"Admitted! I Can't Wait till I Can Quit My Job" Syndrome

This is great, thanks! And congratulations to you and your fiancee!!

Thanks!

Nink, great advice and hope you and your fiancee's wedding in June is better than awesome!

Good read, some very handy information there for MBA aspirants. Thanks!
Both you and your fiancee are graduating from awesome schools. Best of luck with post-MBA and post-marriage life

Kudos! Wonderful post Nink.

If I may add...
- Toastmasters is awesome for improving your speech and comfort of speaking in front of strangers, most likely there's a local chapter near most gmatclubbers.

Wonderful post Nink! Good luck to you and your soon to be wife. Enjoy the last few months at Yale.

Your story is inspiring especially when my husband and I have been contemplating our decision to go to different schools if same school is not an option.

I would add to the job section to keep copies of projects you did or calculate results on any initiatives (like sales numbers from a campaign you did etc) before leaving the company if you haven't already done so in the application process. I plan to keep a journal of my work activities over the next few months while the position is still fresh in my mind and I have access to specifics. Figure it will help when interviewing later on to recall details. Actually it's something I plan to do for all jobs going forward, it's easy to forget small accomplishments years later, but it may be something relevant to the job you end up pursuing

nink made some excellent points.

One thing I would add is about the social life in b-school.

As you may or may not know, "networking" is just another formal way of saying "making friends". Some are going to end up being close friends (even to the point where you may even be brothers from different mothers), some just merely friendly acquaintances.

However, what you want to just be aware of is how the social dynamic evolves over the course of 2 years.

I can't speak for every person who went to b-school, but at least in my own experience as well as others (both friends and past clients), is this:

In the first few months of school, it will feel like HIGH SCHOOL. Yes. High school. Not even college. After these few months (the first thanksgiving is usually the turning point), people do mellow out a bit, and there's far less posturing.

Everyone is insecure when they come into a new environment. Some students may know a handful of folks beforehand (i.e. went to the same college, worked in the same firm), but even then, few if any are really friends.

So just about everyone comes in with no real friends in the school.

And for some reason, it makes the group as a whole regress back to high school. We all get insecure, and we all want to be liked, and we all feel a bit nervous about "what if I don't make any friends?" or "I really want to establish my reputation" blah blah blah. Some may even inadvertently project their desire to be "that popular gal/guy" or the "man on campus" -- something they never really were in college or high school. Or trying to live up to some image of what a popular person should be, or trying to relive college days they never had.

Just know that EVERYONE, all your classmates, are feeling the same way you do in the first few months, no matter how much "posturing" some folks may do to overcompensate.

You'll probably even see some folks who try a bit too hard to be "that guy who everyone likes" or the "party central dude" or whatever. Or the guy who talks up a great game (whether they do it in a subtle or overt way) about their sexual conquests, name dropping as a way to show that they know important people, trying too hard to project that they're more outgoing than they really are, or even trying a bit tooooo hard to come across as more relaxed and chill than they really are.

But just know that it's all posturing. And you may even do it from time to time at a dinner party, drinking event, etc. Everyone is a bit insecure, and because it's been a while since you were "new" to a school (i.e. freshman year in college), for many of you, this will be the first time in a long time where you've been in an environment with a bunch of people roughly your age (because at work, you were likely one of a handful of youngins in a sea of old folks). As such, it's easy to even inadvertently assume that there's going to be a social pecking order (just like high school) and it's important to establish your social standing right away.

While there likely will be a lot of posturing (i.e. "look at me! I'm such a party hard dude!" or "I'm going to be that guy who has 500 of his closest friends from b-school over for a house party!") in an effort to outdo others in their extroversion, that will go away. People calm down. Most of us will eventually realize that no one in school really cares about that anyway, even if the initial insecurity of not knowing anyone may make one do some foolish things to get others to like them.

So long as you're normal and well adjusted, you WILL make friends. You WILL have a great time, without having to try sooooo hard to "network". So long as you're helpful to people without being overbearing, and you go to some social events (don't feel you need to go to EVERY one), you will do just fine. You may not make friends in the first few months, but a lot of people will be in the same boat, wondering where they should go on the weekends, who to socialize with, etc. Find a way to overcome that insecurity and just be yourself -- and you will find your place within the school with friends you love hanging out with.

Eventually, the people you really like will be your friends, and the people you don't like you won't have to really deal with them outside of academics.

And finally, don't take yourself too seriously. If you have a sense of humor about yourself, you'll likely get less stressed out in school, and you'll be able to also laugh at some of the absurdities and neurosis of some of your fellow classmates...

Just to add - you don't want to burn any bridges at your job.
1) This world is very small - I have known people who go rejected because of a bad reference from previous co-workers who happened to work in the new company
2) You may have to go back and ask for a job/internship - economy may do something funny again or you may find a VP position opening in your company
3) You may need a reference - if you had a really good relationship it can go a long way
4) It is best to have friends rather than enemies in any situation. "So long suckers" provides satisfaction only for a few seconds/minutes but a long lasting relationship can be a lot more rewarding

I have numerous examples about all 4 points above (some learned the hard way)

If anything, now is the time to show your leadership skills/potential and get perhaps a bit more risky in terms of decision making and responsibility. A good friend of mine was on a verge of being removed from one of the projects he was working on, so he stopped caring and was no longer concerned about staying and started making decisions instead of involving his boss every time, using his own judgement. Funny enough, he got promoted instead of being kicked off because he apparently demonstrated significant initiative, leadership, and motivated others to execute faster. He's been with that company for almost 20 years now.

Nink, I am not at the stage that you mention, but I do think that this is a wonderful post (as always).

Great points !!

Nink- Wish you good luck...when r u throwing party...

I'm at this point pretty much. Even though I haven't officially announced it, I'm going to be working at my job for another 2.5 months before I leave for school. I stopped cc'ing my boss on all the work I do; I made a lot more industry contacts at a recent conference I went to; I've basically been taking more initiative since I have less to lose now. It's an odd feeling but I'm enjoying it

Getting married in late May and taking a long honeymoon is going to be a great start to my MBA experience!

Great post nink!

Nink, Congratulations on the Engagement and upcoming wedding!!!

Thanks everyone!

Hahahha, this is SO true, and not just for MBA programs. When I attended Columbia for my MPA, I encountered the exact same scenario.

I'd agree with all of Nink's points...
However, would also like to let folks know that there are some schools (HBS, for sure -- but not sure who else) that discourage quitting.
In fact, when they found out, they told me to get another job while I wait for the September term to start.