Family, Career, and MBA – A Student's Experience

Report from Valerie Schmidt-Weihrich (Image: Stock photo, AI-generated)

A part-time MBA program Balancing studies with family and a full-time job presents a unique challenge for me, but it's also a very deliberate decision for my personal and professional development. I started my studies during my parental leave for my first child. My children are now three and two years old, and everyday life hasn't exactly become more predictable as a result. That's why I appreciate all the more that studying at Allensbach University gives me the opportunity to find my own path and my own pace.

Looking back, I had a fairly realistic assessment of attending the lectures and the necessary self-study. However, I underestimated how difficult it is to work on a paper for several hours straight in everyday family life. That, for me, is the biggest challenge: less in the studies themselves and more in organizing daily life between work, family, and my own aspirations. Therefore, I am not as far along in my studies today as I had hoped at the beginning. Nevertheless, I find it a great relief that I can shape my studies flexibly and continue at my own pace without constant pressure.

I find the direct connection between my studies and my profession to be particularly valuable. In my role as an executive assistant, I have to juggle many different roles simultaneously, grasp complex relationships quickly, and keep an overview of various topics. This is precisely why the study content helps me approach complex tasks more systematically and better contextualize decisions. Courses like Investment and Financing were particularly helpful for my daily work because I could apply much of the material directly. But other modules could also be well transferred to my professional practice.

This direct applicability was especially helpful for me when re-entering the workforce after my break. That’s why the program was never just theoretical professional development for me, but always also concrete support in my daily work. Overall, despite all the challenges, the MBA is a very suitable form of further education for me. It challenges me, but at the same time gives me the space I need in my current phase of life. This exact combination is what makes the program so valuable to me.