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!
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.
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!
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!
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