I just published a new post on IE (Instituto de Empresa)’s online program blogs. Please see the original post posted below!

“Time passes. And so I find myself 5 weeks shy from graduation. So do, my classmates. We tangle between reality and insanity on a daily basis now. And to tell you the truth, it is not easy. We found ourselves so wired juggling between job assignments, our Master’s ones, and trying to have a sort of personal life. The latter one, however, proves to be the hardest task. Nonetheless, we are all faithful that this manic rhythm will bring us to the next level – a better understanding of how to develop marketing strategies in the digital environment or managing an e-business platform.

Anyways, let’s give a little perspective concerning the second online period, by offering you a situational analysis of everyone’s weekly agenda:

• The Master – well, this really is a doubled weekly assignment. One the one hand we have the 2-3 subjects we need to discuss every week. This basically means reading, posting, researching, and considering. To this, you might want to add the preparation for next week’s subjects – again 2-3. So, to sum up you got 4-6 subjects to work weekly.
• The Job – well, you gotta make a living, right? So, no matter if you work for a company or you are a freelancer as some of the team are, you still have your daily duties. And let’s face it, you are doing that for the better part of the day.
• The Startup – As a person about to graduate from IE’s Master in Digital Marketing you are expected to team up with colleagues and work on a business plan that will prove that you deserve that MBA degree. And this requires research, marketing strategy, financial calculations, operational plan and assumptions, and last but not least a devotion. I mean you gotta do it right. After all, IE makes sure that, if you do your job right you might get funding and a ticket to the game of the big guys.
• The Personal Life – hmm… Some of us can hardly remember what that feels like. We all have put our hobbies aside for a year. Others created a daily agenda including only important family duties and feel like kids in Disneyland when they get a holiday for Christmas or Easter.

Now, if you are turned totally off by the previous lines, you have to keep something in mind. It is not about getting into one of the best b-schools on earth. You need to be organized, smart, and a very good team player. Not only for yourself, but for the whole class. Actually, this is the essence of learning under the conditions of using an online platform. IE’s online programs are nothing like the offline ones we all have experienced. On the contrary of sitting in a classroom, where you get the chance to really prepare for the sessions and further dig in the topic, simply because you are not limited to a 1.5-hour class. And to add to that, when you have a dozen individuals doing the same, it kind of pushes you towards working harder. Lurking is simply not an option.

You can definitely judge by this post that I am a bit stressed. But this does not change the fact I believe that me joining the Master in Digital Marketing was the best decision I made so far in my professional life. And I promise you that, if you decide to do the same, you won’t be feeling different. You will certainly discover traits and abilities in you that you never saw before and you might just be proud…”

Copyright © 2010 Borislav Kiprin. All Rights Reserved.