With all of life’s commitments, finding time and energy for your personal growth can feel extremely challenging. However, it’s entirely possible, as attested by the graduates of Tsinghua-INSEAD Executive MBA (TIEMBA), a rigorous but rewarding program that is popular among top-level executives and business professionals.

One of them is Miranda Chan, a business development manager for Asia Pacific Interisland Group, a German company based in Singapore. At home, Miranda is a mother of two kids aged five and seven. At work, she manages a multiregional team of 25 and takes frequent business trips. Yet, she overcame challenges to complete TIEMBA with flying colors.

A world-class program like TIEMBA is not a walk in the park. It is designed for aspiring executives who possess commitment, dedication, and hard work. It involves balancing your work, family, and studies while completing the program on time. You may have to juggle multiple assignments, projects, and exams while meeting the expectations of your boss, colleagues, and clients. Sometimes, you’ll have to sacrifice some personal and social time in order to pursue your professional development goals.So how can you do it all? In this article, we will share Miranda’s tips and insights on how to balance work and life while studying TIEMBA.

Tip 1: Set priorities and goals

Knowing how to manage your time is crucial to balance your work, life, and studies effectively. This was one of the most challenging aspects for Miranda, who felt that the TIEMBA program helped her improve her time management skills. She was inspired by two particular ideas from the book “Seven Habits for Highly Effective People”, which are:

Put first things first: “I really wanted to complete this program on time,” she explains. ‘So I put this as my first priority. At that time, I sacrificed time with my kids, but I put more effort in thesis writing and doing my work.”
Keep the end in mind: Miranda had a clear goal and motivation to complete the program on time. She said, “As long as we have the target set and have the motivation, we can do it.”

Do these things to manage your time effectively:

Prioritize your tasks and activities according to their urgency and importance.
Focus on what matters most at that moment in time. For example, Miranda took annual leave from her job to spend five days in the library working on her thesis.
Avoid distractions and procrastination
Set clear, measurable goals
Know your motivation

Tip 2: Seek support from your family and colleagues

Be sure to communicate with your family and colleagues about your situation and expectations. Open communication is the foundation for creating a supportive ecosystem when life has many demands. It builds understanding, provides emotional support, and allows for coordinated efforts to achieve a successful balance. Here are some points you can raise:

explain why you are doing the program
discuss how it will benefit you and them
ask for their support and understanding
show appreciation for their help and cooperation.

Miranda experienced the support from both her job and family, realizing that the benefits of TIEMBA extended beyond just her personal growth. With her job’s support, she was able to take annual leave to complete her thesis. She shares how the program also enriched her children’s lives, such as when her daughter became best friends with a fellow TIEMBA alumna’s daughter. Her children also played a large part in her motivation to pursue the program: “I think it is much more effective to show my kids that I’m continually learning.”

Tip 3: Turn to your TIEMBA cohort

You should also seek support and friendship with the other students in your TIEMBA class. You are likely to relate closely to them, and you can share strategies for juggling life’s commitments with each other.

TIEMBA’s alumni tend to form strong, lifelong friendships long after graduating from the program. Miranda meets them often, saying “we feel so happy to know each other.” It’s not just other students, she also benefited from talking to the professors at TIEMBA’s various campuses around the world. “They are also very inspiring and helped us to understand the local culture.”

This has made a huge impact on Miranda’s life. “I never thought of going off to study as looking for happiness,” she says. “But now I think back, it’s really made me happier… and actually because we always got a chance to meet new people. I think it is just amazing.”

Tip 4: Embrace positivity and try new things

Maintaining a positive mindset and attitude is crucial when juggling work, family, and study commitments. Positivity serves as a motivational force that helps you stay focused, overcome challenges, and approach your responsibilities with resilience. In a demanding environment, a positive mindset becomes a key factor in managing stress, staying motivated, and achieving success in all areas of life.

Miranda highlights the importance of also trying new things. For Miranda, “life is two shots. if you want to do it, do it now. Don’t wait… We all know that the world is changing every day.” Her advice goes out to working moms in particular; “sometimes we feel we have so many responsibilities in our daily life, we would actually restrict ourselves by thinking that maybe we couldn’t make it. So don’t think that way.

“Do not stop trying new things because of any external factors. We should try new things and explore our own potential. I think we will be really proud of ourselves. In the end, we made it.”

Tsinghua-INSEAD Executive MBA (TIEMBA)

The Tsinghua–INSEAD Executive MBA (TIEMBA) is a unique partnership between INSEAD, one of the world’s leading business schools, and Tsinghua University, one of China’s most prestigious universities. The TIEMBA Double Degree program, designed for international students, is taught in the English language over 22 weeks. Students will have the opportunity to exchange perspectives within an elite, dynamic, culturally diverse class of experienced managers and be part of two powerful alumni networks. The TIEMBA program is where life-changing leadership development meets the technical mastery of key business disciplines. It is the best of East and West, learning and working, technical knowledge and soft skills — in a single program.

How to Apply

Miranda’s experience provides some useful insight for those who are interested in pursuing TIEMBA. Her story shows that with the right mindset, effective time management, and a supportive network, the pursuit of personal and professional growth is possible for everyone.

Learn more and apply for the program through the China Admissions platform.

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Kay M

Kay contributes to the Marketing team at China Admissions. A "third-culture kid" based in Thailand, she has had lifelong exposure to international communities and has worked with top global brands. Having studied abroad herself, she encourages young minds to invest in their self-development and foster an appreciation for new countries and cultures.