MBA Diary Remy Carera , IE Business School Part 2

Remy Carera talks about the day to day life of an MBA student in Madrid, the difficult second term, and how your peers are the best teachers of all.

 

Spring break. Ten days to relax or for those of us doing an MBA, just enough time to get up to speed on some projects and a few days to study for upcoming exams. When I look back, I realize that the first term of the program was not only an introduction to the basics of business, but also a brilliant way to take on board the spirit of the MBA. Then the second term helped me to better map my career path through classes like financial management, cost accounting, entrepreneurship or strategy. The lead up to the MBA with the optional pre-program course and four hours of Spanish classes a day plus plenty of time to explore the many delights of Madrid seems an age ago. Now the true MBA pace has kicked in big time.

 

I can now give you a comprehensive idea of what living the MBA experience is like here. You usually start your day around 8.30am by grabbing the Financial Times (or the Spanish equivalent the days you feel very confident with your Spanish), followed very closely by six hours of classes, presentations or guest speakers. Spanish lunchtime is at 3pm, and then there is the added problem that the food is so good that it can be difficult to stay for just one hour and not feel like sleeping during the four to five hours of group meetings that lie ahead. You will not get home before 8pm or 9pm, and, not that I'm trying to scare anyone, do not for one minute think you are done for the day - you still have to read 50 pages of cases for classes the following day. About 25 per cent of your grades depend on class participation and it's pretty difficult to discuss something completely new in class, especially with peers with professional experience in a broad range of areas. I usually try to get to bed at 12.35am, when I can finally join my partner, saying something like "don't worry sweetheart it's only one year."

 

Doing an MBA is tough, and of course a lot depends on your background and objectives. By background I mean education, and personal and professional experience. The student body at IE is so different that competing with your peers brings a whole new set of angles. Let me explain. Sitting next to me in my section I have a Mexican sales manager for a company that rents and sells private jets, a Swiss electronic engineer who manages a Formula 1 team, and an Irish surgeon. If I consider the 60 students in my class, there are 28 nationalities, 12 are married, six have kids, three are getting married this year (including myself), and it would appear that 20 are open to offers! Each of us has something to contribute and share, which is why I believe that teamwork at IE is one of the most cultivating experiences on earth.

 

A term can be more or less demanding for each person, depending on the subjects involved, and that's why teamwork is so important. We have six students per group and groups change each term. We work, eat, chat, exchange experiences and contacts, party, travel, succeed, fail, laugh and cry together. The spirit created in your groups is quite possibly the best part of your MBA.

 

I now realize that doing an MBA is an exceptional chance for me to learn best practices not only from outstanding lecturers and professors, but also, perhaps even more so, from my peers, who are an amazing source of knowledge and insight in their many and varied fields of expertise. Besides work and study there are also plenty of long dinner discussions on fascinating topics ranging from how people from India, the US, Spain, France or Mexico perceive marriage, to how exchange rates or political parties can impact our futures.

 

Hence doing an MBA is a good mix of sweat and tears (no blood to date!) Perhaps the best advice I received was from an IE alum who said you need to know exactly why you are making this big investment and for what - you don't have to have the most fascinating reasons on the planet but you do have to keep them in mind. You need to fix your three main objectives and go for them before you come up against a torrent of information, work and opportunities. The following are perhaps some of the most common goals and strategies among my classmates:

 

- To be on the Dean's list (by getting the best grades)

- To focus on specific courses geared towards a career in consulting, starting your own company or taking over the family business

- To learn Spanish and appreciate all Madrid has to offer, including 330 days of sun and tapas on terrazas and an extremely vibrant night life

- To enjoy the European way of life, by traveling to major capitals, enjoying cuisine and wine along the way

- To be active in clubs or to start a new one (very common at IE)

- To take time to decide where your life is going (one of the deeper ones) In short, create your own MBA experience "after all, it's there for the taking!