Marshall MBA

Student Life in the Marshall MBA Program

What to Expect

During the academic year, Marshall MBA students are often on campus all day, from at least 8:00am until 5:30pm, either in class or meeting with team membersand study groups. After 5:30 p.m. many students need to stay on campus to participate in training sessions, networking and club activities, career management opportunities, and other special events. First year core classes are taught Monday through Friday, while second year electives are offered Monday through Thursday.

The Marshall student community boasts many social events. No one misses our Thursday Night Mixers, weekly from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., our fall weekend MBA Tailgate parties, our International Mixer that features food and drink from all countriesrepresented at Marshall, and many other club activities and program events that are scheduled throughout the year. Marshall has more than 25 clubs and student organizations that represent many professional and social interests. These clubs are open toeveryone and facilitate networking and education for both first and second year students.

For a closer look at the student experience, read the following descriptions of "A Day in the Life" as described by both first and second year student, Leslie and Joe.

A Day in the Life of a First Year Student: Leslie

5:30 a.m.	I don’t have to set an alarm, because I have a 9 month old that wakes up like clockwork. My husband and I commence the morning tag team, trying to get everyone ready for work/ school/ childcare.
7:10 a.m.	We all bustle out of the apartment.
7:35 a.m.	Arrive at school, barring any major accidents on the 10 Freeway. I relax, get some yogurt and do a last minute run-through of my notes for the 8 am case
7:55 a.m.	I make it to the classroom, ready to go.
8-9:20 a.m.	General Management: Whew! This is a mind exercise: The time flies by as you talk about the implications of different management choices. Some teammates assume character roles to help the cases come alive. Suddenly you realize that there are no black and white solutions in management
9:35 a.m.	Marketing class starts.
11-12:30 p.m.	Lunch, which is filled with assorted, group meetings, career panels and presentations, or just relaxing in the courtyard with classmates. Also a last- minute time to squeeze some work in
12:30 p.m.	Last Core Class of the day: Finance
2–6 p.m.	Group meetings or studying at the library. Hopefully I can get all my work done before I have to get home
6- 6:30 p.m.	Drive home. Sometimes I can catch NPR’s “Marketplace” on the radio, which is so much more interesting now that I understand a bit of finance.
6:30 p.m.	It’s mommy/ wife time, general playing, etc. Current favorites? Peek-a-boo and rolling the ball. This time helps me forget any frustration from earlier. ;)
8:30 p.m.	After the bed time ritual, Elijah, my son is in bed. My husband and I have some time to relax for a bit before I try to hit the books again
10 p.m.	I lay on the bed, typically pretending I’m just going to take a nap. But who am I kidding… I’m just going to bed with a highlighter in my hand… The life of a student!

A Day in the Life of a Second Year Student: Joe

7:30 a.m.	Alarm goes off and I'm up. It’s nice being a second year student because you no longer have 8am classes. A lot of my classmates don’t have class until 11am or Noon, but my first class is at 9:30am.
8:00 a.m.	Drive to school. I live in Long Beach, about 35 miles from campus. Last year I lived in Downtown LA and had a 10-minute commute; I really miss that every morning when I’m driving an hour and 15 minutes through LA traffic.
9:15 a.m.	Arrive at school and get some breakfast in the Popovich Café.
9:30 – 12:20 p.m.	Classes.
12:20 – 1:50 p.m.	Lunch. I like to eat lunch with my friends on campus. Last year, I always had meetings or events at lunch. This year, it’s nice to just relax and catch up with friends, though occasionally I will have a meeting.
2-3:20 p.m.	Class.
3:30 – 5:00 p.m.	Work out on campus. I have a night class, so I’m not leaving campus anytime soon. A lot of people gain weight and get out of shape at school, so I think its important to always make time to work out.
5-6:30 p.m.	Eat dinner and head to the MBA mixer (on Thursdays). I prep for my night class if I haven’t done the reading or if I’m not prepared to discuss a case.
6:30 – 9:30 p.m.	Night class. Some people really like night classes. I don’t like them at all. The good thing about second year though is that you get to pick your own classes and create your own schedule. So, even though I don’t like night classes, I do like the fact that I only have class on Tuesday and Thursday, meaning that I have five days a week with no classes. That’s pretty nice and has allowed me to gain some more learning through a mentoring opportunity in a local start-up company.
9:30 – 10 p.m.	Drive home. The commute is a piece of cake this late at night.
10 p.m. – 12 a.m.	After checking email for a few minutes to make sure that I have everything done for the day, I relax on the couch with my wife and catch up. During the first year, she and I really didn’t get to spend a lot of time together because I was so busy. This year, things are much more relaxed and I spend a lot more time with her, especially on the five days per week with no classes.
12 a.m.	Go to bed. On class days, I don’t do any homework or study; I usually study on my off days or weekends for 2 to 4 hours, depending on the workload, maybe more if I have a project or a test. I’m glad I have a full-time job offer from my internship. Already having a job offer when second year starts makes your entire life a lot simpler.

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