My first few weeks at the Lagos Business School

My first few weeks at LBS

My experience at the Lagos Business School has been quite rewarding. I opted to undertake the Executive MBA programme at the LBS at a time I was seeking a fresh challenge in my career and in my personal life. And what a challenge it has been. I found the admission process into the LBS to be rigorous but it was well structured. I felt supported all through the admission process. Any questions or reservations about the admission process was promptly resolved through a phone call or an email. I remember the feeling of pure joy I experienced when I received my provisional letter of admission into the Executive MBA programme. This was quickly followed by a feeling of bewilderment as I read through the policies and regulations guiding the conduct of students on the programme. There were so many rules and regulations. Fortunately, the rules and regulations were not burdensome. I believe they were put in place to promote orderliness and ensure the smooth running of the programme.

I remember attending the orientation programme, virtually. It was quite interesting to meet my classmates on the programme. Most of my classmates had powerful resumes. This was truly a class of executives. I felt flattered and proud to be a member of the EMBA 27 class. The orientation programme lasted two days comprising many sessions each day. I particularly enjoyed the session that covered self- awareness and emotional intelligence. The breathing exercises we learnt during the class helped to calm my nerves. It was a beautiful experience and I did not want the class to end.  I loved watching the seamless interaction between the facilitators of the session. It was a breath of fresh air.

Before starting lectures for the first semester, we had two weeks of brush-up classes to gradually introduce the courses will be studying. It was heart-warming to watch as the lecturers introduced new concepts in a non-threatening manner. I felt my knowledge base increasing gradually as I became more and more familiar with words and terminologies used in the business world.

One of the things I gained within the first few weeks of starting the programme was increased proficiency with the use of information technology. I was becoming better at using the internet, the Zoom app and Microsoft Teams among others. I also learnt how to move quickly through different applications while attending lectures, virtually. I am getting better at resolving internet problems that arise invariably during online lecture sessions. The solution is to remain calm and composed when the internet service begins to act up or when there are network problems. This is easier said than done.  What is the alternative to remaining calm when things do not happen as expected? Well, there is really no other option. At times of great frustration, it is helpful to find the funny side of things. There is always a funny side to every situation. We will find it if we look for it. #EMBA27#