20 Biggest Regrets Of MBA Graduates

9) Speak Up…From The Start: “In the beginning of my studies at Esade, I sometimes felt a little insecure in what I had to offer as I was a bit on the younger side and often chose to just listen instead of speaking up in class discussions or group work. It took me a while to find my voice and realize that my perspective is as valuable as anyone else’s. If I could go back, I would have been braver from the beginning and spoken up more even when I wasn’t sure about whether my point was valid.”
Moritz Fath, Esade Business School

10) Take A Moment To Reflect: “The past two years have been an incredible journey, and I have been constantly challenged to do better and to be better. Throughout the process, I was so focused on achieving specific results that I forgot to take a moment to enjoy the little wins and journey I had been on. Sometimes, I would have liked to take things slowly, celebrate how far I have come, and be kinder to myself when I didn’t get the internship I wanted or when a relationship didn’t turn out as I had hoped. Thankfully, I had many friends and confidants who grounded me regularly. All things considered, it turned out quite well.”
Nishant Makhijani, Georgetown University (McDonough)

11) Don’t Have To Know And Do Everything: “I realized the importance of being comfortable with not knowing everything, as everyone in the class comes from diverse backgrounds and experiences. By admitting my own limitations and being open to learning from others, I could foster a collaborative and supportive learning environment where my peers felt comfortable sharing their knowledge and insights.”
Siya Xabanisa, IMD Business School

“There’s really not much that I would change about my experience. I’m happy with the past few years. If anything, I wish I had explored some of the other potential careers in the MBA. Tech and entertainment have great professional treks and other events with their clubs. However, that is the tradeoff that I made with consulting recruiting and club involvement, as those commitments took a lot of time. Business school is all about tradeoffs, you can’t be everywhere at once and you need to manage your energy.”
Andrew Lung, USC (Marshall)

12) Interact With Alumni More: “If I could do business school over again, one thing I would do differently is invite more alumni to be guest speakers. Every time I heard from alumni in class or at a club event, I’ve found them to be the most engaging because they are willing to be more candid and transparent with current students. Alumni are a great resource for coffee chats and recruiting, but I think there’s more power and good will in an alumni connection when you are inviting them back to campus without expecting a job in return. An alumnus once drove down from the Bay Area (about a 6-hour drive) to speak at an event I was hosting for our tech club, simply because he held my same position when he was a student and wanted to help. I wish I had taken more advantage of forging connections like that with our alumni outside of my job search.”
Kate van Keulen, USC (Marshall)

Dr. Disha Kataria, Hong Kong University

13) Take Risks: “Looking back over my MBA experience, I realize that I would have taken more risks and stepped out of my comfort zone. While I made the most of the opportunities presented, I now understand the importance of pushing myself further to explore new areas and embrace unfamiliar challenges. Moving forward, I have learned the value of embracing calculated risks for personal and professional growth. By venturing beyond what’s comfortable, I can expand my horizons and make the most of every experience.”
Dr. Disha Kataria, Hong Kong University Business School

14) Become a Teacher’s Assistant (TA): “A lot of students take advantage of this opportunity because the job does pay an income; however, I would also have enjoyed participating in it because of the opportunities to connect with faculty and other students, the discipline that it teaches, and the opportunities presented to learn various academic subjects. For example, If I were to be a teaching assistant (TA) for an Operations professor, I would learn much more about Operations strategies that I could potentially apply in my career post-MBA. The TA job also instills qualities of leadership and responsibility when teaching students certain subject material.”
Alec Shaul, UC Irvine (Merage)

15) Don’t Let Stress Impact Your Priorities and Wellness: “During the fall of my first year, I pushed myself incredibly hard to recruit successfully, excel in school, maintain relationships, participate in extracurricular leadership activities, and take care of myself. If I could go back, I would tell myself that the last item on that list – taking care of myself – should be the first priority always. There will always be different challenges in life, and the consistent truth is that taking care of yourself will only assist you in overcoming them. One of my favorite quotes that I feel makes this so relevant is by Mel Robbins on The Mel Robbins Podcast (#5 podcast worldwide): “Taking care of yourself is a business strategy.” If you take care of yourself – even as a high achiever – you can perform better in all facets of your life.”
Maddie McPhail, Georgetown University (McDonough)

16) Take Global Immersion Trips: “Such experiences, ranging from study abroad programs to international consulting projects, offer invaluable insights into global business landscapes. They also provide a unique environment to connect with classmates beyond the classroom. I feel like traveling and exposing yourself to diverse cultures significantly enhances personal and professional growth, and it’s also just fun”
Rushikesh Jere, Vanderbilt University (Owen)

17) Come With A Plan: “Looking back on my experience, the primary thing I would have done differently is intention setting. I have taken several classes and attended several incredible events at Kellogg that were focused on uncovering your values, defining success and fulfillment, and aligning your intentions and actions to those. I, like many others, came into the MBA experience wide-eyed and eager to get involved and found myself overcommitting to things that weren’t aligned with my goals and objectives. That said, the advice I would give anyone on the edge of this experience is to make the time to sit down and write out your goals for your MBA experience, your personal values, the skills you want to grow or hone, and what “success” looks like to you. When it comes time to having to decide what to get involved in, what classes to take, how to spend/allocate your time, and what job to take, you can then refer back to this list to help make your decision. Additionally, this list keeps you honest as you move throughout your time as an MBA candidate to shine a light on where you may need to round out your experience.”
Elizabeth Willis, Northwestern University (Kellogg)

18) Stop Being A Perfectionist: “Because I came from a non-traditional background and am one of only two moms in my program, I felt like I had to prove myself 24/7 and show that I belonged. I competed for a high GPA, volunteered for everything, and pushed myself so hard to never fail or mess up. It’s part of my personality and probably helped me succeed in the program. However, I’m learning now to better weigh priorities and know that it’s okay not be perfect. It’s been hard to juggle the demands of business school and be present as a parent at the same time, but I know it’s been great practice for what comes next.”
Melissa Cunningham, Southern Methodist University (Cox)

Laura Emerson, University of Georgia (Terry)

19) Trust The Process: “I think the first term was intense for all of us, as we dealt with the pressure of adjusting to a new city, new people and an entirely new rhythm. As someone highly introverted and one of the “quiet ones”, I felt the weight of this transition, feeling a bit rushed to form connections out of fear of falling behind. Looking back, I realize that many of us were feeling this FOMO and I wasn’t alone in this. In retrospect, I wish I had been more patient with myself, understanding that the process of building meaningful connections takes time. Trust. The. Process.”
Silvana Shepherd Chuquiure, Esade Business School

20) No Regrets At All: “Honestly, there is not a single thing that I regret about my MBA experience. As an older-than-average MBA candidate, I was sacrificing a lot to give up my salary, dip into my savings, and ask my fiancé to move across the country with me – to a new place where we had no family and no friends. I had to make this experience worthwhile, otherwise we would have given up a life we loved in Los Angeles for no reason. During my MBA, I signed up for every activity that remotely piqued my interest. I showed up to events when I was totally exhausted. I participated in things that were outside of my comfort zone. I followed up every lead and took advantage of every opportunity that came my way. My strategy was “go big or go home.” It helped make this experience even more valuable than I thought possible.”
Laura Emerson, University of Georgia (Terry)

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