After twenty-two weeks of lectures, it was time to give an account of my stewardship. Does it sound like a religious journey? Well, you won’t be wrong to think so. From the first two weeks at LBS, it started to feel as though it were. There was no sleep for the wicked. Despite the level of poverty in the country, one boldly coughs out millions of naira to attend Lagos Business School. You must truly be wicked!
First semester exams had been scheduled for the weekend of the 22nd of April 2022. We were to write four papers in one weekend. Sounded achievable to me! Or so I thought. Well, we had been through over twenty weeks of teaching, so a three-hour exam should be a breeze. The Class Council lobbied the school management to have the exams extended over two weekends. That way, we had one paper per day. This came at a cost to some of us who had made plans based on the school calendar. But we compromised.
It was Monday, 18th April 2022, the beginning of the exam week. I suddenly realised I was not prepared for the two upcoming papers, not to talk of four. I worked out a clear strategy for effective revision within a short time. I should have mentioned earlier that I took a one-week leave from work. So, my strategy was poised for success. Until I received a call from the Managing Director of my subsidiary asking me to produce a strategy for a new business initiative, I proposed more than two years ago. Precisely, July 2020 in the heat of the coronavirus pandemic. He wanted the report by close of business on Friday, 22nd of April – the day of my first LBS exam on the EMBA programme. What could I say? I answered in the affirmative. After all, my job effectively paid for the MBA in the first place. Without a doubt, my reading strategy had been disrupted.
I reworked my plans to accommodate the new assignment. Got my team on board and spend the better part of the mornings to early afternoon working on our business strategy. I was left with evenings to study. Between work and study, I joined the tutorial for our MBA cohort. The sessions depressed me because they reinforced the need for personal study, which was not happening as much as I wanted. By Wednesday, I had only covered the work scheme of one module by 50%. Exams were Friday and Saturday.
One of the most important lessons I have learned through life’s struggles is never to give up, even in the face of impossibility. The next best thing was to murder sleep. After all, Mr. Bongo Adi – Faculty at LBS once said “sleep deprivation has not killed anyone. Towing this mantra, I decided to sleep when I get home and wake up in the wee hours of the morning to study. Not the easiest of plans for someone who loves sleep as though her life depends on it. However, I did it, covered the work scheme considerably, wrote the exams and I am still here typing. A good sign!
It won’t be long before our results are out. Only then, can I effectively give an account of my stewardship. There’s only one problem! You may never get to hear the rest of the story because blogging ends soon. I cannot wait!
#EMBA 27
THINKING FACULTY