When I decided to pursue an MBA at Fuqua, I knew I was embarking on a life-changing journey. From twists in my career journey to unexpected moments of growth in Durham and beyond, my first year was filled with powerful lessons. To make sense of it all, I’ve framed what I learned around three themes: CMC. And no, I am not referring to the Career Management Center — I mean Community, Momentum, and Career. Each one represents a different lens through which my first-year experience took shape.
Fuqua is an incredible community, but some of my proudest moments came from stepping outside of it. The broader Duke and Durham community offers countless opportunities worth exploring.
I joined the Duke Aviators Club and got to fly a plane for the first time. As someone who grew up wanting to become a pilot, the experience was life-changing. I also volunteered with the Society for Early Entrepreneurs (SEE), a nonprofit led by Fuqua alum Vinesh Kapil (BA ’14, MBA ’21). As Chair, I partnered with StudentU to mentor high school students in Durham through an eight-week entrepreneurship program that culminated in a Pitch Day.
I invited my Fuqua classmates Ogechi Onyeukwu (MBA ’26), Patrick Botchwey (MBA ’26), Seneca Griffin (MBA ’26), Adeshola Alatishe (MBA ’26), Gautham Prem Sundar (MBA ’26), and Tobi Bello (MBA ’25) to serve as mentors. Together, we spent two hours each week guiding students, and the experience proved deeply fulfilling for all of us. The highlight for us was watching the students confidently pitch their business ideas on Pitch Day to a panel of judges that included Steve Misuraca and Shari Hubert. That single moment stands out as one of the most rewarding experiences of my first year.
The MBA isn’t just about building a career toolkit. It is also about expanding your capacity to take risks, dream big, and embrace the unknown.
I tried skiing for the first time, camped in a tent during the freezing winter at Shenandoah National Park, and started learning golf in the summer. Each experience pushed me outside my comfort zone and reminded me that growth often happens when you try something completely new. These adventures also helped me deepen friendships and create memories I will carry well beyond Fuqua.
Unless your career path demands it or being on the Dean’s list is a personal goal, the true value of this experience is what you take from it, not just what grade you earn. Rather than focusing on a letter grade, I use classes to sharpen my vision. Courses that fill real skill gaps, test my ideas, or connect directly to my long-term goals have been my priority.
Choosing to simply take classes because they are easy would defeat the purpose. To approach academics with purpose, I created a list of skills and knowledge areas I wanted to strengthen, and I have been intentional about enrolling in courses that fill those gaps.
Time is a scarce resource in business school. Be intentional with it. Many say the fall term is the most overwhelming, but in my view, the spring term can be draining even if you are choosing your own electives. The key is to be deliberate, but that does not mean you should not explore.
I made it a point to try a variety of things early on. Once I identified what truly worked for me, I prioritized those areas and let go of the rest. That shift made all the difference.
In trying to keep up with assignments, recruiting and other activities, it is easy to miss the beauty of the journey itself. There were moments when I questioned my decision to pursue an MBA, especially when things did not go as planned. When that happens, I remind myself why I’m here in the first place. I’ve found that staying grounded, being present in each part of the journey, and taking time to notice what is working and what isn’t has helped me stay on track.
Above all, I believe staying optimistic and having a half-full (rather than half-empty) mindset saves me a great deal of worry. Anxiety doesn’t solve problems; if anything, it magnifies them. To reconnect to my purpose, I remember I am at one of the best business schools in the world, surrounded by incredible talent. The only way is up from here.
Every student comes to the MBA with different goals. Whether your goal is to pivot careers, accelerate in your existing paths, or simply figure it out, Fuqua is a fertile ground to explore. I knew my time at Fuqua might be the only time in my life that I do not have to give my full attention to career, so I used it to ask myself the hard questions:
Ultimately, I decided to try different paths, pivot if needed, and keep moving until something felt right. I began by recruiting for HR roles, leveraging my background in compensation, benefits, and talent management. At the same time, I explored consulting. Eventually, I realized what I truly wanted was to pursue entrepreneurship. Looking back, I am glad I tested those options because they gave me clarity and conviction about the direction I wanted to take.
One of the most liberating realizations I had was that everyone’s MBA journey is different. Consulting, banking, and tech may be popular routes, but they are not the only ones. If your passion lies elsewhere, pursue it courageously.
At Fuqua, I discovered that charting my own path gave me clarity and energy. Stay focused on your journey, not someone else’s.
When I started my MBA journey, a second-year student told me his most memorable Fuqua moments were not the successes but the rejections and disappointments during recruiting. At first, that surprised me, but looking back at my own pivot to entrepreneurship, I realized those moments shaped my resilience.
The tumult, in hindsight, is a gift. It helps me make the best out of uncertainties and difficult situations. Whether as a consultant or investment banker, I believe learning to see the value in hard times will help anyone make the best out of life.
My first year at Fuqua has been nothing short of transformational. I now have a clearer sense of the impact I want to make in the world, and I credit Fuqua’s immersive community and resources for shaping that vision. As I enter my second year, I look forward to deepening my engagement, creating more memories, and leaning further into this journey of growth.
The post 8 Lessons I Learned as a First-Year MBA Student appeared first on Duke Daytime MBA Student Blog.
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Community
1. Step Outside the Fuqua Bubble
Fuqua is an incredible community, but some of my proudest moments came from stepping outside of it. The broader Duke and Durham community offers countless opportunities worth exploring.
I joined the Duke Aviators Club and got to fly a plane for the first time. As someone who grew up wanting to become a pilot, the experience was life-changing. I also volunteered with the Society for Early Entrepreneurs (SEE), a nonprofit led by Fuqua alum Vinesh Kapil (BA ’14, MBA ’21). As Chair, I partnered with StudentU to mentor high school students in Durham through an eight-week entrepreneurship program that culminated in a Pitch Day.
I invited my Fuqua classmates Ogechi Onyeukwu (MBA ’26), Patrick Botchwey (MBA ’26), Seneca Griffin (MBA ’26), Adeshola Alatishe (MBA ’26), Gautham Prem Sundar (MBA ’26), and Tobi Bello (MBA ’25) to serve as mentors. Together, we spent two hours each week guiding students, and the experience proved deeply fulfilling for all of us. The highlight for us was watching the students confidently pitch their business ideas on Pitch Day to a panel of judges that included Steve Misuraca and Shari Hubert. That single moment stands out as one of the most rewarding experiences of my first year.
2. Embrace Unexpected Experiences
The MBA isn’t just about building a career toolkit. It is also about expanding your capacity to take risks, dream big, and embrace the unknown.
I tried skiing for the first time, camped in a tent during the freezing winter at Shenandoah National Park, and started learning golf in the summer. Each experience pushed me outside my comfort zone and reminded me that growth often happens when you try something completely new. These adventures also helped me deepen friendships and create memories I will carry well beyond Fuqua.
Momentum
3. Approach Academics with Purpose
Unless your career path demands it or being on the Dean’s list is a personal goal, the true value of this experience is what you take from it, not just what grade you earn. Rather than focusing on a letter grade, I use classes to sharpen my vision. Courses that fill real skill gaps, test my ideas, or connect directly to my long-term goals have been my priority.
Choosing to simply take classes because they are easy would defeat the purpose. To approach academics with purpose, I created a list of skills and knowledge areas I wanted to strengthen, and I have been intentional about enrolling in courses that fill those gaps.
4. Find Your Balance
Time is a scarce resource in business school. Be intentional with it. Many say the fall term is the most overwhelming, but in my view, the spring term can be draining even if you are choosing your own electives. The key is to be deliberate, but that does not mean you should not explore.
I made it a point to try a variety of things early on. Once I identified what truly worked for me, I prioritized those areas and let go of the rest. That shift made all the difference.
5. Stay Present and Optimistic
In trying to keep up with assignments, recruiting and other activities, it is easy to miss the beauty of the journey itself. There were moments when I questioned my decision to pursue an MBA, especially when things did not go as planned. When that happens, I remind myself why I’m here in the first place. I’ve found that staying grounded, being present in each part of the journey, and taking time to notice what is working and what isn’t has helped me stay on track.
Above all, I believe staying optimistic and having a half-full (rather than half-empty) mindset saves me a great deal of worry. Anxiety doesn’t solve problems; if anything, it magnifies them. To reconnect to my purpose, I remember I am at one of the best business schools in the world, surrounded by incredible talent. The only way is up from here.
Career
6. It’s Okay to Feel It Out
Every student comes to the MBA with different goals. Whether your goal is to pivot careers, accelerate in your existing paths, or simply figure it out, Fuqua is a fertile ground to explore. I knew my time at Fuqua might be the only time in my life that I do not have to give my full attention to career, so I used it to ask myself the hard questions:
- What is my purpose?
- Is this role an end in itself, or a stepping stone?
- Do I see myself doing this long-term?
- If not, what is the bigger goal, and how does this get me there?
Ultimately, I decided to try different paths, pivot if needed, and keep moving until something felt right. I began by recruiting for HR roles, leveraging my background in compensation, benefits, and talent management. At the same time, I explored consulting. Eventually, I realized what I truly wanted was to pursue entrepreneurship. Looking back, I am glad I tested those options because they gave me clarity and conviction about the direction I wanted to take.
7. Customize Your Path
One of the most liberating realizations I had was that everyone’s MBA journey is different. Consulting, banking, and tech may be popular routes, but they are not the only ones. If your passion lies elsewhere, pursue it courageously.
At Fuqua, I discovered that charting my own path gave me clarity and energy. Stay focused on your journey, not someone else’s.
8. See the Value in Hard Times
When I started my MBA journey, a second-year student told me his most memorable Fuqua moments were not the successes but the rejections and disappointments during recruiting. At first, that surprised me, but looking back at my own pivot to entrepreneurship, I realized those moments shaped my resilience.
The tumult, in hindsight, is a gift. It helps me make the best out of uncertainties and difficult situations. Whether as a consultant or investment banker, I believe learning to see the value in hard times will help anyone make the best out of life.
My first year at Fuqua has been nothing short of transformational. I now have a clearer sense of the impact I want to make in the world, and I credit Fuqua’s immersive community and resources for shaping that vision. As I enter my second year, I look forward to deepening my engagement, creating more memories, and leaning further into this journey of growth.
The post 8 Lessons I Learned as a First-Year MBA Student appeared first on Duke Daytime MBA Student Blog.
More...
How does this impact your International MBA decision?
I'd be glad to learn your thoughts on this story : 8 Lessons I Learned as a First-Year MBA Student