Hi Scott,
I have been reading your blog frequently over the past few weeks. I am currently in my next to last term in the BS in paralegal studies program at Kaplan. I want to do an MBA online, but my question is whether MBAs involve many group projects. Based on experiences, I have not had good results with group projects, especially in the online environment due to time zone differences and the fact that not everyone contributes their fair share of work. In addition, I am not that great in math and know nothing about accounting, so I was unsure as to whether this would be an issue. Currently, I was considering the online MBA program at Thunderbird and Indiana University.
Any MBA program you get into will probably have group projects. Part of the learning experience that you need to get familiar with and carry over into the work environment is working on teams. Very few jobs these days let you be the Lone Ranger. Teams are an important part of the workplace today. In my experience at Norwich, we have probably had one team assignment per class. It is usually at the end of the course and takes up the final two weeks. It is a great experience.
As far as your experience with teams, I can tell you that it is a gamble. Some people thrive and others do not. However, I can also tell you that people who go for the MBA degree are usually very dedicated and understand the gravity of doing well in the program. It is a different mindset than an undergrad. People usually accept that they are working on a higher level. This has been my observation.
My team in the last class consisted of me (Central Time Zone) three others (Eastern Time Zone) and one soldier in Iraq. Even though we were ultimately half a world away, it all worked out perfectly. We knew what to expect from each other. There were no surprises. When everyone works together, things happen.
If you are not good at math, join the club. I picked Norwich because it had minimal math. However, I got through it by making time to ensure that I understood the material. You will need to learn it. Any job worth its salt will function on numbers. That is a decision you have to make.
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About WheelCipher
Scott is a strategic consultant in the customer care industry and an avid amateur photographer.
You can see his work at http://gallery.scottdavis.info
He has experience in the high-technology industry in management, engineering, and support positions with Time Warner Cable, Dell Computer Corporation, UUNET Technologies, Wayport and others.
Scott started his degree program in 2003, and had no prior college credit before jumping into the distance learning environment. He graduated in October 2007 having attained an A.A.S. in Information Technology and a B.S. in Management from Kaplan University.
In 2009, he graduated with his MBA from Norwich University and is now a student at Gonzaga University.
Scott LOVES fan mail. You can e-mail him any questions about distance learning at sdavis@wheelcipher.net