Looking at a time table is one thing, experiencing it is very clearly another.

After a couple of weeks of gentle lectures, team building exercises and introspection, monday came around and serious study started.

One of the things we, as 1 year MBA students, recognise is that we are going to have to work hard – our diaries are filled from 9-5 every day of the week with study time, and the evenings are filled with reading, note taking and seemingly more reading.

After just one week it’s clear that the key to passing a course such as this is self-discipline, there is only so much time in the day and it’s vital that we use it correctly!

I’m glad that Breaking Bad ended a couple of weeks ago, because TV is turning into a distant memory!

After lectures finish at 5pm I head over to the library to read in peace and quiet, with the first assignment being due at the end of the first week the library is a haven for study, but it does take a while to get used to the idea of hanging around!

The timetable is quite simple, each day is devoted to just one subject – making remembering books much easier.  From the first week of October through to the 22nd of November we are studying Marketing, Operations, Human Resources and Economics, with assignments all due by that date.

The assignments are all 4,000 words, which by itself doesn’t sound too daunting – but then you remember that you have 4 subjects and they al have the same deadline!

So anyway, week 1. So far so good, nothing too complicated for starters I think.  It’s possible that because of my business experience i’ve not found it too demanding yet, but reading each evening it’s clear that there’s huge amounts to read and digest!

Discipline really is the key, whilst the daytime isn’t too dissimilar to a normal job, it’s the evenings that make the difference.  Once home it’s paramount that we work as a team, with wifey taking up any slack that comes about from me studying.  We discussed this aspect of the course at length prior to starting, and the only way it’s possible is if Anda does 95% of the household chores – including my favourites; putting the boys to bed.

So I arrive home around 7, eat and spend some time with the family until 8, and then it’s back to reading again until about 10.30 when it’s time to get bags ready for the morning and set the alarm (6.30)

I’m looking forward to seeing how this all changes over the year, especially with assignment deadlines getting closer….