Those were David Gent’s parting words on August 10, 2008 as he wrapped up the weekend orientation for new students entering the Evening and Weekend MBA program, class of 2011, at UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. He urged the class to decide for ourselves how we will spend the next three years at Haas and beyond.

Many years ago, I committed myself to getting an MBA, although my motivations for the same have gone through many reflections and about turns. It wasn’t until last summer (’07) that I shifted my aspirations into high gear. MBA application essays require a student to articulate their reasons for pursuing business education. I have listened to many podcasts, read books and articles, all of which emphasized the importance of defining a clear post-MBA plan in order to submit a strong application. On the other hand the alumni and currently enrolled students I had met almost unanimously indicated they were either re-thinking or used the time during the MBA to craft their post-MBA plans.

So, are application essays a creative or serious undertaking, you might ask. Why do these two constituents project diametrically opposed viewpoints on essays? The idea is really to have a clear plan and articulate that in the essays. It is OK for this plan to change over time, as mine certainly has. In fact, it was the very same admissions staff at the orientation who encouraged the entering class to keep an open mind and stay open to new possibilities as we embarked on this new educational experience.

As I researched schools last year, UC Berkeley was the only school I decided to pursue, influenced by its strengths in entrepreneurship and stated mission to prepare leaders who will “lead through innovation”. As I have learned at the weekend orientation, it is perfectly OK to change motivations. After all, it is an outcome of learning and increased awareness of possibilities. If you had asked me four years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to describe what it meant to be an “owner”. However, it is precisely that word presently motivating my pursuit of an MBA, thanks in large part to Amazon.com, my current employer, for generating the awareness. At Amazon, employees are encouraged to think like owners and help structure initiatives that first and foremost improve customer experience and then improve the financial bottom line.

An MBA is not a transaction in which education is traded for time and money. Rather, it is a long term investment that will only pay off by nurturing one’s networks and promoting the program’s branding, thereby one’s own branding. I certainly plan to be an owner, doing everything in my capacity to further the program’s and, in turn, my own success.