Things I Learned from my MBA Journey
Embarking on an MBA was a dream come true for me. Along the way, I learned a lot of life lessons that I will carry with me forever.
I graduated with my MBA at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign last December 2024, marking the end of an era. This era allowed me to meet new people and learn many valuable life lessons along the way, which I will forever cherish in my memories.
Here are some of the biggest life lessons that I took away from the program:
Vulnerability: The Power of Asking Questions
One trend I observed throughout my career life was the shift from the “you should know this by now” paradigm to embracing vulnerability.
My recent work experience and interactions with fellow MBA cohorts in my BADM 508 - Leadership and Teams class made me realize that being vulnerable is a sign of strength, not weakness. In other words, '‘you should know this by now is not a good mindset”
The last time I encountered this mindset was during my program capstone when the person leading the live session said that we should be familiar with the concepts of TAM, SAM, and SOM by now. This caused a lot of confusion among us students as this was never covered in any of our required courses. Upon digging, it was identified that these were covered in an elective in the Entrepreneurship focus area, which not all students are in.
Our experience demonstrates that this outdated way of thinking can lead to pitfalls and blind spots, especially in an era of constant change.
The courage to ask questions unlocks value within an organisation and fosters a culture of innovation. Specifically, asking questions spurs an open exchange of ideas and drives performance improvement. By being open, teams can uncover new insights and formulate creative solutions to challenges. [1]
For example, during my MBA program, we were encouraged to attend office hours not just to ask questions but also to learn from others. I also joined a study group at the beginning of the program, allowing us to freely share ideas and ask for help when needed. In addition, I started practising vulnerability by reaching out to others when I needed help with qualitative courses such as Strategic Management and Marketing.
Setting Goals and Laying The Groundwork = Success
As the saying goes, “Rome was not built in a day.” The same saying is relevant to both our careers and personal lives. Let’s use the ladder above as an analogy.
If we examine the inconsistency ladder, with huge gaps, setting huge goals without consistent effort only leads to failure and frustration. On the other hand, setting smaller steps or milestones towards the big goal and consistency leads to momentum and better chances of success. This shows that consistency through smaller steps and habits, rather than one-time actions, will help you move forward to the finish line.
Looking back, I feel that I owe my success in the MBA program and other endeavours to laying the groundwork through careful planning and habits. To prove my point, I’ll be sharing examples of how I use this key lesson in real life:
Successful program capstone through networking
I received the same set of questions from others on how I was able to find a powerhouse group after I shared how my group and I made the program capstone a memorable one. The answer? Certainly not by reaching out to others at the last minute, which many people do.
I knew for a fact that being successful in the program will also depend on how well you work with others and how much you can meaningfully use what you learned in class as tools at your disposal. That meant surrounding yourself with the right crowd is key to success.
I started seeking opportunities to connect with other learners as soon as I gained access to my Illinois email accounts. I was fortunate enough to meet and work with the likes of Brittany, Carlos, and Johannes for the program capstone and some assignments in some of the courses we took together. How? I actively reached out and got to know them better through study groups. Our success did not happen by chance. It took almost two years of relationship-building and trust to get to where we are now.
Successful start and end of every semester through consistency
Another aspect that contributed to my success in my MBA program was planning and consistency. Hence, I developed my system throughout the program to manage my academic life alongside my 9-to-5 corporate job. Here’s what every semester would look like for me:
Once the Canvas page is open, I review the syllabus to understand the course objectives and what I am expected to learn.
Pre-semester ritual: List down all the assignments, exams, and important due dates. Break down each assignment into smaller chunks if needed. Refer to the image above for a sample.
Post-semester ritual: Reflect on what went well and what can be improved, and ensure all assignments and course materials are saved in the drive.
The system I created through Notion led to a successful outcome, where I got all A or A+ in all my courses.
To add the cherry on top, I was also invited to two honour societies (Phi Kappa Phi and Beta Gamma Sigma) to recognize my hard work. In conclusion, ambition backed with plan of action and consistent habits led me to where I am today.
Your Journey Belongs to You, The Rest is Just Noise
The MBA journey made me realise that trying to fit into someone else’s definition of success is one of the biggest mistakes I made throughout most of my 20s. Back then, I recall that I blindly pursued the wrong things, such as taking a certification exam that I was not interested in the first place.
On a personal note, there were times when I felt anxious about discussing my personal choices, as most of them do not align with society’s perception of success. To put it simply, these people think I should be riding the same hamster wheel as them. Attend college, secure a job, get married, and have children. Rinse and repeat! Not for me at the moment!
Everything became clearer when I took Leadership and Teams, one of the courses that changed my life for the better. My professors, Elizabeth Luckman, Denise Loyd, and Kari Keating, inspired me to take the time to reflect on my leadership journey, as there is no single silver bullet that determines one’s success. Furthermore, I learned that good leaders usually take the time to reflect and understand before chasing a goal.
Taking the lessons from my Leadership and Teams course, I also learned that the knowledge acquired from courses is a tool that can be used to solve problems rather than the end itself. It’s a matter of me deciding when to use these tools (e.g., capstones and immersions).
I ultimately mastered the art of filtering out noise and focusing on my journey towards the end of my MBA journey. I became more confident in my decisions and could justify them without any self-doubt. For example, many of my fellow cohorts kept saying that Corporate Finance and Operations Management were both difficult. It turned out to be untrue because I knew that I was good at quantitative topics.
As a key takeaway, every clear intention is a step in the right direction in your endeavours, whether personal, professional, or academic.
Practice Gratitude
“Gratitude is life’s greatest currency”
Practicing gratitude can cultivate a positive sense of well-being and cultivate stronger relationships. Gratitude builds resilience and enhances emotional intelligence through active listening and empathy.
Success is not just about the shiny things, such as school GPA, profits, and revenues. It’s about acknowledging what you have and nurturing them for growth. Don’t be that guy who complains about small things not worth dwelling on.
Never forget to give back if you have the capacity! Don’t listen to the negatrons who will say nothing will ever change! Instead, focus on the small steps through helping others and networking with care. Who knows? The people you meet will likely be future coworkers, referrals, or even business partners.
Don’t be that person who lurks on the sidelines and only reaches out when you need something from others. Remember, networking is a two-way street! Make the most out of networking opportunities, even if you don’t know if you will reap the benefits or not.
References:
[1] Brooks, A. W., & John, L. K. (2018). The surprising power of questions. Harvard Business Review, 96(3), 60–67. https://hbr.org/2018/05/the-surprising-power-of-questions
Acknowledgements
As I reflect on my MBA journey at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, I want to express my deepest gratitude to the exceptional faculty, staff, and leaders who made this experience possible.
Thank you to the following professors for your expertise, guidance, and support throughout my studies:
BADM 508 – Leadership and Teams: Elizabeth Luckman, Kari Keating, Denise Loyd
BADM 509 – Managing Organizations: Michael Bednar, Jim Dahl, Geoffrey Love
BADM 544 – Strategic Management: Deepak Somaya, Sandra Corredor-Waldron
BADM 572 – Statistics for Business Decision Making: Fataneh Taghaboni-Dutta, Vlad Dogopolov
FIN 574 – Microeconomics for Business: Nolan Miller, Matthew Marcinkowski, Vlad Dogopolov
FIN 571 – Money and Banking: Rustom Irani, Ralf Meisenzahl, Vlad Dogopolov
BADM 520 – Marketing Management: Hayden Noel, Maria Rodas, Jaimie Walnes
BADM 567 – Operations Management: Gopesh Anand, Ujjal Mukherjee, Van Berube
ACCY 503 – Managerial Accounting: Clara Chen, Li Zhang, Angel Chatterton
ACCY 500 – Financial Accounting: Oktay Urcan, Scott Mendoza
FIN 511 – Investments: Josh Pollet, Xiangyi Spencer, Xing Gao
FIN 570 – Corporate Finance: Heitor Almeida (also for FIN 572 - Finance for Mergers and Acquisitions), Xiangyi Spencer, Stefan Zeume
BADM 589 – Project Management: Fataneh Taghaboni-Dutta
ACCY 574 – Risk Management and Innovation: Justin Leiby
Business Analytics Specialization Courses: Ronald Guymon, Ashish Khandelwal, Unnati Narang, Ye Joo Park, Kimberly Mendoza, Ye Joo Park
Colombia Immersion: Marcelo Buchelli, Laura Vanegas, Felipe Novoa (founder and CEO)
Program Capstone: Smitha Soman
To all the instructional team members working behind the scenes—I can’t name all of you, but know that I hear your efforts loud and clear!
To the leadership and staff: Krista DeLeeuw, Rebecca Pagels, Jim Lukeman, Myranda Crist, Michaela Childress, Lori Hayes, Kate Deering, W. Brooke Elliot, and Nerissa Brown, thank you for all the support and for making the community a place to learn.
Thank you to the following individuals who were there from the beginning: Brittany Lippert, MBA, Luis E. Cordero, Arundati Rao, Sharee Weigel, Abhishek Patil, Srilakshmi Guduru, Padmarchana Kandi, Arjun Kumar Perla
Thank you to the following individuals who made my program capstone experience a rememberable one: Brittany Lippert, MBA, Carlos Loras Vilar, and Johannes Mayer
To my NYC MVPs, Arengail Samarita, Shana Storey, Frank Toth, Sarah Pietrowicz, and Esther David, Thank you for the laughs and help throughout the program. I hope to continue seeing all of you at meet-ups.
To all the people I worked with in group projects and met through breakout sessions or Workplace - I can’t name you all, but I want to say it was great meeting you, and thank you for being part of my MBA journey.
To family, friends, and people I haven’t mentioned yet - Thank you for all the support!
Best lesson - As a key takeaway, every clear intention is a step in the right direction in your endeavours, whether personal, professional, or academic.
Great lessons!