Real talk - is B School the last truly enjoyable period of one's life until retirement?

After grinding 4 years in banking and PE, I am about to start a JD/MBA and I am beyond stoked. Enamored with the idea of getting back to an intensely social campus environment where everyone has time to build relationships, party, and have a good time.

My friend who's a few years above told me to focus on enjoying it because it's the "last truly good years of your life". How true is this?

And with that in mind, does anyone have any advice on how to approach the next few years, mindset wise? Should I treat it like undergrad and just try to milk amazing long-lasting memories and close friendships? Or should I try to maximize career outcomes and treat it like a networking fest? I know there's probably an in between but it would help to hear the take of someone who went through this.  

 

Please keep in mind that I am not in your position, but from what I have heard the JD/MBA program is by no means a fun time. All of the relaxation associated with the two year MBA hiatus is offset by the heavy workload that a JD requires. Where did you get the idea that you would have time to party during your JD/MBA? Honest question, as I only have a few data points on the JD/MBA route, but all have mentioned it being a heavy grind. 

 

It's more of a grind compared to an MBA for sure, but it still has the same social environment. Might not be staying out til 3am on a weeknight but during the weekend there's still plenty to take advantage of that wouldn't exist if I were working. Plus I think it really depends on how much of a gunner you are for your law school grades. My school doesn't have grade disclosure and I don't really need to compete for the most competitive clerkships, so I don't expect it to be that bad. Certainly not worse than undergrad (summa in STEM major) - and I still had a blast in UG

 
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It depends on who you are as a person and how you define "enjoyable", but I'd say no. This is for 2 main reasons: 1. you can have an enjoyable life during your working years (even in PE) and 2. your MBA location will heavily influence how intense it is. Unless you suck at your job and have to put in 15 hour days just to keep up with your peers, things get much better as you climb the ranks. Your 15 hour days will go to 12 which will go to 10 pretty quickly. If you're good, you can be in your mid-30s and have a pretty decent WLB whilst bringing in significant cash. When you add kids to that equation, people or firms who are understanding will often give you more flexibility e.g., leave the office at 6 to be with your kids but maybe do an extra 2-3 of work that evening at some point. Its all about balance (super cliche' but true). On the other hand, MBAs can be incredibly stressful depending on how competitive it is and if you're re-recruiting (people coming from sponsored MBAs have it a bit easier since they don't need to worry about job applications). Overall, I'd say you can have some amazing years ahead in your life.

 

I was at the same point as you are when I did my MBA. While the MBA is a ton of fun and definitely a very unique experience (just as university was) … it is by no means the last enjoyable period of your life. The above poster captures it pretty nicely — you can have a really exciting and fulfilling life outside of work as you get more senior. Reduced hours and an exponentially growing bank account makes it easier. From that point, it isn’t necessarily about having kids / family, it is about whatever you want it to be. No need to settle down to enjoy life … go skiing with your friends on the weekend. Pop over to a random island on a long weekend and chill on the beach with a good book. Eat out at fancy restaurants. Learn how to fly (a surprisingly significant number of people i know are getting their pilot’s license …).

What makes the MBA experience so enjoyable is that you have free time and are surrounded by other ambitious people with loads of free time. While it is impossible to replicate the magnitude of this post-MBA, you can still make many similar experiences while working if you are willing to put in the effort.

CompBanker’s Career Guidance Services: https://www.rossettiadvisors.com/
 

MBA will be a last chance for many things. For most, it will be the period in your life before you get married, have kids, etc. While family life is certainly enjoyable, it is also a lot of responsibility, work, and stress. Contrast that to MBA where you grades don't really matter, you have an abudance of free time, and you're around a lot of similar people. In addition, I think a lot of MBA students are re-living the undergrad years they never had. For example, my undergrad was much different than most. I worked 2 jobs and studied hard so I could get a good position when I graduated. I didn't have the time or money to party and have fun. I think a lot of young amibitious types who go to IB, consulting, PE, HF, etc. experienced the same and see MBA as a second chance to enjoy the carefree undergrad life.

However, I wouldn't view it as a last hurrah. It's like high school. Sure it was fun going to prom, playing HS sports, and hanging out with you friends; but you don't want to be stuck in high school forever. Few go on to college and long for their HS days. You move on to bigger and better things. You go on to get a job on wall street, move to a big city (e.g. NYC), eat at world class restaurants, hang out at bars, etc. You can't do those things stuck back in HS in your hometown. Same with post-MBA life, I see my friends buying their dream car or house, going overseas to do an exptriate gig, starting a business, etc. You can't do these things partying everyday with b-school classmates. In short, you'll "outgrow" things and want to move on to the next phase of your life.

 

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