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Invest In Yourself: The GSB at LSU is Worth the Investment
The Graduate School of Banking at Louisiana State University is Worth the Investment!
the best time to invest in yourself is today! I want to encourage everyone, but especially women who have overlooked the program and hesitated due to scheduling and family commitments. This program is for you! I can’t guaranty it will be easy, but it will be worthwhile. Most working parents, but especially moms, have learned a key survival skill for life……RELAX. Your house doesn’t have to be magazine photo-ready all year. You don’t have to make an “A” on every paper (though some think you do). Balance is the key to the success of the program. The materials covered By Robin Simpson, Community Bank President, BancorpSouth, Rogers, AR The Graduate School of Banking at LSU (GSBLSU) is an intenin your career. sive program of study with two weeks on campus for three consecutive years in addition to self-study projects for the two intervening years, so it is a commitment, but I know families can make it work. I want to share information about scheduling, family concerns, and home study which are often among the reasons that fewer women enroll versus men. FAMILY You will have some free time during the weekend between the on-campus weeks. It is possible for family or friends to come and see you for a few hours, which helps minimize homesick feelings. This may not be possible for some, but the break beSCHEDULING tween classes is a welcomed rest! I encourage you to call the GSBLSU office to discuss possible As a mom, you can find value in your children bonding with scheduling conflicts. Many issues can be resolved…since the dad. Personally, mine enjoyed a mini-vacation while I was program is held in late May it commonly coincides with gradugone, which included a major league baseball game and a ation ceremonies or other work obligations. helicopter ride. With technology, you can see your children’s For example, my roommate had to miss afternoon classes and casions, I stepped out of an evening social so I could connect fly home to attend her children’s high school graduation. She with my family. I was still able to be a part of important moflew back the next morning, and had a private proctored exam ments with my girls. You can also connect with family during on Sunday, before the session resumed Sunday night. Anbreaks between classes or during the long lunch break each other classmate began GSBLSU with me in 2017, but was not day. able to attend in 2018 due to work commitments. The school gave him permission to join a later class in year two, moving The impact on children seeing their parent (especially daughback his graduation, but allowing him to retain credit for the ters who see their mom) setting a goal, committing the time to work he had already completed. As a class officer, I am aware make it happen, and completing a professional certification is of some new “classmates” we gained, who re-joined our class impactful. Children will see the importance of education and to graduate in 2019, after sitting out for at least one year. It can life-long learning. be done! and the experience gained is the journey and the investment sweet faces while they tell you about their day. On a few oc
GSBLSU 2019 Class Officers: (left to right) Ben Burton, Mitch Gay, Robin Simpson, Cliff Kilpatrick, and Miguel Garcia.
(Photo on opposite page) GSBLSU Graduating Class of 2019.
HOME STUDY SURVIVAL
Remember to RELAX. Produce the best work you can, within the time you can commit. (Choose a reasonable time limit. You will not be able to complete your projects in two hours.) Sometimes you have to choose how much time you want to commit, and don’t get too detailed if it means more time commitment than you can afford.
Family support is a huge benefit for home-study projects. Have your children make memories with grandparents or go on an adventure with dad. This will allow some uninterrupted hours to write papers or conduct research.
A few tips on survival of the home study projects: The projects are usually published while you’re still at GSBLSU. You can spend time getting a head start, reviewing the projects, or asking questions from the instructors to get a clear understanding of expectations. Start the projects as soon as you can when you arrive home. The projects are related to class work and you will find the information is fresh from class time and notes. The projects have due dates and may not be due until fall, but you will feel much better when the holidays are approaching if you have a head start. Planning ahead even for procrastinators, will be helpful. You can do it!
RESULTS
Though I will not imply that GSBLSU will win you an immediate promotion, I will say, improved credentials cannot hurt you. I was promoted at work during my second year of the GSBLSU program, and one of my roommates was awarded a huge promotion that coincided with our GSBLSU graduation in 2019. Your company likes having high quality teammates they can be proud of!
Your completion of the Graduate School of Banking at LSU will impact your future:
• Your family will be proud of your accomplishment of an important goal • Your children will have a favorable view of life-long learning • Your employer will see your commitment to your career and self-improvement • Your resume’ will be a forever highlight that you have graduate study credentials • Your network will include bankers, regulators and many other professional experts from among the connections you make while attend GSBLSU, in addition to • Lifelong new friends.
Investing in yourself is worth the effort!
