Tips on preparing to start your MBA
You’ve aced your admissions interview, and you feel good about getting admitted to your choice MBA programme. You’re raring to start, and want to be as prepared as possible. Many enthusiastic candidates have asked us: “How can I best prepare myself before I start?”. Here are some tips.
Brush up on critical skills
Many of you may be anxious about becoming a student and hitting the books again after leaving your studies behind to nurture your growing career. Here are a few suggestions for you to brush up on your language, business and quant skills.
English language course
If you’re not a native English speaker or don’t feel proficient in the language, you may want to polish your language skills so that you can feel more confident contributing to class discussions and interacting with fellow students. You may wish to consider taking up an intensive English language course before your MBA. NUS also offers an English Bridging Course to admitted students who require additional language support, by invitation only.
Read up
Get yourself up to date on the latest business and management trends and topics by reading as much as you can. Here is an MBA Recommended Reading list by Business Because. Listening to podcasts while you’re commuting or exercising can also be a doubly beneficial way to spend your time – check out some recommended podcasts here and here.
Sharpen your quant skills
Analytics has become an essential skill for business leaders. In the MBA context, analytical skills are critical for students to do better in some modules, and have become a fundamental expectation from corporate partners when students engage in MBA Consulting Projects. As MBA students come from diverse backgrounds with different training and experiences, not everyone may have the relevant training or experience in this area.
For those of you who feel that you need to brush up on essential skills required for certain MBA modules, there are many free online resources available. Here are some to help you get a headstart:
- Excel Skills for Business on Coursera
- Pre-MBA Courses on EdX
- Financial Modelling with Eric Andrews on YouTube
- PowerPoint training by Microsoft
Start connecting
Networking is one of the most rewarding benefits of doing an MBA, and with The NUS MBA, this starts before you set foot on campus.
LinkedIn & Whatsapp groups
For admitted students, you can get to know your classmates before you arrive! A LinkedIn group will be set up for each cohort, which will allow you to connect with your classmates, as well as other cohorts. There are also unofficial Whatsapp groups set up and managed by students, so look out for these too.
If you don’t have a LinkedIn profile, now’s a good time to set one up, or update your current profile.
Join the club
At the centre of The NUS MBA experience is a thriving student club ecosystem, offering students the opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals, explore their interests, and develop leadership skills. A total of 12 MBA student clubs work collaboratively to organise events which provide numerous opportunities for students to enhance their learning experience. Check out our ECHOES newsletter.
Get career-ready
It’s never too early to plan your post-MBA career exploration. Research industries that you are interested in and shortlist potential ones that you wish to target for internships and your future career move. Your career development journey with BizCareers starts as soon as you set foot on campus, with a dedicated team to provide you with the resources and guidance you need to land your dream role. Meanwhile, it is also a good idea to make sure that your resume is up to date.
All the best!
