Welcoming the new class.

One of the highlights of the upcoming January campus session will be meeting the new group of students joining the MAB program. Last year I was one of the "new kids" as part of the Class of 2010. This year we'll welcome -- I think slightly more than 30 students -- the class of 2011.

Each year the MAB faculty and staff pair up current students with the new ones during the campus session; it's a mentoring system where the incoming can asking questions of the previous class and also have someone to meet and greet them when they first arrive on campus.

It's a big benefit to know someone ahead of the campus session. My mentor last year was great at helping me prepare for the first week of classes. She also shared some helpful tips on navigating the first courses in the program and provides some insight on surviving year one.

I just dropped an e-mail to the two students I'll be mentoring this January, in hopes of connecting with them ahead of the campus session. They sound like really interesting individuals and I'm anxious to meet up with them in Manhattan.

Close to the industry.

One of the most interesting parts of my MAB cohort make up is the number of farmers, farmer-spouses and children of farmers in the group. It's a great benefit when we're studying agriculture issues and learning about the economics of agribusiness and production farming.

The perspective they provide and the experiences they share help to enrich the discussions and make the concepts all the more applicable. Not everyone has the direct ties to a working farm, but those who do are glad to share their experiences and it seems those who don't have the ties are glad to listen and learn something new.

I've been thinking about those classmate farmers more this fall; we're close to completing the Risk Management course. Most row crop farmers in the U.S. have battled weather this year in one way or another. Many of them have faced increased input costs and volatile commodity markets.

I know several of my classmates are dealing with a later harvest on their family's farm. It's an especially busy time for all of them -- but it's nice to have them in the program, too, reminding all of us how close we live and work to our industry of Agribusiness.

Invest in yourself.

The decision to "go back to school" was a pretty easy one for me. I wanted the additional training and skills, and knew that my career ambitions depended upon further business knowledge. But deciding what program I wanted to study in wasn't so simple.

The debate over traditional grad school and professional part-time programs wasn't much of a debate at all: I wasn't willing to give up the paycheck and benefits for a backpack and a studio apartment.

I'd weighed out the pros and cons of a traditional MBA. Over the period of about a year I looked at a few different options from public and private universities here in my home state. A few friends had taken that leap and provided great perspective on the ups-and-downs of a formalized post-grad business school experience.

And then there were the programs like Kansas State's Master of AgriBusiness. I'd seen advertisements for Purdue's Agribusiness Management Program and the Colorado State program, too. I'd even looked into other graduate programs with an emphasis in agriculture sciences and business. But the MAB option just kept coming to the top of my pile.

My career and interests are well-seeded in the industry, and the idea of continuing my learning specialized in agriculture seemed very appealing. But there were numerous schools offering advanced agriculture degrees, and I wasn't quite sure which one would meet my needs and really benefit me in the long run.

It was a phone call from Lynnette Brummett, the K-State program's coordinator, that tipped the scale. I had filled out the online information request form, and she followed-up. We talked for a while about my background, interests and goals for a graduate degree. She took the time to find out what I wanted from a graduate experience and answered my specific questions about the courses and timeline for completing the degree.

After the conversation she identified some alumni with similar backgrounds as me and setup a phone call and some e-mails to have them provide a perspective of MAB. It was a very personal approach, and showed just how hard the K-State staff worked to make their (perspective) students feel like valued individuals.

I took that as a sign of good things to come, and sent a completed application back to campus to start the process. Now here I sit, working towards the MAB degree with hopes of finishing in May of 2010. And it's truly what I hoped it would be.

The work is challenging, but rewarding. There's little doubt that I'm learning something valuable in each course. I'm able to use the skills in my current job, and it's all shaping my future career plans, too.

My investment looks to be a good one. I'm seeing the returns already. It's two and a half years of nearly constant courses and learning, along with a tuition bill that would buy you a new American-made sedan without too many bells and whistles. But in the end I'll have the advanced degree and the knowledge. To me, it's been worth the time and effort so far, and I suspect it'll pay off pretty well to finish things out and take home the diploma.

I guess that's my point in today's post: make sure your investment is one that will pay off. If you're considering a program like this, choose based on what you need from the degree. Make sure what you want in the learning and where you'd like to be when you're done fit the enrollment you're considering.

The advanced degree and advancement.

It's not uncommon to hear of people seeking out higher learning, like the MAB program, as a means of career advancement or career change. Based on conversations I've had with my classmates, I'd say our group is a pretty good mix of both.

If you are considering the MAB program for either option, I've run across an article worth reading. This HR World piece lays out the case for and against a graduate degree. It highlights the employer's debate over higher learning and work experience.

Best of all, though, is the fact that MAB students work full-time while enrolled in the program. So you'll obtain higher learning while continuing to accumulate career experience!

Look a little deeper.

When I started the blog, my goal was to provide a little deeper look into what the student experience is like -- what kinds of things I was learning and how those things were changing my thinking or enhancing my knowledge of agribusiness.

So today I've got one for you. An interesting article and web item I ran across that's straight from the subject of our most recent MAB course.

The Class of 2010 just wrapped up Dr. Bergtold's Optimization course (Ag Ec 761). It was a fast-paced look at optimization models and how agribusinesses can utilize data to make better decisions. The course essentially taught me to take data and trends and turn them into functional, decision-making models in Microsoft Excel.

This was new territory. I didn't do this in my job prior to the class. And I never toyed with building models in Excel in order to streamline business decisions. But, as I learned from Dr. Bergtold, it's big business in a lot of big businesses.

And my recent find in BusinessWeek magazine has me wondering about the kinds of opportunities this work will present in the agriculture and food sector.

There's a neat article and accompanying video clip about Stephen Baker's new book, "The Numerati". He's a writer for the magazine who has taken a deep look into the business of optimization and operations research -- essentially, the practice of numerating business data in order to build models like the ones we studied in our MAB course.

I've not picked up the book yet, but hope to add it to my fall reading list. I'm not sure if this will end up being part of my MAB thesis yet, but I did find the whole practice pretty interesting. Over the two month period of Ag Ec 761 we learned a lot about decision variables and modeling data to determine optimal outcomes in business. And Dr. Bergtold assures me there's much, much more to discover about operations research for the student who is so inclined.

Give the subject a quick Google search and you'll see there is a lot out there. And it's just a part of the knowledge we're surfacing throughout our first year in K-State's MAB program.

Nearing a benchmark.

My MAB cohort just started our next class; it's the Risk Management course that will take us through the end of the 2008 school year.

As I thumbed through the program booklet last night, it dawned on me that we're nearing a bit of a benchmark for the MAB program. At the completion of this course, we'll have one full year of learning and 15 credit hours behind us! Some of my classmates will be even further along, having picked up a course or two ahead of the official start of our program in January.

We all must meet the 42 credit hour requirement in order to receive a degree. But if you knock out the three hours of capstone course, take away six hours granted in our thesis work, and three hours of elective we'll choose next year and you end up at 33. So we're almost halfway through the general coursework.

Whew. Time is flying right on by.

Another one down.

The MAB Class of 2010 wrapped up the applied economics course almost a month ago, and we've been on a bit of break since then. It's been a nice respite from courses and a chance to enjoy the summer without worrying about homework assignments or chat sessions.

I've noticed a few of us keeping in touch, despite the break, via e-mails and online chatting. It's neat to see how the program has fostered these friendships over the last seven months. We're catching up on non-academic items and keeping tabs on each other before the next course begins.

Speaking of that course -- we're set to start the Optimization course this week with Dr. Bergtold. It's another online-based course, and looks to be pretty fast paced. I'll keep you posted on this one, as time permits.

Cournot Duopoly is only a phone call away.

Too long since the last post. Sorry about that!

We're 3/4 of the way through the "spring" class. It's Managerial Economics, and it's entirely online -- no campus sessions for this one. Between the text book, the weekend chat sessions and the online lectures, it's a very comprehensive course.

I had some economics in my undergrad, but I'm learning a whole host of new information and skills in this practical approach to economics in business.

Today was a good example of how functional the distance learning structure can be. I'd been reviewing slide from the chat session and thumbing through my book, but just couldn't solve a problem in this week's homework assignment.

After 40 minutes of being stumped, with the onset of growing frustration, I decided to reach out for some assistance with my Cournot Duopoloy problems. I could have sent out an e-mail to classmates, posted a message on the course's e-board, or go 'old school' with a phone call to the professor.

I opted for the most direct route, and one phone call and a few minutes later the instructor had talked me through my error and gotten me back on track to finishing the assignment. Seems my algebra is a bit rusty this week, but all is good and well after a little guidance from the professor.

It's another example of the flexibility and functionality of this MAB program and why it is worth looking into.

Economics anyone?

We're enjoying a lighter pace now. It's slow-going compared to last session and no one is complaining.

This session we're committed to one class: Applied Agribusiness Economics. We've got three months to study the coursework and complete the assignments and there's no other classes to worry about.

It seems like a piece of a cake, having just finished three classes at once. They tell us that's by design. Push through the first three and be rewarded by getting back some free time.

This class won't require a trip to Manhattan for a campus session. It's all at a distance, with weekly lectures online, assignments turned in via K-State's distance learning portal and plenty of time to e-mail and chat with your classmates when you've got questions or need some help getting through the new material.

I'll keep you posted.

Looking back.

We finished our first session of courses last week. Ah, a relaxing deep breath for everyone. They're behind us -- and we're moving forward to the next class.

All of us had been told that the first session would be the hardest. It makes sense if you think about it. Returning to school, adjusting to life with additional responsibilities. Courses that are foreign to you, new subject matter often different or more challenging than previous classwork we'd experienced.

And we're better for it, I think. Several of us were talking on Friday morning, near the conclusion of the week's classes on-campus, about how much we'd progressed in three months. All of us learned the ins-and-outs of graduate-level finance. We'll be better fiscal managers with the information and some people might even be well served to use the new knowledge in their thesis. We've also mastered Microsoft Excel and the many applications that allow a manager to be more efficient using technology. And there's logistics, too. We gained an understanding of economic order quantity, supply chain management and what it takes for a company to achieve strategic fit.

That's seven hours of credit, if you're keeping score. That means there's only 32 more credits to go!

No struggle, no progress.

The name of this post is actually a book title -- but I thought it fit MAB really well. Especially considering the fact we're rounding the first corner, taking exams and wrapping up courses from the first session of the graduate program.

It's been a hectic two and a half months, but very educational and even a bit humorous at times. Online classes work well, usually. Kansas State's agriculture economics department maintains a pretty nifty set of computer tools that we utilize to learn at a distance. There's been some bumps in the road, but we've managed to learn and adapt. From weekend mornings spent learning finance to late evenings sharing thoughts and opinions on quality supply chain management, the computer has become our best friend, and at times, our arch-nemesis.

The initial session has consisted of a finance course, a logistics course and a computer course. It amounts to 7 units of graduate credit and I doubt anyone of my peers would argue that it's been less than ambitious to compete the course work from early January to mid-March. But we have. And we're no doubt the better for it.

There's been papers to write, homework assignments to complete, spreadsheets to build and industry analysis' to research. Groups have spent nights working together on these projects, burning the midnight oil to wrap up the work needed to complete courses. Some of this could be done ahead of the campus session, via the virtual learning tools. Much of the final progress though, is made during our week back together in Manhattan.

Last night I was working with a group of classmates to wrap up a financial analysis project. It's similar to another assignment we had during the first session back in January. We pulled out our old presentation just to take a look -- and oh, the progress we've made! You don't realize how much you can learn in a short period of time until you make yourself do it.

It's pretty true. No struggle. No progress. But we're finding that MAB is designed to make that equation as functional, practical and tolerable as possible.

Gone but not forgotten.

During our first session on campus, Dr. Allen Featherstone, director of the MAB program, gave all of us a talk about expectations -- what was expected from us as first year students, what we could expect from the faculty, support staff and agribusiness program overall. At that time he said that no one expected MAB to be a #1 priority for students. We're all busy with careers, families and personal lives, other obligations that often trump our commitments to this graduate program.

Now three months into the MAB courses and overall experience, I'd say he was right about that. It's a pretty forgiving system they operate under. And for the sake of this blog, that's been a very good thing. When "the going got tough" this blog took a back seat. It was temporarily gone from my radar, but not forgotten.

Now that my schedule is more formidable, I'm hoping to get back on the MAB blog bandwagon. Throw your comments out here. Let me know what you want to know about and I'll try and provide an answer (or get you the professional assistance of Lynnette or Mary).

And if you're a current MAB'er or an alum -- post a shout-out. Tell us what you think about the program... and remember, we're always looking for someone else to join the MAB blog author list!

Education in the Archives.

This has been a week where there was little time for much else than work, eating and sleeping (the latter two occassionally occuring at work). It is a temporary mix of things keeping me excessively busy. I'm hunting for a new employee and working through some issues that ended up on my desk on Tuesday and just won't seem to leave.

If I were attending graduate school via a traditional "in-the-classroom" program, my Wednesday, Thursday and Friday probably would have been a nightmare. But it's all working out alright with my MAB studies thanks to the technology at hand.

One benefit of my two courses this semester is the use of Wimba, an online learning tool that allows lectures and study sessions to take place in-person over the Internet. Using a webcam, headphones and a microphone, class is in session with everyone able to interact. You can ask questions by raising your hand via the click of an icon. Additionally, the professor bounces between a chatroom screen and PowerPoint slides, providing visual support for the lecture or discussion.

Most valuable this week has been the "archive" function, where an instructor can elect to record the Wimba session and post it out on the Internet for later viewing. In my case, I can catch up on Thursday's course discussion sometime Friday evening -- once I'm done hiring a sandwich, catching a new employee and eating myself a little nap (not necessarily in that order).

Learning to Excel in business.

If I had one piece of advice for incoming students, or someone considering the MAB program, it would be this: become proficient in using Microsoft Excel before your first campus session.

The program, like any business school, has an emphasis on using this software to be efficient as a financial manager in the workplace. Thus, you use it heavily during your courses -- especially while in Manhattan.

I use Excel on a fairly regular basis in my job. That helped a bunch while we did our assignments on campus. But others found it more of a challenge becoming skilled with this unique program.

Several people mentioned that they would have liked to have more knowledge of the software package before they started taking the courses.

Just a tidbit of info to help in the planning process.

We the people.

Here's a peak inside the Class of 2010's work session one day last week.

You'll note that I was short on posts from Manhattan. The on-campus time is a rigorous schedule of lectures, assignments and group work. While you spend most of your time learning -- don't be mislead, it's plenty of fun.

What's most impressive... you leave after the first on-campus session feeling like you've just made 24 new best friends.

Call me back in two years.

I find myself getting nostalgic when I think about the free time I had last year. This agribusiness program is busy. But that's a good thing. It's busy in the sense that you kept active with course work during what would essentially be down time.

You still have time for the job, the family and the sleeping. It's an executive program. It survives by being convenient enough to sustain a life outside of school.

But it does require significant time management. And, as I'm learning, the ability to see that not all things can be accomplished at once.

So next time my wife asks about those minuscule household repairs she's been waiting on, I think I'll tell her to check back once I'm done with my MAB.

The on-campus experience.

Busy. Really busy. That's how everyone is describing the MAB session on-campus in Manhattan.

We've spent a tremendous amount of time in Waters Hall in the last 48 hours, learning the finer points of finance and the ins-and-outs of logistics. Add on a heaping helping of computer software training and you've got the first day and a half of our MAB experience.

The second year students warned us that it will be much of the same all week.

Time spent on campus.

The new MAB students convened on campus today in our first collective trip to Manhattan, KS. The campus is very quiet -- it's still winter break for Kansas State's "traditional" students.

The town's not too hard to navigate. It's the biggest little town I've been in lately. (Fitting it's description as the "Little Apple") Complete with a shopping mall and enough restaurants to have your pick -- but still quaint enough to find your way around without needing a map and specific directions. There's really only a handful of main thoroughfares to navigate.

Many of the Class of 2010 are staying at a hotel right on campus. It sounds like the second year students opted for cheaper rates at discount hotels or other preferred accommodations; they are a little more spread out around town.

Having been here now, I'd say you can't go wrong staying where you'd most prefer. Everything is close enough to campus and the staff has supplied us each with a parking pass good for the main lot outside "our" building -- Water's Hall.

We're experiencing incredible fortune, too. The weather was almost balmy by Kansas standards today -- warm... and it's January. I've spent a lot of time in this state and can appreciate how lucky we are that it's not freezing outside with arctic winds whipping in all directions.

Ready for a long week.

The first few hours of MAB's January session went by quickly. Time was eaten up by software installations, computer program training and a bit of fun. New students (Class of 2010) had the chance to meet second year students and share some laughs with a light-hearted orientation.

We also shared pizza, and many folks seemed to use the time to quiz returning MAB'ers about what to expect.

The consensus was to prepare for a long week -- many hours of classes, studying and perhaps little sleep.

Monday morning brings the first experiences of the agriculture finance course and the logistics course. I'll report accordingly tomorrow. We're getting books, DVD's and other goodies tomororow, too.

For now, I think it's safe to say folks are resting their brains and preparing for a day packed with learning.

First campus session. Day 1.

It's orientation day for MAB's Class of 2010... we'll meet each other this afternoon, in addition to meeting the faculty, staff and students from the Class of 2009.

We'll also kick-off studies with a primer on the learning technologies used in this program.

And pizza. The plan is to wrap-up this afternoon's meetings and learning sessions with a pizza party to celebrate the beginning.

Get ready, get set, get there.

I'm en route to Manhattan for the first campus session of the MAB program. An overnight stop in Missouri breaks the trip up for me. That's about halfway -- as I live just close enough to drive in, but far enough to justify the stopover.

My guess is that some of my cohorts will fly in... we're a pretty diverse group, representing 18 states and six countries. Students in this group hail from throughout North and South America, plus the continent of Africa.

Thus, travel to campus will be the focus for many of us this weekend. It's the last big feat before we start out as the MAB Class of 2010.