I admit it. I haven’t been the best blogger in the world. Not even an average blogger, for that matter.
To be honest, I’ve been downright lousy.
Not only was I not writing, but various aspects of the site had started to become a bit dated. The map of my most recent check-ins displayed a map of London, when I’ve lived in Manchester for nearly 4 months. After having updated my WordPress theme, some links no longer worked and the logo was out of place. Aesthetically and functionally, the site had flaws.
I figured it’s about time I wrote a short piece on what I’ve been up to and what over the past few months and what has prevented me from writing. It really comes down to time and prioritisation and over the past few months, I’ve bitten off more than I can chew.
In August, I started the full-time MBA programme at Manchester Business School. At first, I was spending all my time meeting the 127 other students from the 40 other countries and learning the ropes of the programme. You go to all your lectures, you attend every meeting, and you do your best to re-adjust to the life of a student. Oh, and there’s parties. Lots and lots of parties.
Just as you start to get your schedule straight by the end of September, the projects begin and the student clubs formally begin their new years. Our first project began at a not-for-profit organisation and we were working with real people on real problems. Great experience, but also a good deal of pressure. We have a variety of professional interest clubs and I joined the Media, Entertainment and Sports Society, as well as the Business Technology Club. Then the MBA Council elections were held in October and I, somewhat predictably, ran for VP of Social Affairs. It was a neck-and-neck race with my competitor who was an excellent candidate for the position, but enough students elected me to the position. Come November, the importance of networking had been sufficiently drilled into our brains and some of us spent as much time meeting new people as we did on actual academics, if not more. By the end of November, I realised that, whilst I had attended most of my lectures, I had taken in very little of the material and exams were just around the corner. My amazing colleagues supported me through the last few weeks and taught me everything I would need know to succeed in (not simply pass) my final exams at the beginning of December.
So let’s recap on where some of my time went:
Personally
- Getting settled in the city of Manchester.
- Getting to know 127 other MBA’s from all over the world.
- A few weekends away to the lake district, Edinburgh, and London (several times).
- Meeting great new people in Manchester, primarily through The Gastro Club.
Academically
- Joined two MBS clubs.
- Elected as VP of Social Affairs and planned a few small events and a strategy for the coming year.
- Working closely with the amazing staff at MBS in recruitment, marketing, and some policy.
- Attending lectures and working on group assignments.
- Two large projects, one of which is for an actual organisation.
- Meetings. So, so many meetings. Meetings to plan future meetings. Meetings for the sake of meeting.
Professionally
- Attending a few tech and startup events in London.
- Meeting as many people in the tech industry as I can as I carve out my career ambitions…I’ve got it pretty much nailed down to VC or Startup BD.
After all that, as well as a number of other things that you don’t budget time for, finally came blogging. As much as I enjoy writing, I simply had too many things on my plate; I tried to do everything and meet everyone.
Now, I feel like I did pretty well in my first term. I met amazing people in my personal, academic, and professional circles, and am well-positioned to take on the second stage of the MBA. I figured things out and learned how to manage my time better than before. You heard it here first, I’ll be blogging more in 2011.
In the coming weeks, I’ll be doing a more formal re-launch of the site. I have a new layout in the works and a number of posts that are ready to roll off the (word)presses. I’ll also be focusing more on tech commentary, but will still be throwing in some cocktail bar and restaurant reviews. In essence, I’ll be bridging the gap between my interests and my passions to make the site a better representation of who I am.
I look forward to the challenges that 2011 will bring and I know there will be a number of things that will attempt to lure me off the path of being a good writer/blogger, but this is something I love doing and I will do everything I can to give it the attention it deserves. It’s therapeutic, it’s expressive, and above all else, it’s fun.
To my fellow bloggers, followers, MBA colleagues, professional acquaintances, friends, and everyone else, thanks for the support: personally, academically, and professionally. I don’t discount how important the people I surround myself with have been in helping me achieve my goals over the last few months.
Have a great New Year and I’ll see you in 2011.
Michael
PS Apologies for the puns, but I just couldn’t help myself (this is a food blog, after all!)