by Nick Rubick, LBS Sloan 2019
As we approach the summer Equinox, my LBS Sloan Masters cohort and I find ourselves in a unique position when compared to most others at London Business School. While most students are finishing their studies and preparing themselves for exciting future lives away from the school, us LBS Sloans are only just approaching the half way point.
However, with most of the school in wind-down mode, and with the first half of the programme now under our belts, this is a good time to take stock of both the journey so far and the road ahead.
Having discussed with my cohort, I am not alone in thinking that the LBS Sloan programme will very much be a ‘game of two halves’, and the first half has certainly been the most intense sensory experience I have witnessed for some time. Of the ten core classes prescribed, within a couple of weeks we will have completed nine of them, and for many this is in addition to completing several non-core elective courses. I ran some quick calculations and concluded that each of us has committed approximately two hundred hours per month to our studies. This is without considering other opportunities such as the numerous clubs, associations and fantastic guest speakers that we have had access to.
When considering the above it is not surprising that the year so far has gone by with a blink of the eye. Much has been learned, strong friendships have been formed, and some long nights of study have been had. But, I am happy in knowing that the programme’s second half is still ahead of me.
I now suddenly find myself with some spare time… However, when I combine the material that I have learned, the contacts that I have made, and the new-found enthusiasm for learning that I have gained, I know that this time will not be spare for long.
Rather than a jam-packed lecture timetable ahead of me, I now have the possibility of several exciting projects. These vary from (among others): conducting industry analysis and formulating a business development strategy for a start-up; collaborative research with a consultancy into what affects an organisation’s culture; and the creation of a case study covering the rapid growth of the ‘new-space’ industry within the UK.
Embarking on such projects is not to everyone’s taste, and there will be some of my cohort who will prefer to use their time to complete more non-core electives, of which there are many to choose from. Others will choose to simply use the summer to take a break and catch up with the family, or to travel around the UK and Europe. Whatever people choose, with the options available to us, the second half promises to be a lot more individually tailored than the first.
As I assess my own second half, I find myself in a situation that is uncannily similar to where I was at the beginning of the programme in January. The path ahead is uncertain but filled with opportunity, and my excitement is high. In fact, my excitement is higher now than it was even in January.