It's a hectic summer in the MAB program, with two courses keeping most of us pretty busy. The K-State elective course, focused on international agribusiness, is taking us around the globe for a whirlwind view of the world's food chain and production agriculture. In addition, most of us are also concurrently enrolled in Dr. Gwinner's marketing course. It's open to other graduate students, but the majority of the class is either current MAB participants or those who are "shopping" the program in hopes of enrolling in the next year or two.
Both classes are fast-paced, and great examples of the convenient learning options offered in the MAB program. The marketing course has set deadlines for readings and homework; typically a writing assignment is due each Monday evening by midnight. The set schedule gives you a full week to read the chapters, watch the online lectures and participate in the virtual discussion section -- a convenient way to learn graduate-level marketing concepts for the developing Agribusiness professional.
The international course, which is an elective, works similarly. The twist is that this class has a new instructor every two weeks -- an academic leader from a different part of the world steps in to teach a little bit about their part of the world. It's a great way to get first-person knowledge about agribusiness and food production around the globe. This course also has weekly reading assignments and bi-weekly writing assignments. It's a very flexible schedule and a course that is extremely versatile for the working professional.
These two courses wind down the program for my co-hort group. After a brief respite in August, we pick back up with the final courses of the program, each designed to assist the student in research and writing of their very own graduate thesis. By the end of the year we'll be well on our way to finished -- and hopefully have something to show for it; more specifically, a superb thesis and come May, a Kansas State University graduate degree.
A little change along the way.
The MAB Class of 2010 came into the program in January 2008 with one common goal: earn a master's in agribusiness from Kansas State University. Some people wanted the accomplishment for personal growth; others were hoping to improve their career options or to sharpen job skills. But no doubt, all were wondering what it would take to accomplish that major task.
The short answer is -- a lot. For the remaining twenty of us, it's been a blast, albeit challenging. It's been tough, but manageable. We've suffered some setbacks and probably had to compromise more than we anticipated, but we've learned a lot. Hopefully, by this time next year, I can tell you that we all accomplished our goal.
So what does a year and a half in the program seem like? Well, busy for starters. But I don't want anyone to think it's not worth the investment. It requires some life changes, but isn't an impossible venture and does end up teaching you a lot.
In my class, there are some great examples of life changes and side notes that prove MAB's program is well-designed for the working professional.
Two of my classmates married their sweethearts during the last year. One got engaged and is now planning a ceremony. Several of us have had children. Even more have changed jobs, and a few even changed their career paths entirely (myself included). Some have earned promotions, moved cross-country and still others have traveled various parts of the world.
Proof enough for me that enrolling in a graduate program like this is an investment and it pays off, with some change along the way.
The short answer is -- a lot. For the remaining twenty of us, it's been a blast, albeit challenging. It's been tough, but manageable. We've suffered some setbacks and probably had to compromise more than we anticipated, but we've learned a lot. Hopefully, by this time next year, I can tell you that we all accomplished our goal.
So what does a year and a half in the program seem like? Well, busy for starters. But I don't want anyone to think it's not worth the investment. It requires some life changes, but isn't an impossible venture and does end up teaching you a lot.
In my class, there are some great examples of life changes and side notes that prove MAB's program is well-designed for the working professional.
Two of my classmates married their sweethearts during the last year. One got engaged and is now planning a ceremony. Several of us have had children. Even more have changed jobs, and a few even changed their career paths entirely (myself included). Some have earned promotions, moved cross-country and still others have traveled various parts of the world.
Proof enough for me that enrolling in a graduate program like this is an investment and it pays off, with some change along the way.
The time is flying by.
Before we know it, my cohort group will be sweating the edits, tearing into data and pouring over research as we work through the thesis requirement of the MAB program. Time is passing by, and we're now less than a year from the expected graduation date.
Courses in the second year have gone smooth. We've covered policy, econometrics, organizational behavior and are swiftly moving through the elective (most of us are doing the MAB-offered Comparative Food & Ag Systems course).
Still to come is the marketing course, taught by the head of K-State's marketing department, over in the College of Business Administration. We've also got the more thesis-specific coursework down the road, like ag. economic analysis.
I think we've rounded the corner. We can't quite see the finish line yet; but we know it's just over the horizon.
Courses in the second year have gone smooth. We've covered policy, econometrics, organizational behavior and are swiftly moving through the elective (most of us are doing the MAB-offered Comparative Food & Ag Systems course).
Still to come is the marketing course, taught by the head of K-State's marketing department, over in the College of Business Administration. We've also got the more thesis-specific coursework down the road, like ag. economic analysis.
I think we've rounded the corner. We can't quite see the finish line yet; but we know it's just over the horizon.
Back at it.
We wrapped up the week on campus without much trouble. It's three months of classes for now -- econometrics and policy for the second year students. We'll be back together for weekly chats via the web-based software; there will be lectures to watch online, too.
Homework includes a combination of writing assignments, a term paper, equation computations and data modeling as well as a few other things that will come our way between now and March.
I'll keep you updated on our progress as we plow through these courses to kick off 2009!
Homework includes a combination of writing assignments, a term paper, equation computations and data modeling as well as a few other things that will come our way between now and March.
I'll keep you updated on our progress as we plow through these courses to kick off 2009!
Camaraderie and class.
If you're considering a graduate program, make sure it is structured so that you'll develop friendships with your classmates. That's my advice for today.
I started back to school a year ago, through the MAB program at Kansas State University, without a real clear understanding of how that aspect of learning would unfold. I knew the subject matter I wanted to study. I understood the expectations placed on a student enrolled in an executive track program. But I had not considered the impact of developing new relationships with other successful agribusiness leaders from around the world.
Twelve months into this program, I probably value that aspect as much as the knowledge I'm taking away from the courses. We are a cohort some 20 people large -- not very big compared to most classes for higher learning. And moreover, we're scattered to the wind, spread across the United States with a few coming from places in South America and Africa.
But just the same, we've become great friends. Every week for 11 months out of the past year, we've met up on Saturday mornings or Thursday evenings for lectures and discussions in a virtual classroom. We've shared phone calls, lengthy e-mail exchanges and virtual chat sessions working on projects, papers and homework assignments. We've delved into research together and produced group projects, using technology to bridge the hundred and thousands of miles that separated us.
And now we're friends. We have inside jokes -- laugh about stories and each others' commentaries. We discuss the day's issues and talk about our businesses and careers.
Learn where it's best for you. Seek out the program that provides what you need. But if you're investing a few years of your personal time and money, make sure the learning gives your more than just a diploma, too. It never hurts to make a few new friends along the way.
I started back to school a year ago, through the MAB program at Kansas State University, without a real clear understanding of how that aspect of learning would unfold. I knew the subject matter I wanted to study. I understood the expectations placed on a student enrolled in an executive track program. But I had not considered the impact of developing new relationships with other successful agribusiness leaders from around the world.
Twelve months into this program, I probably value that aspect as much as the knowledge I'm taking away from the courses. We are a cohort some 20 people large -- not very big compared to most classes for higher learning. And moreover, we're scattered to the wind, spread across the United States with a few coming from places in South America and Africa.
But just the same, we've become great friends. Every week for 11 months out of the past year, we've met up on Saturday mornings or Thursday evenings for lectures and discussions in a virtual classroom. We've shared phone calls, lengthy e-mail exchanges and virtual chat sessions working on projects, papers and homework assignments. We've delved into research together and produced group projects, using technology to bridge the hundred and thousands of miles that separated us.
And now we're friends. We have inside jokes -- laugh about stories and each others' commentaries. We discuss the day's issues and talk about our businesses and careers.
Learn where it's best for you. Seek out the program that provides what you need. But if you're investing a few years of your personal time and money, make sure the learning gives your more than just a diploma, too. It never hurts to make a few new friends along the way.
Econometrics?
I wondered what this course would be all about. With so little business background in my undergraduate studies, it was a term I hadn't seen before. Or at the least hadn't paid attention to.
Turns out this class makes a lot of sense. It's started out with a refresher of statistics. Everyone has been down that road to get into MAB (or has to cover a stats prerequisite during the early stages of the program).
We're covering a lot of material pertaining to regressions -- learning to judge the validity of data sets and population samples. It is very different from our other course, international policy, but fits really well with the types of things we learned in last year's courses.
Turns out this class makes a lot of sense. It's started out with a refresher of statistics. Everyone has been down that road to get into MAB (or has to cover a stats prerequisite during the early stages of the program).
We're covering a lot of material pertaining to regressions -- learning to judge the validity of data sets and population samples. It is very different from our other course, international policy, but fits really well with the types of things we learned in last year's courses.
It's different this time around.
This trip to Manhattan is definitely different than last year's sessions. The year two students can't claim it's easier -- but it is different. Less stress. Lacking the tensions. The courses seem more "do able".
I'm not sure that the program is a lot different in the second year. I believe it is most likely that the students are different in year two. We have adjusted to the pace of the MAB program. We know it is possible to cover major economic concepts in four days of learning; we have experienced the process of dicing through many long chapters of a text book in just one week.
Moral of the story: year one is training camp and it pays off big. Year two keeps you in the game, but you're a seasoned player by the start of the season!
I'm not sure that the program is a lot different in the second year. I believe it is most likely that the students are different in year two. We have adjusted to the pace of the MAB program. We know it is possible to cover major economic concepts in four days of learning; we have experienced the process of dicing through many long chapters of a text book in just one week.
Moral of the story: year one is training camp and it pays off big. Year two keeps you in the game, but you're a seasoned player by the start of the season!
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