It was eight months ago when I took the train on a Monday morning to go to Frankfurt and start a new challenge: the Part-time MBA at Frankfurt School. What a rollercoaster it has been since then! Mixing a full-time job with a part-time study where you want to learn, participate in classes and team works as much as you can, and network with your colleagues, it seems like there is no time for anything else.
But if I look back, I can totally say it has been the best investment I made until now: financially and timewise.
I must admit, I had my concerns when choosing to pursue the Part-time MBA programme offered in Hamburg: how was I going to handle all of this while having to travel every month to Hamburg and still in the middle of a pandemic? But 8 classes and 4 electives away, here I am: thinking of the type of dissertation paper I am going to write and on which subject. How time flies!
Yes, I know, there is also a possibility to attend an MBA in Berlin, but somehow, I felt that the one offered by Frankfurt School suited my needs and my background much better. Nonetheless, the class profile here is very diverse, and they really concentrate on having a great mix of nationalities, gender, and industry backgrounds.
And let’s be honest…who doesn’t like Hamburg and wouldn’t like to do a weekend trip there?
It seems like traveling by train in Germany is not that bad after all. I always managed to arrive on time to my classes on Friday afternoon and get back to Berlin on Sunday evenings – most of the time on time (when the train doesn’t have a delay) and prepared for another working week while still contemplating everything we learned during the weekend.
Due to the pandemic, the classes were also offered in a hybrid mode, so if by any chance I was sick or had something going on at work, there was always the possibility of attending online or joining the other cohorts either in Munich or Frankfurt. Unfortunately, this was the case for three classes already and I still managed to attend the classes online. Why unfortunately?! Even though the professors are considerate and always involve the online colleagues in the class discussions and presentations, and the infrastructure is facilitating the delivery of the class online, I’d still recommend everyone to participate on-site for the classes.
The atmosphere is different when you are with your colleagues on campus and have thoughtful and interesting conversations during break times, but also fun during class…and let’s not forget the networking evenings after class with a glass of wine or beer, since we are in Germany.
Even though sometimes it is a bit exhausting, and you have to make some compromises in your private life, it is totally worth it…especially every time I am back in Berlin and reflect on the weekend I just had, I am just glad I decided to pursue this path and I realize how insightful the whole weekend has been. Nonetheless, I am already looking forward to my next block week in Singapore and meeting my colleagues again.
Frankfurt School gGmbH
Adickesallee 32-34
60322 Frankfurt am Main
