Systems take time: Why improving how you learn matters more than getting it right the first time

When I returned to school to complete my MBA, I wasn’t just trying to succeed—I was trying to build something sustainable. For me, that meant developing systems that made school less reactive, more manageable, and frankly, more enjoyable.

But I want to be clear: these systems didn’t appear fully formed. I didn’t start out with the perfect setup. In fact, much of what worked best for me came from trial, error, and reflection. And that’s the part I think we talk about too little—not just the systems themselves, but the process of learning how to build them.

Especially as an adult learner, building systems for academic success was a process. But once I did, it transformed the way I approached school, collaboration, and personal success.

Why systems matter as a college student

Academic success isn’t just about effort or intelligence—it’s about structure. That became especially clear to me during my MBA. Unlike undergrad, most of my courses were project-based and involved long-term deliverables, team dynamics, and evolving requirements. Without a personal system, the risk wasn’t just falling behind—it was missing the point of the experience altogether.

Structure wasn’t just a nice-to-have. It was how I kept myself confident and fully engaged.

But structure doesn’t mean rigidity. In fact, one of the biggest lessons I learned is that systems should be flexible. They should change as your needs change. And it’s okay if you don’t get them right the first time. What matters more is that you stay curious about how to improve them.

Tools and systems that worked for me

When I first started my MBA, I made the mistake of signing up for the first finance class of the program as a 6-week summer course. I quickly realized that this course in this format was best for people who were already working in finance, for which this class was more of a formality. Let’s just say—that was not me. The number of concepts and formulas being thrown at me, especially having been 15 years since graduating with my undergrad degree, was daunting. I had to quickly start coming up with systems and gird myself for a process that, while ultimately rewarding, was going to take an ongoing effort to maintain.

Here are some top examples of tools and systems that helped immensely:

• Syllabus-driven prep with ChatGPT. As soon as syllabi dropped, I’d load them into ChatGPT and generate a prep plan. I’d get a bullet list of deliverables, key professor expectations, and suggested next steps. This got me in the mindset before the first class session.
• Google Drive + template folders. I had a pre-built folder structure I used for every class. Once I copied it in, I always knew where to find my readings, drafts, final files, or team documents. When I joined a group, I would also make most of this available to my team. This made me an in-demand group member each semester and immediately raised my credibility with the group.
• Notes on OneNote. I used it to capture slide decks, class notes, links, screenshots, and thoughts. I was surprised how underutilized it was among other students. For me, it was my single source of truth.
  Pro tip: Microsoft Surface + OneNote = 💯 (if you’re a Mac person, I’m sure the iPad is great for this as well)

None of these tools were perfect from day one. I adjusted them each semester—changing folder names, revising my prep templates, rethinking how I organized notes. What made the system work was its ability to grow with me.

It wasn’t about being overly rigid—it was about clearing cognitive clutter. With everything organized, I could focus on relationships, strategy, and execution.

From organization to strategic edge

One of the most defining moments came during an information systems class. Over the course of the semester, I noticed that most students (and admittedly, sometimes even myself) loaded the provided dataset into the machine learning software and hoped for the best. This ran counter to the professor’s instructions to “know the business,” which includes things like talking to people in the business. However, for the final project, I took a different route.

I identified someone at the company and interviewed them for over two hours. That conversation gave our team a deeper understanding of the business, the industry, and the problem space. It reshaped how we approached the data and helped us surface relationships that no one else had found.

That opportunity wouldn’t have existed if I’d been in a scramble. Because my systems were doing their job in the background, I had space to think, to reach further, and to create work that stood out.

Building systems around people, not just tasks

My approach wasn’t just academic—it was interpersonal. Over time, I developed a proactive habit of reaching out to professors as soon as I registered and felt confident the class wouldn’t change. Sometimes that meant emailing them weeks before the semester started.

I didn’t begin the program doing this—it was something I built into my system as I refined what worked. A few classmates raised their eyebrows and dismissed me as being a bit extreme, but I noticed something unexpected: professors often responded with warmth and curiosity. It seemed to signal that I genuinely wanted to connect—not just to game the class. And in its rarity, I think it made a lasting impression.

I also thought in advance about common friction points—things like group work coordination, unclear team roles, or platform issues—and created simple fallback plans. That let me keep my energy focused on the work itself, not on solving preventable problems.

The results that mattered most

By the end of the program, I had developed a reputation. In one of my final group-based courses, several classmates approached me at the start to ask if I’d team up with them. Not because I was the loudest or the most technical—but because they trusted I’d be prepared, communicative, and reliable.

That kind of feedback meant more to me than any grade.

Why this matters for student success

Looking back, what made the biggest difference wasn’t just having a system—it was learning how to build one, improve it, and keep going even when things didn’t work the first time. That mindset—adaptable, honest, and forward-looking—is exactly what many students need support developing.

I know how it feels to return to school as an adult learner, unsure how to organize everything or where to start. And I’ve seen firsthand how small structural wins can reduce stress, increase confidence, and help students reframe what success can look like.

Part of meeting students where they are is helping them build systems that fit who they are—and who they’re becoming.

Berkeley Goodloe is a recent MBA graduate from the VCU School of Business. In 2015, he left his former life in banking to become a nonprofiteer, where he has spent a decade thoughtfully exploring student and faculty success and how that intersects with innovation, design thinking, and productivity. As an ENTP, his brain is wired to find connections in the seemingly disconnected and helping others find clarity in the seemingly complicated.