Some thoughts as everyone heads into finals week…
I know there are many of you that may be stressing out, putting in late nights studying these final days before the exams. I’m reminded of this time last year and my first round of exams at Pepperdine. I was back in school after years of working and I felt a need to get the best grades possible to somewhat validate my decision to come back to school and prove I could be a student again. Striving for excellence is nothing to discourage, however I would suggest you ask yourself a question I ultimately asked myself:
Am I doing it for the grades or for the knowledge of the subject?
The answer may be a mixture of both, after all we do need to maintain acceptable grades to graduate, but we all chose to either come back to school or continue school for a reason I hope wasn’t related to getting good grades but rather learning new skills.
This perspective guided me since that first term. As I currently study abroad in Dublin, I have truly lived by doing it for the subject not the grades. This of course is easy when classes are Pass/Fail (This is the case for all study abroad!). Taking classes without thinking about getting a letter grade has made me really focus on topics I am interested in without stressing out about whether I get an A or a B on an exam. I even find myself exploring the topics in more depth than required most of the time.
Another thing I’ve found, which I’m sure you’ve heard ad nauseam by now is that there is so much more to the MBA experience than just the classes. Prioritize your time; grades should not always be at the top of this list. In most cases, employers will never see a GPA, just that you have an MBA. Networking, activities, clubs, and personal sanity are each important and should not be discarded just for a few percentage points.
To sum up quickly:
- Focus on learning business skills not on the GPA.
- Make the most of the MBA experience, especially out of the classroom
- Relax and enjoy yourself
Feel free to contact me with any questions. I’m always happy to help in any way that I can.
Chip Thresher
charles.thresher@pepperdine.edu
