MBA Voices: 4 Things I Wish I Had Known Before Starting My MBA

For the past four years, I worked in operations within the private equity space. Along the way, opportunities arose that I did not yet have the knowledge to pursue confidently. I knew I was capable of more, and I recognized that moving forward required fundamental training. Business school felt like the next step toward closing that gap.

I entered my MBA with a clear purpose to grow beyond operations in finance. What I didn’t factor in was how much the cultural shift would affect me. Being from New York City, I was used to a certain pace and way of interacting. Arriving at Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School meant adjusting to new norms, new people, and a much broader community. Being surrounded by talented people from so many different backgrounds is part of what makes Cornell’s culture unique. That adjustment was harder than I expected.

These reflections come from experience rather than regret. Here are four things I wish I had known before starting my MBA.

1. BE INTENTIONAL ABOUT WHEN YOU APPLY & HOW YOU PREPARE

Give yourself a better chance by aiming for Round 1 or Round 2. Applying earlier can improve your chances of receiving funding and give you more time to build relationships and organize your transition. Explore opportunities like fellowships, Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT), and The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management early enough to understand their requirements and how they fit into your journey.

Before arriving at Cornell, I had not understood that some core courses would be completed in just seven weeks. I found the pace challenging and struggled to keep up with the material. Looking back, I would have used Johnson Means Business, our main admissions event, to ask current students what that pace looked like in practice and how to prepare before classes began.

At the same time, speak with students who are willing to be candid and come prepared with specific questions. Use the admissions process to define what success means to you and identify the preparation that will help you arrive ready.

2. STRENGTHEN YOUR ACADEMIC FOUNDATION BEFORE CLASSES BEGIN

Many of us arrive at business school years after completing undergrad. We have built careers, taken on responsibilities, and settled into routines that look very different from student life. Returning to the classroom requires an adjustment that is easy to underestimate.

Your professional experience may qualify you for an admissions test waiver, but it does not replace preparation. I underestimated how much material I would need to relearn. At times, I felt as though the professor was speaking a foreign language, and I would sink into my seat to avoid being cold-called.

In undergrad, I had professors on speed dial. Here, struggling to follow the material made me less willing to engage, and I missed building those same relationships. Strengthening my quantitative skills and rebuilding my study habits before classes began would have helped me arrive better prepared.

3. RUN YOUR OWN RACE

This is easier said than done. Business school introduces you to opportunities you may never have considered. Hearing about the exciting things my classmates were pursuing made me want to explore more myself. I found myself drawn toward possibilities without always stopping to ask if they were a fit.

Goals can change, but that change should come from your own decisions about what works for you. With so much happening around me, I needed to get grounded in my own purpose. One area where I struggled with that was recruiting.

I had come to business school to build on a career I valued, grow beyond operations, and prepare to join a deal team within venture capital and advise on deals. I decided to step away from recruiting because the paths I was pursuing did not align with that purpose. I wanted to focus on building the knowledge I had come to gain.

Academically, being surrounded by people with different levels of expertise brought its own challenges. Some classmates already understood material I had spent hours working through, and imposter syndrome quickly crept in. It took time to remind myself that I was sometimes comparing my chapter one to someone else’s chapter ten.

Reaching that realization was hard, and I went through a period of sadness along the way. But I now understand that I can take pride in what I bring while acknowledging how much I still have to learn. I belong at the table even when I do not have the answers.

4. BE PREPARED FOR GROWTH THAT EXTENDS BEYOND THE CLASSROOM

On the first day of our critical thinking class, we discussed a quote from the Greek philosopher Heraclitus: ‘You cannot step into the same river twice because both you and the river have changed.’ My understanding of that quote is that you may have struggled before, but the beauty of that struggle is that you now have experience and know more than you did. An important part of this journey is ensuring you absorb those lessons. Every day brings new data, both in the classroom and outside it.

The experience can challenge your values, test your character, and bring insecurities to the surface. I am an expressive person and tend to speak honestly. I have had to learn to adapt how I express myself to the setting and be more thoughtful about how my words might be received.

I also initially took personal critiques as an attack, but now I recognize the care behind feedback from people who want to see me grow. What I received defensively, I now see as an act of love.

The character development that happens during an MBA is underestimated. We arrive expecting to build professional skills, but we also learn to examine ourselves and identify areas where we can grow into the best version of ourselves. Three months in, I already see positive changes in how I communicate and receive feedback—skills I will carry into my career working with people from different walks of life.

Bio: Bintou Diaou is a first-year MBA candidate at Cornell University’s Samuel Curtis Johnson Graduate School of Management and a finance professional with four years of experience in operations and sales execution support within the alternative investment space. Before business school, she worked across investment operations and relationship management, gaining exposure to private-market transactions and the broader investment ecosystem.

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Bintou Diaou’s family is from Ivory Coast, and she is a first-generation American and college graduate. Her path has not always been linear, and much of her journey has involved learning when to take risks, when to pivot, and how to create opportunities with the resources available to her. Outside of finance, she enjoys travel, discovering new experiences, and continuously finding ways to grow personally and professionally. She is particularly interested in intentional networking, professional development, and how individuals can better align themselves with opportunities that support their long-term goals.

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