How Much Do You Actually Learn in School

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One of the predominant negative stigmas MBA stigmas is that it is a fluff degree. All you have to do is Google the phrase “MBA fluff” and you’ll see things like:

 

• “Is the MBA the Degree for Slackers?”
• “MBA = fluff degree. Stick with engineering”
• “Actually, 40 Years Of Data Show The MBA Effectively Does Nothing — It Has No Impact”

 

This isn’t just an internet sentiment. When I revealed I was quitting to go to business school full time, one of my coworkers said, “An MBA? Why don’t you go to school for something that actually matters?” Ouch. Disregarding these sentiments, I still went on to get my MBA, managing to pick up a few skills along the way. I learned some accounting, finance and valuation, negotiation strategies, business strategy, and management strategy among other things.

Honestly, I could have learned all of these without going to business school. Information is more readily available than ever. There’s a plethora of books, podcasts, internet resources, virtual courses, blogs, etc. You can easily save the time and money going back to school would take by choosing alternative routes.

Keeping this fact in mind, how much does the average business school student learn? That’s up to the individual. You can go all out academically – take a large amount of classes, tackle a number of case competitions, and join the executive board of various clubs. Or you can “network” to your heart’s content and do the minimum the classroom requires to get by.

Each individual will have his or her own lane, but here’s my take: Above all, the most valuable lessons come from interactions with your classmates. You will definitely learn how to deal with difficult people. You will definitely deal with motivating those who have little incentive to do their part. You will definitely learn how to efficiently divide your time among your various work and social groups.

The value of business school lies in the relationships and interactions that stretch your thinking and pull you out of your comfort zone while doing it. When added up, the lessons learned often justify the resources spent.

 

If you would like to participate/be interviewed for the blog, contact me at nkem.nwankwo@lifeafterschool.co.