NO to Racism
3. June 2020
First Dutch University in Bavaria
9. September 2020
Lydia Siebler is a alumna of New European College’s MBA program. Two years ago, she left a comfortable job in search of new knowledge, an opportunity to challenge herself and grow, and in order to face some of her biggest fears head-on. Importantly being an American who has spent half of her life in Germany and the other half in the USA, Lydia was always aware of the importance of life-long learning.
Consequently her life-altering decision to return to university and earn an MBA came in her early 30s. One piece of advice she has for prospective students? Don’t delay; start preparing and getting into the business school mindset today.
For more info on Lydia and her new company: https://www.lydiasiebler.com/
Here are a few tips and resources she recommends for MBA students – before, during and after your studies…
READ
Why wait until your first day of class to start reading? You are going to be reading hundreds of textbooks, articles, journals and business cases throughout your business studies. Trust me, you will get used to it. But there is no reason why you can’t get a head start on your education. There are a few books I read before starting my MBA which helped me focus, prepare my mind and gain further insight into the world of business, long before I ever stepped foot inside a classroom.
Here are my top recommendations:
- A Mind for Numbers by Barbara Oakley (Thank you, Chancellor Liebhardt!)
- Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck
- The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
- The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni
- …and anything and everything by Seth Godin
LISTEN
Furthermore in today’s world, there is a wealth of business-related content just waiting to be discovered. At the same time I need a break from reading but still want to stimulate my knowledge and optimize my time, therefor I switch to podcasts. Podcasts are a wonderful way to stay up to date with the latest trends and news, hear commentary and opinions and also find mentors and role models that inspire you in your business career. Here are some of my favorites:
- Morning Brew’s Business Casual
- The Tim Ferriss Show
WATCH
We are the video generation, are we not? From YouTube to Netflix; Disney+ to Hulu – these days, instructional and educational videos are just a few clicks away. Starting to prepare for my master’s degree, videos like Brené Brown’s The Power of Vulnerability and Shawn Achor’s The Happy Secret to Better Work were very inspiring. When I got further into my studies, I also really appreciate channels like Khan Academy and Jacob Clifford’s Crash Course Economics which help to refresh the basics and go more slowly through concepts that are difficult to grasp in class.
Want to chat further with Lydia? She would be very happy to hear from you and to discuss any questions you have about your journey to becoming a business student! Simply send her an email to lydia.siebler@new-european-college.com or connect with her on LinkedIn.
