Published: Oct. 12, 2017

Many prospective students wonder what to expect from a full-time MBA program.  How much time will I need to spend studying?  Will I have time to work?  How do you juggle family/friends/significant others?  This post is my schedule; full-time MBA student, regular class load, working 2 part-time jobs, and dog-mom.  Subsequent posts will highlight some of my classmates with families and those in the evening program. 

Student Profile

Susanna

2nd year

Course Work

Average (4 classes)

Time in Class

9.5 hours

Average time prepping for class

10-15 hours

Average hours worked per week

15-20 hours

Tips and Tricks

I bike to class to get exercise during the week--Multitasking!

One of my part-time jobs ties directly to my classwork; this increases my productivity

 

MBA Blog

My boxer, Tucker—I try to bring him with me whenever possible!

Monday

7:00 am: Wake up, take care of my dog, make breakfast/coffee, check email

8:00 – 12:00 pm: Horseback riding lesson in Fort Collins (4 hours)

12:00 – 4:00 pm: Work for Job #1 (4 hours) Bring dog to work!

5:00 – 7:00 pm: Play Intermural Soccer with the MBA team (1 hour).  Go out to dinner after.

7:00 pm – 11:00 pm: Prep for classes, bedtime.

Tuesday

7:00 am: Morning routine

8:00 – 9:20 am: Digital Marketing Class

9:30 – 10:00: Weekly meeting for the MBA Blog (Job #2)

10:00 – 11:00: Group work, attend professor’s office hours if needed, time on campus

11:00 – 3:30: Lunch, walk dog, work from home for Job #1 (2 hours)

3:30-6:15: Marketing Communications Class

6:15-11:00: Dinner, class work, Netflix, bedtime

Wednesday

7:00 am: Morning routine

9:30 – 12:15 pm: Negotiations Class

12:30 - 1:30: Group project time

2:00 – 4:00: Work from home for Job #1 or Job #2 (depends on needs)

4:00 – 6:00: Class work and prep time

6:00 – 8:00: “Family dinner” with classmates; I usually host

Thursday

7:00 am: Morning routine

8:00 – 9:20 am: Digital Marketing Class

9:30 – 11:00: Weekly meeting for Group Project

11:00 – 3:30: Lunch, walk dog, run errands, exercise

3:30-6:15: International Business Strategy class

6:30 - ??? : Thursday Night Out—happy hour with classmates

Friday

8:00 am: Morning routine

9:00-3:00 Work at Job # 1 (bring dog to work!)

3:00 It’s the weekend! 

Option 1: Stick around Boulder; go for a hike in the Flatirons, tailgate with friends, catch up on sleep, clean the house, game night with friends, bars in Boulder, go to a Rockies game in Denver, or find a local festival/concert/activity. 

MBA Blog

Tailgating with the 2018 cohort before a CU football game


Option 2: Explore Colorado—For me this includes camping, backpacking, and rock climbing.  Day trip to Rocky Mountain National Park (only an hour away!), or climb a 14’er.  My favorite place for a weekend trip is Twin Lakes; for a longer weekend (you might have noticed I have a 4-day weekend with my current schedule), I like to go down to the San Juan mountains or all the way to Durango. 

MBA Blog

Backpacking the Colorado Trail with classmate Erika Daun