A Week in the Life of an MBA Student
As reported by a second year MBA student
Monday
7:30 My day begins with breakfast and a quick review of the morning news headlines.
8:00 I head over to Alston Parlor to attend a roundtable discussion with the Executive Vice-President of Alabama Power, who is here as part of the Lowder Series, which MBAs are invited to lecture on a regular basis by the Dean of the college.
9:30 After the discussion, I drop off my team's strategy simulation decision in the designated box, before taking a brisk walk to the campus post office to pick up my mail.
9:45 I journey back to begin work on my MBA graduateassistantship. Today I am hoping to begin the final module of an MBA program benchmarking project so that the project will be completed slightly ahead of schedule.
1:00 Two of my classmates come to my apartment where we are working on a group assignment related to forecasting corporate sales. Today, we are working with cases regarding Frito-Lay's SunChips® and a specialty golf shop, "Fairway, Inc."
4:30 I review a Marketing end-of-module individual assignment on pricing before submitting my analysis via e-mail to the professor.
5:30 I head downtown for dinner at the Crimson Cafe, before returning to review the two Strategy chapters that we are to discuss in class tomorrow.
8:30 After a couple of phone calls, I have some free time and decide to be productive and skim the Black and Decker case that we are to discuss in class on Thursday.
10:30 After watching a little television, I head to bed early to prepare for a full day of classes tomorrow.
Tuesday 9:30 On the agenda for our Strategy class today is a lecture over chapters 9 & 10. Dr. Foster enlightens us on topics of diversification strategies. 10:45 After a quick check of my folder for any intra-campus mail in the MBA lounge, I return to the classroom for Management Communications class. Dr. Dulek told us Thursday that this will be the cornerstone lecture of the entire class. Some of our female classmates are not in attendance as they are at the "Women for Hire" career fair in Atlanta. 11:00 Dr. Dulek discusses the appropriateness of message types for certain business situations. He also provides us with a useful resource tool that we can reference in the future when preparing business presentations or written communications. 12:15 A friend and I drive out to Cypress Inn for lunch. Unfortunately, we didn't get a seat by the window to see the Black Warrior River at this riverbank restaurant. 2:00 After lunch, we return to campus for our Advanced Marketing class. It is a six credit-hour course, so we will be in class from 2:00 until 4:45, with a 15-minute break included. Today's discussion concludes the module on sales forecasting. 4:45 My strategy simulation teammates and I head over to the computer lab to download the results of our recent strategy game decision. We are fairly confident, but the results depend on the strategy and performance of the other seven teams in our simulated industry. We make copies of the results and agree to review them independently before our meeting tomorrow. 5:15 I check my e-mail and grab some dinner before returning to my Tuesday evening elective class in Advanced Principles of Long-Term Care.
9:00 After class, I return to my apartment where I finish write-ups for the Management reading set, watch the evening news and review the strategy game results in preparation for our team meeting tomorrow. 12:00 After a long day of classes, I retire for the evening. |
8:30 With an hour before classes, I check my e-mail and get an update on newly posted job openings on e-Recruiting and other job search sites. I catch up on the morning news and grab a quick breakfast before heading to Alston for a day of classes. 
6:30 Tonight's class involves three student presentations, in addition to a lecture on financing long-term care. Wednesday
9:00 After a typical morning routine, my first task of the day is to complete my benchmarking project for my graduate assistantship, where I have been researching the top MBA programs in the nation, as well as all MBA programs in the Southeast. This project will be used to benchmark Manderson against top competitors.
3:00 Upon completion, I take the MBA information packets on each program to the MBA office to be filed in the office for future reference, and then walk over to the post office to check my mail.
4:00 I meet with the MBA website team to discuss the new website we are designing. This is the 3rd of such meetings. Now that we have determined what format and information we want to include, today we are to be presented with some potential color and design schemes for the site.
4:30 I rush back from the website meeting to join my strategy simulation team as work to make our Year 15 decisions for the strategy simulation game. In the game, our task is to design, manufacture, market, and sell tennis shoes in a global market through a variety of distribution channels.
6:00 Attend the bi-weekly Toastmasters International meeting. Tonight two of the first year students are speaking.
7:30 I take a break from my day as I watch a couple of sitcoms while eating dinner and making a few personal phone calls. Tonight I received a call from my "mentee." He had a question 
about directions and one about his class schedule.
8:30 I review the Black and Decker case for discussion tomorrow, and then begin reading some Marketing articles and reviewing the Forecasting End-of-Module Assignment for the class.
1:00 After extensive Marketing reading, I retire to rest before tomorrow's day of classes.
Thursday 9:30 Today, Dr. Foster initiates a student-led discussion on the diversification issues that Black and Decker has faced in the past, and our evaluation of their current strategy for the future. 11:00 Dr. Dulek is at a business conference so our communications class is cancelled for the day. 11:15 A few of the MBAs go to DePalma's Café for lunch before returning to review a team project prior to our Advanced Marketing Analysis class. 2:00 Today's Marketing lecture is an overview of conjoint analysis techniques. 4:30 After class, I head over to the Ferguson Center to grab a bite to eat at one of the restaurants in the food court.
8:30 I devote the rest of my free time this evening to go home and work on the Forecasting end-of-module assignment that is due on Monday. It's a rather in-depth analysis involving a variety of forecasting and analysis techniques, so I opt to get an early start. 11:00 After completing a large portion of my assignemnt, I retire for the evening. |
6:00 I attend the MBA-CEO social gathering at Bama Bowl for MBA mentors and first-year MBA "mentees."
Friday
9:00 I do some research for my assistantship assignment. Today, I am reviewing online application options for the new MBA website and doing a cost-benefit analysis of the options available.
11:30 I return the call of a pharmaceutical recruiter regarding a potential job opportunity. Unfortunately, the company is seeking the position filled before next semester, so I opted to remain in the MBA program and look for other career opportunities.
12:00 After lunch at home, I go to pick up my mail at the post office, before returning to Bidgood to join the MBA website team meeting.
1:30 Today, we are reviewing the prototype of the new website design. We suggest a few changes and then adjourn with a plan to meet the following week to review the revised version.
2:30 I go to the lab to check my e-mail and check new job postings and interview opportunities, then I stop by the Ferguson Center on my way home to pick up a new Alabama shirt in the Supe Store (for the big game tomorrow). Also, today the MBA CEO is hosting a blood drive for the American Red Cross and I want to donate before returning home to finalize some Marketing work.
5:00 I prepare a PowerPoint presentation for my upcoming presentation to my healthcare management class that will occur on Tuesday of next week. Each individual in the class selects an argumentative topic related to long-term healthcare and gives a 15 to 30 minute oral presentation on the issue.
7:00 I ride the trolley over to a friend's house for dinner with some mutual friends. After dinner a few of us opt to enjoy the Tuscaloosa nightlife, while others head to Birmingham for the weekend. The evening was fun, with many of us stopping at Buffalo Phil's before visiting 4th & 23rd enjoy some live music.
Saturday
10:45 I arrive in the student section to join my MBA classmates in our block seating in the end zone. 3:00 I return home after a 24-17 WIN against the Bulldogs. 4:00 After a few phone calls, I focus on the Marketing case analysis that is due next Thursday. The write-up will likely be a minimum of 25 pages, with most being closer to 30 or 40. In recent weeks, I have completed the majority, but still have three sections left to complete. 9:00 Time for a break. I head down to the Houndstooth, a local legendy establishment, to spend a few hours with friends in the MBA program and to enjoy the Alabama victory! |
10:00 I head to "Kickoff on the Quad" to grab some lunch from one of the vendors before heading to the stadium for the game.
Sunday 12:00 After stopping for lunch on the way back, I return to my apartment where I am to meet my strategy team at 12:30 to prepare for our 5-year Strategy Review and Business Plan presentation and also work on the next decision for the simulated game. 5:00 After a long five hours of teamwork, we adjourn for the evening and head over the the Student Recreation Center. Tonight some of our fellow MBA students are competing in the intramural soccer semi-finals. 9:00 I return home to review my portion of the Strategy presentation, and also to finalize my healthcare presentation. 11:30 After finishing, I complete the last pages of the Marketing case analysis. 1:00 I tie up some loose ends and straighten up my apartment before retiring for the evening to get some rest before another hectic week in the life of an MBA commences tomorrow morning. |
