Are you considering taking your career a step further or feeling stuck at a crossroads? I know that feeling well. After finishing my MBA journey in the UK—a mission I set for myself last year—I felt a wave of relief and accomplishment when I submitted my final dissertation. All those hours buried in textbooks, research, and coursework came down to that single moment. It was the ultimate payoff after a year of balancing a multitude of responsibilities.
Now that I’ve had time to reflect, I see there are several things I wish I had known before starting my MBA. My goal with this article is to offer you insights based on my firsthand experience, so you can better prepare for your MBA journey and make the most of it. I’ll cover everything from differences in educational systems to financial challenges, job hunting, and mental preparation.
Keep in mind, these are just my experiences—what worked for me may not work for you. Hopefully, something here will resonate, and you can find what works best for you on this journey of self-discovery. Without further ado, here’s what I wish I had known before embarking on my MBA adventure in the UK.
Adapting to a New Educational Approach
Coming from Vietnam, where the educational system tends to focus on rote memorisation, the UK system was quite different. In Vietnam, students are often expected to memorise and repeat what the teacher says. In the UK, however, critical thinking and debate are heavily encouraged. Lecturers want to hear your perspective, and you’re expected to back it up with research and well-formed arguments.
A significant part of your education involves self-study. You won’t be spoon-fed information. Instead, you’ll be expected to read textbooks, journal articles, and additional materials to broaden your understanding. This independent study was a massive adjustment for me (and I absolutely loved it).
Time Management Tools for Success
Time management is absolutely critical for succeeding in an MBA program, especially given its intensity. Based on my experience at Brunel University London, we had an average of 25–27 hours of lectures weekly, including Saturdays—each session lasting 3–4 hours. The workload for an MBA is far more demanding than other master’s degrees because it covers multiple areas like Marketing, Strategy, Finance, Operations, and more.
Mastering time management is essential to balance lectures, group projects, part-time jobs, and personal responsibilities. It requires careful planning to allocate time for studying, socialising, and self-care. If you don’t prioritise your physical and mental well-being, burnout is inevitable. Also, coordinating group work means being flexible and organising your schedule around others’ availability.
By honing your time management and self-discipline, you can meet academic expectations without stress, and still enjoy life beyond the classroom. Ultimately, it’s about maintaining balance and making the most of your MBA journey. To balance this, I started treating each module like a mini-project and used several tools to keep things in order:
- Physical Calendar & Google Calendar: I used both versions religiously to block time for lectures, group projects, and self-study. I even colour-coded different activities to visualise how my week was structured.
- Google Sheets & Gantt Chart: I created Gantt Charts in Google Sheets to break down each module into tasks. This was especially helpful for managing deadlines, as I treated the entire MBA program as a one-year project with multiple milestones.
- Evernote: I used Evernote to take notes during lectures and track key points from my readings. It helped me organise my thoughts and review them before exams or assignments.
- Notion: I used Notion to manage my progress in each module, organize group projects, and jot down ideas for my dissertation. Its flexibility allowed me to create dashboards and to-do lists and store all resources in one place.
These tools made managing my time easier, helping me stay on top of deadlines while leaving room for other responsibilities, like part-time jobs and socialising.
Financial Planning, Job Search, and Legal Preparations
Be Ready for the Unexpected Costs, Paperwork, and Job Market
One of the biggest lessons I learned while studying abroad is that financial planning is key. I had a rough idea of how much my tuition and rent would cost, but living expenses in the UK are easily two or three times higher than in Vietnam. The visa guidelines give you an estimate, but I recommend budgeting an extra 30–40% to cover unexpected costs.
Prepare for Unexpected Costs
Coming from a tropical climate, I didn’t realise how much I’d need to spend on winter clothes (despite thinking I came prepared). Then there were additional expenses like personal healthcare, vitamins, and occasional dining out. These little things quickly add up.
Visa and Postgraduate Costs
If you plan to stay in the UK after completing your studies, be aware of the extra costs for visa extensions. International students can apply for a Post-Study Work Visa (Graduate Route), allowing them to stay for at least two years. While some employers may sponsor a work visa for up to five years, it’s not always easy to secure a job immediately after graduation.
Hence, it’s important to plan for the aftermath of your studies in advance. If you need to apply for the Graduate Route visa, you’ll have to cover visa fees, health insurance (Immigration Health Surcharge), and continue paying rent. These costs can be significant, so budgeting for them early on will save you stress down the line.
Unforeseen Expenses
Save for unexpected costs, such as school trips or personal travel. For instance, I had a fantastic opportunity to visit Belgium with my university, but it came with unexpected expenses. While these trips can enhance your academic experience, it’s wise to have extra funds set aside.
Books and Study Materials
If you’re like me and prefer physical books, prepare financially for additional study materials. While universities often provide access to digital resources, owning physical books can help with note-taking and reducing screen time. I suggest checking your library’s availability early and opting for second-hand books from sites like Amazon. This not only saves money but also allows you to resell them later, as I did with my MBA books.
Part-Time Job Search
If you’re planning to get a part-time job to cover some of your expenses, be prepared for it to take time. It took me six months to secure my first job, so make sure you have enough savings to cover those early months. The job market can be competitive, and preparing your CV and networking early are crucial. While waiting for your National Insurance number (NI), which takes up to four weeks to arrive, start researching available jobs. If you are interested in learning how to navigate part-time jobs in the UK, I have written another article to help guide international students. Please read the article: here.
Legal Preparations
One crucial thing I wish I had known is that securing a part-time job in the UK often requires a criminal record check from your home country. I wasn’t aware of this and had to scramble to get the document after arriving (and I never got it sent to me in the UK, by the way). This was particularly important when I got a part-time job at the airport, which required additional security clearance. In summary, sort out all necessary documents, including your criminal record certificate, before leaving your home country. This will save you a lot of hassle later.
Financial Planning Tool
Google Sheets: I used Google Sheets to track my expenses and ensure I stayed within my budget. By tracking income from part-time work and comparing it against monthly expenses, I could avoid overspending.
While there are many other financial management apps, I find Google Sheets to be the best for me. If you have better approaches that work for you, please do stick to those,
Mental Preparation Matters: The Emotional Rollercoaster
The MBA journey isn’t just academically intense—it’s emotionally draining too. You’ll face homesickness, culture shock, and the pressure of managing coursework, exams, and group projects. Add to that the unpredictable UK weather, and it’s easy to feel overwhelmed.
I had moments when I missed home dearly and questioned my decision to be there. But over time, I learned to embrace the challenges as opportunities for personal growth. Setting realistic expectations (or letting go of them entirely) helped me adjust to life abroad. Ultimately, flexibility and adaptability became essential tools for surviving and thriving.
Mental Health & Support Tools
- Daily Routines: Developing a routine helped me stay grounded. Every day, I set aside time for journaling in my physical notebooks (I’m old-fashioned), reflecting on my progress and writing down things I was grateful for.
- Walking: Walking around campus became a therapeutic practice for me. It gave me time to reflect, clear my mind, and recharge. I often spoke to myself during these walks—an odd concept to some, but a way for me to process my thoughts and gain clarity.
- Exercise: Physical training became essential for maintaining my mental health. Exercise regularly helped me balance the pressures of study with self-care, and it kept me in good physical shape.
If you want to read more about the potential challenges of studying abroad, I invite you to do so here.
Personal Growth Beyond Academics
An MBA Journey is More Than Just a Degree
An MBA is about more than just earning a degree. While the academic part is intense, the personal growth you’ll experience is equally valuable. Studying abroad pushed me to discover new aspects of myself—particularly that I’m more introverted than I thought. I found that while I enjoyed socialising, I needed alone time to recharge and reflect.
Beyond academics, the MBA taught me how to lead and manage teams, coordinate projects, and balance multiple responsibilities. These are skills that will benefit you far beyond the classroom. As part of my MBA journey, I had the opportunity to dive deep into Qualitative Research Methods for my dissertation. This approach, which focuses on understanding human behaviour, fascinated me. I spent hours conducting interviews, gathering insights, and analysing data. What I learned was that human behaviour is incredibly complex—far beyond what I initially expected. The experience not only enriched my academic understanding but also ignited a passion for research. This was a major turning point for me, leading me to consider pursuing a PhD in the future and a possible return to academia.
Final Thoughts
My friends, pursuing an MBA is a journey that requires both preparation and flexibility; from managing your time with tools like Google Calendar and Gantt charts to financial planning and mental resilience, there’s so much to learn along the way. And with the right mindset, the challenges you face will only make you stronger. Embrace the journey, and let it shape you into a well-rounded individual, ready to take on whatever comes next in your career. I wish you all the best in embarking on your personal development journey.