The Duke MBA - Weekend Executive Student Blog

Looking Back at the Last 2 Years

Posted on February 4, 2013 by Haley Gray

Two years. Life has brought such a huge amount of change in such a short time. In two years, I have gone from applying to different schools, and trying to decide which schools interested me, to studying for my GMAT, and then seemingly endless hours of classes, to finally being finished with my MBA from Fuqua. I am done with my classes, but am still working on my concentration. Wow. As I start to catch up on my sleep, and reflect back on the changes that the last two years have brought into my life, it is amazing to see how far I have come, and realize how much further I still need and want to go, using the tools I’ve been taught.

As part of the Weekend Executive MBA class, I learned a lot about leadership. I have had so many opportunities to demonstrate the leadership skills that I’ve learned from Fuqua, and reinforce those in my workplace. I’ve had the opportunity to shape others’ views on what leadership is, shape my employees’ careers, as well as shape my own destiny using those new skills. It is very cool.

I posted before about my leadership class at Fuqua, and that being a leader is about influence, relationships, and inspiring others. Leadership is not about creating followers, but more about creating the next generation of leaders. I’m focusing on creating more leaders in my career, in my personal life, and even through Girl Scouts.

My kids have certainly benefitted greatly, and they have been on the receiving end of more than a few of my attempts to practice my new skills. I know I’m doing well when they respond positively, and I know I fail at demonstrating some of my inspirational leadership when my teen rolls her eyes at me.

At the end of the journey, I’ve changed a lot. Not just from sleep deprivation. I see now how much time I have in my day-to-day schedule to create and take advantage of new opportunities. That is time that I would not have found before. My time management skills have been honed to a very sharp point, and my business skills tempered with a great deal of learning. I think I’m a very different person now from the one who started this journey two years ago. I like what I see in the mirror, and am anxious to move on to the next phase.

Where has the Time Gone?

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Jay Patel

A little over 7 months ago, I started the Weekend Executive program and was training my mind to reenter the world of academia. Like many of you, it had been many years since I last took a formal academic class, for me, it had been 10+ years. But now, I’m starting to feel like a pro — like a professional student, and I can’t believe how far I’ve already come in the program.

Before I enrolled, I attended one of the program’s open house events. If you have not had the opportunity to attend an open house, I highly recommend it. (Check out the schedule of upcoming open houses.) I gained insight on the program and the level of dedication required, and I met several current students. At the event, I vividly recall listening to a panelist who was in the last term of his program and shared the message, “Before you know it, the next 18 months will fly by and the program will be complete.” At the time, I had difficulty believing it, but now I’m almost half way through the program, and I understand what he meant. You get so, so consumed with trying to manage each day, along with trying to juggle family, work, and school that you lose sense of time.

As I reflect back, I correctly anticipated the level of commitment required to complete the reading, team assignments, and quizzes. What I did not anticipate is how much fun I would have with it. Don’t get me wrong, the stress level to meet deadlines, both at school and work, can be overwhelming at times. However, the most enjoyable part of the program is when I go back to school for the on-campus residencies. The bonds and friendships I so quickly made with my classmates have been the most rewarding aspect of this program! Whether it’s discussing the content of a class or real world business issues, I learn just as much from my classmates as I have in the classroom. As I am midway through Term 3, I keep asking myself, “Where has the time gone?”

Fully Adjusted: It’s Possible!

Posted on January 10, 2013 by Emmanuel Kisamo

After 10 years away from college life, it took a while to adjust to being in the classroom again. In addition, my family moved into a new home, and my son turned 2 years old and demanded a lot more attention. Balancing my personal life with school was a challenge. Looking back, I recognize how much the Weekend Executive program has helped me stretch myself, and has developed me into a much more productive and very goal oriented individual. Now, I feel much more acclimated to this exciting lifestyle.

During the past two terms, I have been so privileged to study alongside my first group of teammates, who I have grown to know on a personal level, and I will miss them. We were recently assigned to new teams for the remainder of the program.

So when Term 3 started in December, I not only had a new team but new classes, including Decision Models. The class is designed to enhance the ability of solving complex management problems through the use of formal modeling and quantitative analysis capabilities. The class builds on the Term 2 classes of Regression Models, Probability and Statistics. (More about our classes.) Last term we learned how to develop and compare multiple models, and it was an exciting experience. We will be able to leverage that knowledge now in the Decision Models course, and I can’t wait. These are proven ways of addressing business problems that are currently being practiced in the real world.

This term will continue to keep me busy, but the fact that I have a very supportive team at work makes my experience a bit easier. Knowing that there is someone at work to back me up while I’m in class allows me to fully shift my focus to school. The MBA program has been very demanding, especially Term 2. But in addition to my coworkers, I’ve also been supported by “Team Fuqua” which includes a well-organized management system and staff who effectively coordinate with all the students, keeping everyone informed of what is coming up, and the expectations. So, all things considered, I have adjusted to my new responsibilities and pace, with help from many.

Motivation 101

Posted on December 7, 2012 by Haley Gray

Motivation — it’s a challenge. Some days it’s more of a challenge than others. Today is one of those days. I decided I’d rather write a blog post about it than write the paper that’s due for a class.

The Weekend Executive MBA program requires a fair amount of time studying, writing papers, and doing practice problems. It really does take 15 – 25 hours per week of study time, and sometimes it seems like there’s a mountain of work to do, and not enough time to do it. There are times when it’s overwhelming.

This is when I have to remind myself to take a break and simply breathe. I remind myself of the end goal and what I’m trying to achieve, but also what I’ve already accomplished. That helps to get me motivated, but it’s not always easy, and sometimes I have to bribe myself with chocolates or Oreo cookies and milk, or just a walk outside — sometimes I write a blog post or do a few chores. Sometimes, I will procrastinate by planning vacations to fun places — Paris, Jamaica, a cruise?

I am a fairly self-motivated person, and I’ve been trying to live by The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. The one that comes to mind the most is the concept of “sharpening the blade”– conscientiously taking time off, and focusing my energy and mind on something else, and relaxing just a bit, so that I can return to the task at hand more focused and energetic. My largest motivators are graduating with the MBA, advancing in my career, and showing my daughters how it’s done. J Then I return to my desk with my mind cleared, focused, and re-energized to do the school task that’s at hand, and push through the pain because it really is worth it. As a result of the MBA program, I’m going places I could have only dreamed of before, and accomplishing things that I wouldn’t have believed possible before.

My business acumen and leadership abilities have increased, I’ve learned about many facets of business. Suddenly, those executive decisions which seemed so counter-intuitive before make a lot more sense, and I understand how decisions are being made, and the reasoning behind them. So, on that note, I have to get back to that paper on leadership …

The Final Countdown

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Haley Gray

My classmate's wife created this chain-link to countdown the end of the program.

As we enter the month of December, the final countdown until the end of the term has begun in earnest. One classmate set up a webpage counter, and another’s wife set up this super cute countdown chain (pictured right). While we’ve had a great time at Fuqua, making new life-long friends, and learning so much, we are also ready to move on to the next chapter in our lives, and get some time back.

Of course, as we near the end of Term 6, some of us are continuing to pursue a concentration. That too will come to a close in early April, so the end is firmly in sight.

Looking back, it’s amazing what I’ve experienced and accomplished, including:

6 – The number of terms
1 – Concentration
2 – Teams in the first 5 terms
2 – Numbers of weeks in residency for Super Term
3 – Packages of Oreos eaten during Term 2
3 – People who have 4 children
8 – Amazing women in my class
16 – Classes taken
19 – Months of sleep-deprived fun
25 – Weekend residencies
>30 – Case studies
53 – Books read (both for school, and as books that I’ve picked up relating to new topics)
85 – Students in my class
150 – Times I’ve been asked what I will do when I graduate
1,140 – Hours of studying

An Ode to Studying

Posted on October 29, 2012 by Haley Gray

I have studied at a desk. With a pest (named Booger).

My study spot at home, with my kids Laura, Xena, David, and Ivan (AKA Booger). Also pictured are Ramza the Chinchilla and Snooki the bunny.

I have studied on a plane, on a bus, and on a train,

And on a boat, but not with a goat (but with a rabbit, chinchilla, 6 fish, and a bird).

I have studied here and there.

I’m pretty sure I’ve studied almost everywhere.

I’ve studied on a beach, with a frosty beverage within reach,

Late at night, with my eyes bleary and head tight.

I’ve studied in the tub, and in a sub(way).

Now as I round the bend, my head is down, and concentrating on just surviving until the end.

I continue to study, here and there, and in fact I study nearly everywhere.

The Softer Side of Fuqua

Posted on October 26, 2012 by Greg Ryan

There’s no doubt that Weekend Executive MBA (WEMBA) students rigorously study, absorb and ultimately, master, the quantitative aspects of the program. Early on the emphasis is geared toward accounting, finance, statistics and the like. However, Fuqua offers a softer side as well. But do not equate “soft” with “easy.” Soft, in this context, refers to the soft skills we practice and master, in a variety of environments.

Notably, we participate in a two-phased leadership development program wherein we hone our interpersonal leadership skills. The first phase occurs during Term 1 and the second during Term 5 when we participate in Fuqua’s leadership development courses. These courses enhance our ability to influence, lead, and motivate not only in a professional environment but also in personal and social contexts. All areas of leadership are addressed, from presentation techniques to inspiring peers, subordinates, and seniors to follow our lead. Professor Sim Sitkin, who instructs both phases of the leadership development program, inspires us to rigorously examine our leadership attributes and take corrective action where necessary. Self-reflection is encouraged by completing personality assessments along with peer evaluations of our ability to present and demonstrate leadership attributes. This self and peer analysis is honest, insightful and practical and, for me, long overdue. I have progressed from assuming I understood all there was to know about leadership to recognizing that my leadership skills require refinement.

The interpersonal skills are learned outside of the traditional classroom setting. For instance, many assignments are team based and require the ability to negotiate, navigate, and ultimately serve as a member of a high-performing team with representatives from diverse industries and backgrounds. These team assignments include complex case studies, and often, at least one (but sometimes more than one) team member has expertise in the subject area. We have to discuss everyone’s insight and we all have to work together (and sometimes negotiate) our final prognosis of the case.

Lastly, there are opportunities to hone interpersonal skills outside of the curriculum. Weekends at Fuqua, well … are weekends. And despite the academic demands, we regularly build lasting relationships and expand our networks while enjoying the bars and restaurants of Durham and the surrounding hot spots.

All of these opportunities have diversified my skill set. The WEMBA program is not just a rigorous academic experience. It’s also about developing interpersonal skills – soft skills – and creating a network of like-minded and supportive friends who enrich your life beyond the traditional academic and professional settings.

4 Classes, 4 Teams

Posted on October 17, 2012 by Haley Gray

In Term 6, also known as the “Super Term,” we took 4 classes, and it was possible to end up on 4 entirely different teams for each class. The Cross Continent students and the Weekend Executive students took elective classes together during the term, which made the teams even more diverse than usual.

Each professor had team composition requirements, including the number of students per team, along with required mixes of Cross Continent and Weekend students. Two of my teams ended up with an exact mix of half-and-half. On the other two teams, I was the token Weekend student, by choice, because I sought out new and different team mates in order to meet as many of the Cross Continent students as possible.

Since the four classes were taught in only 2 weeks (with distance learning to follow), it was a very intense residency. We worked on assignments every night, while trying to get to know the members of our teams, in addition to trying to network with additional members of the other class. There were so many people to try to get to know in such a short period of time, it was positively dizzying!

It was exhilarating, exciting, and exhausting! We were mixing, and learning to work together in new teams, while trying to get through the busy Super Term. It was such a rush!

By getting to know students in the other program, I noticed that there are very clear differences between the Cross Continent and Weekend Executive cohorts. Specifically, the Weekend students mostly live on the East Coast of the U.S., and the average age of the students is 35. The Cross Continent average age is around 30, and students come from the U.S. as well as from around the world. Despite our differences, we still shared many things in common — many of the same professors, similar curriculum and classes, and a love for Fuqua.

During Super Term, my teams met to negotiate our assignments during the residency, but also to determine what our division of labor would be during the distance portion of the term, which is now in progress. I’m still learning to adjust to a myriad of communication and work styles, and how to pull my weight on different teams.

The Social Side of Super Term

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Robert Borham

Making friends at Solas night club.

Super Term, a 2-week residency on campus, kicked off with a meeting of the Weekend Executive and Cross Continent MBA classes of 2012. During the joint term, the two groups bonded and elected to take advantage of a few extracurricular activities. From soccer matches and basketball games with students of both programs, to nightly brainstorming sessions over dinner and beers, the social and networking aspects of Super Term were a nice respite from the intense classes and assignments — we work hard, but we also play hard, as the saying goes.

With classmate Mike Sweetman & Cross Continent student Abe Kim.

After the first week of class, we all celebrated the halfway mark and let off some steam at Solas night club in downtown Raleigh. The school reserved a couple floors to fit all of us — about 250 students total. Buses took us to and brought us home from the venue. There was great food and even a photo booth. Beverages, laughs, and good times summarized the joint event as friendships emerged and tightened. Some of our program managers, admissions counselors, and other Fuqua staff were also in attendance — it was great to get to know some of them better, in a more casual setting. The event set the stage for week two and a closer knit experience between the groups. And thankfully, we had Saturday to fully rest and recover.

As we realized there was only one week to go, both groups seemed to make the most of our time together. The groups mixed well during week two, and by the next Friday, we were all sad to see the Super Term come to an end … We celebrated it though, with a joint program cocktail hour, separate group dinners, and then a joint celebration at Parizade until the late hours of the night.

From an academic standpoint, I think we were all ready for Super Term to finish, but from a social aspect, it went far too quickly! In addition to the Weekend Executive friends I have made and will stay in touch with, I added several Cross Continent students to my list of lifelong friends.

Super Term!

Posted on September 19, 2012 by Haley Gray

The past few weeks have been nice — the calm before the storm — before Term 6, the final term. I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. It might even be graduation, instead of a train (although classes don’t end until December).

In the blink of an eye, I find myself approaching the end of my MBA journey. It felt like it was just yesterday that I was investigating universities and studying for the GMAT. Suddenly, I find myself standing here, nearly finished, and facing what is known as the “super term,” which begins this Friday, Sept. 21. This sixth and final term is known as the super term because within a 2-week residency on campus, we take four intense electives, followed by 2 months of distance learning.

The electives are taken with Cross Continent MBA students, who have their residencies in Fuqua’s regional locations around the world. They’ll be on Duke’s campus for the first time, although it’s their final residency of the program. Some Global Executive MBA alumni will also be in our classes — they’re able to return to fulfill the requirements for a concentration or Health Sector Management Certificate. So the super term will be like a big mixer between all of MBA programs, since we’ll also have some opportunities to interact with the Daytime and MMS students who study at Fuqua full-time.

Another perk is that we’ll be able to attend some workshops organized by Fuqua’s Career Management Center, and there are some on-campus recruiting activities that we can participate in. In addition, some social and cultural activities are planned, to allow us all to mingle and to get a better sense of what it means to be a “Dukie.” Some of these events include a Duke Basketball Experience, where we’ll get on a court and learn from some former Duke basketball coaches and players! We can also attend Duke’s homecoming football game and climb the Duke Chapel. So it won’t be all work and no play. But, about that work …

Since current Weekend Executive and Cross Continent students come together for the super term, we create a critical mass that enables the school to offer more electives. This year, there are over 20 course options, and I decided to take the following electives:

Negotiation
Entrepreneurial Strategy
Entrepreneurship and New Venture Management
Managerial Decision Making

When I finish these 4 classes, I’ll be done with the coursework requirements for my MBA!

I decided to take Negotiation because I’d like to learn better negotiation skills. Since almost everything in the business world — and in my life — is negotiated in one way or another, I thought that taking the negotiation class would benefit me greatly. I also spoke to some alumni who rated the class very highly.

Since I plan to purse a concentration in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, I decided to take 2 electives during the super term that will help to fill the concentration requirements. Those 2 classes are Entrepreneurial Strategy and Entrepreneurship and New Venture Management. The last class I’m taking is Managerial Decision Making. Since I manage people, and projects, and budgets, this class seemed like a natural fit for me. I think that it will also give me some more insight into how business and management decisions are made.

Since starting the program in May 2011, I find that I have changed irrevocably in so many ways. I have learned a lot about leadership. I have made many friends. The Duke MBA opened my eyes to so many things that go on in the business world. I look forward to learning more during the final term. The end is coming so quickly, and while I’m ready to be done, I will also dearly miss the learning, the camaraderie, the laughter, and the experience of being in school.

Weekend MBA Student Blog

Looking Back at the Last 2 Years

More posts from Haley Gray

Where has the Time Gone?

More posts from Jay Patel

Fully Adjusted: It’s Possible!

More posts from Emmanuel Kisamo

Motivation 101

More posts from Haley Gray

The Final Countdown

More posts from Haley Gray

An Ode to Studying

More posts from Haley Gray

The Softer Side of Fuqua

More posts from Greg Ryan

4 Classes, 4 Teams

More posts from Haley Gray

The Social Side of Super Term

More posts from Robert Borham

Super Term!

More posts from Haley Gray

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