Current Student Blogs : MBA Archive

bb · 2013-12-18T11:22:50-08:00

Current Student Blogs "The best advice I have ever received was from my fellow applicants" - this is a quote I hear almost daily from GMAT Club members. This thread is bringing you the latest and greatest from the MBA blogosphere! This thread will be a collection of Currently Enrolled GMAT Club member blog posts brought directly from their blogs. You can pick up what they have found to be worthwhile and understand what bSchool life is really about! Here is a list of users/blogs that are currently participating (want to add your blog? You can do it here ) 1. Stevenfuqua - https://www.stevensma.com/ 2. etoubes - https://reachingthethirties.wordpress.com/ 3. Whiplasher - https://oxonian2013mba.wordpress.com/ - The Oxford Comma 4. NewCardinal - https://sloanlife.com/ - Sharing my journey through Stanford GSB 5. Defying Gravity https://defyinggravitymba.blogspot.com/ - moving from Applicant to the Current Student Blogs - HBS 6. uwengdori https://joshatrotman.wordpress.com/ - Study. Exercise. Food. Toronto. Friends. All about life at Rotman. 7. Domotron - https://domotron.wordpress.com/ 8. Hamm0 - https://hamm0.wordpress.com/ 9. Sarahrs - https://sarahmbajourney.wordpress.com/ 10. Timbob - https://timbob101.wordpress.com/ 11. gamalhot - https://gmalhotra.com/ 12. gmat4IMD - https://captainimd.tumblr.com/ - A blog by former Ship Captain and Current IMD Student 13. J2insead https://journey2insead.wordpress.com/ - A Nigerian's journey to the Business School for the World 14. mybjourney https://fromjeanstosuits.wordpress.com/ - My Journey through the MBA 15. Yudanashi https://blog.davidbbaker.com/ - My journey to Oxford's MBA Program at the Said Business School. 16. bschooladmit20 - https://medium.com/@Natasha_Malpani - MBA’18 @stanfordbiz, ex-investor @bigsocietycap. Exploring the future of #media entreprenuership. See Also.... MBA Applicant BlogsCurrent Student Blogs "The best advice I have ever received was from my fellow applicants" - this is a quote I hear almost daily from GMAT Club members. This thread is bringing you the latest and greatest from the MBA blogosphere! This thread will be a collection of Currently Enrolled GMAT Club member blog posts brought directly from their blogs. You can pick up what they have found to be worthwhile and understand what bSchool life is really about! Here is a list of users/blogs that are currently participating (want to add your blog? You can do it here ) 1. Stevenfuqua - https://www.stevensma.com/ 2. etoubes - https://reachingthethirties.wordpress.com/ 3. Whiplasher - https://oxonian2013mba.wordpress.com/ - The Oxford Comma 4. NewCardinal - https://sloanlife.com/ - Sharing my journey through Stanford GSB 5. Defying Gravity https://defyinggravitymba.blogspot.com/ - moving from Applicant to the Current Student Blogs - HBS 6. uwengdori https://joshatrotman.wordpress.com/ - Study. Exercise. Food. Toronto. Friends. All about life at Rotman. 7. Domotron - https://domotron.wordpress.com/ 8. Hamm0 - https://hamm0.wordpress.com/ 9. Sarahrs - https://sarahmbajourney.wordpress.com/ 10. Timbob - https://timbob101.wordpress.com/ 11. gamalhot - https://gmalhotra.com/ 12. gmat4IMD - https://captainimd.tumblr.com/ - A blog by former Ship Captain and Current IMD Student 13. J2insead https://journey2insead.wordpress.com/ - A Nigerian's journey to the Business School for the World 14. mybjourney https://fromjeanstosuits.wordpress.com/ - My Journey through the MBA 15. Yudanashi https://blog.davidbbaker.com/ - My journey to Oxford's MBA Program at the Said Business School. 16. bschooladmit20 - https://medium.com/@Natasha_Malpani - MBA’18 @stanfordbiz, ex-investor @bigsocietycap. Exploring the future of #media entreprenuership. See Also.... MBA Applicant Blogs

uwengdori

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08 Dec 2014, 23:01

FROM uwengdori - Current Student: Rotman Engineers in Management Perfect 10 Mock Interview

Today, I had a chance to participate in the Engineers in Management Perfect 10 mock interview. I had a great chance to be interviewed by seniors who gave me great advices. The advices were straight and very informational. I wasn’t ready. Even though I have done so many interviews in the past, my interviews were very poorly done. This is something I have to pivot and adjust.

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08 Dec 2014, 23:01

FROM uwengdori - Current Student: Last assignment of the terms

so many things I wanted to do, so little time. Life is full of regrets. I know what the answer is, but I just don’t seem to try to earn it.

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09 Dec 2014, 11:00

FROM From Bench to Board (Fuqua): Advice to First Years: Take Lots of Risks to Expose Your Weaknesses

One reason for doing the MBA is to have the freedom to try things that you would be too risk-averse or time-limited to do working full time. It's like buying time - you can pay $50,000 a year for the freedom to learn and explore things about the world that would not be possible with a day job. It would be a waste to not fully utilize this opportunity to genuinely improve yourself during the two year degree.

Continue reading »

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uwengdori

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09 Dec 2014, 23:01

FROM uwengdori - Current Student: Finals ahead

(yes I drew that. I love drawing.)

I have to admit. MBA is tough. or it could be Rotman, but I have no data to compare relatively to other schools, so I will never know (I don’t think I will be doing another MBA at other school of course haha). Coming from electrical engineering, I thought I am pretty good at digging in and studying, but turns out I am not as good as I thought. Before you realize, you are already behind your studies due to group work and various school events which you must not miss.

I have to admit that I wasn’t always on track, but I have felt a need for the following:

1. Time Management

you really have to keep push yourself to get things done quick and fast.

2. Organization

There is just too much information to gather, collect and keep in track of.

3. Health

I literally can;t think if I sleep after 1am. After participating in one competition, I had to end up keep sleeping after 1-2am and that put me in a vicious cycle I couldn’t get out of.

I have to tell you, however. I knew it won’t be easy. What to do then?

You have to overcome your fears. Face it and fight, overcome what scares you.

More thoughts you put into things, more you become cautious and anxious. It gets worse when others’ inputs blind you from achieving your personal goal.

“Work on things as if you’re the master of the world, but listen to suggestions as if you have never done it before.”

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DefyingGravity

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11 Dec 2014, 20:01

FROM Defying Gravity - The MBA Journey: Congrats to HBS Round 1 Admits!

For those of you who got the golden ticket on Wednesday, congratulations! I still remember the sense of exhilaration and awe I felt after logging in to the portal and seeing "It's a yes!" It was a long journey for me, but it was definitely worth it.

A couple pieces of advice:

If you are deciding between multiple offers, go with your gut. Also, feel free to reach out to me (Send a PM on GmatClub, if you want to chat about the decision-making process).
Attend ASW. It's a great chance to meet other admits (some of the people whom I'm closest with now, I met during ASW).
Stay on top of the HBS checklist. There will be a million things you have to do between now and August, should you decide to enroll. The checklist felt never-ending (they'll continue to add new stuff). Pay attention and be mindful of deadlines.
Spend this weekend celebrating your success. You made it! You accomplished something awesome.

Whelp, I need to keep this post short. We're in the middle of both finals and recruiting, so there's a lot to be done.

Congrats again!

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uwengdori

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14 Dec 2014, 09:01

FROM uwengdori - Current Student: Final week of 2014dy

Final week of Term 1 Rotman is here. Frustrated? yes.

There was so much going on that I feel that I couldn’t use my time allotted appropriately (this blogging is an exception as I value keeping memories for my own good). Who knows, you just have to do your best.

Strategy, Finance, Accounting, and Statistics.

I will have to use my time as efficiently as possible in the next four days…plus 4 more days for personal training exam…oh man.

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sarahrs

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15 Dec 2014, 13:00

FROM Sarah's MBA Journey: Short and long term career objectives

For my Cambridge essay I have to write down by short and long term career objectives as a part of the personal statement. Easy enough I said, done it all last year. Wrote the essay, gave it to my friends to comment. The end result: I need to go back to the drawing board on career objectives.

The long term

The short term I’m fairly clear on, but the long term. Well that hazy, really hazy. So in my month of searching I’ve had several ideas from running a successful regional theatre, fixing the next Detroit, fixing tescos to being a business school lecturer.

As all the long term ideas are a bit crazy, I’ve gone for the classic wanting to work for the World Bank when I’m older.

Skills needed in the future

The next challenge is that I also need to be clear what skills I have and what I need for my future career. To help with that I’ve gone the for classic of trawling through guardian jobs and Linkedin and to find out what skills Chief Executives need; if only more of those jobs were advertised with person specifications.

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uwengdori

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25 Dec 2014, 21:01

FROM uwengdori - Current Student: End of Term 1

Perhaps known as the toughest term in the entire 2 years of Rotman MBA has ended (of course I heard it gets harder, but nonetheless).

It started with an excitement, and ended with a lot of learnings, enlightenments, and regrets.

I thought I will do a lot better than when I was an undergraduate with a fresh mind, and resolution, but I failed to overcome tiredness and anxiety that engulfed me during my term 1. My completion of term 1 wouldn’t have been possible without the help of knowledgeable and helpful professors, scholars, TAs, and my good friends. Professors were always more than happy to reach out and help, even the stupidest questions. I wouldn’t call it stupidity, but there is only ignorance, and lack of knowledge. School is here to evaluate and execute all your ideas without failure other than GPA. You don’t need to feel bad here as we are all researchers, students, and experimenters who want to accomplish and make the world a better place no matter which paths we take.

What went well:

Not giving up

What didn’t go so well:

Failure to maintain physical wellness
Failure to study as hard and prepare as well as I hoped for.
Failure to manage time

After the end of the last exam, statistics, we were greeted by 2nd year students, pizzas, and beer. Beer tasted fresh, cold, and…bitter. Taste left with anxieties and regrets of the past four months. Feeling of uncertainty, and that maybe I could’ve tried harder and better made me feel uneasy. Surely, there is no such thing as a certainty in our lives, but because we always find rooms for improvements, that’s why there are uncertainties.

I don’t really want to end this blog post with an old-fashioned, predictable words such as ‘ but there’s always hope, things will get better. I will try harder next time and stuff.’ But I don’t really know how to end this post to be honest. Such a boring post to write about especially when it’s Christmas.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

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uwengdori

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05 Jan 2015, 20:01

FROM uwengdori - Current Student: Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport

Finally, I had a chance to go to the new Goldring centre right beside Rotman building today. It’s also a part of an initiative for the Pan Am 2015.

First impressions:

1. Awesome NEW building.

Every.thing.is.new. WOW.

They even got dyson airblade in the change rooms with private shower stalls.

2. kilos for weights

I found it very awkward using dumbbells that have kilograms written instead of pounds (lb). Perhaps it is because to allow international sportsmen to use them at ease. They do have a conversion chart on the wall, but I had a hard time getting used to it.

3. Fat dumbbell grip

Also something that I felt uncomfortable although it gives a better performance from my understanding.

So far, not many people know about this place, but once it gets crowded, who knows how it might end up? but now that we got an exercise facility right beside our school building, it’s time to exercise!

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Whiplasher

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10 Jan 2015, 18:00

FROM The Oxford Comma: Post MBA: Week Six Mini Update

It’s now been exactly six weeks since the graduation ceremony that was held at the Sheldonian and I think it’s a good time to give a mini update on where things stand.

Housing

If you are planning to stay back and look for jobs after graduation, your first dilemma will center around your post graduation location i.e Oxford or London. There are pros and cons to either location and you should make the decision based on your situation. My initial impulse was to stick around in Oxford as it would have been much more convenient to move my things to another location in Oxford. Furthermore, I would have been able to use the library and other facilities in the business school. However, I found that it was really difficult to find short term housing in Oxford, and I reluctantly abandoned my plans to stay there.

I eventually wound up moving to South London with three of my classmates. London is more expensive than Oxford but it does have a few advantages. Oxford is very different from the outside world and after a year there, you can find yourself in a bubble. Moving to London in some ways feels like moving back into the real world and this can be useful in the job search process. I am also able to attend events and network with product managers in London by attending Meetups and I do not think it would have been as easy if I did not live here. The last reason may seem trivial, but it’s also an opportunity to live in London for a while and experience what the city has to offer.

I would say that in terms of numbers, approximately 20 students from my class chose to stay back in Oxford, while around 50 or so moved to London. The London numbers also include those who found work and hence moved there to begin their jobs.

Job Hunting

In the past six weeks, I have had three job interviews. One did not lead to an offer, while I am still in the interview process and waiting to hear back from the other two. The visa issue is frustrating as there have been three other companies in the UK that wanted to interview me but could not as they would have been unable to sponsor my work visa. I have had pretty good results applying to technology companies in Berlin. This is probably very specific advice to those looking to work at technology companies, but as Berlin is trying to establish itself as a hub for technological entrepreneurship in Europe, there do seem to be some opportunities there.

I have been speaking to my Indian classmates who are here looking for jobs and the good news is that many seems to be getting invitations to interview and are hopeful of receiving job offers. The economic climate has improved and things do seem to be better for our class than the batch before us. However, it is also true that a few have left and returned to India as they did not feel that their prospects were good. The standard for most business schools is to report the employment numbers three months after graduation. Hence I think it would be premature to pass judgement until then. I will give a jobs update in mid December and hopefully a clearer picture will emerge.

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Whiplasher

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10 Jan 2015, 18:00

FROM The Oxford Comma: Post MBA: Two Month Update

Many of my classmates and I have been receiving queries from MBA aspirants who are interested in applying to SBS. The questions are usually focussed on the career opportunities after graduating from Oxford. This is understandable as many of them plan to take on massive amounts of debt and cannot repay them unless they obtain employment in the UK/EU.

It’s very difficult to give a good answer to these questions as it really depends on a range of factors. The individual’s background is a factor, the position that they are attempting to shift into is a factor, the macroeconomic picture (which no one can predict, so please stop asking!) is a factor. I honestly feel that the best way to answer these questions is to look at the careers report of the business school. However, SBS will not update the report of this year’s class until April/May 2015 which is rather late. There is also the issue that the report is an average and does not break down the statistics by nationality, visa status etc.

Therefore, I have compiled a small report on the careers situation this year. I have done this by looking at LinkedIn profile updates and by talking to my classmates. I have restricted the report to the Indians in the class, but it’s representative of any nationality that requires visa sponsorship to work in the UK or EU. These numbers are not 100% accurate as I am sure there are a few who have received offers and have not made it public yet.

The sample size was approximately 45 students. I have only considered those who were interested in working in the UK. Some left right after graduating because they wanted to pursue opportunities in India and thus I am not considering them in this report. The 15% that you see in the chart are those who were pessimistic about finding jobs here and then left. Most of those who are employed, are working in the consulting sector.

The purpose of this report is to to accurately represent the situation here. Many seem to think that Oxford MBA graduates will have no trouble finding jobs but this is simply not the case. There is a lot of hard work required to find any job, let alone a dream job. I should note that almost everyone who is still here is interviewing with at least one company, hence I expect these numbers to improve in a month’s time. I will update these numbers at that time.

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uwengdori

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11 Jan 2015, 00:01

FROM uwengdori - Current Student: End of Term 1

Perhaps known as the toughest term in the entire 2 years of Rotman MBA has ended (of course I heard it gets harder, but nonetheless).

It started with an excitement, and ended with a lot of learnings, enlightenments, and regrets.

I thought I will do a lot better than when I was an undergraduate with a fresh mind, and resolution, but I failed to overcome tiredness and anxiety that engulfed me during my term 1. My completion of term 1 wouldn’t have been possible without the help of knowledgeable and helpful professors, scholars, TAs, and my good friends. Professors were always more than happy to reach out and help, even the stupidest questions. I wouldn’t call it stupidity, but there is only ignorance, and lack of knowledge. School is here to evaluate and execute all your ideas without failure other than GPA. You don’t need to feel bad here as we are all researchers, students, and experimenters who want to accomplish and make the world a better place no matter which paths we take.

What went well:

Not giving up

What didn’t go so well:

Failure to maintain physical wellness
Failure to study as hard and prepare as well as I hoped for.
Failure to manage time

After the end of the last exam, statistics, we were greeted by 2nd year students, pizzas, and beer. Beer tasted fresh, cold, and…bitter. Taste left with anxieties and regrets of the past four months. Feeling of uncertainty, and that maybe I could’ve tried harder and better made me feel uneasy. Surely, there is no such thing as a certainty in our lives, but because we always find rooms for improvements, that’s why there are uncertainties.

I don’t really want to end this blog post with an old-fashioned, predictable words such as ‘ but there’s always hope, things will get better. I will try harder next time and stuff.’ But I don’t really know how to end this post to be honest. Such a boring post to write about especially when it’s Christmas.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

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uwengdori

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11 Jan 2015, 00:01

FROM uwengdori - Current Student: Goldring Centre for High Performance Sport

Finally, I had a chance to go to the new Goldring centre right beside Rotman building today. It’s also a part of an initiative for the Pan Am 2015.

First impressions:

1. Awesome NEW building.

Every.thing.is.new. WOW.

They even got dyson airblade in the change rooms with private shower stalls.

2. kilos for weights

I found it very awkward using dumbbells that have kilograms written instead of pounds (lb). Perhaps it is because to allow international sportsmen to use them at ease. They do have a conversion chart on the wall, but I had a hard time getting used to it.

3. Fat dumbbell grip

Also something that I felt uncomfortable although it gives a better performance from my understanding.

So far, not many people know about this place, but once it gets crowded, who knows how it might end up? but now that we got an exercise facility right beside our school building, it’s time to exercise!

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sarahrs

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Joined: 13 Apr 2013

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Schools: Cambridge'16 (S)

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12 Jan 2015, 16:00

FROM Sarah's MBA Journey: Cambridge MBA application submitted

I submitted my Cambridge MBA application in on time. But do have to say I took a laziez faire approach to the whole submission thing. Even went to the cinema the night before for a movie preview. I have to say reapplying is just much easier, done most of the thinking and have a better understanding of the process.

The process

Overall the application form was easy to use and well laid out. Could only find one bug. Would only make one suggested improvement. Have the PDF preview button within the main application site. Who wants to press submit until they are ready?

Essays

There were more essays than they initially suggested. Instead of two I was expecting I ended up I writing closer to five. The career objectives essay was specially odd. Found it really difficult to write, took me seven drafts to get a story I was happy with. Even tried to get some hint and tips from the MBA consultants essay analysis; not convinced their approach was that useful with a 500 word count limit.

References

My reference is usually really good, and chasing needed. However had a look at Christmas Day and no submission or even opening of the link. Got a bit worried. Chased him on Monday and he said thanks the reminders, he just forgot to load it up. So people, do chase, send reminders to references, they don’t mind.

Conclusion

The Cambridge MBA tries to make the application straight forward. It’s something they have largely achieved.

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stevenfuqua

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Re: Current Student Blogs [#permalink]

13 Jan 2015, 22:00

FROM From Bench to Board (Fuqua): Is Getting An MBA Worth It?

Yes, that age-old question: is the $120,000 MBA worth it? Successful business people have both advocated and renounced the degree for reasons you've probably already read or heard about. Now that I'm almost done with my MBA, I figured it would be a good time to start thinking about this question. After all, any investor would want to know what return their getting on their investments. Education should be no different.
Continue reading »

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Timbob

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Re: Current Student Blogs [#permalink]

14 Jan 2015, 07:01

1

Bookmarks

FROM Timbob: First month at HBS

What. A. Ride. I’m only able to write this because I accidentally turned up half an hour early to something. My head is just spinning…

At HBS you’re an active participant. In everything. From class, to extra-curricular involvement, so with 100% Type-A personalities organizing a social gathering, the pace is relentless. It’s not like my undergraduate studies, and I already treasure the rare hour or two to myself I can allow myself every couple of days.

The first few weeks (edit: month and a half! Really?!) are everything I expected, and more. There’s been so much I could mention right now, and simply haven’t got room. I’ve been trying to decide how I can keep this updated in a sensible way as the initial rush begins to calm a little, considering my new workload. So I’m going to give a brief update and try and regularly cover a topic I think might be interesting to those outside the ‘bubble’.

HBS Baker Library from across the Charles River

Section Life

HBS is divided into sections, with roughly 10% of the class in each (currently 94 in mine). I’ve been allocated to the best section, obvs! The section becomes your academic and social center. All classes are taken together – a significant piece in itself due to the case discussion methodin use at HBS.

While the professors are truly excellent teachers, you’re meant to learn from each other as much as the professor themselves. It’s an engaging experience, and certainly no falling asleep in the back row (however much you may want to)…

We’ve recently discovered that there is no ‘science’ to putting sections together, no late night evenings with lots of coffee looking at the backgrounds of the 900+ students as we’d assumed up until now. They split the class into 10 equal parts, and the only consideration is to check for a roughly even mix of international students to US nationals. The amazing diversity of the class admitted each year does the rest for them, and so far it’s incredibly successful. The diverse background of my classmates is staggerring and much more different than I’d expected based on the traditional background of your typical MBA.

If you’re looking at HBS as a possible school, I strongly urge you to see a class if at all possible (ideally two differing subjects) and if not, at least watch the video above. The level of preparation is extensive, allowing the class to take a more ‘free-form’ discussion rather than a tightly scripted one.

As well as inside the classroom, your section becomes your social unit too, actively encouraged by the school – a close bond outside the classroom fosters openness and sharing within it. It doesn’t always happen and work out (there are always whispers and rumors of the ‘broken’ section), but usually it does.

It begins from the first day and we now have an elected president, treasurer, social chairs, athletic rep, international rep. Intra-mural sporting events within the class are competed between sections, party attendance is a competition between each section for the highest… competition seems to be a theme at HBS.

Looking ahead

So far, we’ve been what feels like an incredibly busy time. Apparently it is not. Extra-curricular activities are just kicking off, the recruiting season is now about to begin (we have been protected so far at HBS, unlike some other schools, but this is about to end already) and exhaustion levels look likely to escalate.

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Timbob

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Re: Current Student Blogs [#permalink]

14 Jan 2015, 07:01

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FROM Timbob: First Semester – Diversity and the Case Method

It’s been an unbelievable first semester at HBS, and I’m still catching my breath. The first semester is notoriously tough, and things become a little more about finding your own path in the second (Elective Curriculum, EC) year, once the first year (Required Curriculum, RC) is over.

After the opening of a new year I both have a little breathing space and time to reflect on 2014, as well as my first semester. I’m lucky enough to be on my way to China (via Thailand) for the first big installment of HBS’s FIELD program so I am writing this with the best view I’ve had in quite some time…

R&R before FIELD

With a semester down and a shocking 25% of the MBA course already completed, I can at least provide a little more depth on some of those things you probably wanted an insider’s viewpoint – I know I did – before you apply.

Attitudes and Diversity at HBS

A big one before I left, and like many I’d read this NY Times article. Would these be my sort of people? Would it really be a diverse experience? Well the answer, to me at least, is a resounding yes.

Almost every case we discuss seems to have someone with a background in that or a similar industry. Everyone seems to have an amazing range of interests, even those with a more traditional career background. There’s a really nice group of LGBT’s in my section, and a huge numbers of nationalities are represented by the flags at the back of our classroom. It’s certainly more diverse than the perception I had before I got to HBS.

In addition to the vast array of backgrounds, I have to say everyone is a whole lot… nicer and collaborative than I expected. HBS I suppose has a reputation as the a temple of capitalism and of representing the dog-eat-dog cutthroat corporate world. It is highly competitive for sure, but not at all costs, and there is plenty of kindness and great team spirit shown by my fellow students.

HBS classroom with a wide array of nationalities represented

Case Method & Grading System

The case method has gradually been adopted by many of the leading B-schools for at least part of their teaching – Harvard (as pioneers of the method) use it the most and teach virtually all their course material by the case method. I’ll readily admit that this doesn’t always make sense, with occasional classes away from the core content sometimes appearing to be ‘an exercise in disguise’. However, most of the material does adhere to the case philosophy pretty closely.

If you’re not familiar with the concept, this videodoes a pretty good job of explaining the preparation involved in this type of class. The chance to discuss, try out your own ideas and engage with the professors is highly valuable. I’m still stunned that my (at that point future) professors were greeting me by name in the week lead-up to first class – each professor learns by pre-provided photos the name of every student, along with their academic and career background, before the semester begins.

If you’re familiar with it or watched the video, you’ll understand how crucial class participation is. HBS pushes you, hard, to participate, and this can cause quite a bit of pressure. Grading (varies with course) of class participation is roughly comprised 50% of your final course grade. This consists of how much you’ve participated and whether you have made a valuable comment.

With 94 students in each class, the average is to ‘comment’ once every two classes or so. With grades allocated as a 1 – top 10%, 2 – middle 80% and 3 – bottom 10% of each class, the aim appears to be to identify extremes while reducing comparisons between the rest of the class.

The pressure while still unfamiliar with this system is intense in the first semester. As an international student I feel fortunate to have English as my first language in this context. The English of those with a second language is genuinely superb, just a slight lag in reaction times can cause students initially to be unable to get into the conversation.

On a positive though, many of those in the class have said to me that while this format is taught initially, it is the best language lesson you can get, and already seemingly fluent speakers now sound like native speakers.

There was a revealing insight from one of my professors in the last semester;

Even just five years ago, I walked into the classroom in the first semester and I usually knew who would be my ‘three’s’ [the bottom grade]. It was the international students, as their grasp of English left them at a significant disadvantage. Today, its not at all the same – the international students all have truly exceptional language skills and you often can’t tell who is not a native speaker

Verdict so far

The loan I have is the biggest financial liability I’ve ever had (excluding a shared mortgage) and the first statement caused my parents to ask if it’s a mistake. If you’re reading this you probably know what a commitment HBS is (and many other top tier B-schools are). In that context I have no hesitation in saying I have no regrets whatsoever in taking up their offer of admission. It’s a phenomenal place to be, and the experience is only just beginning.

P.S. Good luck to all those applying in R2 this year!

Next time: FIELD2: The adventure abroad

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gmatclubot

Re: Current Student Blogs [#permalink]

14 Jan 2015, 07:01

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