When I was in my early years as an undergraduate at Johns Hopkins, going back to school after college was the last thought on my mind. Juggling my economics courses with basketball led to my schedule being full most of the time. I knew those four years would pay off eventually, but I always saw myself working directly out of college to make up for the four years of being a broke college kid. Nevertheless, here I am and I could not be happier with the path I took.
Studying for my master’s has proven to be much different than studying for my undergraduate degree in a surprisingly satisfying manner. When most people think of increasing their level of education, more often than not they assume that means an increase in difficulty and stress. While my current course is challenging, it is equally interesting since it is much more focused than my undergraduate degree. Instead of taking general economics courses with management courses sprinkled in there (I minored in entrepreneurship & management at Hopkins), I’m taking concentrated management courses with a strong focus on business strategy and the cross-cultural aspect. It’s funny how studying and researching don’t seem as bad when the topics are engaging. Knowing that I am receiving my master’s degree and will actually use the information learned for my first job is doubly rewarding.
While the academics are great, I haven’t even mentioned the fact that I could not have lucked out more with my 30 or so fellow International Management classmates. We all get along fantastically and know how to balance the school/social life. It’s been a treat pursuing my master’s with such a great class. And with all that said I’m forced to quote Adam Sandler in Billy Madison in regards to anyone who thinks that school is boring or wants to get out, especially after hearing a few stories of some friends’ first jobs: “Don’t you say that. Don’t you ever say that. Stay here. Stay as long as you can. For the love of God cherish it!”
