Work, Family, And An Online MBA? Isenberg Students Explain How They Pull It Off

Shared calendars, a comfortable study nook, and reasonable expectations can go a long way toward making it possible to pursue an online graduate degree while keeping up with kids, friends, hobbies, and a full-time job, say three recent graduates and one current student of the Online MBA Program at the Isenberg School of Management at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. We asked them to share their very best tips for successfully staying on top of schoolwork while living a full life.

• Understand the structure of the program before you start.

“I was looking for an online MBA program that would give me flexibility in my schedule,” says Vishal Sawant ’24 MBA, who works as an engineering program manager at Apple, in Cupertino, Calif. “I have a 6-year-old daughter, so I needed a program that gave me the opportunity to balance my other responsibilities.

Knowing he would have unpredictable family and work obligations, he needed a fully asynchronous graduate program. “This is something I confirmed before I signed up for the course,” says Sawant. “I never had to be online at a specific, given time, even for my final exams. That was crucial. Otherwise, it would have been almost impossible for us as a family to manage.”

• Don’t take on more classes than you’ll be able to handle comfortably.

“I was extremely concerned about my work-life balance,” says Dr. Kim Darey ’25 MBA, a board-certified obstetrician gynecologist and president of Endeavor Health Elmhurst Hospital in Illinois, where she also served as chief medical officer.  “I took one course at a time so I could continue to have some free time.” (Darey is currently completing the final class of her Isenberg Online MBA.)

Other students prioritize finishing a program quickly, like Richard Gould ’23 MBA, a co-founder of government affairs consulting firm Oak Argyle and chief operations officer of construction development startup ESG Corp. He embarked on his online MBA while working for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts—with a baby on the way.

“I was persistent in wanting to graduate in two years, so I kind of accelerated,” he says. Gould’s advisor made sure he understood what he was getting into. “She was there to tell me, ‘This is what’s going to happen, it may be a little difficult, and it’s okay if you want to step back a little bit.’ She was a great help, and I was so grateful that she was there for me during my program.”

• Compartmentalize your studies. 

Keeping schoolwork confined to specific times of day and of the week allows students to maintain relationships and stay on top of professional responsibilities. “I had a strict schedule in which I was unplugged after work,” Darey says. “I spent time with my family, helped my son with homework, cooked dinner, etc. After my family settled down for the night, 10 p.m. and afterward was my primetime. I was able to read, take notes, review videos from my instructors, take quizzes, and write essays with minimal interruption.” 

Darey’s late nights during the week could be tiring, but for her, the prospect of free weekends made the effort worthwhile: “I powered through this schedule on weekdays so I could enjoy my weekends. I would complete an occasional quiz on the weekend, but primarily kept them open for downtime.”

Richard Gould also focused on classwork in the evenings: “It made for long days, but it was OK because I could leave work, eat dinner with my wife, and then do my studies,” he says. 

• Communicate with your advisors and instructors.

“My advisor was one of the people who had a really big impact on me and was my saving grace,” says Gould. “She was always there to give me advice on what courses to take and how to balance my schedule with everything going on.”

Lisette Ruesch-Wang ’24 MBA, a business banking group treasury specialist at Farmers and Merchants Bank in Long Beach, Calif., completed the Isenberg program while working full-time and carving out time to be a mom. She adds that developing a relationship with instructors will allow you to tap into extra support. “My professors understood time zone differences and were sympathetic,” she says. “Regularly check in with your faculty and take advantage of their virtual office hours.” 

• Don’t forget about having fun.

“Find the few things that make you happy and do those things,” says Ruesh-Wang. “Enjoy life.”

To learn more about Isenberg’s Online MBA program, please visit our contact us page to register for an upcoming information session or to schedule a time to speak with a specialist.

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