Going back to school may look like an unrealistic option for a lot of people. Once you get to a certain point in life, other things seem more important; your job, your family, your precious free time. But making sacrifices for a short while could mean a better job, benefits for your family, and more free time in the long run.
Finding balance while working on an MBA is important for many students who attend the Evening & Weekend MBA program at Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley. The program was built for people in the area, or within commutable distance, who have career goals but are not able to pause their careers or other commitments to pursue a full-time degree. The Flex option takes things a step further by offering online classes so it’s possible for students to live anywhere in the world while pursuing a top-ranked MBA.
There are approximately 150 working professionals currently enrolled in the Flex option at Haas. During their core courses which take place in the first half of the program, students are required to attend a two hour class online twice a week. They are also expected to do work outside of class on their own time such as watching supplemental videos or participating in study groups. There are five in-person meet ups scheduled during the two and a half year program, though attendance is only required for three. Students also have the option to take electives on campus. Even though they get to do much of the program on their own terms, in the end they end up with the same top ranked degree that full-time MBA students receive.
Erin Mitsuyoshi, MBA 25, a real estate professional from Honolulu, is a part of the inaugural Flex program class. Getting an education from a school that carried prestige was a big reason why she chose Haas, “I really couldn’t relocate so getting the degree from Berkeley was an easy choice. My other option was to do this through a local university in an executive program. That would’ve been okay but the prestige Berkeley can bring, the network I can get, and the fact that it’s done from a different perspective was pretty monumental for me.”
Working while getting an MBA
The idea behind part-time MBA programs is that students can go to school without much disruption in their lives. Many of them have rewarding careers that would be enhanced with an MBA, but they aren’t in a position to walk away from those jobs. Employers also see the value in a master’s degree because a more educated workforce is an asset to the company. Even with company support, working while getting an MBA can still be a challenge.
According to Erin, organization is the key, “I schedule everything out. It's the best way I can be efficient in my job. I block time out to do the readings or watch the videos. I’ve been able to rearrange my schedule to make classes work.”
When Kinshuk Verma, MBA 25, a chemical engineer from Northern California, changed jobs, she wanted to assure her new employer that she would be committed to the job, “When I was interviewing, I straight up told my current manager that this is what I’m doing on the side and I’ll make sure that it doesn’t affect my work in any way. I live in an area where most people have attended another local university, so it has been wonderful to represent Berkeley in my workplace.”
Aidan Steele, MBA 25, is a recently retired U.S. Marine who has transitioned to a civilian career. He strives to minimize the impact of school on work, “When I have asked for accommodations they have been granted, but I have tried hard not to ask for much. This degree is for me and my future. I didn’t ask my military or civilian leadership for permission to pursue it, so I feel like work still needs to come first.”
Classes add time to an already busy schedule, but many students find that they are able to get a quick return on their investment. Aidan has experienced applying what he’s learned in school to his job, “I’ve had too many ah-ha moments to mention. So many conversations in the workplace would have gone completely over my head if I hadn’t been halfway through this degree.”
Kevin Ramirez, MBA 25, an employment equity consultant from Los Angeles, has a background in the social sciences. In his job as a paid equity consultant, he works with companies to ensure that underrepresented employees are being paid a fair wage. Now he feels that he is better able to discuss finances with his clients, “Thanks to my classes, I have general business skills to be able to coach my clients through key financial decisions. I can definitely help them with best practices in pay equity. I’m more equipped to advise them on various issues involving people and money.”
The Flex option holds synchronous online classes either every Monday and Wednesday or every Tuesday and Thursday from 4-6 Pacific time. For people in the continental United States, that’s usually either after their work day or at the very end. One of the unique things about the Flex program is that students can live anywhere in the world and attend class.
Thomas Seidl, MBA 25, is a data science major and international student from Germany. Due to the time difference, he’s in class from 1 to 3 in the morning. He’s made it work by adjusting his sleep schedule on days where he has class but his employer has been very understanding. He says, “The main support is based on allowing me to use some dedicated amount of work time for MBA studies and for in-person immersions. Everyone is pretty mindful when it comes to scheduling meetings in the time period that I block for my studies - obviously from time to time I need to be flexible.”
Andrew Hicinbothem, MBA 25, is a product manager living and working in Seoul. His classes start at 7 or 8 in the morning, depending on daylight savings time. Some days it’s tough for him to get moving but it’s had minimal impact on his job since it’s early in the day, “For me it’s manageable because it’s at the start of my work day before I really get going. The Flex program is definitely possible for those students who aren’t in the US and want to get an MBA without giving up their careers.”
Juggling a family while getting an MBA
Career advancement is a very compelling reason for getting an MBA, but when students have a family, it can complicate that goal. Flex students are doing everything they can to make sure that life at home moves along without a hitch. Erin not only schedules work and school tasks, but family time as well.
“My kids are 8 and 11. Normally I do all of the pickups and drop offs. I’m the one who usually cooks the meals. On the days I have class, my parents and my in-laws, when they are in town, are super helpful. My husband has stepped up a lot to help out by getting the kids ready in the morning so I can finish up work,” she says.
Erin’s children are older, but Kinshuk had a baby soon after starting the program. She felt the Flex option would be perfect for her situation. It was hard at times but the support she got from fellow students and faculty helped her get through, “I had classes back to back and it was difficult for me since I had just given birth.” She adds, “In the beginning, I was still on pain meds and overnight pumping schedules. All of my professors were very supportive, in fact they were very accommodating to me as a new mother.”
Just like employers, families need to be understanding when it comes to the time commitment that comes along with being an MBA student. Thomas says his family understands that he has other commitments, “My wife is really supportive around my studies and, besides providing moral support in challenging times, she helps me to focus on my work/studies and takes care of our kids especially in the mornings after classes. Also, my kids understand that I will need some more sleep on these occasions!”
The Flex option allows families to not have to uproot their lives and move so that mom or dad can get a Haas MBA. Children benefit from stability and spouses don’t have to make tough choices about leaving their own jobs. Kevin isn’t a dad himself, but he helps to take care of his parents. They lost their jobs during the pandemic and since then he has helped to support them. The Flex option allows him to stay close to his mom and dad in Southern California while pursuing his MBA.
“My parents are still struggling, so even though I wanted to pursue my business degree, I couldn’t really commit to a full-time program,” says Kevin. “If I did that I wouldn’t be making money and I need to be able to provide for my parents. I still wanted to advance my career so I decided to apply for the Flex option. I’m very grateful for the Flex program because it means that I can still live in Los Angeles and support my parents.”
Most people will admit that family comes first, but making some sacrifices in the short term can mean greater success in the long run. Despite the challenges of work and school, Aidan is ultimately pursuing his MBA to benefit his family, “My wife and I have two kids, 9 and 12, who are absolute troopers. I’m putting a lot of hope on the assumption that this degree, coupled with my military and subsequent industry experience, is going to make me marketable enough to live where I want to live, in a house with enough room, in a neighborhood with a good school, with enough income that my wife no longer has to work full-time if she doesn’t want to.”
Finding time for yourself
Haas students tend to be high achievers. Between stress from work, school, and family they also need to find time to keep their mental health in check. Despite their busy schedules, many of them still enjoy taking part in activities they enjoy.
Exercise is a common theme for Flex students because it’s a stress reliever and good for their overall health. Erin likes to do yoga, play tennis, or just go on walks around her neighborhood. Kevin is devoted to crossfit and makes it a point to go at least every other day.
Andrew likes to spend his spare time with his wife. They’re enjoying doing things together while living in South Korea, “A lot of my time is spent doing touristy stuff. We’ve gone skiing, but my wife had to learn how, so that was fun. We also like to go hiking.”
For Kinshuk, it’s all about finding special moments with her son, “I’m limiting myself right now to activities that I can do with my toddler, so it’s basically hiking, swimming, reading books with him, and basically enjoying this moment right now because he won’t stay little for long.”
Thomas also spends those spare moments with his family. “My wife and I have two kids, Annabell 8 years and Henry 6 years, so “free time” is most often family time that we spend together outdoors in parks or playing sports.” He adds, “Since I’ve started to coach my son’s soccer team we’ve made this a family business with Annabell being the assistant coach and my wife Franziska managing communications with the parents.”
Occasional mental breaks are also sometimes needed. Aidan has had nights where he just checks out for a little bit. “I’ve had nights where I have joined my family in the living room to watch a show for an hour before going to bed,” says Aidan. “I guess taking some time when I need it to do something that I want to do, that’s not work or school or a family obligation, is my decompression time.”
Avoid from current Flex students
This busy group of students is successfully managing work, family, and school and feels that if they can do it, so can anyone else. They have had their challenges and have advice for future Haas students.
If you are ready to commit to being disciplined on your own and you're okay with finding a good balance to make the most out of your MBA program, just do it."
Thomas says that strictly managing his time has helped him along the way. “This can be tough at times, but one thing that has worked for me is to time box the amount of time I spend on my MBA studies. For example, preparing for marketing class next week, set yourself a timer of 1 hour and aim for finishing your work within this time.” He continues,”I am quite detail-oriented and this has helped me to not spend too much time.”
Erin is another firm believer in organizing her life so she can find balance, “I calendar everything out to find time for work, doing yoga, spending time with my kids,” she says. Teamwork is also a big part of her success, ”Sometimes I can’t get to an assignment right away so people help out. Sometimes the roles are reversed where they need my help. We all pitch in. Communication makes the whole experience a lot easier. Sometimes we just check in online to see how everyone is doing.”
Aidan also feels that relationships with his classmates are important but so are the classes themselves, “Be open with your team members and be willing to lean on them when you need to. Read the syllabi and former student reviews carefully before selecting electives. Time commitment and number of units are not correlated in reality.”
Andrew says that it’s best to be realistic when starting the program, “I think you have to go in with the mindset that it’s going to be busy. If you’re like me, you’re going to want to explore every crevice of the MBA. Talk about your plan with your spouse so they know that you won’t always be available. But sometimes you just have to go away from the plan to reconnect with important people in your life.”
Kevin is more about looking for specific areas of focus, “I’d say find three to five things you can prioritize about what you want from the program. I identified what I really wanted to get out of it. If you want to make a career pivot, use the resources available. If you want to network and socialize, attend the events and meet people. Don’t worry about committing to everything. If you have a full-time job you could burn yourself out.”
Kinshuk thinks that prospective students should just dive in because life will always throw curve balls, “If you are ready to commit to being disciplined on your own and you’re okay with finding a good balance to make the most out of your MBA program, just do it. I think people coming into this program are a part of that age group or at that point in their life where they understand that this balance is doable.”
Kinshuk lives closer than most of her fellow students and has had the opportunity to take a class in person. Although she really enjoys her class on campus, she actually feels like she’s gotten more from what she has taken online because of the bonds that students have formed, “Some people think that remote is not a great option to build relationships, but I wholly disagree with that. With the Flex program, everybody is putting in the effort to create a community of support.”
If you think the Flex program would be a great fit for your busy life, reach out to us to learn more.
