When I decided to do my MBA at the Lagos Business School (LBS) I knew that running my business and going to school will be very difficult so I chose the MMBA program because it did not require me to be on campus every week. I was happy to discover the MMBA program and I did not think twice when I realized that It cost just about the same amount as the full-time MBA. Due to the workload in the past five months of my MMBA program, I have started asking myself if it was the right decision.
I have had serious challenges running my business and doing the MMBA. It would have been a bit easier if the workload was a bit lighter. I am beginning to have the feeling that I am actually doing a full-time MBA, not a Modular MBA. The Modular MBA is supposed to be paced in such a way that executives, businessmen, and businesswomen doing the program can have time for work and school. We have classes 4 times a week and we almost always have at least 2 assignments to do. My main issue with the MMBA program is the assignments. Some of them are just too time-consuming. As I noted earlier, I needed an MBA program that was flexible because of my business but with the assignments it has become very difficult for me to give enough attention to my business. It seems the fact that most of doing the MMBA are paying our own school fees ourselves and we have to work to make the money was not considered when the MMBA program was created.
This lack of time for myself and my business really bothered me and I decided to ask those in the MMBA2 program how they are faring. To my surprise, they said they had the same issues in the first year but now they are coping well. It is difficult for me to complain when those who passed through the same process are cheerful. I mean, some of them are also running their own businesses so I have no reason to keep complaining. I have decided to manage myself better so that I can manage the MBA and business well. Self-management is really crucial in this season of my life. My major challenge in managing myself is finding time to do everything I need to do. Time was a scarce resource even when I was not doing the MMBA. These days I wake up around 4 am in the morning so I can get some things done before my phone starts ringing in the morning and I can no longer concentrate on one thing for 30mins.
In a way, I think I did not prepare properly for the MMBA program. I should have put in place the structure to ensure that my business can run smoothly without me 95% of the time. I still go to some sites and I spend a considerable amount of time on the phone with clients. Sometimes, when I go to a site or I go for a meeting, I have to look for a place to stop and log in to Zoom to attend class by 5.30 pm.
Business structure is one of the key things I will learn at LBS so that my business can run without me and I can have more time for school during my next master’s degree.
