This post is brought to you by Smartly, which has partnered with top business schools to develop interactive and mobile-friendly courses to cover everything you’ll need to know come fall.
Your MBA program–one of the most exciting and intellectually stimulating experiences of your life–is starting in two months, and you’re taking some well-deserved time to relax. You might be traveling to another country, signing a lease for a beautiful new apartment, shopping for furniture at IKEA, and enjoying some quality time with your friends and family.
Brushing up on pre-MBA statistics and microeconomics is probably at the bottom of your list, but we know a few reasons why you might want to take a moment here and there to ensure your skills are up to snuff:
You can hit the ground running. Imagine stepping into Finance 1 and realizing that, not only have you seen this content, but you also know it like the back of your hand. You’ll definitely ace that test come mid-terms. Moreover, you can spend more time on that challenging Marketing class that you’ve heard is a major pain.
You can make more connections. Prepping beforehand means you won’t waste time playing catch-up, which opens up more time for social activities and easing your transition into business school. You’ll remember the people you meet for a lifetime and will connect with them about business ventures in the future. Plus, who knows, maybe that visionary from Strategy is the next Sheryl Sandberg!
You can focus on your post-MBA career. The information in your first year is only the tip of the iceberg, and nailing down the fundamentals now will help you feel less inundated when you’ve finished your first semester. You’ll be able to start thinking more seriously about your plans after business school. It’s never too early to narrow down what you’re enjoying most about your classes. You can become skilled at almost anything, but in order to truly succeed, you’ll have to find your passion. That starts with taking the time to ask yourself important questions as you go through the business school curriculum.
As for how to brush up on your skills, there are a number of great options available to incoming students. Many b-schools offer their own paid and non-paid MBA prep programs. You can contact your school to see if program administrators have recommendations for courses that are tailored to what you’re expected to know at your school.
It’s also a good idea to find out what your own classmates are working on, so join your class’s Facebook or LinkedIn page to chat with incoming students and see what they’re doing to prepare (you’ll get a head start on making new friends too).
You’ll notice the rewards of preparing early once you’re headed into your first week of finals with less stress, more friends, and a clearer vision of your future!
