Closing out and gearing up

I can't believe I haven't posted since our last class... but then again, mix in finals, holidays and out of state travels to the in laws, and you can see that life has been quite busy.

I can't believe I've completed Semester 1 out of 6. It was a success- I made the grades I wanted, and am so thrilled with my experience thus far. I've tried to take some time to reflect on what theme I would give to this semester, and I think I would give the title "Dream". Over this semester I've opened my eyes to new opportunities as well as new ways of thinking. Even this week, as I prepare for an annual event at work, I feel so much more prepared on how I want to guide our marketing efforts related to the event. I also caught myself driving to work today and questioning the branding strategies of a billboard I saw on the drive. As for Economics, I'm already taking what I learned there and am applying the concepts to the leveling text as I head into accounting. As I'm reading about cash flows and noncash assets, I'm titling items into capital, labor, and land (& Entrepreneurship). Lastly, we had our leadership class. I felt that class fit me like a glove. At first I had to make the conscious decision to really dive into the framework Dr. Christian provided. It was a little different as he graded from a rubric and not number grades. However, this challenged me to new personal bests. And, perhaps for the first time in a long time, I took a personal look at myself, and asked "If I am the best at who I am meant to be- what does that look like?" No longer aiming at goals or forcing myself into a mold that wasn't fit for me... I'm deciding what God's plan is for my life, and going to try to do that to the best of my abilities. For me this became a personal mantra to be more, rather than to do more. To focus more on the person I am rather than the outcomes I produce. It will be interesting to see how this develops over the next five semesters.

So coming up, we have Accounting, Critical Thinking and Organizational Behavior and Change. I'm working the most to prepare for Accounting, as I have never had an Accounting course. I am reading the leveling text provided by the Ivy Software. Chapter 3 has required me to spend some time in understanding Debits/ Credits and Assets, Liabilities and Owner's Equity. I started reading last night about Cash Flows... this has a lot of new terminology for me, just in the fact that I have dedicated my career to non-profit work and "profit" and anything related to making money, just doesn't have a point of reference. I'm so glad that a few short months from now, I'll be standing on the other side of this mountain, and feel great about what all I will know about Accounting.

Well, Happy New Year to all, and I'll post again next week as we head into Semester II!

FAQ- from a student's perspective.

I've felt of a couple of weeks now that there may be some who have questions not to the content of the MBA Program, but more the logistical side- what does it look like to be a Concordia MBA Student.

I'm sure each person's experience is different, but I'll do my best to answer some of the questions floating out there.

-Where is the location of Concordia's MBA Program?
Concordia's MBA is at two campuses. North Lamar and 183, and the new campus at 620.

-How many nights per week do you meet?
The MBA Program at Concordia meets one night per week. The night of the week is determined by what location you choose. The first cohort is Tuesday nights at 620 and Thursday is at N. Lamar. Each Cohort will be different, but I believe I've heard there will never be one on Fridays.

-How much time outside of class is needed?
I attempt to do some reading/preparation during the nights of the week, but generally, I use Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays to get work completed. My 40 hour week at Children At Heart goes Mon-Thursday 7:30AM-5:30PM, and Fridays 8-12, so I try to use most of Friday afternoon to start on homework. My Saturdays are spent pretty much in the books and writing papers, I'll use a couple hours on Sunday, and if our group is getting together, then we'll meet for an hour or two on one day of the weekend 3 to 4 times in a semester. I'm sure this will be different depending on the work load of each semester, but so far, this is my experience.

-How many hours are you in class?
Class for me is on Tuesdays, and we go 6-10PM. I have a wonderful boss who lets me leave early on Tuesdays at 4:30 PM to get ahead of rush hour and prepare for class. Now I also have a position that I generally work 45 hours or so per week plus or minus, depending on time time of year, so I'm able to make up my lost time.

Our first class goes from 6-8, and this class may last 10-15 weeks. If it goes 10 weeks, we'll have another 2 hour class for 5 weeks. The second class is from 8-10, and currently goes 15 weeks. One semester has 2 10 week classes blocked, and then there will be a 5 week class for a full 4 hours. There are a few breaks to stretch your legs, and the University provides coffee, but be careful how much you drink, or you'll be up til 1!

I live about 30 minutes away on toll roads, so after class I'm pulling into my driveway around 10:30 or 11 if I get caught in conversation with other students after class.

-Is there financial aid?
You'll need to talk with the Financial Aid Office for the official Concordia response, but for those who qualify there are loans. If you work for a 501(c)3, and have proof of employment, Concordia offers a discount of $50 off per credit hour! Lastly, a scholarship program was just announced, and between the 40 students in a cohort there is one sizable scholarship. There is an application process, which includes references, letters of recommendation and essay, but if chosen, three students have the opportunity to interview, and one blessed student will be awarded with a scholarship. Again, I'm not sure if this is an every year type of deal, so you'll want to check with Financial Aid to see what's available.

-Do I have to take my GMAT?
No, this program does not require the GMAT. Having taken the GMAT, and wishing I hadn't put myself through that expensive process, I'm grateful this school looks at the total package of students, and doesn't require the GMAT.

-Are there Prereqs?
As of this point, there are no prereqs. They do have available some handy software for students who haven't had some of the courses before called Ivy Software. This provides a pre- and post- test, along with material to catch you up on basics (Economics, Finance, Accounting, etc). In the near future, I believe if you do not have a background in a subject, you may be required to show a post-test score of 80% or higher to show you are ready for the class, as none of us want to slow down the pace of instruction. Stay tuned to the MBA website for the final answer on that.

-What's it like being the first classes through the MBA Program?
I guess you'd say in being the first class through the program, our first group of students have a strong entrepreneurial spirit! We tease that we are the guinea pigs, but honestly the program has gone very smoothly for the first year run. We also have a great opportunity of providing input. Class reviews are implemented at mid-terms and finals, which I really appreciate. You don't have to sit through a whole semester before you can make your voice heard about teaching style, content or anything else. Feedback is greatly appreciated by the University, and you can rest assured that our class feels a tremendous responsibility to work out any kinks for the next batch of students, and Cohort 2 will be in for a wonderful program, just as we have experienced.

Any other questions?

I do hope in a post to come to describe my personal reasons for picking Concordia, so stay tuned!

Home Stretch

Team one is ... number one!

At Concordia our 20 person cohorts are divided into teams of four. With in our four person teams we work together on group projects in each of the classes. With my team (known as team 1), I've had the pleasure of putting together a SWOT analysis on TI, the Central Texas Banking Industry, and in Leadership we just presented on seeing Leadership in everyday life.

My team took the movie of Forrest Gump, and each team member took moments from the movie in which Forrest showed distinction and leadership. My part focused on the running theme throughout the movie. I dressed in a track suit to present, even jogging to the podium to start my piece of the presentation. My team did such an excellent job, and the end result was landing first place out of all the teams, as decided by a panel of judges. Beyond winning bragging rights, we each received a $25 gift card to Starbucks!

While I may not take such an outlandish approach to most of my presentations, I love Dr. Donald Christian's teaching style, embracing creativity and going out on a limb. We are able to dream in new colors under his guidance, and I'm embracing the opportunity fully. This next week our Leadership Manifesto is due. I am excited to use the opportunity to ask myself, what does the perfect leader look like to me, and how can I see myself in this light? Rarely do we stop to ask ourselves, in a perfect world, who would I be? Now we begin to put this idea together, and over the next 5 semesters, we'll flesh it out further, and hopefully begin reaching our full potential.

Economics provided a great overview of the semester, and coming next week is the big final! I've already asked for the day off with some of my comp time, so I look forward to studying and mastering all the material for this final leg of our economic journey.

It's so hard to believe 14 weeks have gone by. It feels we just got started, and yet the relationships with the other students already feel long standing. I don't know that you'd call us family, but we are growing close, and I know the relationships we are building will be ones we cherish for many many years to come.

T Minus 3 Weeks

This week we dove into the concept of servant leadership. Here is the quote I just loved from the evening:

The servant-leader is servant first. It begins with the natural feeling that one wants to serve, to serve first. Then conscious choice brings one to aspire to lead. The difference manifests itself in the care taken by the servant- first to make sure that other people's needs are being served. The best test, and difficult to administer is: Do those served grow as persons; do they, while being served, become healthier, wise, freer, more autonomous, more likely themselves to become servants? And what effect on the least privileged in society; will they benefit, or at least not be further deprived?- Robert Greenleaf

Secondly, we presented as groups our SWOT Analysis over an industry in Economics. I was so proud of our group! We focused on locally owned banks, 11 to be exact. The trick to this project was that Dr. Estrada wanted the data to be strongly based in numbers, where as the Marketing SWOT was heavy content. Our group excelled! We based our Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats off of ratios which show the viability of the bank. I never would have dreamed before of writing a 10 page paper and providing a presentation from a spreadsheet full of numerical data. It is great to see my education is already taking me to new levels.

Preserving Authenticity

The excitement of a new class has fully set in, and the engaging atmosphere in the classroom has shifted dialogue to a whole new level. This week we were to have read Let Your Life Speak, Listening to the voice of vocation. Starting the class, Dr. Christian showed two video clips. One with inspirational leadership quotes from across the times. I wrote a couple down-
"Authority is a poor substitute for leadership".
"The more you say, the less they remember".
The other was "Lessons on Leadership: From Mandella to Obama".
We came to focus on the importance of preserving authenticity while in leadership, and how leadership by nature dwells in a state of tension. For example, the best leaders are incredibly authentic and empathizing, however, according to the video clips- Mandella reportedly will never show how deeply the 27 years of imprisonment hurt him, and yet some how beyond his pain he authentically found the common will to end an apartheid in South Africa.
The book, Let Your Life Speak, shared a common thread with Mandella's journey... the discussion of how "dark times" serve in the development and clarity of vision and leadership.
Dr. Christian then pulled 4 chairs up to the front of the class forming a semi-circle open to the class. He asked for 4 volunteers. I went, along with 3 other students, not knowing what the assignment would be. We ended up leading the book's discussion. As other students in the class had input, they would come, and tap one of us on the shoulder to join the conversation. It was a great time to provide introspection into the text and ourselves. We contemplated the purpose of "the dark times", anything from experiences with cancer to other times that leave you with little than surrender to cling to. Some students were blessed enough never to have gone through a time such as this, and wondered if they needed a similar situation to develop fully into a leader. (I pray they never will).

Through those formative moments, dark times or in the light of leadership preserving authenticity remains a central theme, and I look forward to next week as we dive into servant leadership.

The Paradigm Shift

Last night was the first night of a one hour credit of Leadership of Self. Leading up to the night were readings in Strengths Finder 2.0, our assessment naming the top 5 strengths, and some reading selections out of Business Leadership. From the class pre-work, I learned my top five strengths are 1. Positivity, 2. Communication, 3. Woo (Winning Others Over), 4. Arranger, 5. Includer. It's amazing their interconnectedness, and I certainly see how these have been brought to light by my current position.

In our reading, the author pointed out the 7 ages of Leadership. I personally identify with the very first stage- The Infant. At this point the emerging leader is on the cusp of "What's to come" and recognizes that the next steps will be into a position of leadership, which can be a little nerve rattling and mysterious. The book highlights the importance of mentors, and I am very thankful for the ones I have in my life- Teri Hill (Amazing Executive Coach, here in the Austin Area), Dr. Edna Rehbein, Director at Texas State University- Round Rock, and my aunt Debbie Rippstein, Executive Director of our Houston-based agency. The next age provides the tips to a successful entry as leader, and I am already formulating my plan, even though the opportunity remains yet a mystery.

Today I find myself in a grant writing crunch. We submitted our LOI to a local foundation, and Tuesday, a hair shy of three I get the email that the foundation would like for us to fully complete the application process, and oh by the way, it's due Friday. For those of you unfamiliar to the grant writing process, you must understand that grant proposal personnel are packagers of sorts. We work with a whole team to get the latest in statistics, outcomes, and more from program staff. This "crunch" I am now viewing as a leadership opportunity. I used my positivity in constructing an email to staff to encourage them as we all work together to get this proposal completed. I communicated with six staff on each part of the proposal I needed their feedback on, and provided positive affirmations on their quick turnaround. Rather than just a collaborator, I have seen my paradigm shift to view this as one of many opportunities to exude leadership.

Week 10- My first graduate class is done!

Dave Ramsey has this concept of a debt snowball. If you are unfamiliar with it, he suggests that the best way to tackle the mountain of debt is by taking the smallest debt, and paying it off first. The concept is that by setting yourself up for small victories, the taste of success drives you on! Last night was week 10, and the final evening with Marketing Management with Professor Warren, and just like that, we're done! One class down... the taste of victory is fresh, and we march on to tackle the mountain of our 2 year MBA.

One thing I appreciate about our MBA experience is the value placed on reflection. In a fast paced world focused on change and what's next, Concordia knows that transformation begins from within. While most of us came to the decision of achieving our MBA with the drive for change or what's next on our journey, we are now encouraged to "take in the journey" as we travel to this destination.

Reflections on the last 10 weeks.
I can already see so much growth just from where I began 10 weeks ago. Just 10 weeks ago I came in confident, but not knowing what I didn't know, just that there was a need. 10 weeks later, I find myself confident knowing more and taking the honest look at having a more detailed idea of what I still have yet to learn. It's a good place. It keeps you humble, open to the realm of teaching possibilities. At the same time I'm "gaining my legs" in my current work place. I have confidence in new ideas, better ways of getting the job done, and a splinter of discomfort in a comfortable environment. I still have opportunities to grow, but I can see from the horizon that there may come a time that I'll have to determine what opportunities will continue to challenge me as my skill set continues to grow.

These 10 weeks have been full of teachable moments for both Concordia and me. I appreciate the open nature of the professors, faculty, and Program Director to our honest feedback. Another student summarized her thoughts well stating- I feel an obligation to let Concordia know what is working and what can be done better. It's not only my education, but the experience of the classes that come behind us.
What an incredible journey to grow ourselves, have the experience of pioneering a new program and the great opportunity of laying the groundwork for those who will follow. If you have the true spirit of the entrepreneur and want to give something, to mold, and to leave your imprint while receiving your MBA, well... that's what the Concordia MBA means to me.

Ready to Manage Marketing

I can't believe we only have one more week of Marketing... and yet it seems like I've learned so much, but also just began the journey! We have one more week, which will be the final, and this week we did our group presentations, Group Facebook Page Reviews (My group won with the most followers!), and we took a test on the last three chapters.

I'm excited about what I've learned through Managerial Marketing. I feel that in my role, I can do so much more with strategy and purpose, which is a big deal for a nonprofit, and great for me and my skill set.

Next week we begin our journey into leadership, and I'm really looking forward to some introspection. There's been a recurring theme in my life over the last year... what's next? I am so glad I was able to land a job for a company I love, but it's important that I continue to grow, and I'm always one for having new goals, so its been important to me to redirect my efforts and continue to define my goals so I continue to live on purpose.

And now it's time for the drum roll.... I am thrilled with how I did on the economics test. I made a 91... and had I just spent a little more attention to my essay on shortages and price ceilings, I could have landed a 94! Anywho, I'm just thrilled to have an A in the class, and be thinking in terms of economics... even last night I was listening to some girly radio show on my drive home at 10:20PM, and they were discussing whether couples should go dutch on the first date. The radio host was talking about how women pay so much to get ready for the date (hairspray, new outfit, get their nails done) that they were "owed a meal". I was thinking about how this was somewhat of a economic financial view because it viewed implicit and explicit costs rather than just the balance sheet of an accounting financial view. Not that this insight was any bit important, but my new concepts are permeating my thoughts, so I feel great that my education is coming into play!

In the big push

We are just past mid way for both classes and the last two weeks have been the biggest push to get everything done that we need to get done. I am happy to report the Mid Term in Econ is behind me. I got together with several other students for the day of the test and we took off and studied all day, which made all the difference. All of the econ terms had been floating in my head and available for recall if someone else mentioned a term, but now it seems that each definition is rooted and I can actually intelligently discuss the Law of Diminishing Returns, Surplus, Price Floors and Ceilings and all. I can't wait to see how I made out on the test!

Marketing class has been subtitled- A Crunch to Time. Some students are feeling it more than others, and while I'm not a fan of having 3 group projects due within 2 weeks, I'm going to try to do it with a happy heart, cause at least I will be a pro for SWOT analysis! The hard thing is with presentations there just wasn't enough time to even get all the presentations done within the amount of class time we were given. This next week we will then have a test, the rest of the presentations we didn't get to, group presentations and the Facebook group project presentations. The consensus in the class is that there's just no possible way of getting it all done. Something's gotta give, but we just aren't sure what it will be.

Well I have to get back to work on all the marketing projects due on Tuesday. Our group is getting together on Sunday, and then by Tuesday at 11 pm, I think I'll be able to catch a breath.

7 or somewhere in the middle...

It's official, the weeks are starting to run together! I'm officially losing count if it weren't for this blog of what week we are in school. I'm feeling very happy that I made this decision to go to Concordia, and am finding that this feels to be the one thing I am doing for myself right now. I do this because I enjoy it, and I look forward to it.

Our class dynamic is great, and only makes my experience that much more enjoyable. We have a way to find make ourselves laugh, so there's an overall good comradery building in the class.

This week feels a bit like a pressure cooker... Tuesday is our individual project due date for Marketing, and Econ finally gets our grades rolling with a Mid-term. I know me and two other ladies are meeting up at campus, taking the day off of work, and studying all day. I was hoping to use last night to get some work done, but I decided to run, cook dinner, and catch up on my DVR with my husband. I think what I'm learning, beyond elasticities, marginal rules and channel marking (all concepts I was unfamiliar with just 7 weeks ago) is really learning how to make this balance with my life. There's a certain semblance of normalcy I'm trying to carry over, but I also just have a lot to get done. I'm needing to learn how to balance that with spending time with my husband, who is in grad school full time, and just learning how to make this new routine work for me.

Good news- there will be 1 10,000 scholarship available next year. I think everyone in the class will be going for it, but I'm hoping our one income on a non-profit salary and all my community involvement will give me a push in a good direction.

I hope to report by this time next week that the Econ Mid Term went well and my presentation knocked it out of the park... we'll see!

Week 6

This was a great week. What I'm sure was sparked from the thoughts shard on the Marketing Mid-Semester Evaluation, students freely asked Professor Warren about the course work, course load, and what to expect vs. previous expectations. I think we must have had about 25 minutes of open dialogue, and everyone seemed to feel the time was beneficially spent.

Professor Warren shared that in his MBA he was the 5th class to go through another program, and he said each year was a different MBA experience. He recognized that we are the "trail blazers" and really encouraged us to share our thoughts openly with Program Leadership.

I think one of the greatest differences between this professor and our Economics prof is the idea of what is the greatest help to us as students. My fellow students and Professor Warren agreed that 10 weeks to cover marketing with the text provided by the curriculum is just too much. His response is to test often, relating course work similarly to undergraduate testing routines. He recognizes that its been twenty years since some have been in this setting, and wanted to offer them a course that would ease the transition. Dr. Estrada sides with us being given realistic expectations in what our outside involements may be, and thus our grades are more heavily weighted on a midterm, final, group project and class participation instead of homework or quizzes.

This week is our evaluation of Economics and how it's going. I really enjoyed last night's class- feeling like for the first time I wasn't just trying to keep pace with the notes, but that I was jumping ahead in thought... that as income increases and decreases the line moves out or in, but parallel. And with a shift in product prices the line tilts. The book made mention of "clockwise", but until Dr. Estrada showed, I wasn't clearly grasping what that meant. I think Economics was never meant to be taught from a book. That clearly gives it a boring and lifeless reputation. Economics was meant to be a conversation, and in that packaging you get so much more out of it.

We'll see in two weeks how I feel about economics when we have our mid term. There's another Marketing test next week. I'm trying to fit it all in. Friday 7:30 AM - 8PM is the first big night of the music and arts festival I am co-chairing, and Saturday, my normal study day is going to be similar as we expect 3-5K people, and I'm so short on volunteers. I hope Sunday and Monday night I can fit my two worlds together accomplishing all I need to for work and school. It's a balancing routine... and I just have to make it through October.

Survey Came In

Just wanted to note that through our campus email, a survey came through survey monkey regarding our marketing course. It's great to provide feedback on the things that are working, and perhaps provide insight that 4 chapters a week, 5 papers a week, 2 group projects and a solo project are hard to find time for. It's not that I'm not committed, but time is just hard to find, when much of the papers my husband who is in grad school full time accused of being busy work.

Week 5- half way through Marketing, one-third through Economics

I can't believe we are half way through our Marketing class. I feel like it was just a couple of weeks ago that I was so anxious for classes to start. And here we are, just completing our second test, and in the middle of two group projects and a personal project. I won't lie, Marketing has kept my hands full. Each week you can expect to read 3-4 chapters, do a paper on each of those chapters debating a topic introduced that week, and then another paper on a current events article on marketing or review an ad. Add into that the 2 group projects and your own company review, and there just seems to always be more to get done than there is time for.

I enjoy Professor Warren's teaching. He's very conversational, and you feel comfortable speaking out in class. Last night he seemed to have switched up the pace, and I'm not sure if it was because we had another test, or what, but we were able to take the debates from the previous week and provide our insight from around the room in conversation with the whole class. I enjoyed hearing everyone's perspective.

One thing I am having to get used to is there seems to be 4 different resources to plug into to make sure you have all the information for your class. Concordia Email, Blackboard, Campus Pack, and My Info. I watch my email carefully, but was unaware that messages were being posted to blackboard, so when Prof Warren gave us the week off from 3 of the papers, I didn't catch it, and just kept with the syllabus. I was a little frustrated to find out on Sunday when our group met for discussing our group project that those weren't required.

Marketing is full, and it's also fast paced. We are having to fit a full semester's worth of education into 10 weeks. That means that this week I need to read the Marketing and PR book that was originally slotted to take a couple of weeks to go through. It also means we are having to briefly cover everything instead of getting deeply into the details, which feels just a little more like undergrad, but a good transition back into the swing of school. I was hoping to mention that last night, because the program said we would be surveyed midway through a course to provide input before an entire semester passes by, but for one reason or another the surveys didn't come.

Economics is almost like that wild card. In Econ we have 2 tests, 1 group project, and participation that make up our grades. Dr. Estrada mentions something about the mid-term test each week, and how it's designed for practical use of managerial economics, but just the unknown of how much time we will have to complete it, what the questions will be phrased like, and if we will have notes or an open book available is making a few of us nervous. I don't have much time outside of class to dedicate to economics with how busy Marketing keeps me, but I learn when Dr. Estrada teaches. I read the chapters, and am prolly at about 85% comprehension, and then he shows practical applications, and suddenly the equations make sense and purpose is clear. We have been taking the chapters slower than the syllabus, but I appreciate that Dr. Estrada is dedicated to quality, and ensuring the concepts are grasped, and I hear the same appreciation for Dr. Estrada from my fellow students.

Kudos to Professor Warren and Dr. Estrada. They are blazing new trails with us, and I'm thankful for their efforts.

Week 4- does that mean I've been doing this for a month already?

Week 4... it's hard to believe we've already been at this for a month! We are getting to know our cohorts and group members better. This weekend our group is getting together for the first time outside of class. I don't know that I have introduced my group yet- there are 4 of us... Kevin, Cathy, Michael and me. I'm learning more and more about each of our members each week. This weekend we are going to dive into our 3 group projects, and I'm looking forward to getting those fully underway.

Tonight was a bit surreal, as Terry and I got to speak as the "student pannel" to a group of hopeful MBA prospective students in an information session. It was great to feel on the other side of the line... remembering just how I felt earlier this year as they discussed the program. I gave my business card to 3 of the prospects, and hope that I can encourage them in any way I can to make this step, if they feel it's right for them. I'm hopeful that I'll be able to help them, even though I'm not that much farther down the road... more than half of it is just taking that step of committing to the aspiration of something new, something that will challenge you, and really when it comes down to it... 2 years from now, I can be who I am now, or in just 2 years, I can be someone who has pushed myself to make a greater difference and be a greater leader. That's one of the reasons why I chose to commit to the MBA program.

Week Three- First Test

Hello and good bye week 3 of class. I was glad to be back in the mix of things, unfortunately I came back from Yellowstone and the glorious Grand Tetons to a test. The tension in the room was pretty thick... no one quite knowing what to expect from our first exam in Marketing. The test was over chapters 1-7, and we were supposed to have read chapters 5-7 for discussion in this very same class period. To make it manageable, the test was 25 questions, to be completed in 30 minutes, open book.

Needless to say we survived, and my eyes have turned to the 3 group projects we need to complete, and more importantly that Economics class that only has a midterm and final. That carries a bit more weight!

To ease my fears I emailed Professor Estrada (Economics) earlier in the week, and asked if we could spend some time after class just to casually discuss the content, and focus a bit on those equations. He obliged. Class let out ten minutes early, and I headed up to the white board where we discussed elasticities, supply, demand, and how to do some of the more simple equations. Professor reemphasized his concern more that we learn what to do with the material rather than memorize all of the equations. We proceeded to leave class, but stopped several times on the way to our cars to discuss professors who had made a difference in our lives, and their focus on the soul of the material they were covering. Before I knew it, 40 minutes had passed from when class had let out, and we were getting in our cars to leave. I really appreciated that Professor Estrada spent the extra time to cover the material, but more than that, to cover how Economics becomes a social science. I think what also made my night is that is appears to have everyone in class' name memorized, and on several occasions said something that refereed to a small detail I had mentioned before. He really pays attention to the details when it comes to his students.

I feel better each class for having chosen Concordia for my MBA.

A week in Yellowstone and the Tetons

I had a few questions related to my last post- And there isn't one, because I was out on an annual family hike with my husband and his family. The trip had been booked since last Christmas, and I'm not sure the Concordia MBA was even officially in existence at that point, so I missed the second class we ever had.

Going forward I'm either hoping to reschedule the trip for during one of the one week sabbaticals we get between summer and fall, or try to get home earlier. I do not recommend missing the second class- especially when it comes to reading economics. There is just too much to digest in a Chapter.

Luckily, the Professors are wonderful, and I have been in email contact with both of them. I have scheduled time after class this week to meet one on one with the Economics professor to make sure I understand how to work the problems from each of the three chapters.

Also to look forward to- Marketing has a test over the first 7 chapters on the third day of class. I've been studying and making good notes, so hopeful I won't have to rely too much on the text for this open book test.

Look for more on Wednesday as I post about this weeks class, and how I feel I did on the test!

Class Session 1: Managerial Marketing and Economics

Tonight is our first night with the professors. I am so impressed. Class does not become any more relevant than this. Not only is the text enriching, the professors bring personality to it.

We began the night with Professor Michael Warren and Marketing Management. Michael has a great sense of humor and quickly built class consensus and buy-in.

At 15 past 8:00 PM Dr. JoJo Estrada made Managerial Economics understandable. In his understanding of economics he notes that we have a finite number of resources, including time. For this reason he doesn't want to incorporate homework and quizzes. What a wonderful idea that this professor understands the demands for time, and how education relates to a 24 hour day. When we get done with the class, JoJo wants us to leave as an everyday knowledgable consumer of economic ideals. He says, "Economics transcends everything you do. It should not be left in the classroom".

Tonight the 4 hour timeframe was a little tough on the tailbone, but there is a promise of providing the crew with a light snack next week and weekly some coffee to keep us going. Its these little touches that make us feel special here at Concordia.

Launched into my MBA

Last night was the first night of my MBA program at Concordia University Texas. Being in the first class of this program, I thought it would be interesting to chart this path through a blog. Prior to last night, we had an Orientation which was helpful in answering some of your basic questions as you return to school. We had the opportunity to get parking permits, student ids, library cards, and take a class photo. The orientation provided a decent 5,000 ft overview of the program, but last night we covered the program in greater detail, and got to meet our cohort specifically.
The nights highlights:
We had a pre-assignment of taking one piece of the oil spill and had to write a small brief, followed by 2-3 questions. We then took our pieces and put them up on the white board with magnets, and were tasked with finding the common links and organizing them by relation. My greatest take away from the exercise was understanding that this MBA is designed for the messiness of life. Unlike a linear thought process that can be forecasted, We are diving into highly complex situations that are underway, and Dr. Linda Ford promised us that this MBA is designed for the messiness of life.
We also came together as groups and combined our individual questions for what we hope to get out of our MBA.

I left the night ready to get started. It was great that several of us were able to share we are anxious about getting back in the swing. I am specifically because I came to the program with none of the pre-reqs, as my undergrad is in Theology, Spanish and Psychology. I know that once we dive into the books and are discussing the topics I will feel a lot more comfortable, and maybe a bit more enthusiastic.

I'm excited about what next week has to offer! For now, I have to read the first 3 chapters in our Managerial Marketing text book, and finish up on the "Economics Refresher" from the Ivy software program.