How to Be a Weekend Warrior

Paul Maloney, Weekend MBA student
Vice President, SPDR Strategy and Planning at State Street Global Advisors

City: Boston, MA

Transportation mode and travel time: I fly [pre-pandemic] in from Boston every Saturday morning and fly out after classes — the trip is about 3 hours each way.

Every Weekend Warrior Must: Take advantage of the amazing network of Boothies you are able to build at the airport and in the air. I am fortunate that many Boothies fly in from Boston every weekend and those classmates have become some of my closest friends in the program.

Travel Essentials I can’t live without: AirPods ... I have watched one too many movies on my phone while flying.

What do you do during your travel time? Having a young child while in the program means I use the flights on Saturday mornings to catch up on any reading I need to complete before class. On the flight home, I try to relax with a movie or just catch up with classmates on the flight.

How do you combat fatigue/jet lag? I try as much as possible to not plan anything for Sundays. This is time for me to spend with my family and recharge for the week.

How do you stay organized? Calendaring is my friend. I also try to keep the same routine week over week. Depending on the term, I assign certain nights of the week to certain classes and this ensures that I always stay on top of my work.

What (other) advice do you have for Weekend warriors? While traveling every weekend can be tiring, do not forget to have fun and try to meet as many amazing people as you can because the program goes by FAST.

What favorite thing have you discovered about Chicago? Fall is my favorite season in Chicago!

Get an in-depth view of the Weekend Warrior life here.