Finally done!
TL;DR - You see the pink-eye owl! I passed my last course (C211) and completed the MBA program!
I typed up a longer post earlier today detailing my journey to this MBA degree and then this app refreshed. Yes, I do have ADHD.
Anyway, achieving this goal seemed like an impossible task. I started last November and it took me almost a full month before I made any progress in my first course. Thinking about the impact an MBA would have on my career if I succeeded mixed with the fear of failing made me freeze up. Once I shook the fear and locked in, I was able to complete quite a few courses, and by mid February there were only 2 left. And then of course life started to life.
I failed my C211 OA; it was not at all what I had anticipated. My child and I wound up sick with something like the super flu. The organization that I work for (and love so dearly) became plagued with talks of “restructuring.” My boss was promoted. I also received a promotion, but had to continue to providing coverage support until earlier this week (essentially working 2-3 jobs). My mom had surgery; I took time off to care for her and my teen siblings. My child got sick AGAIN. Just the thought of opening my laptop to do schoolwork would make me anxious.
March and April were chaotic. I tried switching my focus to C216, which worked until Task 1 robbed me of my muchness; I overthought everything and paused my progress again. Then my old faithful swooped in to carry me through: procrastination.
In late April, after I’d already passed the point of requesting an extension for C216, my amazing mentor’s nudges and warnings about the upcoming term end lit a fire in me. I convinced myself that I could finish both classes by end of term. I didn’t fully dive back in until April 26th — giving myself about 3.5 days to finish with 0 tasks submitted and global economics shoved so far in the back of my mind, it wouldn’t have surprised me if Porter and his diamond theory pelted me with rotten tomatoes. To no one’s surprise, I didn’t finish before term end. BUT I’d done so much work trying to, it didn’t take me long to finish what I’d started.
On Monday, I finally passed C216 (after Task 2 was sent back for revision twice). Porter and his diamond theory as well as Nash and his equilibrium owe me crisp hi-5s! In addition to following the C211 retake plan and studying intensively, I spent all last night/this morning taking each pre-OA review test, the pre-assessment again, and skimming the study plan that’s been making its rounds in this sub. My study session ended at 6:30 AM and I scheduled my exam for 6:50 AM, without a lick of sleep. For just under an hour, I sat uncomfortably with smudged mascara and sweaty hands, rocking pajama pants on bottom and a work polo on top, dog tired, but confident that I would pass. And I did! New degree, who dis? Sorry. Not sorry.
So now that I’ve pieced together a post equal in length to my previous draft, this night owl is going to sleep. I hope this serves as motivation for you and a reminder to not be so hard on yourself. I could’ve finished this MBA in early March or sooner, but it happened when it was supposed to. Good luck to those of you still grinding it out, keep up the momentum.