Free time (image: nicole st. john)
by: Grayson Leverenz
From the moment you walk into the first class, an MBA consumes your life. Classes, group projects, clubs, networking, recruiting and social activities relentlessly vie for your time. Here are 3 online businesses that will save a little of your precious time:
Not only can you skip a trip to the campus bookstore by buying your textbooks online, you can skip a trip to the grocery store because you can buy food and nonperishable items on Amazon.com, too.
Most Americans prefer to buy in bulk, hence our love affair with big box stores like Wal-Mart, Target and Costco. Amazon.com makes it easy to buy things like paper towels and cleaning supplies in bulk without leaving your house. There’s free shipping if you spend over $25, and everything is delivered right to your door. When you have a rare free moment, you don’t have to spend it shopping. Instead, you can watch movies…
One of my favorite business innovations, Netflix.com allows you to choose movies and television shows online, and delivers them to your door up to 8 at a time. You can also watch a lot of titles instantly as a member using their on-demand feature. It saves a trip to the video store, and provides countless hours of entertainment. Not that you have countless hours. I’m sure you’re thinking, “I really should be reading…”
I discovered Audible.com during my MBA program, and have been a faithful subscriber ever since. This business enables you to download digital audiobooks to your preferred player; I use an iPod nano. Brandon and I pay $16 for a monthly subscription that includes one free download per month.
It saves time because you don’t have to go to the library or bookstore, and you can multi-task while you read. I listen while I’m driving, cleaning up and exercising. The last business book I listened to was Malcolm Gladwell’s new one, “Outliers: The Story of Success.” There are tons of juicy conversation points in Outliers that would be a great conversation starter at networking events. I also recently listened to a first novel by Kathryn Stockett called “The Help.” In it she tells the stories of three main characters (2 African-American and 1 Caucasian) living in Mississippi during the beginning of the American Civil Rights Movement. Stockett crafted the story beautifully, and offers an interesting perspective into US culture that I think International students would really enjoy.
I hope those suggestions help you find a few more moments of time in your busy schedules. What other businesses or services have you found to save time during your MBA program?
