Addison Heard uses an image of his wife and infant son for the
background on his laptop. An MBA student at the University of Virginia’s Darden
School of Business, Heard thinks about his family constantly. But because he’s
away at B-school, he has experienced much of his son’s first year via phone
calls and digital photos. Says Heard, "It has been particularly hard, not being
there with them every day. " This was his family’s choice. It
didn’t make financial sense for his wife, Eden, a corporate lawyer in
Washington, to quit her job, sell their condo(公寓), and move to Charlotterville
with her husband. So he went alone. In his first Year each spouse made the
200-mile round-trip commute on alternate weekends. Since their son was born last
May, Addison has been doing most of the driving. As complicated
as the Heard’s situation seems, it isn’t all that rare. In any year, hundreds of
couples deal with how to handle the family logistics(后勤工作) of going to B-school.
Some choose a long-distance relationship, commuting back and forth on weekends
and breaks. Others see partners and children only on vacations and holidays.
Still others pack up the family and bring them along. Being
apart hasn’t been easy, but the Heards have made it work. On weekends when the
couple is in Virginia, they attend social events, so she can feel a part of the
community. Heard also avoids Friday classes to gain more family time. "We’ve
gotten into a routine that works," he says, "but I’m looking forward to being
home, so the three of us can be a family. " Any long-distance
commute puts pressure on a relationship, causing some couples to drift apart.
Being thrown in a rigorous academic schedule for one spouse and a demanding
career for the other, the stress intensifies, often distracting students from
their studies. Some schools offer students in these situations a
good deal of support. For faraway spouses, there are on-campus social events
when they visit, online communities, even involvement in alumni networks in
their home cities. But mainly B-schools try to make it easier for students to
take their partners along for the ride. They help families find housing,
preschools, or local employment. The decision to attend a
distant B-school is fraught(伴随着的) with financial and logistical problems.
Students also must decide if their families should stay or go. Either way,
schools try to accommodate them. "We have more than ourselves to think about,"
an MBA student, Cory Hrncirik says. "It’s a family-influenced choice. " From Hrncirik’s remarks we can say an MBA program is______.