Striking the right balance- one that works for you!
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Sridhar Balasubramanian
Roy and Alice H. Richards Bicentennial Distinguished Scholar, Associate Dean of the MBA Program and Professor of Marketing
Entering the UNC Kenan-Flagler MBA Program is an experience not unlike the one faced by an eager child entering a colorful, well-stocked candy store. Almost every opportunity that a student can embrace looks inviting, but there are far more opportunities than one can manage. And then, of course, there is the central focus on academics, where our top-notch and dedicated professors expect all students to focus intensely on doing well in class and on exams. For incoming MBA students, this situation – if not managed well – can be overwhelming.
The key to managing this situation well is to strike the right balance that works for the student – a balance across academic work, career management initiatives, leadership opportunities, and social activities. This balance can differ substantially across students. Here are some thoughts about how a student can “discover” the right balance, and implement that balance.
1. At the initial stage, explore the available opportunities widely. Make sure you know all that is available to you. Attend numerous interest group meetings, dive deep into career fairs and other events, and seek out and speak with the 2nd year MBA student leaders. Take small bites from many candy jars. That way, you will avoid the situation where you never discover an opportunity that is an awesome fit for you.
2. Making a list of the available opportunities. Then focus on four or five opportunities that you are really interested in. Ensure that at least a couple of these prepare you for possible student leadership positions down the road, or help you build leadership and people management abilities – our students are known for these skills. It would be great if one or more of these opportunities involved an element of strengthening the culture of our school and giving back to the institution, e.g., being a Legacy Representative.
3. Step back and realistically evaluate how you are doing on the academic front. If you are in control on that front, that allows you to engage in more of the extracurricular and ancillary opportunities. Based on your evaluation, you may choose to trim down on the list of opportunities to arrive at a smaller set of focused opportunities that (a) you are passionate about, and (b) you can manage well.
4. Be disciplined in focusing on the activities you finally choose. Of course, as you discover more about your ability to keep multiple balls in the air, you can choose to expand your interests down the road.
Adopting this approach can help students achieve a well-rounded experience at the UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School – an experience that helps them become both excellently-trained professionals in their chosen areas and leaders who have a reputation for getting things done within their organizations.
Sridhar Balasubramanian ("Dr. B")
Associate Dean