Well, that’s a wrap.
My first semester in the Jenkins MBA program is over, and I’ve got a bit of a lull before the summer term starts.
It was a tough start. Frankly, I had to learn how to study again, how to multitask, and how to make sure I was actually learning instead of just memorizing enough to pass.
I originally signed up for six classes and ultimately took five:
- MBA 505: Economics for Managers
- MBA 506: Data-Driven Decisions I
- MBA 507: Data-Driven Decisions II
- MBA 512: Ethical Thinking
- MBA 531: Leading People I (Residency)
These were not all concurrent, but at times I had three classes running simultaneously while working full time.
The roughest part early on was Economics for Managers. I had never taken economics before, so it felt like getting dropped into the deep end immediately. The first few weeks were less about mastering the content and more about figuring out how to stay ahead of the pace.
At first, I was getting the work done, but barely. Most assignments were being completed the day before, or sometimes the day they were due. That was not sustainable, so I realized pretty quickly that I needed a better system.
Most of the courses were asynchronous. The structure was usually some combination of recorded lectures, slide decks, homework, team projects, and optional weekly Zoom sessions with the class. Those live sessions ended up being incredibly valuable.
I experimented quite a bit trying to figure out how to consume and organize the material efficiently. One of the more useful projects was using chatGPT to help build a Python script that could take a PDF slide deck and generate a cleaner “3-up” handout format that worked better for note-taking:
3up Python Project
I also went through an embarrassing number of devices trying to find a workflow that actually fit the way I learn. I tested an iPad, a Boox Note Air 4C, a reMarkable Paper Pro, printed paper handouts, and eventually settled on a Kindle Scribe Colorsoft as the center of my note-taking process.
The goal was simple: create a repeatable system where I could annotate lecture material naturally while staying organized across multiple classes.
That turned out to be one of the biggest breakthroughs of the semester.
Instead of reacting to deadlines, I started front-loading the work earlier in the week. If assignments were due Sunday, I tried to have most of the learning and note-taking done by Wednesday or Thursday. That buffer reduced a huge amount of stress and made the constant context switching between classes much more manageable.
Once that process clicked, everything became more sustainable.
I had set some pretty high personal goals for my first semester back in school after a very long time, and while I’m still waiting for the final grades to post, I feel really good about how the semester went.
Along the way I had some great professors, some excellent teammates, and a cohort that was far more engaged than I expected. A lot of us started the program around the same time, and it’s been fun building connections while all of us figure this out together.
I also want to offer a special thanks to my family, friends, and colleagues who knew what I was taking on and supported me throughout the semester.
The workload was real, but honestly, it was also fun.
Onward.