Why Christensen Teaches
In a nutshell, he likes sharing his 25-plus years of private sector experience with students and learning from them in turn. “I really enjoy seeing the world through our students’ eyes—the new perspectives, the difference in backgrounds, and work experience they have, especially when I travel with them,” he says, noting a memorable visit to Tiananmen Square with a group of students. A self-professed “technology dinosaur,” he also loves learning about his students’ creative use of new technology.
Christensen’s Three Pieces of Advice for Prospective Students Considering Kellogg:
- Take advantage of the scale of Kellogg and Northwestern University. Explore the many electives, student clubs, seminars and events available to you as a result of this scale. Take advantage of the diversity of the student body to get to know students from all over the country and the world. Take advantage of the wide range of recruiters that come to campus. “Sit in on those corporate information sessions, even if you think you know what you want to do in terms of an industry or function,” he writes. “Go visit one that you don’t know much about. Learn what it is like to work in those areas.”
- Study hard, but not so hard that you don’t have time for building friendships. “It is the knowledge you will learn in the classrooms as well as the relationships you will leave here with that will last for a long time,” he advises. “As I look back on my own MBA experience, I think I sacrificed relationships with my peers in favor of the academic focus, and I would have been better served having more of a balance.”
- Pick the management program that is best for you. “We have one of the broadest degree portfolios to choose from among any major U.S. business school,” he writes, noting that Kellogg students can choose between a traditional two-year, full-time program, an accelerated one-year program for those with business undergraduate degrees, part-time degree programs and specialized joint degrees, like the MMM program for students who want to combine design and engineering with a business education. “There are so many different ways to study. Find the program that is right for you,” he says.
Read Paul Christensen’s complete interview here.
*Photography by C. Jason Brown
