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  • From: <thomas AT tbeckett.com>
  • To: <internetworkers AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [internetworkers] The value of an MBA
  • Date: Wed, 9 Oct 2002 07:45:28 -0700 (PDT)

There's lots of knowledge in books, to be sure. But the value of a
good teacher is inestimable. In college and law school both, I came across
three or four teachers who were really special. Enthusiastic, gifted,
caring teachers. These are the basis for the advice to freshmen that you
"don't choose courses, choose professors."

At Kenan-Flagler, probably 3/4 of my instructors were of this caliber.
Truly extraordinary.

You can spend years in the library or toiling in the vineyards and get
the knowledge and experience you need to fulfill your career desires.
Or you can pay some money and put some hard work into a good academic
program and get to the same place in much less time. The key to this is
doing your research and picking the right program in the first place. I
definitely got my money's worth out of Kenan-Flagler.

TaB


> I think that everyone her has raised good points. I am all for
> intellectual curiosity and learning for the sake of learning, but all
> of that can be done for free. Go to the public library of better yet
> get a check out card for Davis library. They are available to the
> public.
>
> The point that I was trying to make is that experience is what is
> important in the market place, wether you get it on the job or in an
> MBA program. And I if you think that the experience that you get in a
> graduate program is worth $30,000, or what ever a MBA degree is going
> to cost you, go for it, but I think that you would be foolish to not
> even consider the return on your investment.
>
> -Mark
>
> On Wednesday, October 9, 2002, at 08:17 AM, Austin, Roger D. wrote:
>
>> I'm not sure of the intrinsic value of any degree, however, Thomas
>> has
>> nailed a general point in that those people who look at life
>> experiences
>> in terms of dollars probably don't have the best experience in life.
>> This theme can be expanded to other educational, travel, career,
>> sports,
>> and a lot of other areas. Dollars do matter some of course. I'm no
>> fool.
>>
>> Sadly, a lot of people look at a college degree as the ticket to
>> (monetary) success rather than an experience to open your mind. The
>> current theme of constant testing in schools and the universal
>> education, no matter the cost, is a symptom of this thought. The
>> college experience has been made a ticket to future career goals
>> rather than an experience to be savored for its on value.
>>
>> People should want to be more educated for the value of understanding
>> the world, not essentially for the greater dollars it brings in. That
>> is just a side benefit of the education at times. If you want to be a
>> poet, do you go to engineering school so you can make money? Your life
>> experience may include a shiny new car, but are you going to have your
>> best life experience?
>>
>> I've taken a lot of courses at the local schools just for fun, much
>> to the amusement of some of my friends. "You took linear algebra and
>> matrices for fun?!" was a refrain I heard. What those folks didn't
>> understand is that years later, the knowledge I picked up in some of
>> the courses allowed me to have greater understanding of other issues.
>> Eigenvalues? I still kind of remember what they are, but I do have a
>> broad understanding of them when I read something.
>>
>> Understanding the world and educating yourself is a lifelong
>> process. I would go for the further education if you have the time and
>> energy. As you get older, it becomes harder to take advantage of it
>> due to many family and career issues. Get the MBA, travel, explore
>> cooking and art classes, and anything else that interests you.
>> Someday you will be sitting in a home wondering why you didn't
>> make the most of your life.
>>
>> My answer to the original question of the value of a MBA is the
>> same as Thomas'. Life experience is not a mathematical function. Wait,
>> perhaps it is!
>> Education != Training.
>> Life experience != $.
>>
>> Roger (in RTP, feeling old today and ignoring ROI)
>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: Thomas Beckett
>>
>>> I find one consistent theme between b-school and law school, however.
>>>
>>> The
>>
>>> students who go for the degree with the primary purpose of getting a
>>> "ticket" to some sort of high-paying career path do not usually have
>>> an
>>> optimal experience. They get their ticket without an understanding
>>> of
>> what
>>> they're doing and what they really want. If you go with an
>>> intellectual
>>> curiousity, an open mind, a sense of the value in the journey and a
>>> willingness to follow where things lead, any good academic program
>>> will
>>> change your life for the better.
>> ---
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>
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