pmStudent

I just responded to a great question about whether an online MBA would be worth it for someone.

If I had the choice between an in-class degree versus an online degree, I might prefer the in-class option.  I like to badger the professors too much, and you don't get to see their faces get red too often when you are doing it virtually.  :-)

Seriously though, many people find themselves in a situation where an in-class program just isn't going to be a possibility, or at least not something they would be willing to make happen by moving or re-arranging their lives.

Personally, I wouldn’t shy away from an online degree if it were the best fit for my situation. The primary goal will be to study hard and learn tons of new information you can apply.

The better question is to ask if you have the right mindset in the first place, for any form of learning.

As long as you have the right mindset (you are doing this to learn and make yourself more capable) then you can get as much if not more than other students who are doing an MBA program at an Ivy league school.

I am fairly certain that over half of my classmates when I went to college didn't have the mindset I'm talking about.  Having 'the mindset' can be inferred by behaviors like:

• Doing independent research on your own that is not assigned, for nothing more than wanting to learn more about a specific topic.
• Finding ways to incorporate what you are learning in class into your working day.
• Asking lots of questions in class and of professors and aides between classes.  Real questions, trying to delve more deeply into concepts so you can master them.

Just remember, the piece of paper is not what matters. Building your competency is what matters, so more opportunities will become available to you as you network professionally. Networking and getting referrals from people who know you do good work is a much more effective way of getting your foot in the door.

If you’ve built your competency then you can knock their socks off after you’ve created the initial opportunity for yourself.

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