The Next Episode

1 Quarter, 5 more to go...but I have a feeling they're going to fly by. Well, the next chapter- recruiting. At the GSB, interviews for summer internships begin at the end of January. Of course there are all of the company cocktail receptions, dinners, coffee chats, and all of the networking you do on your own initiative. This is the last week of my break and it damn sure doesn't feel like one. I'm reading a book called "Case In Point" to assist with my case preparation for consulting interviews. And because according to my colored-coded Outlook calendar there will be no time for homework during the first week of classes, I'm doing homework this week as well. I still don't feel rested, but oh well. Anyway, more to come...

One more final to go!

Today is the day of my last final for Fall quarter- Thank goodness!! It's been an extremely fast-paced quarter and I'm so glad it's finally over. They say it's the toughest. I hope that's true. Most of my classmates have made plans to go to South America for the holidays- Argentina and Brazil are the big favorites. For those looking for a more productive trip, MBA1 and MBA2 students are venturing off on more organized study trips- this year's locations are Israel, India and Pakistan, the Philippines, and Washington, D.C. for some of the international students. For two weeks, students will meet with CEOs of the largest corporations and top government officials of those regions. For next year, there is talk of going to South Africa. Definitely something to consider if you're applying to the GSB.

In other news, I'm saddened by the announcement from HBS' administration to no longer support the grade non-disclosure policy. Of course this has prompted questions around whether or not other schools, Stanford included, will follow suit. First, let me share some background on this from a Stanford GSB perspective, and then get to that question.

I don't know how other schools have implemented their grade non-disclosure policies. Here at the GSB, it is a student norm. That means that the grade non-disclosure policy is not owned by administration (I'm not sure what the case is for HBS). This is a student policy. We have discussed the policy at length with administration who have shared both sides of the argument with us. As a class, we continue to support grade non-disclosure and we're very passionate about it. (VERY!). So anyway, I feel as though the norm will continue, but that's only up to future classes.

It'll be interesting to how the students at HBS will react and if they will join us in making grade non-disclosure a student-owned policy.

If I don't get a chance to blog again for a little while, Have a safe holiday and good luck to the prospectives still waiting to hear from schools!

Long time no hear from...

School is rough. People told me, I didn't believe it. I've never been busier in all of my life. I haven’t blogged in a really, really, really long time. And it seems that I’ve finally found the time floating 30,000 feet in the air returning to school from the Thanksgiving Holiday. But to be honest, there really isn’t time now. I was supposed to be studying Data & Decisions on this flight, but the sheer thought of statistics causes an intense pain in my jaw and temple. Statistics and I have a love-hate relationship minus the love. In any case, I guess now’s a good time to update the world on what I’ve been up to…

First, midterms, midterms, midterms….

So we had them, and no I don’t want to talk about them. Just know that Stanford is intense. In three days, I had three midterms and a final- D&D, Economics, Financial Accounting, and the Organizational Behavior final. OB is only a half quarter class and I miss it. Modeling was a take home. So midterms were Mon-Wed. and then classes just kept right on going on Thursday and Friday. With one new addition….Meet the Company sessions.

Now it’s nice to go to a school where the career management center has to keep potential employers at bay. Companies can’t present to us until after midterms, just so that they and we know that Stanford is about academics first. Meet the Company sessions or MTCs are held pretty much every day during lunch and at 5:15pm. Not that Brown Bag Lunches and other club meetings are happening during the same time. Every day, I wake up, look at my Outlook calendar and have to figure out all over again what matters most to me and why. I simply can’t go to everything.

The week before Thanksgiving was pretty cool. Former Secretary of State and Retired General Colin Powell spoke at the GSB and I had the opportunity to shake his hand and take a picture with him. For many of us in the Black Business Student Association, the experience was surreal. Mr. Powell was one of the biggest role models that black youth had in the 80s and 90s and to meet him was….something I never expected to experience while in business school. Really makes me wonder what other unexpected surprises are around the corner.

In other news, I was elected to the Career Management Center Student Committee. And, as if the MBA program isn't keeping me busy enough, I just got accepted in the Joint Degree program with the School of Education here at Stanford. So I'll (hopefully) graduate with and MBA and an MA in Education.

That’s it for now. Two more weeks of classes and then a week of finals. Then I’m off to Costa Rica and DONE with first quarter!

1 more week until midterms...

Yeah, it's still on, popping, and crucial here at the GSB. By now, the first years are mentally split into two categories....one group is still sacrificing every evening and weekend locked down on the books, and the other group has decided that what will be, will be- the GSB is bigger than understanding that average cost equals marginal costs in a perfectively competitive environment where firms can freely enter and exit, and that in other cases usually marginal costs equal marginal revenue. Sorry, that was for my own studying purposes. If you're wondering, I'm a proud, card carrying member of the second group....

Now that doesn't mean I'm not studying. We have a take home midterm on Thursday for modeling, Accounting midterm on 10/31, Data & Decision and Organization behavior midterms on 11/1, and Economics on 11/2. And did I mention that my birthday is 10/30??? Hell yeah, that sucks.....

Two weeks ago I made the decision to attend the National Black MBA conference, which was phenomenal!!! I'm so glad I decided to miss classes to go. The most disappointing thing was that most companies have already figured out what work an MBA should do in their respective organizations, and when your career interests lie outside of that, they a) want you to conform, or b) look at you as if you have two heads. As if MBAs couldn't be interested in anything beyond management consulting, investment banking, supply chain, or brand management. Yes, it's that specific. Ridiculous....

Anyway, back to studying. Congrats to all the R1 applicants for getting your application submitted and good luck. I know the wait can be painful. Spend some time with your family and friends while you wait b/c (hopefully) next year you'll be incredibly busy and won't be able to.