Bold and Beautiful

Arrrrrr and To-Ga To-Ga party

2006-10-02T18:47:00.000-07:00

Well finally the mid terms are over!! Last mid term was on Friday and there were 3 assignments due on Sunday night so weekend was really hectic too. But we at Ross adhere to the study hard, party hard mantra. So in line with the mantra there was a "pirate party" and then "Toga party at the Hill house" on Friday evening. I have never attended a theme party so this was my first experience. Pirate party saw people dressed up as pirates, gypsies and even native Indians. Drinks were flowing freely! Then there was the Toga party. I really won't do justice to the party if I start describing it. All I would say that there were around 200 people all dressed up in Togas even when it was really chilly outside. And besides a minor "wardrobe malfunction" every one enjoyed getting trashed after a hectic week. Needless to say that I highly recommend a Toga party if you are thinking of a theme party!

Back to work now!

So it starts and mid terms are already here

2006-09-19T08:19:00.000-07:00

This post has been long due but I have been overwhelmed by all the things that I have to juggle to just keep my head above the water. I really wanted to write a lot about the orientation program coz I think Ross did an excellent job at it. But coz of time constrains I think I will just skim through the topic and give my readers an idea of what my life has been these days. Lets start at RLP:
A) Ross Leadership program (aka orientation week): In keeping with the "leading in thought and action" spirit, Ross organized a whole week of leadership orientation. The idea is really novel and there was a lot to learn. The week started with a whole day lecture on leadership by Prof. Susan. Quite a lot to learn special on the whole premise that leadership can manifest itself in many forms. Then came the most interesting part of the orientation (and the big differentiator too). We had a session on the power of "full engagement". The idea is that it is not about time management, it is all about energy management. We actually had a nurtionist telling us what to eat and how to snack healthy. And there was personal trainer who gave us a session on how to stay healthy. Most of the week was spent on networking with classmates and learning/honing leadership skills.
B) First couple of weeks : I am taking 4 courses these term (7 week per term) so life is a bit of roller coaster ride. I was able to waive out of accounting. I am doing Economics, Finance, Statistics and Strategy. Pretty basic courses but all of them are really very interesting. Frankly, the professors are just AWESOME. I am still debating if the finance prof or the stats prof is my favorite. I really like finance or so I have discovered. I am actually going for a lunch with the finance prof today (coz I was a smart ass in one of the class).
C)Companies and corporate presentations: MBA is surely not for the weak at heart. We had companies on campus starting first week of classes. And all of them have their corporate presentations in the evening and boy o boy you need to actually be dressed formally to meet them. Guess what just taking classes was not challenging enough, they had to add the company presentations to add to the thrill. Bring it on baby!

Overall, I felt really overwhelmed in the first couple weeks but it has been pretty good so far. Mid terms are scheduled for this week so we will come to know if I really managed my time well or was it just a mirage :)

Accounting exam done!

2006-08-23T19:27:00.000-07:00

Phew! It was a hard one though. I expected it to be easier but I am hoping to pass out of it. After a whole week of accounting, I don't think I have it in me to take another term of accounting. My class schedule is out and the semester seems really loaded. I am taking 15 graduate level credits this semester which are pretty hectic by any stretch of imagination.

On a lighter note, I have been attending a lot of socials. I have been in AA for only 2 weeks and I have already checked out 3 bars and two house parties. We went to this really popular bar today called Dominicks. It has the best Sangrias I have ever had. I can see myself hanging out there more.

Rest later, got to be in school at 8AM tomorrow.

The first week of bschool

2006-08-19T12:59:00.000-07:00

Actually the school hasn't officially started yet but I am taking the preterm accounting class. The class is an intense, fast paced accounting course meant for people who want to get out of the accounting course later. Almost one third of my class is taking this option and I think having this option is really awesome.

So far my first week in Ann Arbor has been really fun. Here are some of the things that I found interesting in my class (ofcourse most of the times I compare things with my computer engineering grad classes):

A) Numbers: Suddenly all the numbers we deal with are in billions :)
B)Instructor dress code: I still remember my first instructor in Wisconsin. He wore a green shirt, shorts and open sandals to class with his sunglass still on his head. My instructor for this class wears button down shirt and a tie all the time.
C)Diversity in the class: And this one is a big one. I am really amazed by the vast spectrum of profiles of people in our class. We have engineers, consultants, accountants, sales people, chemistry post docs, non profit kind of people, lawyers and even public speaker for some senators. It has been interesting discovering the background and work experiences for all these people and remember these are less than one third of the class.
D)Drinking: Not to over emphasize the role of drinking in bschools, there were three drinking events past week. I attended one of them and did more networking.

Overall, I have been really happy with my experiences so far in Ann Arbor. Except for the early morning classes, I think AA would be a enriching experience.

A short note on housing. I bought a condo in Ann Arbor and I am enjoying the pleasures of being a home owner if you know what I mean.

Breaking up after 4 years

2006-07-13T22:37:00.000-07:00

I finally made it official today that I would be leaving at the end of the month. The send off lunch has been scheduled for next week and I am working on offloading my responsibilities to others. You know starting a MBA is an exciting phase of your life but the transition period is not turning out to be that much fun.

It is almost like going through a second breakup. You had put all this effort to land yourself into a good job and spent countless hrs trying to make a mark at workplace. You know what to expect each day and you know how to handle people. You know what color the carpet is and which vending machine has your favorite snack. The drive to work is also mechanical...such a regular activity that you solved the shortest path problem long back. You have settled in this long relationship after a tough courtship. And then with just one email you alienate yourself from this world of comfort. Suddenly the cubicle seems all strange and hallway conversation sound so boring. Your mind is not there anymore. All you are interested in is the black hole called MBA life for there are better promised beyond that. While you run to arrange for an accommodation, think about student health insurance and all the zillion errands you have before you leave, people around you are basking in the comfort of their regular routines. It is an unsettling feeling to say the least!

MBA and the dilemma of the ring

2006-06-29T13:04:00.000-07:00

As if MBA had not already raised a volley of questions in my life, there is a new dilemma lurking around the corner. The question this time is what to do with THE RING when I start school. Now you would ask what is the dilemma there. Consider this, I was sitting and having lunch with a senior from Ross and she started talking about how she never wears her ring to class or company presentation. Her rationale is that people don't need to know that she is married. She is going to IB and supposedly people really question your commitment to work if you are married. And she didn't want to go through this hassle.

And then I read this blog some where this gal had a different rationale for not wearing her ring to school. She didn't want any of her class mate to feel offended by the size of her diamond. So much for making every one feel equal!

Now I am not sure if I want to change my marital status when I go back to school. I can understand that some companies might be skeptical if I tell them that I want to stay in Chicago when my hubby is in NW. Plus I know guys do drop you like a hot cake when they see the ring.

But then it comes down to this. Do I really want to work for a company that judges me by marital status? And should my class mates qualify and write me off coz of the size of my diamond? Don't we immigrants already get judged by so many superficial parameters beyond our control?

Anyway, I was humored by all this discussion and I have decided to wear my ring to class.

Accounting Preterm Course book

2006-06-20T16:07:00.000-07:00

For fellow Ross students who plan to take the accounting preterm class, here is the book that would be used (according to Prof. Wright):

Easton, Wild and Halsey
Financial Accounting for MBAsSecond Edition
Published by Cambridge Business Publishers.
ISBN 0-9759701-1-9

It is available online through the publisher at
http://www.cambridgepub.com/

Prof. Wright also said, "I believe you will want to specify that you are a University of Michigan
Ross School of Business student, since they package an appendix to one
of the chapters with the textbook that we use. However, if for some
reason you obtain a copy without this attachment it is not a problem
because I can provide you with a .pdf file version of it.

We will cover the following material from the textbook:

Module 1 and 2
Module 4 to page 7. Module 4 pages 11-15.
Module 5
Module 7 to page 9.
Module 2, Appendix 2b plus the attachment provided by the publisher on
Statement of Cash Flows that I mentioned
Module 3 (but not in detail... simply skim it)."

By the way, I found the book on Ebay for just $25. Everywhere else is for at least $80.

And here I am ....

2006-06-18T22:34:00.000-07:00

It has been really hard to get myself to update this blog. The whole excitement of school and all the preparation that I need to do is taking the best of me. Still I want to take time and update every one on my status. Here is what I am doing on various fronts:

A) Lehman Event: Nope I didn't make the cut. Hoping Vidhya and Marina would have a good time there. This would have been a great opportunity for me to learn about IB and also meet Marina. Oh well! One door closes and ten windows open. I want to attribute my failure to the lack of financial backgnd. This makes it clearer than career switch is not an easy task and I would really have to work hard at it. I am ready for the challenge baby!Bring it on!

B) Career assessment: As a part of the whole summer of introspection, I took the career leadership assessment and was might please with the results. If you believe the results, then I have very high general business index (whatever that means!). And I am "high" match for consulting, tech management and IB. That was exactly what I wanted to hear. So some relief there. I am not looking to move into IB. Consulting is my first priority and then tech general management is equally enticing. I would love to come back to Google or Apple for a general management position (and replace Larry Page or Steve Jobs :)).

C) Shopping for laptop: After an extensive research for the ideal laptop, I think I am going to settle for the IBM Z60t (2Ghz Core Duo, 1G SDRAM, 100G). Michigan has this really sweet deal on this configuration. $1500 for the HW including 3 year warranty. This is a steal. For those who are still researching a laptop, send me an email if you want to look at my excel sheet. I compared around 10 laptops from IBM, Dell and Sony. I really wanted a Sony Vaio but 15 inch FE series just doesn't look cool. So I am settling in for the trusted Lenovo brand.

D) Reading: I am really trying to get all the summer reading done. The last book I read was monkey business. It is an endless tirade of two guys who didn't enjoy the whole IB experience. I would recommend this book even if you are not looking at IB. It gives a very good introduction to the field and if you can get past the cribbing authors, it is an interesting book to read. Now I am onto Liar's poker. Plus a daily dose of Wall Street Journal. I found this deal at wsjstudent.wsj.com. $11 for 15 week subscription.

So there you go. Relaxing summer with some focus on reading, trying not to obsess too much about my career move and getting ready to meet all my wonderful classmates. So excited to be a part of the Ross community!

Why Michigan? Part I

2006-05-19T16:01:00.000-07:00

This post comes after a long hiatus, but I really had nothing to write about. Like many other fellow bloggers commented, it is a lull period for most of us. We are all just waiting for school to start.

Past weekend was full of excitement for me though and one that also inspired me to start this series. Before we dwell into the details of this post, let me explain the title and what I intend to achieve with this series.

When I started researching schools, I was quite confused by all the information available. There were 10 good schools I was looking at and at the end of the day they all had some form of 'hands on experience' project, excellent faculty and a great student body. However much people might talk about the distinguishing factors, you really can't funnel them down based on these parameters. And this is where some inside story could have helped. I could have used some help from current students and learnt from their experiences. While I did meet some students at Wharton, Kellogg and Michigan my wedding preparation took the best of me. Being an internet buff, I would have liked some more inside stories without having to go meet the students personally. Anyway, so with this in mind I intend to write this series as a students perspective of what is good and bad about Ross as I go through my Michigan experience. I will try to stay as objective and terse as possible all the while ensuring that I still get my point across well. The first post comes with a positive note.

Pro Michigan:
A) Support: Lehman Brothers recently announced a workshop for women who are investing career opportunities in IB. I got this information on Thursday and the last day for submission was the next Monday. With so little time at hand, I had to make some last minute changes to my resume to suit it for a Finance workshop. From computer architect to investment banker???? It is a tough bridge to make. But thankfully, Ross Career development center offered to help students over the weekend. I managed to upload my revised resume by Friday night and what followed completely changed my perception of Ross.
Kristina Nebel, director of OCD @ Ross, personally took out LOTS of time over the weekend to review and completely revamp my resume. We went back and forth over the two days working on changes and redrafting the resume. This was really amazing. The dedication, the commitment, the support overwhelmed me. And consider this, my getting selected for this workshop would not be tracked in any employment metric at OCD, would not improve Ross ranking, would not even show up on any one's radar. And still it was important to OCD.

All I could say at the end was:
Go Blue!!!!

Consulting or I-Banking ??

2006-04-24T14:27:00.000-07:00

GBR was really fun. For those who missed out, here is a recap of GBR. And ofcourse, the banner above is from Class of 2008 and I am some where in there :)

On a more serious note, every one at GBR stressed the need to sit down and do some introspection during the summer. The next two years are going to shape the future so you really need to know where you want to go.

Now some thing more interesting happened at GBR. I was sitting on the lunch table with a MBA1 student and pretty soon I could see the match in our personalities. And we hit a long conversation about life, about being a go getter and pre/post MBA career. She is transitioning into I-banking and at present, I am looking to move into strategic consulting for a career. But she sent me an email later advising me that I should also look into I-banking. She thinks that my personality is better matched for I-banking. I have been really good with maths (my dad is a maths lecturer) so finance might be my thing, but we will see.

So here is a question for all my readers. What are the different career related books that I should read to access if I am making the right choice. She recommended:
A) Liar's Poker
B) Money Business

If you have more suggestions, toss them my way.

Go Blue Rendezvous

2006-04-09T17:16:00.000-07:00

Past week was the welcome week at Ross, Ann Arbor. My husband and I attended this fabulous event spread over three hectic days. Although it is really hard to capture the whole experience in words, I will still try to give you a feel for how GBR went.

We arrived really late Wednesday night and checked into our hotels. Because of the time change, we had hard time getting up in the morning of Thursday but I was really excited about GBR. I had already sent in my acceptance so I wanted to use this opportunity to meet my class mates and really get a sense of what was in store for me in August. I have to admit that I was also unconsciously looking for a reaffirmation for my commitment to Ross and a sense of belongingness to the school. I wanted to ensure that I had made the right decision by accepting my call. At the end of the week, not only had I made many new friends but also felt really confident that I was in safe hands. Let me share with my readers how the various activities went:

Thursday : Day 1 started off with set of customizable events to "co-create" your experience at GBR. This included registration, pre-career consulting sessions, financial aid sessions, and meeting with various clubs. I had already signed up for a pre-career consulting session with a MBA2 student who would be joining McKinsey in April. I wanted to get an idea about how to start my career switch into consulting. It was really reassuring to know first hand from another career switcher that it was really not hard. All I had to do was just join the consulting club and participate in all the activities that the club hosts. That should not be hard!

Rest of the day was spent networking with some of my class mates and current students. The highlight of the day was the dean's welcome address. Dean Dolan is an absolutely convincing speaker. He highlighted how things are on the upswing at Michigan with some great faculty and a new building coming up. He stressed on the whole action based approach that is unique to Michigan and how MAP was the best thing that could ever happen to you. The other key note speaker was Ross alumnae Mary Haben, VP @ Kraft Foods. She theorized that there are three types of people: One who just dream all day, another set who just work hard all day without giving much thought to where they are going and what they want to do, and the third set of people who take some time to think about what they want to achieve and then strive to achieve it in the day. She tied the last set of people to Michigan's principle of "leading in thought and action". She also said that Ross people are respected in the industry for their intelligence and humbleness. Rest of the day was spent with my student host at a cookout party and then at the Casino night event. Casino night was fun but I was really drained so I had to call it a day.

Friday: Day 2 began at 8:30AM with a miniature version of MAP (multi-disciplinary action program). This event was my favorite part of the whole trip because this really gave me a feel for MBA life. We were divided into teams with people I had not met and were assigned a problem to solve. This was a terrific team activity and kind of an eye opener for me. My team had a couple of marketing people, a consultant, a sustenance person, a talent agent and myself an engineer. There was overwhelming amount of information and limited time to solve the problem. And it gave us a true flavor of team based action oriented learning. The second highlight of the day was the class room experience. I took two classes: finance and corporate strategy. I was impressed by the caliber and the teaching style of the finance professor. In the strategy class, we discussed a case about Ryan airlines (similar business plan like South West Airlines). Both the classes were really fun. At night we went to a club and met all the "clubs" at Ross. This was an excellent opportunity to explore Ann Arbor and also to network more with the admits, current students and the alumni. Drunk and exhausted I don't remember when I came back to the hotel but it was really late :)

Saturday: Saturday was a easy day with a presentation from the career development office on how they help students at each and every step. What really impressed me a lot was the fact that at all these events, there were always some current student or alumni present to share their stories and collaborate the facts being presented. Students spoke about their experiences at MAP, about the job search process and about the support that comes from the huge alumni base. There was a whole alumni panel discussion later to show support for Ross admits. Michigan has the largest living alumni base and I think the most loyal too. School spirit seems to be really strong in every one and there was connection that I could feel. The cherry on the toping was the fun closing ceremony. Friar's from the Michigan Glee club made a small presentation on life in Ann Arbor, a current student wrote a song especially for this occasion and at the end every one got up on their feet and sang "Hail to the Victors!". This was the moment of a life time.

In all, I was really impressed by caliber of my future classmates, current students and the faculty. I was also impressed by how the students and the faculty worked hard to ensure that the admit students can really get a feel for life @ Ross. Oh not to mention, the BEST food I have ever had at any catered event. There was food at every event and the receptions had everything from best liquor, to yummy sushi, to fountains of chocolate and sangria from the best place in Ann Arbor. Hail to the organizers!Hail! Hail!

Ross Distinguished Scholar!!!

2006-03-26T22:34:00.000-08:00

Yay!! Got partial tuition waiver at Ross. $20,000 per annum. Considering that I am an international student, and that too an Indian with technology backgnd this is really kick ass. Didn't expect to get this extra help :) Not bad, huh.

Is MBA overrated?

2006-03-17T20:36:00.000-08:00

This is a very thought provoking article from Business week. The gist of the article is that an MBA degree from a top10 school doesn't guarantee a spot in the stratosphere . To reach such echelons requires hard work, time and effort. Some keys stats were:
A) Only 1/3 of the top exec at S&P 500 are MBA
B) And 2/3 of these guys got executive MBA

But an interesting point in favor of MBA was that in general people with MBA degree took home 19% more salary than their non MBA peers. Learnt a lesson today : While MBA can only open the door, to reach the stars would still need lots of hardwork.

Weekend of mishap

2006-03-08T21:44:00.000-08:00

Like many who are trying to kill time before school starts, I have been desperately looking for things to keep me busy.I hate free time and become too ansy if I have nothing to do.

One of the ways has been by trying new sports. Well I tried my hand (and mark my words here) at skiing. Things were going really good till this past weekend. I was almost ready to give up the bunny hill and progress to the next level. I am coming down the bunny hills with my hubby all amazed at my progress and cheering me when suddenly I lose my attention for a nano-second. Next thing I know is that my pole got stuck in the snow and stabbed my elbow, dislocating it in the process. An Olympic gold medal performance but lost it all at the last moment :(

Now I might have to wear a brace to the welcome week @ Ross. And boy, I hate that :(

Selling a Bschool

2006-02-28T16:03:00.000-08:00

I am really amazed by how aggressively the bschools try to sell themselves. Ross, for instance, has contacted me in four different ways in the last month to ensure that I join them. Well I have already made my mind about Ann Arbor but still it feels good to be valued like this.

Firstly, I received the call from the admission director announcing my admit. Then there was that congratulatory email with "hail to the victors" music. If that was not enough, the admissions folder was very nice and uplifting. Within weeks of receiving the folder, I was contacted by a current student to ensure all my questions about student life at Ross are answered. Then the Indian student club at Ross sent out a welcome email. Last but not the least, this weekend I got a call from an alumni in the area. He is a director with HP and came across as a very helping, down to earth person. He had read my resume and knew my back ground. And we chatted for some time about life after Ross and what the job prospects are in my own local area. I am already making new contacts and I am loving it. This is really a nice sales strategy and I am completely bought into the idea of attenting Ross.

I am wondering if other schools are also this aggressive. Or is Ross just trying to make a mark here? Do other schools also try to sell you all dimensions of student life? Is there some thing else that Ross is not doing? Wow I really can't think of some thing else.

For those who are still waiting to hear from their dream schools, trust me the wait is worth it.

Can't wait to attend the welcome week in April now. Go Blue!

MGalBlue and MGalBlue Jr.

2006-02-16T16:34:00.000-08:00

:) Its official now. My sister got an admit from ECE department at UMich. This means both of us would be in the same school at the same time, graduating at the same time. How cool is that :)

It has been 9 years since I spent some quality time with my sister. Now we can have 2 years of sister time :)

I am sooooooooooooooooo happy that its really hard to concentrate on anything else. Also Michigan is really good for Biomedical engineering and so she would have a great career....MGalBlue sisters rock!!!

The winning attitude

2006-02-13T23:24:00.000-08:00

The winter Olympics have got me hooked on to the TV. And all I can say is that the gold medal goes to those who play hard, those who overcome all the previous years falls and rise up to the challenge......just like the figure skaters from Russia and China. Hail to the spirit of the victors! Hail to the victors! Hail! Hail!

Why MBA?

2006-02-09T15:45:00.000-08:00

So I can :
A) have a corner office
B) get a C-level job
C) buy a yacht for my hubby
D) walk around in my office late at night and feel contented that I raised this organization to where it stands today
E) become famous and have my pictures in the newspapers to make my mum happy

Not asking for a whole lot, am I??

Musing about the life ahead

2006-02-04T21:12:00.000-08:00

Last couple of weeks have been a period of deep introspection for me. Some times, I allow myself to feel happy and excited about the post MBA prospects. But then some times the fact that Ross is not a top 5 school gets to me. I need to take a side now and stop thinking about it.

I have done my home work talking to people about how the school is viewed by the recruiters and the industry. No surprises there! Every one said that Ross is good school and Ann Arbor is a great place. But the recruitment profile portrays a different story. It is not the same as Wharton. There is no doubt that every one respects Ross position as a great general management school. But not the best for consulting. Or at least not equally good.

That brings me to the next question: what do I want to do? Yeah I know I am suppose to know all this before I embark on my MBA. But do people really know what they want to do? I mean isn't it the whole idea to explore and broaden your horizon. To start school with some perception of where you want to be and then explore all the other opportunities. I don't want to start school with a fixed mind set because that defeats the whole purpose. I can see myself going into consulting because I like problem solving and as an engineer, I have great analytical skills. But then finance is some thing I have never tried. May be my penchant for maths makes me really good in finance. Or may be not. I am going to school to learn, and develop good foundation in the subject of my liking. I need the skills to run an organization. I am going to use this opportunity to learn more about myself. And on this journey, I need to learn from my comrades too. But does it really matter which school I attend. From what I have described as my intentions for an MBA, the answer is no as long as the school can offer me an intellectually challenging environment. And that should be there in any top school.

This rambling is going to continue till I start my school and then I am sure I would forget about everything and just enjoy myself. Till then, I am going to ponder ......

Some useful advice

2006-01-25T12:32:00.000-08:00

I found this post on Chunky Pitbull's blog and it sounds like good advice. Didn't mean to plagiarize the content but wanted all my readers (most of whom are applicants themselves) to read it. Hopefully no one (neither Chunky Pitbull nor his brother in law) should feel offended by my act of sharing information. Here you go:

Write down your goals: What are the top 3-5 things you want to accomplish during your B-School run? Review these goals regularly – hang them on your wall or keep it in your planner.
Get organized: If you do not already have one, get yourself a Palm Pilot, Treo, or paper-based system (Franklin Planner) to keep track of your (1) schedule, (2) rolodex, and (3) to do list. The rolodex is especially important – as you meet people (classmates, interviewers, professors, alumni), enter them in so you have record. Entering their names also will enhance your ability to remember them – repetition is the mother of skill.Keep your resume up to date at all times!
There is no official “resume season” – you could be asked for it at anytime, and failure to present one may preclude you from a great opportunity. Before you get knee-deep in classes, add your last experience to your resume if you haven’t already.

It’s all about Networking….

Get good at small talk: The best way to engage someone in small talk is to (1) remember their name when they tell you it and (2) ask them questions. I always have four questions ready to go for anyone I meet:– What is your name?– Where are you from?– Where do you/have you worked?– Where are you living? (on campus/off campus)Any of these four questions can lead you to “Level 2” questions: For example – “where are you from” leads to things like “I’ve never been there – what is it like?” or “did you like living there?” or “sounds like paradise on earth – do you want to return there?” etc.
Meet, Greet, and Meet Some More: Meet as many people as you can. Even if you do not regularly socialize with them, you will be surprised how your former classmates will welcome an email from you 10 years down the road, even if they barely remember you.
Keep Your Guard Up: One of the things I learned from my 1st year Negotiation class is that there are two broad sets of negotiators: Givers (“Pie Makers”) and Takers (“Zero Summers”). Givers are people with loads of integrity and are willing to work with you to create a bigger pie before negotiating on how to divvy it up. Zero Summers are in it for themselves; their sole purpose is to take as much as they can off the table. When a giver negotiates with another giver, there is huge potential for mutual benefit, but when a giver negotiates with a taker, the giver gets royally hosed every time. If you are, by nature, a giver, be very wary of the takers. (I typically assume someone is a taker until they prove they are giver.)
Don’t Become a Social Outcast: You are going to meet plenty of people who are just plain intimidating (Perhaps, you will recognize these people by the fact that they are going to pull up in Mercedes/BMW’s, talk about the CEOs they play golf with, and come from esteemed families/social circles). But there are plenty of people there who DO have things in common with you. Also, your social circles will develop over time, so don’t get freaked out if by the end of September, you have not found a group to hang out with.
Watch the Gossip: This probably won’t be an issue for you, but there will be plenty of opportunities (usually around beers) to make fun of people based on their classroom comments or other social gaffes. Try not to participate – it has a habit of coming back around, and you never know when you will have to work with that person on a team project.
Sometimes You Gotta Force Yourself: If you find yourself not feeling like going to a meeting, extracurricular, company brief, or social function, go anyway. I can’t tell you how many times I have dreaded going to one of these functions only to have learned something important or to have met someone that helped me down the road.
Today’s Professors are Tomorrow’s Colleagues: Meet your professors, get to know them. They value you – you keep them young and energized. Down the road, you will want to network with them. I did a horrible job of this.
The Classroom….Go to Class: Not sure how classroom participation works at Berkeley, but at HBS it was a significant portion of the grade. Regardless, go to class – you will learn more that way. And don’t show up late – it is unprofessional and you will look bad – very bad. If it came down to being late or not going at all, I chose not going at all.
Recognize that you bring value to the table: Don’t be intimidated (as I was) by the I-bankers and Management Consultants. They will have really good, strategic work experience. But you have an equally relevant base of knowledge and experience. You have the advantage of having worked in an operational role, and knowing what works day to day amongst people who make the strategy happen. More importantly, not many have your experience in web marketing. Use these as your base.
Learn the jargon: You will find that the consultants and I-bankers will come in with a certain level of business savvy that you do not have (and I did not have going in to HBS). These people have operated at a more strategic level than you; learn from them. Listen how they talk and write down phrases you hear that sound good. Also write down phrases that sound equally ridiculous – you may be able to start a game of Business Bingo or even write a B-School comedy.
Have fun learning new stuff: You are paying a lot of money for this – focus less on grades, and more on learning. Leverage other people’s knowledge: Form a study group with people with diverse backgrounds. Aside from the learning aspects, it is a good way to socialize.
Get the Wall Street Journal: Read it everyday, even if only for 15 minutes over coffee – it is the best way to get educated on business, and gives you tidbits to contribute to conversations in and out of class.
The Future….View yourself as your own business: You officially work for YOU Inc. You are your own business. Figure out what things interest you (e.g. web marketing), and become THE expert on it. Then find opportunities (not necessarily “jobs”) where you can leverage your expertise. There will be times in the upcoming years where these opportunities will take the form of a job. Other times, these opportunities may take the form of a consulting/freelance role. Ultimately, these opportunities lead to the development of new skills and expertise, which open up a whole new set of opportunities.
Don’t settle for a job: Figure out something that interests you and go from there. I was interested in technology, I researched a couple of industries, and decided to go into telecom; I did not waste my time learning about other “hot industries” like Financial Services. Perhaps I could have made more money, but it did not interest me and I would not have been successful because I did not have the interest.
Don’t wait ‘til “interview season” to look for an opportunity: Devote time each week to learning about industries/companies/opportunities you are interested in. Get yourself a small notebook to jot down statistics or quotes that you can use in interviews, cover letters, and conversations. This is all part of the building expertise theme – you need to come across as an expert and part of that is industry knowledge.
Watch Your Burn Rate (a.k.a. Beware of Clothing Companies): In keeping with the “view yourself as your own business” theme, the #1 reason why startups fail is they run out of cash. So don’t let YOU Inc run out of cash. Rest assured, Hickey Freeman will try to sell you a $1500 suit, claiming that “you need this suit to be successful in your interviews.” Unless you are headed to Wall Street, a tailored $300-$400 suit will do you fine. The more general idea behind this is don’t do anything that unnecessarily raises your burn rate. Doing so will raise the amount you have to borrow and puts you in a deeper hole.
Organize Your Finances: Consider getting Quicken – it is a good time to get your finances organized. Also, keep good paper records around your school loans. We bought a plastic, portable file box with 2-3 accordion files to go inside – one was for our School Loans and the others were for bills, etc. Just don’t do anything to screw up your credit rating. You will need it later.
Debt Fears: Don’t worry about your debt – you will find a way to pay it off. We emerged from B-School/L-School with over $100K of debt; we paid it off, and we don’t exactly have Wall Street power jobs. (In fairness, they kinda do have big important jobs J )

MgalBlue goes maze and blue!

2006-01-24T16:26:00.000-08:00

After a hiatus of almost 2 weeks, I am back to my blog. What did I do in these two weeks? Celebrate, celebrate and more celebrations :) I ate in some of the nicest restaurants, got drunk couple of times ( and that means I had one or 2 drinks, yup I am the cheapest date you can find in town). Managed to get lots of exercise too!

Got my admissions package in mail yesterday. Its amazing how business schools are always trying to sell themselves. Even the binder that came from Michigan yesterday was extremely nice! Now I am all excited about school life, classes, company presentations, social meetings and bla bla bla

I can't wait for my new life to start. In the mean time, I was going through the blogs of other MBA students/alumni from Ross. There is so much out there and so little time. All of it is pretty exciting and enlightening!

Well in the mean, I decided to give my blog a new color-Maze and Blue just like University of Michigan!
Go Blue!

Ann Arbor here I come

2006-01-12T11:39:00.000-08:00

Yup got the call early morning. At first, I was confused when I looked at the number. It surely was not from my sister.When I heard that it was the Admission director from Michigan, I was wide awake and knew what was going on. I am really relieved that I got in.

Although it is not among the Top 5 schools, I think I would still enjoy Ann Arbor. I like their strategy program and they have some good faculty there. So I think I would take the offer.

I thought I was over it

2006-01-11T13:55:00.000-08:00

Day before yesterday when I heard the Kellogg result, I was really disappointed. I kept trying to figure out what might have gone wrong. Probably my essays were not convincing enough coz my interview went well. May be it was my dumb ass recommender who forgot to edit his reco before he submitted it. But later at night after one huge loaf of meat and overdose of candy, I was feeling better.

I woke up yesterday all determined to not let one failure bog me down. I have seen worse days than this and frankly no one can stop me from getting MBA and becoming successful. I even managed to hit the gym yesterday night and got a good workout ( it helps to listen to Metallica when you are pissed off with the world and want to take it out).

But now I am back to square one. I am waiting for a call from Michigan. And can;t help but contemplate all the what ifs. I guess the human mind just needs an excuse to wander. I have a good feeling about Michigan but the wait is killing me.

Its a baby Ding!!

2006-01-09T13:13:00.000-08:00

Dear Nidhi:

The Admissions Committee has completed its review of your application for the Kellogg School of Management and Two-Year Program. Despite your many merits as a candidate, I regret to inform you that we are not able to offer you a place in the entering class.

The Admissions Committee carefully evaluated your application in the following areas: work experience, career plans, academic ability and performance, extracurricular and community involvement, leadership and interpersonal skills. Decisions are based upon a thorough evaluation of your individual strengths and weaknesses, as well as your qualifications relative to all others in our applicant pool. This decision is not a reflection of your personal qualities and achievements or your potential for success in management, but merely a reflection of the limited number of places in the class.

We certainly wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors, and thank you for your interest in the Kellogg School of Management and Two-Year Program .

Sincerely,

Beth Flye
Director of Admissions and Financial Aid

I was really hoping to get into Kellogg. It was kind of my dream school. And I thought I had put up a good application but I guess not. It was my first application too so may be I was inexperienced. Anyway, one down and one more to go.

Its a sad day.....

All we need is just a little patience

2006-01-08T14:51:00.000-08:00

Said, woman, take it slow
And things will be just fine
You and I'll just use a little patience
Said, sugar, take the time
'Cause the lights are shining bright
You and I've got what it takes
To make it, We won't fake it,
I'll never break it
'cause I can't take it

[whistle]
...little patience, mm yeah, mm yeah
need a little patience, yeah
just a little patience, yeah
some more patience, yeah
need some patience, yeah
could use some patience, yeah
gotta have some patience, yeah
all it takes is patience,
just a little patience
is all you need *

Oh today is my GnR day and all I will do is listen to patience and yesterday from dawn to dusk. Coz GnR rocks!!! Its funny how you can associate with GnR songs even when you are just waiting for your Bschool results :)

GnR makes me miss an old friend so much....but I guess that story is for some other day.

My life has been hijacked

2006-01-08T00:16:00.000-08:00

Yup that is exactly how I feel. I have so much work to do and all I end up doing is reading business forum, checking blogs of other MBA applicants,and refreshing my email page every nanosecond just to see if there was mail. And after I am done with this daily routine of checking on the status, I sit down and frek.

My annual review is due in a week and I haven't written a word. I am supposed to send thank you to everybody who showed up to our wedding. And then in between all this I also have to work hard this year to make up for all the time I devoted away from my work and into my application process. I am also trying to go the gym regularly. But all I seem to do these days is wait for the results.

Well its really not the end of the world if I don't get in. Or thats what I want to believe. I mean I have applied to two schools this year and if I don't get it may be its actually good for me. I get to apply to WHS next year and may be do some more community work. It sounds good but I am not convinced. I want to go this year......

Hope the phone rings before the email

2006-01-04T21:25:00.000-08:00

Its been almost 15 days since Kellogg started announcing results. I read the Business week forum thread on round 1 applicant every day only to see more and more people getting their calls. The Kellogg admission protocol is to call successful applicants personally before they update the results online. And for a ding, they merely send you an email. I guess thats better than an embarassing phone call. Well now it all boils down to whether your phone would ring before you get an email.

Its hard to concentrate on work when some thing so important is not decided. I guess the fear of the unknown is lurking around in me. Time and again you try to resist justifying your chances into Kellogg School of Management. Its hard to see people getting accepted and dinged and not being able to decipher why some one made it in and some one else was rejected. Wish I had a time machine......or if its a ding for me, may be not.

Excruciating wait

2005-11-21T16:07:00.000-08:00

When I was preparing for my GMAT, I wanted it to get done so I could enjoy my life. Before I knew it, I was writing essays to meet the first round deadlines. Last two months were merrily lost to the essays: drafting them, redrafting them, reading them, rereading and ruminating over them. Then when i had submitted my application, I was relieved. I was hoping I could enjoy some but then the interviews started. And with that started a journey inside. I would always come back home and think to myself about what I want to do. But again I wanted to get done with the interviews too.

Now I am all done with every thing for my admissions. And now this excruciating wait for the result is more painful than I thought it would be. Can't wait to see how I measure up against all the applicants. Apparantly there are more than 4000 of them each year. Well we will see......

Interview all done

2005-11-16T18:36:00.000-08:00

I think I managed to impress my interviewer. Well for all I care, my interview is done. Admissions process is over as far as I am concerned.

I prepared well for the interview. Went thr the Kellogg year book, accepted.com interview tips, researched my interviewed.He asked me the standard questions like why MBA, why kellogg, whats unique about me, bla bla bla. I was well prepared for all these answers. So I think I aced it. Now all I can do is wait for the results and perhaps enjoy my wedding :)

The thing that worries me if after such a good interview and great essays, I don't get an admission into Kellogg then what am I going to do different next year. I can;t change my credentials drastically in just a year. Let wait and watch!

Kellogg interview

2005-11-14T21:42:00.000-08:00

Well finally after fretting a lot about it, I got Kellogg school of management to expedite my interview process. I was matched up an alumni in the area, actually vancouver but thats fine. I am glad its not Seattle. But I was even willing to do that. I was desperate to get done with my interview before I leave for my wedding. If I didn;t do it before I leave, my application would have been pushed to round 3 and that would have been a kiss of death. So finally atleast the interviewer is known. He is an ex-Intel guy so it would fun.

Start of a journey and half way there already

2005-11-11T18:10:00.000-08:00

Well I was not planning on applying for my MBA this year. I still can't believe I actually applied to two schools. I was planning on taking my GMAT and then waiting for one more year. My excuse was that I need to invest one more year into my relationship with my fiance before I head back to school. But some how, I ended up visiting Wharton and Michigan and before I knew I was writing essays.

I have always wanted to do my MBA. However much of a cliche that may sound like, its actually true. I recognise and respect the leader in me and want to take control sooner than later.

But one thing that really worries me is the metrics used to identify potential students. There is so much fluff that goes into your essays. And so much just dependents upon how the admission committee percieves your application. I feel very uncomfortable when there are no clear requirements. I guess I have always been used to very clearn distinctions, if you have more than 90% you are A grader. Intelligence has been very regimented so far. And an A grade was always better than a C. There was no dependence on how people would perceive your grade. So now I am nervous.

My inspiration

2005-11-02T22:55:00.000-08:00

To walk within the lines
Would make my life so boring
I want to know that I
Have been to the extreme
So knock me off my feet
Come on now give it to me
Anything to make me feel alive