BUSY
It is a busy day here at the office.
Last night I checked out RPI’s weekend MBA program. It sounds very hardcore… but would be beneficial for my career.
It’s probably time for a fun vs. funk.
FUN: I am two thumbs up on some challenging academic work
FUNK: 30 months of weekends will be pulverized by academia
FUN: Huge benefit for my work life
FUNK: Homework requirement will be probably run 6-10 hours a week minimum
FUN: This program could open the door to my becoming a corporate juggernaut
FUNK: The program is very expensive
FUN: My company may pay for it
FUNK: I will likely not be able to rock quite as hard for the 2.5 years that I’m in the program. Rockage will suffer
FUN: Upon completing my 2.5 years, I might be a superhero
30 months of weekends???????? Don’t do it.
It’s not a FULL weekend everyweekend. It’s every Friday from 5:30-9:30pm and then every other saturday 8:30-5pm. GRANTED, most Sunday’s would probably be spent doing HW. So I have to give you that.
Also, now that I look at the schedule, I realize that we would get three weeks off in August.
MikeD might have failed to mention this to the unaware reader: He’s going to do this concurrently with his MS program. He will do two degree programs, at two different schools, at the same time as working full time. DON’T DO IT MIKED!!
I, as a future MBA candidate myself, do encourage the MS and MBA programs as I am 2/3 done with one and prepping for the other. But one at a time is the more sane way to do it.
Tim Baird fails to mention that I’m getting my MS from the ‘not too challenging’ New Haven University where my weekly homework probably averages out to 1-1.5 hours.
When I first used to read Mike D, I thought he was just like me, but living in Connecticut.
But, there’s a big –nay, HUGE– difference.
Mike D = driven/motivated/hard-core
Patrick = laaaaaaaazy
Don’t do it Mike D. Weekends are a great time, a special time, bestowed upon us by a greater power. It is our time, the only time we have to revert to our natural state. We can do what we want, however we want. It is the only time (outside of vacation) where we can sleep in past 8, just because we feel like it. Or, we can wake up at 4 and go snowboarding all day. Or, we can stay awake for 72 hours straight playing video games. The choice is ours.
To make this single choice, that eliminates numerous choices, is throwing away one of our greatest gifts. And in exchange for what? A notch on your resume? Slightly more money? The title of “Corporate Juggernaut?” Unless the title comes with the power embodied by the X-man of the same name, I say cast this decision aside, and sleep in on weekends.
Now imagine Micheal Kane reading the above argument. It is even more compelling.
“I’M THE CORPORATE JUGGERNAUT, BITCH!” just doesn’t have the same ring to it.
I’m leaving my sarcasm at the door so don’t let me forget it on my way out…
I’m going to attack your fun v funk. If its not challenged its because I agree
FUN: Huge benefit for my work life
FUNK: Homework requirement will be probably run 6-10 hours a week minimum
Our president has an MBA. Is it really benefiting him?
Do you even have 6-10 hours a week to give to the homework requirement?
What will you drop?
Kung fu?
Rock climbing?
Music?
Cooking?
Spontenaity?
FUN: This program could open the door to my becoming a corporate juggernaut
This is the same as the last “fun” which isn’t fun at all.
FUNK: The program is very expensive
FUN: My company may pay for it
This however, is valid fun.
FUNK: I will likely not be able to rock quite as hard for the 2.5 years that I’m in the program. Rockage will suffer
FUN: Upon completing my 2.5 years, I might be a superhero
Strike “likely” and replace with “definitely” and “2.5 years” with “rest of my life” as you will have forgotten what the rest of us look like after your trip through time. We will have fond memories of you and may at some point say at a lavish afternoon barbecue, “Hey, whatever happened to MikeD?” “Who?” “You know, liked to rock, big hair, fun to be with” “oh yea… I thought he was dead”
Oh, and I don’t know what Elliot told you in that office but you will definitely not become a superhero by being in that program.
Yes. I knew you were meeting with Elliot.
The internet knows all.
This was a very thoughtful critique. Thank you.
Also, I think there’s a good chance that JonAbad spies on the NSA. That he knew I was meeting Elliot is frightening.
I’m gonna go against the grain here and say go for it! I’d kinda like to see if you can pull it off. Plus, it’ll make you appreciate weekends way more when you’re done. You can’t pass up a great opportunity like this if you’re sure you can handle it. It makes the rest of us look like slackers though.
He would be passing it up if it was a limited time offer but RPI isn’t going anywhere. Yet.
RPI will be there when he’s done with the MS.
However, at this point in my life I don’t have a family. And while I probably won’t have 4 kids and a dog in three years, I may not be single. And once I have female companionship, and something to do on weekends, I would be much less inclined to pursue an ambitious academic goal.
YOU’RE THINKING OF DOING THIS WHILE DOING THE MS? WHAT PLANET ARE YOU FROM?
Remember how you posted a while back about being stressed/needing to relax more? This is exactly the wrong thing to do to help that.
You’re right. But the unfortunate thing is I also feel unfulfilled. I think part of my excitedness for this program is hoping that it would help improve that.
That’s fair enough, and seeing the actual schedule, it doesn’t look that bad if it’s only Friday nights and ever other Saturday. Make sure you still make time for the fun stuff though (kung fu, climbing, rocking out, etc)!
Mike D: Go for it!
Either
A) This destroys you, and I laugh
B) You kick it into high gear just to spite me, pull all this off, and then make me vice president of the company when you take over.
Either way, I win.
We can’t have Sander winning.
This is the best argument yet for not doing it.
You’re right Jon. But there is one other option:
C) I kick it into high gear just to spite Sander, pull it off, and then DEMOTE sander to Janitor.
You know, one of these days, I’m going to…run away crying.
Earning an advanced degree is a lot of work and it’s worth it. Especially if you can get you company to pay for it (at least most of it). If the choice losing some of your weekends or taking a two years off of work and paying for it yourself… I say go for it Mike! If you can get your company to pay $50,000 or more for a degree for you, take it.
P.S. No superhero promises were made. mike d came up with that on his own.
While I don’t have any record of the conversation, I’m pretty sure you promised me superherodom. Something like
Elliot: And upon graduating from the WEMBA program, most participants find that they can shoot fireballs from the palms.
mike d: is that right?
Elliot: It’s a lot like flowerpower. Mario graduated from WEMBA in 1985.
mike d: whoa, would I get a Yoshi?
Elliot: no… but they have free refreshments at commencement.
mike d: holy heck yeah!