The Dos and Donts of Getting a Business Degree

The Dos and Donts of Getting a Business Degree Youve done it. Youve gone through a rigorous application process, been accepted to a business degree program and carefully hung your posters of Warren Buffet in your dorm room. The next several years will be crucial to your development so youll want to make the most of them. Heres how. Do Network Network, network, network. Youve heard it a million times, but its truer in business than anywhere else: its not what you know, its who you know. Business schools hold networking events with professors, students and local business people all the time. Take advantage of them. The people you meet might give you great advice; they might connect you to others who share your interests; they might give you a connection to your first job outside of school and they just might be the key to your business career trajectory. This doesnt have to mean handing out your card, making sales pitches and schmoozing everywhere you go. It does mean you should be open to meeting new people, expanding your connections and going to events you might not feel like attending, Dont Wait to Choose Your Major or Specialize Be prepared for the moment you can declare a major or choose a concentration. Specializing in an area like finance, marketing, human resources or management is a great way to narrow your focus and find a niche in the industry. To prepare, there are a few things you can do: If you havent already, take personality tests like the Myers-Briggs or True Colors and try to match your traits with your educational (and career path)Talk to an advisorAsk people who know you well (friends, family, coworkers, bosses) where they think you would excelLook at your options and feel out the ones that excite you Do Learn to Manage Your Time Time management skills are crucial for all college students but theyre particularly important for students in business school, where professors will pile more work on you than a normal mortal can handle. They do this not because theyre sadists but because they know its what youll face when you enter the business world. Throwing you in the deep end in a safe environment like business school is a great way to test your mettle and force you to pace yourself, stop procrastinating, stick to a schedule and focus on the important stuff. Dont Close Your Mind to New Ideas When youre faced with a new environment and daunting levels of work, it can be easy to retreat to the familiar; to stick with your comfort zone. Resist that urge with all your might. Being good at business means keeping your mind malleable and open to unconventional ideas and business school is the perfect place to start. Youll be exposed to myriad ideas from professors, fellow students and independent study. Dont reject anything because it doesnt fit with your preconceived notions. Do Get Real-World Experience You can study economic theory, sit in classrooms and lose yourself in textbooks for years and still be clueless when it comes to business. Getting real-world experience â€" either by working or doing an internship â€" is an invaluable way to use your time at business school. It will not only help you connect your classroom study to practical situations, but it might also give you your first job in business. In fact, a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers found that 56.1% of interns became full-time, entry-level employees at the company where they did their internship. Using these time-honored tips can mean the difference between spinning your wheels (and wasting your money) in business school and using your time to catapult into a successful business career.