#EMBA 27 Halfway through semester 1

So it looks like we are halfway through the first semester of EMBA 27 and things are beginning to normalise. The workload is not seeming too daunting anymore because I find myself adjusting slowly but surely. We recently have a cohort social at a restaurant in Lekki Phase 1, Lagos, and it was a lot of fun. It was really interesting to see everyone acting like their normal selves. Everyone let their hair down, had a few drinks, and danced the night away.

There were a few characters that were usually quiet during the classes that were very much ‘out there’ during the social. Alcohol tends to do that I guess. At the restaurant, Kingfisher, we had a lovely meal and discussions. Some about each other’s personal lives, others about business and new potential opportunities. All in all, it was a lot of fun. To be honest I wasn’t sure if I was going to make it. I was exhausted from the intensive week of work and didn’t really feel the need to go out. Luckily, I psyched myself up and summoned the strength to go out.

Our social secretary did a great job in reminding everyone of the social on the days leading up to it. I could tell that when he sent some reminders to the group, not everyone was in the right mind state. The work in front of us was pretty large that many decided to ignore anything social until the intensive week was over. To be honest, the heavy workload didn’t help much with that either.

After that Friday night of social activities, I made sure to get as much rest as I could. I knew that the work would restart on Monday and so there was no need to exert any more energy than I need to. The weekend was nice and relaxed. I intentionally chose not to do anything that required much brainpower. As far as activities are concerned, I only ate and did my laundry.

I guess one of the main things this course is teaching us is self-discipline and time management. Even though there is a lot of work to do, if you manage your time correctly, you can actually get it done. You begin to see the free time that you have and how you waste it on menial activities. I have deleted an app called Clubhouse since starting this course. Clubhouse is a social media app that I would frequent to join interesting conversations about things going on in the world. Some of the conversations on the app were quite intellectually stimulating while others were not. Since I deleted the app, I have noticed I have more time on my hands and it has made me consider deleting other apps like Instagram as well. I don’t see myself deleting YouTube because it is where I get the most information on current events as well as entertainment.

Let’s see how the rest of the semester goes. I am sure I will pick up new skills from this experience.