Today is the first day of my first term with WGU. No, I’m not counting the false start in August. WGU doesn’t count it! It’s interesting because it’s the actual path I’m taking and reveals a loophole I stumbled on. WGU operates on 6 month terms like an educational buffet—all the credits you can complete. I have six months from today to finish as many courses in the MBA as I can manage. Let the journey unfold. I wrote the two essays for the first course during August thus completing the required work and as a nice perk, the textbooks I bought for the second course both arrived today. I ordered the textbooks on Amazon on the 25th of August. Both books are used, prior editions. Global Business by Peng cost $5.52 after shipping and Principles of Economics by Mankiw cost $31.81. The latest editions cost a ton more money. Even though I plan on getting reimbursed by my employer, I’m trying new things here and trying to get an MBA as cheap and fast as I can. I’m excited about the textbooks and take it as a good omen that exactly one week after ordering online I received the books. I listened/read the first chapter of Global Business through Cengage last night and I’ve decided reading the text will be faster and easier on my eyes. We’ll see how this goes and whether buying physical textbooks is really preferable for me. Buying cheap, old edition, used textbooks is something that was less available to me in college. That makes me feel old, but I did start college 14 years ago. That quote from Good Will Hunting about getting the same education for a dollar something in late fees from the local library has been on my mind lately. All the stuff I’m reading and studying and focused on lately has reinforced the idea that if I want to change my work then I need to pursue my own passions and learn for myself. This next sentence might be a bit ironic considering I’m pursuing an MBA. Following the socially acceptable paths to professional success will not bring me what I want. Following the social norms will get me exactly where I am now. That is part of the reason I’m trying out WGU and attempting to finish the MBA in the current manner. If I document my path I can learn more than just the course material. I can learn about myself, how I learn, my preferences, what doesn’t work, and other insights. Also, competency based learning is still a term that is unknown to the masses. It’s not in the mainstream. Which I hope puts me on the cutting edge for once. The old education model is broken and falling further behind. Six months from now I hope to be an MBA success story with enough material to actually tell a story.