#whosendme
The Beginning
You never know the value of what you have until you lose it, is an old cliché but still holds true today. Oh, God! My leisure, my past time, and Owambe (Nigerian word for party), where have you all gone? So, in October 2021 I voluntarily applied to the prestigious Lagos Business School (also known as Pan-Atlantic University) and enrolled for a master’s program in business administration (MBA). The idea behind choosing the executive program was to enable me to have a life of my own choosing during the week then focus on schooling over the weekend. Little did I know that Lagos Business School (LBS) has other plans for its students.
The Awakening
The first day in school was exciting, filled with expectations, and optimistic about the future. The right words, the right tone, and the right people were used during the induction program. Lots of laughter, thought-provoking insights, and were treated to the “enjoy” lunch (probably the best moi-moi I have ever had). Fast and furious, day one was over and day two came with the bang! My first course was Analyzing Business Problems, a mentally tasking course because you needed to read in between the lines. It isn’t about gut feelings but you have to follow the facts. After 3 hours, then came an assignment. The next course was Corporate Financial Accounting handled by a teacher, not a lecturer, which I found easier to comprehend than I thought. And afterward came another reading assignment. As each class came by, it suddenly became real that I had more work to do.
Aside from the numerous assignments and case studies to read up, LBS has many more out-of-class collaborations and activities to keep you busy. There is the GVT (Global Virtual Team) program which educates you about managing teams across the globe virtually. You are required to work with fellow students across the world in teams. Exciting but still eats into your time. Also, are numerous club activities such as Africa Business Club, Consulting, Tech & Media Club, Entrepreneurship Club, Women in Leadership, and Finance & Investment Club which are all student-led but equally involving. In addition, you have mentoring sessions and social activities to facilitate networking and bonding.
The Way Forward
Candidly, at the end of each week after putting together all these programs in addition to my regular workload, I simply discovered that I only sleep for a few hours, wake up, eat and drink (I now forget about eating most times) then think about LBS again. This wasn’t the way I planned it. So, It isn’t about signing up for an executive program anymore, it’s now about making sure I get value for my money by investing more time into the numerous programs of LBS. Unfortunately, there isn’t any difference between my Mondays, Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays anymore, they are now all workdays. However, my eye has to be on the goal. After all (sighing) it’s just two (2) years! And I will walk with my head up high.
RISE TRILOGY: THE BEGINING