Whats been only 3 and a half months since school began seems like a lifetime in itself. Already. When there’s so much happening, I guess its got to be that way. Let me see how I can best break this time down and talk about things that an applicant would like to know.
The first thing that strikes you about Goizueta and stays with you is that the whole Community thing is so amazingly true. Everyone out here helps you, guides you, becomes your friend. Without exception. You don’t just get a class of 170 friends, you get a whole community of alums, professors, program office and everyone else who want you to do your best. Now thats a huge responsibility. You better make them proud.
The core courses we have covered so far are Microeconomics, Leading Organization & Strategy, Data Decision & Analysis, and Professional Communication, and come December we will be done with Marketing, Finance, and Financial Accounting. In addition we have Management Practice that continues next semester. Thats a lot that we have already covered, come to think of it. How much did I learn ? I think I’ve done pretty well, though aided by the fact that Goizueta has a grade non-disclosure policy. Getting to actually learn an incredible lot from some excellent professors is one of Goizueta’s good secrets to know.
Lets talk about what you most want to hear – jobs. Yes, the second years are getting offers, and good ones. Some of my classmates have already bagged internships. For most of us in the first year, the internship search season begins from January, but the groundwork has been laid in the past months, and will continue well into the rest of this year. Is the picture rosy ? Not quite, but its still a great picture to be a part of. There’s this sense of optimism in all of us that also resonated from the second years when I reached out to them as an applicant last year. We all know its tough, but we all know we are going to get there. Each one of us will make it. Speaking of facts, there are probably more openings this year than the last, and the economy’s not an excuse anymore.
Atlanta. A special note to international applicants – the location of your school matters a hell lot. Almost every other week we have alums helping us out, formally or informally, coaching us about interviews and resumes and giving us a sense of their work after MBA. Its all possible only because a sizable number of alums fall enough in love with Atlanta to be based out of here. Then there are other frequent informative sessions and speaker series, as well as local company visits and treks, thanks to Atlanta being the hub for some great companies. And after a hard day’s worth of classes and assignments, Atlanta spoils you for choices for how and where you want to enjoy the rest of your evening. Every day offers the possibility of a party, and to say that we make the most of it is an understatement. Thats another of our well-kept secrets – we party hard. No kidding.
I wish I could turn this blog into a photoblog – that would reveal to you the rapport we share with our classmates. It has to be lived to be believed.
There are a few specifics I would like to discuss in my next post – concentrations, GMSC, and International Potluck. The current post on the school’s blog talks about one of the many resources school offers you for your internship preparation. This being the application season, let me know if there’s some aspect of the school you would like to hear more about.
Before I leave, here’s a rundown of things to cover this weekend – we have a number of group assignments due for finance, a marketing case analysis cum presentation for strategies for targeting low income consumers, a couple of management practice assignments for structured problem solving, a night long’s worth homework in accounting, mock interview preparations, etc. etc. etc. How do we manage to do it all ? For good measure, we have an awesome, grand party called Semi Formals coming up tomorrow evening, where the whole class is going to get together and discuss all the assignments. Umm. Not really. The night will speak for itself.
I’m writing to let you know that I’m alive, and kicking. We’ve been through an intense experience called Block B (popularly known as Block 2), which is anything but a stroll in the park. Exams begin from tomorrow and last until Thursday, and are we all so looking forward to that day !! Last few weeks have been the toughest, raising hundreds of questions in my mind as I continue to find answers to some of them.
Block 2/B is a once in a lifetime experience. Its particularly interesting because its not so bad as its made out to be, but it hits you at one point or the other. All the realities come pouring down to wake you up from the magical myth an MBA is supposed to be. Its not so bad. Its just, REAL. Face it and survive, without forgetting to enjoy the process.
I have a new found respect for Thursdays. You’ll know why if you are at Goizueta. Can’t wait for the next one to arrive !
Its evident : I’ve not had the time to blog. Don’t get me wrong, its not as hectic as you think. At least it certainly doesn’t feel that way when you’re having the time of your life.
What I realize is that if I don’t blog often, there’s more stuff happening here in a week than what my entire blog covers so far, and I wouldn’t want you to miss out on them. Hopefully my further posts wouldn’t be as few and far between.
Block 1 is over, and how. Great professors, awesome classmates, excellent study group, parties, alums, resumes, elevator pitches, NYSE closing bell, kegs, plan Bs, and .. more parties. I already miss the initial excitement that got us through Block 1. Block 2 is about survival. Its about settling in and figuring things out. Stretching yourself and revealing your top game.
Its exactly two months today since I came here, but it feels like a lifetime. A life that’s spent exactly the way it should be – learning, working, and having fun;all to the degree that only an MBA program can provide you.
When you fall in love with a school like Goizueta, its reciprocated in ways that will change you forever. With that thought, I need to move on to work on the Marketing case and wrap up Finance and Accounting assignments, and catch up with some sleep while its still dark outside.
See you soon.
You learn something new about yourself when you climb a tree high enough to get you dizzy and then walk out 5 steps on a narrow wooden board attached at that height in order to jump and catch a trapeze 2 metres away from you. When you see everyone in your group going ahead and giving it a shot. When you want everyone in your group to be successful when they jump. When you know everyone down there wants you to get rid of your fears and jump. When everyone around you is supportive of you doing your best. Thats the power of the Goizueta community. Its hard not to get overwhelmed by the experience.
Its just been 10 days since our orientation began and I can say without a doubt that coming to GBS has been the best decision of my life. I can’t be thankful enough to myself for having had the guts to go against the financial odds and months spent in apprehension about how things would turn out. The classes are yet to begin, but I know where I am now and where it can take me. The rewards are going to be endless.
You see how close knit people are here when alums who graduated years ago are ready to spend their entire evening talking to you about refining your elevator pitch, providing you with critical feedback and encouragement at the same time. You notice the intensity with which everyone from the school is involved in making sure you find your place here and that the time you spend here is invaluable in changing you as a person. When you get to meet 170 people who are going to be your family, 170 people who share the same Core Values, and you like them all so much that your biggest worry is how to find more and more time with each of them. Its also when you begin to realize why 170 is just the right class size for everyone to make the most of their time. When you get overawed by the cultural diversity that your Class has, the kind of strong experiences people have behind them, and the way it all comes together for each one of us to learn something new every moment that we’re here.
The orientation is officially over, with the last 3 days spent at WinShape, which has to be experienced to be believed. When you have to climb a 15 feet wall without ropes, you can’t do it without the help of your team. The excitement is not in you climbing the wall, but in helping everyone in the team do so. These are people you’re going to spend the rest of your semester with, and it gives you the confidence of being able to cross any such block that you may encounter in life.
Its time now to hit the party organized by the 2010s, before we get knee deep in assignments beginning Monday. The Class is ready to get their calibres tested in the coming weeks; but tonight, we are going to rock Atlanta !!
Our MBA program got officially kickstarted yesterday with a two hour welcome program for the international students. I’ll get to that soon, but let me first tell you about the way the last one week has progressed.
So its been hectic, but enjoyable. The MBA Program Office had arranged for an airport pickup for almost all the international students, and the week zero has been all about welcoming us and making sure that we can settle down comfortably. The Director of the MBA Program Office has been helpful beyond words. There were day long shopping trips organized throughout the last week for furniture/groceries/bank accounts/phone connections/SSN office and almost any place that a student wanted to go. We couldn’t have been made to feel more at home.
Over the weekend there were trips to some of the main attractions at Atlanta where we also got to meet other classmates for the first time. The laser show at Stone Mountain was amazing, and we did a CNN Studio Tour as well as enjoyed an unique experience at the Georgia Aquarium. By this time we were all set to start with the program, and all the international students got to meet each other at the school yesterday during the opening reception and it was an evening well spent.
Today was the second day of our orientation for the internationals where we received an official welcome from the Program Office and had our Class Introductions. We were made to think about our motivators and set our two primary goals for the next six months, just so that we work towards them and keep them at the back of our minds while we continue to absorb our MBA experience. The day ended with an introduction to speed networking, which is supposed to take place on Wednesday and is supposed to be pretty exciting.
The group of international students is extremely diverse, both in terms of nationalities as well as career backgrounds and interests. The group is small enough for us to get to know each other better, and big enough to span the entire world. I can’t wait to get to class again tommorrow !
We have all been assigned peer career coaches (from the Class of 2010) who have been helping us to refine our resumes before we send it across to the Career Management Center. So it won’t be long before we get sucked up into the flow of things. Time’s already beginning to speed ahead of us and we’ve just got started ! We’re in for some major fun 
Let me leave you with a few pictures of the Jenkins Courtyard – its such a great place to hang out with your classmates and enjoy the Atlanta Sun !
