network over the summer.

“Starting that journey early is helpful,” he says. “Join the program’s LinkedIn page, join the Slack channel, whatever it is – try to meet students who are already there or going to be there and get connected to them.”

It can also help to find students and peers who share similar interests as you so you can hit the ground running in the fall.

“For example, if you’re interested in finance, ask someone to introduce you to the head of the finance club,” Stacy Blackman, founder of Stacy Blackman Consulting, says. “Also, find out who is running the women’s association if you’re a female candidate targeting that school.”

Sources: US News, Stacy Blackman Consulting