Sense a smell of crisis whether I can live through the remaining 18 months. Nevertheless, this is my own choice, which I made up to stretch myself, and to discover the unknown me. And that's why I'm here, so I should stop grumbling and work on what I should do. One of the lecturer told that there are 3 types of students: the performer (aim for good grade), performance avoider (less study, more party), and mastery (care about what really learnt). I consciously trying to be the third one, to learn something, to take away something from each lecture, discussion. But experience told me that when there are a due date for everything, and they all come in the same time, you tend to ignore the learning and just try to finish everything for the purpose of submission.
"Don't forget the brief half way through the project", this is the advise I get from the Consultancy Skills class. "Start to write the report with executive summary" , similar advice by the lecturer on our Not for Profit Project. I think it is applicable for my MBA journey as well. "Don't forget the original motive (to get an MBA) half way through the study", "Start to plan the journey with the final ambition in head". And the project is about scoping, research, analysis, interim reporting, final reporting and presentation. While MBA journey is same thing like scoping (identify what you really wanna do), research, analysis, interim reporting (self check with original motive whether it is still on track), final reporting & presentation (final check of what have been achieved and what have not).
The study is tough. Luckily the lecturers and professors that I met so far are all very good in teaching. Unlike the classes that I have back in Asia, the classes here are more interactive, provocative and reflective. And this is the backbone of MBS method, the so-called Learning by Doing. Students have the hands-on chance to learn through projects and group works. What's more is the classes on soft skills, the skills that I wanted the most. As the lecturer on Presentation Skills say, "Without a good presentation/communication skill, what inside your head is just nothing, because you just can't express it". And expression itself is just not enough, it has to be impressive, effective, in such a way that the listener will take away only the key messages, nothing else, that you wanted to tell.
Sell attributes, not products. Another take away from the Introduction to Case Studies Class. Whether it is a marketing strategy, product development, or even job searching! We are selling our attributes. No company will hire you if you don't have the attributes they are looking for. Therefore, MBA study is kind of process to add attributes, valueable attributes to yourself.
Again, MBA is tough, and I'm feeling kind of drowning. I don't whether I can survive till last. But the goal is clear, and I just can't let it go.
