Getting an MBA is no easy task. Not only do you have to demonstrate a solid academic record as an undergraduate, you have to dominate the GMAT and represent yourself well on paper. If that’s not enough, you’ve got to survive the two intense years of study ahead. While you may have considered the common factors of money, time, and commitment, one challenge of following MBA career paths is dealing with the aftermath of leaving family and loved ones behind. You’ll find that there are usually a few students who have left their families behind, perhaps unable to relocate the whole core. But some of the stranded are the parents MBAs leave behind, now feeling the repercussions from perhaps their first extended separation.
It may sound a little extreme that some MBA students - and their parents - struggle from their physical distance, but consider that students under the age of 24 are the fastest-growing segment of GMAT test takers. With more prospective MBAs considering enrolling in graduate school directly after completing a bachelor’s degree, perhaps they haven’t yet had the opportunity to strike out on their own. It’s possible that their youth has allowed them to maintain strong ties with their parents and this makes it much harder to move away for graduate studies.
Some MBAs coming from countries like China may be only children, truly leaving their families behind for the pursuit of higher education and professional endeavors in MBA career paths. In this case, it’s not only a challenge for the student to immerse in a new culture, but for the parents who have become empty nesters. And what a shift in mindset, from interacting with family on a daily basis to merely having contact a few times a week. It’s fairly easy to imagine the worries that now-bereft parents carry over their child’s happiness and success. To be an MBA, the demands of daily coursework, team projects, case studies, and the all-important job hunt can place serious restrictions on free time available for catch-up discussions with family.
Luckily for these separated parents and MBA students, there are strategies and tools that will help both sides of the family cope with this change. Parents can learn to shift their focuses from their child to their spouse and discover new hobbies and activities that will allow them to build a new life. Students have a myriad of opportunities to get involved in their MBA communities and studies, and enjoying the MBA experience will ease any feelings of homesickness along the way. Of course, social networking, video chatting, and phone conversations can be an amazing resource to bridge the physical distance.
Although it is never easy to take a risk, starting an MBA program is a great first step on the road towards successful MBA career paths. For students young and old alike, leaving family and parents behind will always be a difficult transition. Maintaining a positive perspective, adapting to the situation, and taking advantage of all of tools at hand will help to make a difference.
*Image courtesy of Gualberto107 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net