T Minus 2 weeks til midterms

If I haven't shared before, my husband is also in graduate school. He goes full time. He started a year before me, however his degree and mine will conclude within 3 months of each other. It's really enlightening to see his experience versus mine. He goes to TX State for the School Psychology Program. He also has a cohort program, which I think was helpful to me in deciding Concordia instead of some of the other local programs that are not cohort based. He has more of the "regular" school schedule- getting a month off for Christmas, and what not. This week he heads back to spring semester, and our programs are quite different in this regard, because I have my midterms in two weeks!

The Concordia MBA is somewhat of a fast paced program. A total of 6 semesters, allowing me to start in Fall of 2010 and conclude the program in August of 2012. To get this done quickly, generally there are two weeks between semester.s I found that the last "break" was just enough for me to catch my breath. I will say, that since I am working full time, removing a class one night a week from my schedule was hardly noticeable, especially since there was pre-class assignments to be completed over the break. So I personally like getting back in the swing of things especially if it means graduation will come a semester earlier than some of the other local programs.

Don't get me wrong, I really enjoy this experience. I will be really sad when it's over. I love all the people and the opportunity to challenge myself and learn new things. This program fits me like a glove, and I'm thriving...I will eventually be ready to have the weekends back. Can't think about that now... we've got an accounting midterm, and for two weeks, that will be my primary focus!

Kicking it up a notch... the work, school, and personal life balance

This semester, I anticipate, will teach me much about perseverance. Just this week we had over 150 pages of reading and more take home problems with Accounting. Accounting, I'm finding to be a bit self taught, and never having taken an Accounting class before, the learning curve and time I'm using to pull myself up to speed has been a real challenge. 5 or 6 other students and myself have resorted to study groups weekly, sometimes twice weekly, spending 30 minutes or more on each problem. I even started a weekly skype call with another student in my class to collaborate on problems we didn't quite understand or had questions about, after we finished as much of our homework as possible.

To the point of the Study Groups- Its amazing how after one semester how close knit our group is, and how everyone is dedicated to each other's success. I have really come to appreciate my new friends and fellow students. We're all in this together, and I get a sense that we are proactive about no one getting left behind.

The issue with how much our Accounting class is requiring outside group meeting time, topped off with heading into my Foundation's largest event in April, and trying to be intentional about my relationship with my husband has taken up quite the bandwidth. Add to that Co-chairing and creating a young professional development program for the Round Rock CoC, and creating a new program for WIN (Women Impacting the Nation) to help women achieve their goals, and I sometimes feel that I have nearly zero personal time for myself. And yet I have continual goals like serving on the Chamber Board, and I have even submitted an application for a Governor Appointment. I'm certainly someone who wants to embrace life and all its opportunities, so I'm wondering how do I do this all, get through Economics, and give Critical Thinking the attention it deserves?

I think this semester will be a great time of learning, not just in the courses I take, but how to create a healthy balance and still accomplish it all.

Stay tuned, and I'll share insights along the journey of... Semester II.

And we're off...

First night of classes, and you could tell our cohort was glad to see one another again. We've really bonded this first semester. In our cohort, we have groups of 4 that we were assigned to at the beginning of the year. At the end of this semester, we are changing up our groups within the cohort, and you can sense some have anxiety about leaving the groups they've come to know and love. I really love my group too! Its been awesome to see each of our strengths come to light, and not that we planned it, but it seems on each of the group projects, each one of us has taken turns at being the project lead. I am a little nervous about changing up our well oiled system, but I'm trying to look at it like- I know each person in my group has something great to give and share, and would benefit others just being in a group with them. It will be an adjustment, but we will always be close, since this is our first group.

Walking into the class, Dr. Thom was set and ready to go. Great initiative and preparedness for this first night. while looking forward to what Critical Thinking has to offer, I could sense a buzz of anxiety in the class about what was to come in Accounting. Many haven't taken it in 10 or so years, or in my case- ever. Students met before class asking about the assignment we had received, which would be due the following class. However, 6PM rolled around, and we kicked off the night with Dr. Thom.

First, Dr. Thom called each student by name and requested us to provide our expectations of the class. Through the class we had open interaction, and Dr. Thom used a variety of engaging teaching techniques from Q&A, Brain Teasers, and at one point we gathered in a circle in the middle of the room for an interactive exercise. We closed the night with a journal entry of what we gained from class that night.

At 8PM, we met Professor June. We were to have 100 pages through three chapters read for the very first session of class. We covered one chapter in class, and cemented the basics of credits, debits, financial statements, earnings, and revenues.

The homework has been quite challenging. Most of the problems feel a bit like stretch problems, and we aren't being taught just yet how to work them, so we are having to figure it out on our own. A group has started meeting, for now indefinitely, at the Georgetown Public Library to try and make an impact in the problems assigned. In 2 hours we were able to complete 3 of the problems assigned. We're a little concerned about this, but see that future weeks have less problems assigned and are hoping this becomes a little more manageable.

I'm blessed with a wonderful Controller named Bob, here at Children At Heart Ministries. Bob and I met over our 30 minute afternoon break to review some of the concepts and check the work I had completed so far on this assignment. For 20 minutes we worked on the next problem of the assignment. I'm so thankful for Bob- The picture is evidence of our hard work!

This semester may lead to me pulling back from some of my commitments. I'm just about to head out for a Board Members retreat, and between baby showers and my husband and I still needing to do our own Christmas, it's going to be a stretch to get everything in this weekend. I like to challenge being all I can be, and often that has been by doing more. I think the Concordia MBA is teaching me, sometimes taking it to the next level is focusing most on being the best I can be, and the "doing" will come, but just may need to be scaled back... at least until Aug. 2012.

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.