When I first decided to do my MBA, I wasn’t too sure what to expect. I talked to some friends who questioned different aspects of my decision. Some asked ‘Why McGill?’, others wondered ‘Why now?’, and some even asked ‘Why do an MBA?’. A year later, with my ‘20/20’ hindsight, I can confidently provide answers for each of these questions.
Why McGill?
I initially chose to attend McGill because I knew I wanted to be in ‘Eastern Canada’, a.k.a. Montreal/Toronto. Of the two cities, I felt that Montreal would be more of a unique experience, and I could learn French during the MBA. Although I’ve only picked up only un petit peu de français, I do feel that it has been a once in a lifetime experience. However, my decision to choose McGill has gone beyond the city itself.
The small class size of the program has allowed me to become friends with everyone in the diverse cohort, take on leadership roles, and interact closely with alumni. I mentioned earlier that I haven’t learnt much French, and this is due in large to the spectrum of cultures I interact with on a daily basis in the MBA program. I’ve learnt a bit of Hindi, Spanish, and Russian in the program. These learnings extend beyond a few words in each language, and I’ve learnt to love the uniqueness of these cultures as well.
The small class size has also enabled me to take on various leadership roles and start my own initiatives. This has been a great opportunity to explore the kind of leader I am, and made me realize that things are easier done than said. Lastly, one of the benefits of the small class size is the ease of connecting with alumni both from McGill and from other business schools. The reputation of McGill, coupled with the relative ‘rarity’ and quality of MBA students from here has helped to open channels of communication for me with MBA graduates from many schools, allowing me to learn about some of the opportunities out there, as well as develop as a person.
Why now?
I don’t believe that there is a perfect time to start the MBA, but there are ways to make the most of the MBA program. Firstly, I believe you must have some prior work experience so that you can take what you learn and compare it with real life experiences from the past.
Secondly, you should be in a position in your career where you’ve learnt nearly as much as you can or want to learn in that capacity. If there’s still a significant opportunity at your current company to grow or develop, you should take advantage of that. In essence, they are paying you to learn.
Thirdly, in my opinion, the MBA should be undertaken relatively early in your career so that you can make the most of it. The accelerated learning from the MBA doesn’t end once you graduate. The longer you have to apply the skills you’ve learnt, leverage the network you’ve developed, and continue to grow, the better you will be in the long run. I’m a huge proponent of continuous development, and the MBA opens doors for you to learn nearly anything you want to.
Why do an MBA?
This is often a question that’s asked of me when people hear how expensive an MBA program can be. People often tell me they can learn most of what that the MBA covers by reading textbooks. Although this may be true, there are a few things that you cannot learn by reading beyond what I’ve covered above.
One thing that the MBA program provides is access to professors who are top professionals, or highly respected academics. You can have an open dialogue or discussion with these professors in class; confirm your understanding, challenge conventional thinking, and learn about the latest research or the world beyond academics.
Another aspect that people tend to overlook is the credibility that the MBA program brings, along with the reputation of the school. As the world becomes smaller and it becomes harder to differentiate talent, the reputation of a school becomes more important.
Lastly, one thing you cannot get from reading textbooks is the interactions with your peers. A top-tier MBA program draws top-tier talents, and there is so much more you can learn from your classmates than you can from reading or even doing an online course.
Although I’m only halfway through the MBA program, I feel that I’ve gained a lot from it and will continue to do so in the year to come. I’m sure if you ask me these questions a year from now, my answers will only change and become more robust!
About the author
Justin Leung (MBA'18) is from Vancouver, BC and has a Bachelor of Science in Biology from University of British Columbia (UBC). After his undergrad, he worked as a research assistant at the UBC Naus Lab and then started working in a healthcare insurance company. Justin joined the Desautels MBA in August 2016 and did his summer internship at CIBC, where he will continue his career post-graduation. An active member of our community, Justin is co-president of the McGill Case Competition Association and founded the Canadian Club to help his international peers learn about Canada and integrate into Canadian culture. Read more posts by Justin by following his .
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