Beginning my Executive MBA journey

Executive MBA (London) participant, Bec Fenlon, provides an insight into her thoughts and feelings when starting the London MBA and the process of joining the programme.

I was on the Eurostar to Paris in April 2019, when the email came through: “Warwick Business School, outcome to your application for the Executive MBA (London)”. My stomach turned over as I anxiously waited for the email to load - a wait which the patchy train reception did nothing to improve! Six months later, almost to the day, I’m back on the Eurostar (although heading home to London this time), reflecting on all that has changed in such a short amount of time.

Completing an MBA has always been in my career plan, and it was convenient life circumstance that pushed me to start in 2019. WBS was my first and only choice, so there was a lot of pressure on that loading email to give me the news I was hoping for. Applying early in the application period, and the swift turnaround time from application to acceptance (two weeks – thanks Admissions team!) meant that I had a few months to plan and get my ‘life admin’ out of the way before embarking on such an all-consuming journey. Relaxing summer trips were taken, and the ‘to do’ list in my house became smaller (still waiting on that splashback though!) as I knew that my free time was soon going to disappear.

However, it’s amazing how quickly four months can go by, and my excitement started to mount with every ‘pre-arrival’ email that landed in my inbox. Additional modules were appearing on my.wbs, our online portal, and I hadn’t even been to induction yet! Luckily, these were Maths and Academic Writing booster courses, for those of us that may have forgotten a thing or two in the years since we were in formal education; designed to be dipped in and out of, whenever you feel you need a reminder.

Walking to The Shard on my first day of induction, I was confident I would be among the more prepared in that room, having thoroughly explored my.wbs, having read the student handbook, and having watched the booster courses I felt I needed to. And yet, my cohort were all in the same boat. The level of dedication in that room is contagious, and part of what makes our conversations during lectures so engaging.

I am now halfway through my second module, and have re-established my study habits. I’ve found reading a little bit consistently, every day, is what works for me. It requires a fair amount of motivation at the end of a long day of work, but reading a chapter, or half a chapter each night seems slightly more surmountable. Some of my cohort manage to power through the pre-reading in the one night, but it’s all about finding what works for you, with your life.

Doing your MBA while working full-time is a big commitment, but while I come home after my lectures exhausted, it’s a good exhausted; a happy exhausted. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my day, and know that it’s giving me the skills to take my career even further. And if you happen to reward yourself for completing a chapter of pre-reading with a glass of wine? Well, it’s a small price to pay!

Find out more about the Executive MBA (London).