Lettie

It has come to my attention that there is an overuse of elevators in our society.  I came to this realization recently because of the number of people that use the elevators at Smith. A 4 story building that really anyone could use the stairs for to get to any floor but instead people use the elevator to go up one floor.  People even use it do go down one floor. I’m pretty sure, everyone should be able to take a flight of stairs down. I know there are situations when an elevator is needed, but most people could stand to burn the few extra calories and walk up the stairs.  It would also be an improvement for the environment.  It is a great way to conserve energy. At Smith the elevators are not even a faster option. People will wait almost 3 mins for one to come and then the elevators themselves are some of the slowing moving I have ever seen.  A person could most likely walk up and down all of the stairs in the amount of time it takes to use the elevator.  So in most cases I feel like people need to start using the stairs and stop using the elevator.  There are just so many reasons why it is the better choice.

I am now about to enter my last full week of classes, for what will probably be the rest of my life.  It is a very strange feeling to know that I will most likely never be in school again.  This is my last opportunity to act irresponsible and  spend whole days just golfing and drinking.  It is kind of scary actually to think that my life is most likely going to become mundane and redundant in the day to day.  I sure hope that is not the case.  While in school there are always new things to do and learn.  Always a new task to work on and your schedule each day is never really the same.  You also get to wake up when ever you want most of the time and are finished really early in the afternoon.  The days are short, and even though you are going home to just do work there is a still an element of freedom in the whole process because you are not sitting behind a desk and inside an office all day.  There is a small part of me that is happy it is the last full week of class, because this has been two years of hard work, but I think most of me is kind of sad about it and all the things I am going to miss.  Including my classmates.  I’m not good with goodbyes, although I should be use to them by now for the number of times I have done it, but I think it is always hard.  So I am spending my final days finishing up some last projects and trying to enjoy every minute of it since it will never happen again.

I love that it has finally been staying nice outside. This is such a great time of year because it isn’t too hot yet so that you forced inside for the AC. Instead you can spend a whole day outside and just take it in. Golf and drinking beer have been my two main activities for enjoying the weather. There is hardly anything better then sitting outside on a hot day with a cold beer. The weather certainly makes it even harder to be motivated to go to class. I have been good and still haven’t skipped one, but I am very much tempted to do so.

Some of my classes are down to only having two classes left. Amazing. The work is definitely starting to pile up again.  I keep telling myself that soon I will have nothing to do so I shouldn’t complain about the little bit I have to do now.

The class is starting to see the end and are coming out more and more to hang out with each other. So strange that many of these people I will never see again. It seems like we have all spent so much time together in such a short amount of time and now it will all end. Sad, but it happens throughout life I guess.

That is all the random thoughts I have for the moment.

One of the things that I have realized over the past couple of weeks is that even though I am back in school I’m not 21 anymore. Thank god for the most part. I’m glad that I know more now and do not act so irresponsible and immature, however it also means I can no longer go out every night of the week. Even every other night of the week is tough. I like my sleep. I like feeling good when I wake up in the morning and not like death. I also don’t recover as quickly as I use to so the feeling of death lasts a lot longer then it use to. Even though I know this and I have been experiencing it a lot lately it doesn’t stop me when making my decision on what to do with my evening. I just keep telling myself that school is going to be ending soon and many of these people I will never see again so this is my chance. It is also the last opportunity I have to act however I want. There is a limited level of responsibility right now, and while the demands on my time are high, I can still make the decision on what I want to do and what I don’t want to do. Since I do not see my social patterns changing in the near future I just need to figure out a new way to deal with it so that I am not perpetually exhausted. I’m sure there is a point in everyone’s life when they come to this realization, so it might not just be school it is probably also the age I am at. Whatever the case may be these past two weeks have really extenuated the point for me.

Lets start with spring break and the fun that we had. A lot of food and liquid was consumed throughout the week, games were played and a beautiful day of kayaking ensued. The weather was beautiful and although Paula Dean’s restaurant was a bit of a disappointment, Savannah itself was amazing. I almost think that I could live there. I think it was a great trip for my final spring break. I couldn’t have asked for more.

Now I’m back in school. Down to about  6 weeks. It is really hard to get motivated to do work! All of my friends are having the same problem. Group meetings have become 15 min long, discussion has come to a halt in classes because people aren’t taking the time to read anything any more and I’m pretty sure most people’s brains have shut down. That said I’m starting to really appreciate what I have been able to learn and the opportunities I have had while in business school.  The other day an investment banker came in and talked to us about the current state of the economy. A lot of the conversation was over my head but it was really great to hear the perspective of someone that had so much knowledge and experience in the area. I could think of at least a dozen people who would have liked to listen to this talk but it was an opportunity they don’t get. This wasn’t the first experience of this, just the most recent. There are time when we all complain about having to go to this event, or listen to this speaker, but really all of the opportunities we have been given are amazing. The resources we have had over the past two years are things we never would have gotten if we hadn’t gone back for our MBAs and I think that it is important sometimes to sit back a realize these things. It makes you appreciate the choices you have made and the time you have spent to further your career.

Its amazing how much your opinion of a course is based on the professor. This past 7 weeks I was in five classes. One has one of the top two professors I have had a Smith and even though the subject was not exciting I loved to pay attention and learn. I had another course that was providing very useful skills however it was hard to take away anything from the class or be involved in it because the professor was not very engaging. Over the past two years I have had a mix of good and bad professors and probably more that were good, but it is hard to get through a class or learn anything from it when they are bad. It often feels like both a waste of time and money. The good professors I have had have been smart, quick and able to keep the class entertained while talking. This doesn’t always mean being able to tell jokes or incorporate humor, it really just being able to keep the class engaged. I think I would take a class I didn’t really care about with a good professor before taking a class I really wanted with a bad one. Its good to know what you are getting in to before a class starts. Ask around about a professor and don’t waste your time with those that are not going to be able to teach you anything. There are so few opportunities to take electives while in MBA school, you don’t want to waste the opportunity to learn as much as possible.

My last spring break is almost upon us. I’m very excited and yet sad to know I won’t have the opportunity to act like a 20 year old again.  Or at least the last time it is going to be considered acceptable. A group of us rented a house in Hilton Head and our plan is just to relax and drink, play a little golf and eat a ton of food. All I have to do is finish up about 5 assignments in two days. Yes, once again I’m going to write about how busy I am because it is true however there is a sweet reward at the end.  And when I get back I will be in my final 7 weeks of school, ever. Going back and getting yet another degree is a strong possibility at this point. If for nothing else then getting to participate in even more spring breaks.

When I am in a class I often feel like I am learning, but as soon as the semester ends or even the moment I leave the class I question if I have actually learned anything. Its amazing how quickly I forget the knowledge that I just absorbed. This leads to me often wondering what I have learned since coming to get my MBA.  Has this really been a value add or am I just spending my time listening to people speak? When asked in the future will I be able to call upon this knowledge I supposedly have and be able to perform a task? I think part of the problem is when you are surrounded by people that are learning the same things as you, you do not see any advancement. Everyone is moving along together. It is also hard to just think about things you have learned when you are not applying it. Then events come along that require you to think about the knowledge you have gained or even actually apply it and you realize you have learned something. You are smarter then you were when you started school. You have not been wasting your time. I had one of those events today. I was rewriting a section of my cover letter and I had to think of relevant experience to fill a specific area. I had to delve deep into my brain and think of the experiences I have had and how it might pertain. I like moments like this because it makes me feel smart. It reminds me that just because I am surrounded by people with their MBAs it doesn’t mean that everyone in the world has one. It is unique and it has given me a base of knowledge that not everyone has. I like moments like this.

It has already come to that point in the year when the second years start passing on all their club duties to the first years. Elections are taking place and new faces are stepping into the leadership roles with grand ideas in their heads on how they are going to run things differently. This is the first real step in the second years participation in the program coming to an end. The second years have started to checkout. Next it will be doing homework assignments hours before they are due and eventually not even going to class everyday.  Senioritis is coming on in full force.  Second years are starting to plan tee times instead of group meetings and conference calls instead of meeting in person. Those that have jobs have really already started thinking about the future and not the present. As good as everyone’s intention might be in helping the first years transition into their new roles, many will never see the first year leaders again.  Our class has put in a lot of work and made a lot changes throughout the school. I believe that we deserve the break before we start again in our new organizations.

It is pretty amazing how quickly things go from being completely new when in business school, to ending.  The best part is, there is always potential for change to happen and there is always new drive and desire to carry it out. I’m glad that my responsibilities are over as far as extracurricular are concerned. I had some great experiences with the clubs, and I believe it is a huge part of being in MBA school, but I am ready to move on and give someone else a chance.

The semester started about 3 weeks ago and I have not had a minute to breath since. It started with the 2nd year MBA case competition that we all had to participate in. It counts as a one credit course. This year it cut into the end of our winter break, which no one was happy about. It started on a Friday morning and all teams had to turn in a written deliverable by Monday morning at 9 am. It was a long weekend at the school. My team was there somewhere around 35 hours in three days. Exhausting. On Monday night 4 teams were eliminated, we made it to the second round. This meant putting together a presentation Monday night to present on Tuesday night. All of this, while regular classes have started. I don’t think I had a moment to even think until the end of the week. On Wednesday night the final four teams presented their cases. My team didn’t make it that far. We weren’t surprised. We were all required to attend though. The experience wasn’t all bad. We did have some laughs, and it is always good to put your newly learned skills to use, but it was a lot to handle in such a short amount of time. Plus each member of the winning team received $1,000. I could have used that!

I kept telling myself, once the competition is over everything will settle down. It hasn’t. This is partly my fault. I am taking 5 classes in stead of 4 for the first seven weeks, so I am always either in class or doing work for a class. I was also co-coordinator of the local round of the Venture Capital Investment Competition so I was heavily involved in doing things for that the second week of classes. This past week was busy and I still cannot figure out why. The classes I am taking this semester just seem to have more work every week then I am use to. I think I just need to find my groove again and everything will be ok. Until then, I feel like I am running non-stop without a moment to breath. I’m already counting down the weeks to Spring Break. Not good. Especially since this is my last semester, I feel like I should take time to enjoy it. This will most likely be the last time that I am ever in school.

My advice to anyone looking to get an MBA, don’t over commit yourself and don’t try to take 15 credits when you don’t need to. It isn’t worth the time commitment.