Semester 2 wrap-up: Reflecting on the 1st and 2nd Semesters

Chris Rosenquest, TMMBA Student (Class of 2011)

Semester two is officially come to an end and I want to take an opportunity to reflect on the beginning of the school year through the first and second semesters…

Semester 1:
The first semester was extremely challenging and upon reflection, the majority of the challenge came from managing my schedule.  The course work and content, although challenging, I found the majority of the my struggles coming making time to complete the course work, meet with my team, attend class and the review sessions.

At first I attempted to keep my other engagements (BOD work, volunteer work etc…) but in the end found I needed to temporarily give these up in order to focus solely on school.  I don’t regret giving these up as I know the work I’m putting into school will make a lifetime of difference when I take these up in the future.

Semester 2:
Now that I’m in stride, the second semester started and ended very well.  Not only was school now well integrated into daily life but my grades also showed improvement because of it.  Below is what I’ve resolved will be my schedule for the next year.

Monday: Team study night – It’s highly recommended you meet with your team at least once a week.  This is the evening we take to review our workload for the week, work on team cases and discuss topics from class that are more complex
Tuesday: Personal study night
Wednesday: Class night
Thursday: Class review – Very important!  I found that making time to attend these can ensure a above average grade versus an average grade.  The TAs know what they’re talking about and as long as you’re willing to ask questions you’ll solidify your understanding of a tough topic.
Friday: Personal study night
Saturday: alternating class days/team study days
Sunday: NOTHING – Yes, I don’t do school work (or any other kind of work) on  Sundays.  This has worked out very well for me and my family and friends.  For me it’s a well deserved rest from the rest of the week and a recharge going into the upcoming week.  Finding time for myself has been imperative to my experience and success in school and that spills over to the rest of life.