Taking college courses while working full-time

Has anyone looked into taking college courses while working? I’m considering going to get an MBA at some point in the next few years and have thought about taking accounting, finance, stats, or other similar courses to make myself more attractive to business schools and show that I’m committed to learning more business-related subjects (I was a liberal arts major in college ). Also, I took stats in college and did poorly, so the idea would also be that I could do well and show schools that, despite my poor grade in college, I actually do understand the material. I was thinking of taking some classes at NYU or Columbia, or possibly a few online courses run by a respectable university.

I understand that there are probably better ways to spend my time, but given that my job doesn’t have investment banking-like hours, I’ve taken the GMAT, and I’m already involved in a number of things outside of work, I’m trying to come up with other ways to make myself an attractive candidate.

Have any of you done graduate courses at colleges nearby while working? Has anyone done these kinds of courses with the intention of listing them on your resume when applying to business school? I’ve looked at plenty of options out there, but I’d be interested to hear from people who have taken courses to supplement their undergrad degrees and whether or not they feel it was worth the time and monetary investment.

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Best Response

I work full-time and do an evening MBA full-time (three-nights a week, was four nights a week in the summer). Plus, my GF is another FT job, lol. To cut to the chase, I'm doing four ~12-13 hour days (mon-thurs). Friday and Saturday nights I get drunk and socialize. Saturday and Sunday are usually group projects/papers/laundry/cleaning/bullshit. I still have enough time to [poorly] play fantasy football, watch Dexter, etc.

It's tough, especially when you first start the program. But after a while you get into your routine and make it work. I will say, If I weren't doing an MBA... I'd spend a lot more time a the office. So, I may be sacrificing short-term promotion opportunities... who knows. But I don't believe anyone in the office looks down on me for leaving to go to class a few days a week.

If you're planning on improving your b-school app... don't list the courses on your resume - they'll be in your transcript. Can't say if individual classes will make you more competitive. Just wanted to comment on the lifestyle of FT work + school.

I'll do what I can to help ya'll. But, the game's out there, and it's play or get played.
 

I am debating doing the same thing through NYU SCPS, I come from a bio background and have no fiance experience/background and figure this would be a good way to get some sort of foundation and enhance my GPA for MBA admission

 

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