I am scheduled to start an MBA program in about a month. I did well in undergraduate, but now I am getting scared since this will be the first time I will be in such a pressured position. I am planning on quitting my job, and going full time..the cost for the 2 years is going to put me around 50 k in the hole. Although I want to go back, the cost of failure in this instance is immense..if I fail out, these loans will never go away. I am not sure if I should go back..:( This is getting to me

But if you don't try . . . ?

Dude, Calm down. First congrats about heading back to school. Yeah 50k is a big number but in the long run you are investing in yourself. Are you attending a good, reputable school for your MBA? If so that will make it even better. You'll land a high starting salary (probably 70-100k fresh outta school) then you can worry about the loans later. Plus there are tons of repayment options and temporary forbearance to get you by once you graduate and get situated.


Good Luck!

J

Hey,
I am a graduate student and have really been strugggling because of undiagnosed ADD. One of my big problems for me was that I too quit my job (that's what my college profs recommended) and so I was by myself all day long trying to study and get my work done. It was a disaster because I basically had given up all outside structure (which the job had provided me to some degree). As opposed to my undergrad studies, I did not live in a dorm, I didn't have room-mates. So I had no structured time for most of the week except for the three afternoons when I had to go to class. Well, the result was horrible. It was harder and harder for me to even make it to class, do my assignments, etc.

I am not trying to scare you at all :eek: (seriously :D). I really enjoy graduate school (my classes, my professors) much more so than my classes in undergraduate. I just wanted to tell you about my experience so that you are more aware of putting support systems in place than I was (but then, I didn't know about my ADD, so you are already way ahead of me at that time!). Think about what kind of outside structure you have that keeps you on task. Study partners were really helpful for me, but I only started that pretty late down the line.
I hope that helps!

If you have to pull the plug somewhere along the way you won't incur the full debt, right, and you will have the benefit of what you've learned so far? And if you do incur the full debt you will have made it (as long as you don't bail in the last few weeks)? Beware black-and-white, absolutist thinking. (I do it as well, but since it's been pointed out to me I can fight it a bit). "Fail" is such a bleak, absolute word, but in fact failing is usually a matter of degree.

Remember your strengths. You know about ADD, so that's a great advantage, you know the issues that presents. But ADD has huge plus sides as well. Use us, keep in touch. Many of us have post-graduate degrees. It CAN BE DONE.

-u

I am going in freaked as well and am going to graduate (hopefully :( ) w' about 3 times your loan. The loan is a 20 year loan and even w' a half decent job - it's repayable. My concern is sticking w' the huge amount of work the full time grad is going to present and how not to freeze... Off track here ..

Busted my can and got my MBA back in 1995. Got formerly diagnosed with moderate to severe ADD/ADHD in 1998. :eek:

If I can do it....ANYONE can do it!!!