When Tim Kelley leaves work every other Thursday, he drives seven minutes from his office to the Reagan National Airport near downtown Washington, D.C. and takes a four-hour Delta direct flight to Salt Lake City, Utah. Kelley is one of many Executive MBA students who commutes across state lines for his MBA.
At the University of Utah David Eccles School of Business, some students travel across the state and even the country to obtain their Executive MBA. In the Executive MBA program, classes are held every other weekend so students can gain skills and increase their work performance without interrupting their careers. Here are five tips from our Executive MBA (EMBA) students on how to commute successfully for your MBA:
1. Create a travel plan (and a contingency plan, too)
Arranging a commute can be difficult, especially when that commute requires you to travel from out of state. The best way to alleviate some of the stress that comes with travel is to plan as much as you can ahead of time. For students flying or driving long distances for their MBA, this includes checking weather and flight schedules or arranging to carpool with another classmate.
John Abreu, EMBA alumnus and CFO and COO for Portneuf Medical Center, commuted two-and-a-half hours by car to the University of Utah from Pocatello, Idaho and would often take advantage of the drive by traveling with another classmate in the area.
“My friend in Idaho Falls would get up an hour earlier, drive to Pocatello, leave his car at my house, and we would drive together,” said Abreu. “We would always leave at 5 a.m. and get in at 7:30 or 7:40 a.m. I would grab a bite to eat and be in class by 8 a.m.”
While travel can be difficult, planning ahead of time allows students to handle unexpected problems that may arise. Kelley, current EMBA student and project manager with the Army, moved from Riverton, Utah to Virginia during his program. His commute now includes a four-hour flight from Washington D.C. to Salt Lake City, leaving on Thursday night and returning Sunday morning. His tip for those considering an EMBA is to make sure you have a backup plan while traveling.
“I make sure I have a contingency plan,” Kelley said. “Some things are out of your control, like nasty weather or situations that could delay travel plans. These things can have an impact, so having options to mitigate and address challenges is something to think about.”
2. Make the most of your commute
Flights and long drives may seem burdensome because of the additional time added to your commute, but for many EMBA students, the commute provides time to catch up on homework and readings, or to get ahead on assignments. Using this downtime during the commute for work and school projects can give students extra time for family, friends and other responsibilities.
Abreu embraced his two-and-a-half-hour drive from Pocatello to Salt Lake City, using some of that time to continue classroom discussions with his classmate. And when he travelled alone, he would listen to readings on his phone.
“We were in the same group, so we could talk about group-related issues along with class specific issues,” Abreu said. “We would debrief on Saturday driving back home. We would discuss what we learned in class and how it impacted our professional life.”
Kelley, similarly, would utilize his long flight to take care of supplemental homework or reading assignments for his classes.
“I would take the 4:45 flight Thursday evenings, get to Salt Lake City around 7:15 to have a team meeting the night before class, and then I would fly back Sunday morning,” Kelley said. “Some of the readings that weren’t part of group work … I would leave until my flight.”
3. Find ways to remain connected with your team and cohort
Coming from out of state can reduce the amount of time you socialize or work in person with your cohort of colleagues. However, there are ways students can work remotely with classmates and not lose any valuable relationships or networking opportunities.
For Abreu, his advice is to plan in-person meetings to connect with fellow classmates.
“Being a commuter, everything is virtual except for class every two weeks,” said Abreu. “Try to have more in-person meetings. Come up Thursday night and have a group meeting in person. It is better for the group from a team perspective.”
Five months into the program, Katrina Holt, a recent EMBA graduate, moved to Chicago for 10 months. While she still had her house in Utah to stay at during her weekend classes, she had to fly between Utah and Chicago, usually leaving Chicago on Thursday night and returning Sunday morning. As a commuter, she remained connected and organized by planning ahead.
“My group used WebEx quite a bit, which helped us stay connected,” Holt said. “My group worked out a rhythm at the beginning of each new class in which we knew exactly who would do what throughout that particular course, which helped me plan out time commitments several weeks in advance.”
4. Use time management skills to meet family obligations
While furthering your education can be important for your career, it can put stress on your personal relationships. Although the EMBA program is structured to accommodate these priorities, there are steps students can take to ensure they are not neglected.
Holt took extra measures to make sure she was able to make time for her family while still pursuing her professional goals.
“It was really tough but worth it,” Holt said. “I needed to ensure that how I used my time was intentional and purposeful. I also have two young children, so at night and on the weekends, I would have to purposefully plan out my time to ensure that I was spending quality time with them whenever possible. This meant I was often doing homework early in the morning or at night after they had gone to bed. Sometimes, my son and I would sit and do homework together, which still felt like quality time.”
For Abreu, time management and a strong support system, especially his work and family, were key to maintaining his responsibilities and relationships.
“It is 16 hours of class time, plus five hours of driving, and assignments they give you for outside of class,” Abreu said. “You have to have a good support system or else you will start having problems at work and at home. Time management: that is the secret.”
Kelley takes advantage of the time he has at home to make the time he is away a little easier. However, as a Utah native, he has also brought his children with him on his trips to Utah, allowing him to spend more time with his family.
“I try to build memories to overshadow the times I am gone,” Kelley said. “Sometimes, I’ll take my kids with me when traveling back for school. When I am in class, they spend time with family who are still living in Utah. My kids have a chance to visit grandparents, see cousins, and play with friends they have here.”
5. Remember why you’re commuting, and keep your goals top of mind
Commuting is a stressful process in general, so why do some students embrace commuting for their Executive MBA? Because the University of Utah’s EMBA program is worth it. The Financial Times ranks the Eccles School’s EMBA program #1 in the state of Utah, #4 in the West, and #24 in the United States, and students gain a strong return on investment for their participation. Upon graduating, students see an average 21 percent salary increase, and three years after graduation, they see an average 43 percent salary increase.
When comparing the University of Utah with other schools, schedule and reputation were the key factors that influenced Abreu’s decision to commute to Utah instead choosing a program closer to home.
“There’s nothing in Idaho ranked like the EMBA program at the University of Utah,” Abreu said. “It’s a top 25 school, and I am an executive, so the scheduling was super important … I can’t go to class three times a week. The quality of the program was such that it was worth it to me.”
Kelley considered transferring to the online MBA program at the University of Utah, but remained in the EMBA program because of the valuable personal and professional relationship he developed.
“I thought those relationships and resources were too valuable to transition to a different option,” Kelley said. “I wanted to retain access to the EMBA professors, curriculum, support staff and most importantly, my fantastic team and cohort.”
The University of Utah’s Executive MBA program is now accepting applications for Fall 2018. To learn more and apply, please visit //eccles.utah.edu/programs/mba/executive-mba/.