Setting the right priorities before starting your MBA is critical to maximizing the experience. But given how intensive the environment is, it might not come as a surprise that many people find priorities change quite quickly and that the focus on getting internships can overshadow time learning and engaging in other experiences at Fuqua.

In my opinion, getting the balance right between present and future is what defines a successful MBA experience.

Finding the Right Balance

Walking through Fuqua on the first day of orientation is an incredible feeling. Being here at Duke is a result of years spent working toward a number of goals. I was on a high, spending the first month at Fuqua getting to know my peers, meeting world-renowned professors, and swinging back into an academic lifestyle after years in the professional world.

But very quickly, the experience and its focus swivels to seeking and gaining highly-competitive internships. For some people, recruitment is a three-month journey. For others, it can go on for eight months, almost the entire first year. No one knows how long it might take to obtain an internship, even if you work your hardest from the very beginning.

An example of time spent recruiting

Watching my ambitious, generous, and highly employable friends agonize over whether they are making the right priorities daily has been excruciating. So, I thought I’d break down why I believe this balance is so tough to achieve.

• Measurability: An internship offer is completely binary — you either have one or you don’t. But the value of the present is immeasurable (learning, socializing, maturing professionally, etc.). It’s hard to compare.
  
• Investment: We are investing a lot of money and time to get an MBA. Not just in the major opportunity to pivot professionally, but also in the classes and experiences we only have access to for two years. Making the most of that creates pressure.
  
• Little anchoring: The job market changes before and whilst we are in the program. Grasping for an anchor or looking to follow someone else’s career path or lifestyle can be a fruitless search.
  
• One shot: We only get one MBA and (in most cases) one internship. One internship could lead to one full-time job offer. At the right company, that could accelerate your career forever. Having the right knowledge and maximizing opportunities also increases pressure.

That said, balancing recruitment and making the most of the Fuqua experience is tough, but it’s doable.

My peers often discuss the quadrant of choices when discussing priorities (see example balance below). But where would you put a keynote speech on public policy that has nothing to do with your job applications? Or exploring a start-up idea with friends over beers?

An example quadrant of priorities

Some refer to the MBA experience as a marathon, not a sprint. But surely, we should be doing more than focusing on the race toward the aethereal job at the finish line, right?

Embracing the Journey and the Destination

My personal approach has been to take a bullish stance in this balance. I was told once that I was too anxious to accelerate in my career, and that focusing on the future was actually negatively impacting my growth. I’ve tried to embrace that learning at Fuqua.

I’m not saying that I have it all figured out, or that there is only one “right” way to approach this balance — it’s deeply personal. Here are some principles that have helped my friends, peers and me to get comfortable with this ever-changing balance of prioritizing the present versus the future.

1. Give yourself full permission to enjoy and explore life right now.

Recruiting is hard. But it shouldn’t take over your life. Stop and embrace Fuqua and North Carolina, and the value it has aside from your career. Banish guilt from the present, so you can grow as an individual, because you won’t realize how valuable those experiences are until later.

2. Be mindful of the words you’re using.

If you’re constantly using words like ‘stressed’, ‘tired’, ‘useless’ or ‘missing out’, something has to change. Negativity is unhealthy and unsustainable.

3. Sometimes time off can give you a better perspective.

I had a stressful evening last term where I was dithering between applying for a job or spending more time on an assignment. But instead, I went out with my friends and danced in the snow. It brought me the kind of joy that made me feel valued, sleep better, and have a much more productive week.

4. A problem shared is a problem halved.

At Fuqua, you will very quickly develop friendships that matter. There’s often a hesitancy to burden people because they’re also stressed by the challenges of the MBA program. Don’t do that. Take their support and offer support in return. Both will help!

5. A few days of focus can be all you need.

The future does beckon at times, necessarily. After much Fuqua involvement in one term, I decided to have a ‘no’ week — just five days where I say no to any events or requests, so I could focus on a raft of applications. It felt great, and my peers were very encouraging and supportive.

6. Continue to celebrate yourself.

Remember your strengths, why you’re at Fuqua, what you love to do, and who you are as a full human being. Use that as armor to battle off intrusive thoughts.

As I reflect on my path to Duke, I recognize that this experience is a culmination of years and years of work. This has grounded me in the present, allowing me to celebrate and reflect on who and where I am in the moment. I’m doing a second, more tangible degree. I’m living in America. I’m moving out of consulting (simply by not applying). And I’ve met many people from countries I knew little about before.

My career and professional impact do matter to me, deeply. I am excitedly working on my career goals for the next few years. But I’m happy to put it all into perspective because I’m trusting in my instincts to balance and change when necessary.

One final message to conclude: Regardless of what the universe has in store, we’re in this hub of opportunities for less than two years. So, work hard on building your future (as you should), but don’t forget to focus on the present (i.e., being at Fuqua) too.