As MBA students start their programmes, we ask leading professors for tips on how to glean the most from business school.
在MBA学生开学之际，我们邀请了一些知名教授，让他们就如何从商学院获得最大收获给新生指点迷津。
‘Focus: there is nothing else’
“专注：除此之外，没有别的了”
Professor Ayelet Fishbach, professor of behavioural science and marketing, University of Chicago Booth School of Business
——芝加哥大学布斯商学院(University of Chicago Booth School of Business)行为科学与营销学教授阿耶莱特?费什巴赫(Ayelet Fishbach)
“Students must be prepared to challenge themselves, rather than prove themselves. And be open to challenge from others. MBAs must be willing to engage in everything on offer because the qualification goes way beyond just taking classes.
“学生必须准备好挑战自己，而不是证明自己。同时，也要对来自他人的挑战持开放态度。MBA学生必须愿意参与所有的活动，因为要想毕业，光上课是远远不够的。
“Some MBAs come to the course with a college mindset, thinking it is all about grades and stick to things they are good at. Give yourself space to develop.
“有些学生以上大学的心态来上MBA，认为成绩就是一切，并且还坚守他们擅长的领域。要给自己一些发展的空间。
“And prepare mentally. For example, put away other things in life, be in the classroom — and for that time there is nothing else. Some find this very difficult, especially since we are all email addicted, but students really need to focus on what needs to be done.”
“还要在思想上做好准备。例如，把生活中的其他事情先放到一边，把心放到课堂上——在上课期间心无旁骛。有人觉得这很难做到，特别是因为我们都对电子邮件上瘾，但学生真的需要专注于该做的事。”
‘Managing your ego is a huge challenge’
“管理你的自负是一个巨大的挑战”
John Colley, associate dean and professor of practice, Warwick Business School
——华威商学院(Warwick Business School)副院长、实务教授约翰?科利(John Colley)
“From day one, get involved in class discussions, rather than sit out the whole time — which some students do. Be willing to challenge.
“从第一天起，就要参与班级讨论，而不要一直不发言——有些学生是这样的。要愿意提出质疑。
“Some MBAs arrive thinking they already know everything. They are just doing an MBA to get the qualification to further their career. But eventually they learn there is more to it.
“有些MBA学生认为自己什么都知道了。他们来读MBA，只是为了拿文凭，为未来的职业发展铺路。但他们最后会明白，MBA带给他们的远不止这些。
“Have an eye on where you are going career-wise. Many do not start thinking about this until two-thirds of the way through the course.
“要关注你未来的职业方向。许多学生课程已完成了三分之二才开始考虑这一点。
“In the classroom, there is always the issue of ambitious students jockeying for position. Learn to get on with others and manage your ego. For many, this is a huge change.”
“在教室里，总有一些雄心勃勃的学生在抢占有利地位。要学会与别人相处，约束你的自负。对许多人来说，这是一个巨大的挑战。”
‘Try different things’
“尝试不同的东西”
Kriti Jain, assistant professor in organisational behaviour and human resources, IE Business School
——西班牙IE商学院(IE Business School)组织行为学与人力资源学助理教授克里蒂?哈因(Kriti Jain)
“MBA students are high achievers and often come thinking they just need to demonstrate what they already know.
“MBA学生都已取得了不俗的成就，他们入学时往往带着这样的想法，即自己只需要展示已经知道的东西就可以了。
“A constant problem is MBAs who turn up thinking, ‘I’m the smart one.’ They then quickly discover there are people who are as smart, if not smarter, than they are. Students will become more assertive or aggressive instead of listening to others, when in fact they could be learning from them.
“一个常见的问题是，MBA学生刚入学时认为，‘我是个聪明人’。然后，他们很快发现，有人和他们一样聪明，如果不是更聪明的话。这些学生会变得更加自负，或更加咄咄逼人，不愿意听取他人的想法，但事实上他们是可以向他人学习的。
“On an MBA programme we get lawyers, doctors and PhDs. If you are not open to a variety of views, you will lose out.
“参加MBA课程的学生中有律师、医生和哲学博士。如果你不对各种观点持开放态度的话，你将会失败。
“Focus on building a balanced portfolio. Many MBAs focus on the things they are already good at — a banker will be good at finance, for example, so may choose finance options. But it is better try different things. Take on courses that might not bring immediate returns but will be useful later.
“专注于构建一个平衡的知识组合。许多MBA学生专注于他们已经擅长的领域——例如，银行家的强项是金融，所以，可能会选金融方面的选修课。但最好是尝试一下别的东西。选择一些可能不会立即带来回报、但未来会有用的课程。
“There is an over-emphasis on networking, and new MBAs seem to think this is the number-one skill. But recruiters are very sharp and will be quick to see a lack of substance in a candidate.”
“过度强调社交，MBA新生似乎认为这是第一大技能。但招聘人员都有一双犀利的眼睛，他们很快就会发现，求职者缺乏实质性的东西”。
‘A successful job search begins straight away’
“成功的求职过程从一入学就开始了”
Aarti Ramaswami, academic director, global MBA, Essec
——ESSEC高等商学院全球MAB学术总监阿尔蒂?拉马斯瓦米(Aarti Ramaswami)
“Many students have partners and families, so the transition from employee to student can be stressful. Think about how to manage demands and expectations, from the programme and from family. Consider how you are going to prioritise.
“许多学生有伴侣和子女，所以，从员工到学生的角色转换可能会让他们倍感压力。要考虑如何从课程和家庭的角度来管理需求和预期。要考虑如何来确定优先顺序。
“Learning is an entrepreneurial activity. The MBA is not a passive process. If a student is failing to leverage opportunities within the school and classroom; failing to practise leadership and communication style; failing to seek critical feedback from peers and others, they are not making the most of it.
“学习是一种开拓性活动。MBA不是一个被动的学习过程。如果学生没有充分利用学校和教室里的机会、没有实践领导力和沟通方式、没有寻求同学和其他人的批评性反馈，他们就没有充分利用这个学习机会。
“A successful job search begins straight away. Reaching out to companies and industry experts takes time and it is never too early to start. Essec organises career fairs and company visits, and students can work with careers advisers.
“成功的求职过程从一入学就该开始了。与公司和行业专家接触需要时间，开始行动的时间再早都不过分。ESSEC高等商学院会组织招聘会和到公司参观，学生也可以咨询职业顾问。
“Learning about the city or country you are living in, and how you can embed yourself in the community, can also help you adjust.”
“了解你生活的城市或国家，以及你如何能融入社区，这会有助于你做出调整。”
‘Don’t look for instant gratification’
“不要追求立竿见影的效果”
Tim Morris, professor of management studies, Sa?d Business School, University of Oxford
——牛津大学赛德商学院(Sa?d Business School, University of Oxford)管理研究教授蒂姆?莫里斯(Tim Morris)
“MBAs focus too much on the practical application of what they are learning. Instead, read hard material that is abstract, think about what it is telling or not telling you, and be patient.
“MBA学生过分关注所学习知识的实际应用。相反，应该认真阅读抽象的课程材料，思考一下，这些材料告诉了你什么，或没有告诉你什么，要保持耐心。
“Too often students are very bright but not getting the most out of their MBA because they want instant gratification. This is in contrast to senior executives on the EMBA who want to soak up hard, complex concepts. I want to see MBAs do this.
“经常遇到的情况是，学生们非常聪明，但却没有从MBA课程中获得最大的收获，因为他们希望获得立竿见影的效果。这与EMBA的高级管理人员形成鲜明对比，他们想大量吸收复杂的概念。我希望MBA学生也能这样做。
“Do not walk into an MBA thinking just about business. Keep thinking more broadly about politics, international relations, demographics — ageing populations, for example — science, and what is happening culturally in the world.
“上MBA不要只考虑商业问题。把思路放宽些，思考一下政治、国际关系、人口统计（比如，人口老龄化）、科学、以及世界在文化方面的发展等问题。
“Students’ biggest pitfall is not reflecting enough. Too many become obsessed with the dream of becoming a tech entrepreneur. It is not for everyone, so students should try to get away from this.
“学生们最容易犯的错误是思考不够。太多学生痴迷于成为科技创业者的梦想。这个梦想并不适合每个人，所以，学生们应该尽量避免犯这样的错误。
“And students ought to leave tech behind. Turn off your phone and immerse yourself in what you are learning.”
“学生应该把科技抛到脑后，关掉你的手机，潜心于正在学习的东西中。”
‘Remain humble and keep working hard’
“保持谦虚、继续努力学习”
Professor Juan Antonio Fernández, associate dean and MBA director, China Europe International Business School
——中欧国际工商学院副教务长和MBA课程主任范悦安(Juan Antonio Fernández)教授
“The MBA is an 18-month marathon, not a sprint, so you need to be mentally and physically ready.
“MBA课程是一项为期18个月的马拉松，不是短跑，因此，学生在心理上和身体上都要做好准备。
“It is all about the balance: studying and finding time to immerse yourself in the never-ending flow of activities and events happening outside the classroom; between moments of feeling as if you have got it all together and frantic times when you realise there is no way to meet a deadline unless your entire team works through the night.
“归根结底就是两个字，平衡：在学习和寻找时间让自己沉浸到课堂之外永无止境的活动中这两者之间做好平衡；在一切好像处理得有条不紊，和突然意识除非整个团队通宵工作、否则就没法按时完成作业的抓狂时刻之间掌握好平衡。
“On the first full day there is an exam for each new class. In between settling in, exploring the campus and getting to know your classmates, Ceibs students should set aside time to study.
“开学后的第一个整天，每一门新课都有一个测验。在适应学校新环境之余，抽时间到校园的各处转转，认识认识同学。中欧国际工商学院的学生应该留出学习的时间。
“Doing well in these exams will help boost confidence. But if a student aces it, they must be careful not to get overconfident — remain humble and keep working hard.”
“在这些考试中表现优异有助于增加自信。不过，如果考得好，一定注意不要过分自信——要保持谦虚，继续努力学习。”
‘The biggest rewards come to those who try something different’
“愿意尝试新东西的学生收获最大”

Lead faculty, Columbia Business School
——哥伦比亚商学院教职员主管(Lead faculty)
“Remember to step back and get some perspective. What are your goals? What do you want out of the MBA experience? Where do you want to be in a year? Five years? Ten?
“记住，退后一步，从更广阔的视角看问题。你的目标是什么？你期望从MBA的经历中得到些什么？你未来一年、五年或十年的目标是什么？
“Often MBA students do not take enough risks. It is easy to go down the predictable path of consulting, investment banking or brand management. But the biggest rewards come to those who try something different.
“通常情况下，MBA学生的冒险意愿不够。走上咨询、投行或品牌管理这些可预见的职业道路很容易。不过，那些尝试不同领域的同学的收获最大。
“Once students get into the programme it is easy to be swayed by the crowd and lose sight of original goals for attending business school. Find activities, clubs, classes, and colleagues who can help you explore options, yet still keep an eye on long-term goals.”
“进入MBA项目后，学生们很容易受到他人的影响，迷失了上商学院的最初目标。在不偏离长期目标的同时，参加一些活动、俱乐部和课程，认识一些能帮助你探寻各种职业发展选项的同学。”