NO to Racism
3. June 2020
Update from the Chancellor: Status Quo – Corona Warning App – Returning to Germany
18. June 2020
Lydia Siebler is a recent alumna of New European College’s MBA program, as well as our Director of Marketing. She is an American who has spent half of her life in Germany and the other half in the USA. Two years ago, she left a comfortable job in search of new knowledge, an opportunity to challenge herself and grow, and in order to face some of her biggest fears head-on.
She will tell you that her decision to go back to university and earn her MBA in her early 30’s was life-altering. One piece of advice she has for prospective students? Don’t delay; start preparing and getting into the business school mindset today.
Here are a few tips and resources she recommends for MBA students – before, during and after your studies…
READ
Why wait until your first day of class to start reading? You are going to be reading hundreds of textbooks, articles, journals and business cases throughout your business studies. Trust me, you will get used to it. But there is no reason why you can’t get a head start on your education. There are a few books I read before starting my MBA which helped me focus, prepare my mind and gain further insight into the world of business, long before I ever stepped foot inside a classroom.
Here are my top recommendations:
- A Mind for Numbers by Barbara Oakley (Thank you, Chancellor Liebhardt!)
- Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck
- The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
- The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
- …and anything and everything by Seth Godin
LISTEN
These days, there is a wealth of business-related content just waiting to be discovered. When I need a break from reading but still want to stimulate my knowledge and optimize my time, I switch to podcasts. Podcasts are a wonderful way to stay up to date with the latest trends and news, hear commentary and opinions and also find mentors and role models that inspire you in your business career. Here are some of my favorites:
- Morning Brew’s Business Casual
- The Tim Ferriss Show
WATCH
We are the video generation, are we not? From YouTube to Netflix; Disney+ to Hulu – these days, instructional and educational videos are just a few clicks away. When I was first preparing for my master’s degree, videos like Brené Brown’s The Power of Vulnerability and Shawn Achor’s The Happy Secret to Better Work were very inspiring. When I got further into my studies, I also really appreciate channels like Khan Academy and Jacob Clifford’s Crash Course Economics which help to refresh the basics and go more slowly through concepts that are difficult to grasp in class.
Want to chat further with Lydia? She would be very happy to hear from you and to discuss any questions you have about your journey to becoming a business student! Simply send her an email to lydia.siebler@new-european-college.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.
