Why Do You Believe in Wake Forest?

I am not going to put a lengthy post together because I believe this Web site speaks for itself. This is a great idea, pulling together first-hand testimonials about the university experience. It really makes me proud that I am attending a school that has done so much for so many. If you have a spare moment (which I know is hard to come by these days) browse through a few of these accounts, and feel free to add to the chain.

Caught in the Storm

And they say it's only going to get worse! Wow! This whole MBA process sure is a trial-by-fire for time management and prioritization skills! Do you finish your quant homework or work on a cover letter for that internship deadline? Go to your Marketing Association meeting or Ambassador training? Watch How I Met Your Mother or sleep?

All tough decisions!

September is coming to a close, and I think all first-year MBA students have a good grasp on just how difficult this whole experience will be. There's simply too many things to do. Too many assignments, deliverables, team meetings, project meetings, clubs and organizations ... don't even think about personal time! My DVR is certainly getting a workout.

It's important to take time for yourself, or you'll never get out alive. This afternoon, after my Project Nicaragua meeting, I decided to go for a run. I didn't go as fast as I used to, or as far, but it was good to take a half hour and do something just for me.

So what's coming up in MBA world? Several presentations and group projects, Career Quest MBA fair in College Park, Maryland, and soon ... exams. On the unofficial Head Under Water scale, I'd say it's up to my chin right now.

~ Justin Berthelot, full-time MBA candidate, class of 2011

Frantic yet Fruitful – Early Lessons Learned

I find it hard to believe that more than a month has passed since I entered the Evening MBA Program at Wake Forest, but here I am staring down my first final and preparing to make an adjustment from one class to two.

The rapid-fire pace of my accounting class has been an adjustment after many years away from school, but one that I believe I have handled well. I have seen so many balance sheets, income statements and cash flow statements, and have gotten well acquainted with learning from case studies and from my peers.

During my undergraduate studies, we rarely learned from the other students. It just wasn’t emphasized. Our professor in accounting has done a good job of encouraging people to ask questions, provide perspective, and give high-quality examples from their own experiences.

Rather than write endlessly about the various lessons, quizzes, and meetings that sometimes seem to blur looking back, I want to discuss my favorite part of the course: the group presentations. As a journalist, this particular assignment played to my strengths in some regards since we had to craft a thorough report on the companies we selected (Whole Foods Market Inc. and Safeway Inc. for out project). However, it also tested me in the areas of hefty financial analysis and public speaking. (For the record, we recommended avoiding either company as an investment right now: diminished cash flow, high debt loads, and an uncertain future when it comes to consumer spending.)

What impressed me the most was the way our team – a concept that Wake preaches with regularity – pulled together, assigned tasks, and knocked out self-imposed deadline after deadline. What began as a brainstorming session just a month ago was transformed into what I thought to be a well-constructed collaborative effort. My favorite moment involved stepping up in front of 40 peers and the professor to present the financials. Nervous? Of course. But soon after beginning the analysis I forgot that there were dozens of spectators and concentrated solely on doing my very best.

My team feels very good about the results, which contribute nearly a fifth of our final grade. It also galvanized us as a team, I believe. Our class is phenomenal, too. Every presentation was informative, whether the companies were auto manufacturers, chipmakers, or doughnut shops. I felt fully engaged throughout the nearly three-hour class! That seems to be a key takeaway from the program, and I am anxious to participate in future classes to expand my knowledge base.

I still have quite a load in my final days of accounting: take home project, individual research project, and a final exam. The lesson learned here is time management. Once a day slips away, you can’t get it back, so I have tried to commit some minutes (and hours, some nights) to incrementally moving the needle forward on assignments. The relief is realizing two days before the final that I am 95% through with everything. The joy is immeasurable!

These are just a few brief lessons that I wanted to share. Undoubtedly there will be more as I transition to quant and organizational behavior in coming weeks!

~Paul Davis is a first-year MBA candidate in the Class of 2011 Evening Program.

It’s A Whirlwind

Phew! When they said an MBA program is a lot of work, they weren't kidding. When they said time management is a big issue, they were sugar-coating just how difficult it can be. And it's only been a few weeks! It's not even October yet! It's going to be an interesting two years.

Elections for first year positions in various student clubs took place over the past week. I'm the first year representative for the Babcock Marketing Association and the Communications Committee of the Marketing Summit.

I'm also involved with the Wine Club, Strategy and Consulting Club, Student Ambassadors and the intramural soccer team. Of course, I still have a full course schedule and have to find a job for the summer! Yes, recruiting has begun.

The CMC office does a very good job preparing us for the madness that is recruiting. They help you identify your passions and your purpose, so that you can effectively search for internships you can be happy doing. A few companies have held information sessions, industry panels start soon, and the ratio of polo shirts to suits seems to move closer to 1:1 each day. Career Quest, a recruiting fair in College Park, Md., takes place in early October. There will be many companies there, even some government agencies.

I had identified a possible internship, and luckily for me, two second-year students did the same internship last summer and both got offered full-time positions a few weeks ago! They have been invaluable resources as helped greatly as I scrambled to meet a very tough deadline. I heard about the internship on a Tuesday, and applications and resumes were due on Saturday! I spent a good deal of time working through my resume and talking with my career counselor. I made the deadline, and given the time limitations, I'm pretty happy with my effort!

Things are definitely in full swing here at the Schools of Business. Campus is abuzz with activity, as students work tirelessly on the latest quant assignment, while gathering information for a communications presentation and waiting for a career panel to begin. Intramurals have begun, clubs are starting to set things in motion for events and trips, and quizzes and grades are appearing in mailboxes. Such is the life of a first year MBA student!

~ Justin Berthelot, full-time MBA program, Class of 2011

A Knowledge Base Worth Tapping

BB&T Corp. chairman John Allison has certainly shown his commitment to his new post at the Wake Forest University Schools of Business. Joining the faculty this summer as a distinguished professor of practice, Allison has chosen academia over quiet retirement.

The notion of retirement must be completely unfamiliar to him because he has now agreed to hold a series of seminars at Worrell to cultivate leadership values among the MBA candidates.

Here is a list of the seminars and links for registration. From what I know, these are only open to current students, but I would recommend calling (336) 758-5038 to verify:

Thurs., Oct. 8, 4-6 pm, Worrell 1109, topic: Vision/Purpose

http://ww2.mba.wfu.edu/calendar/intDetail.CFM?Event_Calendar__EventID=5930

Thurs., Oct. 15, 4-6 pm, Worrell 1108. topic: Strategy
http://ww2.mba.wfu.edu/calendar/intDetail.CFM?Event_Calendar__EventID=5932
Thurs., Oct. 22, 4-6 pm, Worrell 1109. topic: Coaching
http://ww2.mba.wfu.edu/calendar/intDetail.CFM?Event_Calendar__EventID=5933
Thurs., Nov. 12, 4-6 pm, Worrell 1102. topic: Ethical Behavior
http://ww2.mba.wfu.edu/calendar/intDetail.CFM?Event_Calendar__EventID=5936

There are also sessions set for 1 pm on those days.

The time of these seminars was arranged to accommodate students’ busy schedules. One idea might include having your team meet after attending a seminar. Space is limited, so you need to use the appropriate link to register for each session of the seminar.

It should be a worthwhile investment of time!

Sacrifice v. Self-Interest: Judging Human Nature

Andrew Verga, a full-time MBA candidate in the class of 2011, sent an email to classmates offering his opinion on a Sept. 10 speech by former BB&T Corp. CEO John Allison (view here), a distinguished professor of practice at the Wake Forest University Schools of Business.

Verga, who wants to focus on entrepreneurship and someday running a consulting firm specializing in corporate social responsibility, says the intent of his email was to “encourage a dialogue” among his peers. The following are Varga's views and do not reflect those of Wake Forest University or the student-run blog, which has reached out to Allison.

John Allison is an amazingly intelligent and successful individual. His message is logical and convincing if you accept his premise: "Everyone has the right to their own life." Sounds good, right? Let me ask you this, did your mother and father not sacrifice part of their own life to create you? Didn't your neighbors and teachers and friends all sacrifice part of their lives to develop who you are? Don't we all have a certain responsibility to pay that sacrifice forward?

During his speech, Allison touched on two major philosophical concepts. First, he mentioned Immanuel Kant's Categorical Imperative. He claimed that this concept led to the fascism of the Nazi party because it stressed a sense of duty and responsibility to your community and your nation. This could not be further from the truth. Kant's concept is this: If everyone acts as though their decisions will be made into universal truths, we will all be better people and have a better society. This concept does not require us to blindly follow whatever authority happens to control our community; rather it puts responsibility for the collective well-being on every individual. John Allison is all about personal responsibility, but I am disappointed he misused this great concept to further an agenda of blind, obsessive individualism.

Allison also discussed Aristotle's concept of happiness, that the idea of a "long life well-lived" should be our ultimate goal. He failed to mention that a huge part of Aristotle's definition of "a long life well-lived" is a focus on cultivating "right desires." Aristotle understood that people want what they want and are inclined to go get it. He posited the idea that we should attempt to curb our own desires. The intention is not to deny any of us individual freedom or happiness, but rather to encourage all of us to take each other's happiness into account. During Aristotle's time it was understood that we are all responsible for each other. In the Ancient Greek concept of citizenship, the relationship between the citizen and the city was one of codependence. Everyone who was a member of the "polis" had a personal responsibility for the well-being of the entire population.

The significance of this citizen-polis relationship is a sense of duty. If it is bred into us to care about our fellow citizens (we can still care about ourselves by the way), then public service will be rewarding enough to attract the top minds in a society regardless of financial compensation.

Allison made a point of saying that the government made stupid policy decisions. True. He also made a point that the people at Goldman Sachs are way more intelligent than those at the Federal Reserve. Also true. I also assume, and I think Allison would agree, that if working at the Fed paid as much as working on Wall Street we would have top minds in government. Why is it that the brilliant minds in society are dedicated to personal gain instead of public service? Why has our culture come to the point that "individual freedom" is only realized when personal financial gain and security sit at the top of our value hierarchy? The rhetoric of individualism has brought us here.

I am certain that John Allison thinks he is doing a great service by educating people about the financial crisis. I appreciate his words and his expertise on the matter. He certainly understands the global economy much better than I. However, living the "moral high ground" that he mentioned does not mean forgoing personal sacrifice and service. This crisis should not motivate us to turn inward and become even more individualistic. On the contrary, it should motivate us to create better people in the future.

Allison blamed this crisis not only on government policy but on individuals making bad choices. He blamed it on stupid people making stupid decisions. He asked the audience, "Do you want to bail these people out?" Well, it is just not that simple.

Allison mentioned that our K-12 education system is failing. He is absolutely right. Hey, maybe that is one of the reasons there are so many “stupid” people around? Maybe instead of letting them starve to death and live on the streets (he seemingly wants to do away with welfare all together, remember?) We should take it as a lesson that we need to educate our citizens better.

People are naturally selfish. Fred wants Johnny's toy in the sandbox. John Allison doesn't want us to think about the reasons behind Fred's lack of a toy. He wants to punish Fred for his parents’ bad decisions. I think we can do better. We all know that any form of social welfare will be abused, but that does not mean it isn't worthwhile. It doesn't mean we can just give up on each other.

Your parents, teachers, friends, and community all sacrificed parts of their lives to support your life. It is our responsibility as individuals to make productive decisions for the community. I apologize for soap boxing to all of you, but I feel it is very important to understand that the world John Allison envisions is a world of dramatic hardship and poverty for billions of people. While social welfare may not be a sustainable answer either, I will sleep better at night knowing that I have helped other people have "long lives well-lived."

Andrew Verga, a full-time MBA candidate in the class of 2011, sent this email to his classmates outlining his disagreements with a Sept. 10 speech by former BB&T Corp. CEO John Allison, who is now a distinguished professor of practice at the Wake Forest University Schools of Business. Verga says his intent is to “encourage a dialogue” on the topic of altruism v. self interest.

John Allison is an amazingly intelligent and successful individual. His message is logical and convincing if you accept his premise: "Everyone has the right to their own life." Sounds good, right? Let me ask you this, did your mother and father not sacrifice part of their own life to create you? Didn't your neighbors and teachers and friends all sacrifice part of their lives to develop who you are? Don't we all have a certain responsibility to pay that sacrifice forward?

During his speech, Allison touched on two major philosophical concepts. First, he mentioned Immanuel Kant's Categorical Imperative. Allison claimed that this concept led to the fascism of the Nazi party because it stressed a sense of duty and responsibility to your community and your nation. This could not be further from the truth. Kant's concept is this: If everyone acts as though their decisions will be made into universal truths, we will all be better people and have a better society. This concept does not require us to blindly follow whatever authority happens to control our community; rather it puts responsibility for the collective well-being on every individual. John Allison is all about personal responsibility, but I am disappointed he misused this great concept to further an agenda of blind, obsessive individualism.

Allison also discussed Aristotle's concept of happiness, that the idea of a "long life well-lived" should be our ultimate goal. He failed to mention that a huge part of Aristotle's definition of "a long life well-lived" is a focus on cultivating "right desires." Aristotle understood that people want what they want and are inclined to go get it. He posited the idea that we should attempt to curb our own desires. The intention is not to deny any of us individual freedom or happiness, but rather to encourage all of us to take each other's happiness into account. During Aristotle's time it was understood that we are all responsible for each other. In the Ancient Greek concept of citizenship, the relationship between the citizen and the city was one of codependence. Everyone who was a member of the "polis" had a personal responsibility for the well-being of the entire population.

The significance of this citizen-polis relationship is a sense of duty. If it is bred into us to care about our fellow citizens (we can still care about ourselves by the way), then public service will be rewarding enough to attract the top minds in a society regardless of financial compensation.

Allison made a point of saying that the government made stupid policy decisions. True. He also made a point of saying that the people at Goldman Sachs are way more intelligent than the people at the Federal Reserve. Also true. I also assume, and I think Allison would agree, that if working at the Fed paid as much as working on Wall Street we would have top minds in government. Why is it that the brilliant minds in our society are dedicated to personal gain instead of public service? Why has our culture come to the point that "individual freedom" is only realized when personal financial gain and security sit at the top of our value hierarchy? The rhetoric of individualism has brought us here.

I am certain that John Allison thinks he is doing a great service by educating people about the financial crisis. I appreciate his words and his expertise on the matter. He certainly understands the global economy much better than I. However, living the "moral high ground" that he mentioned does not mean forgoing personal sacrifice and service. This crisis should not motivate us to turn inward and become even more individualistic. On the contrary, it should motivate us to create better people in the future.

Allison blamed this crisis not only on government policy but on individuals making bad choices. He blamed it on stupid people making stupid decisions. He asked the audience, "Do you want to bail these people out?" Well, it is just not that simple.

Allison mentioned that our K-12 education system is failing. He is absolutely right. Hey, maybe that is one of the reasons there are so many “stupid” people around? Maybe instead of letting them starve to death and live on the streets (he wants to do away with welfare all together, remember?) we should take it as a lesson that we need to educate our citizens better.

People are naturally selfish. Fred wants Johnny's toy in the sandbox. John Allison doesn't want us to think about the reasons behind Fred's lack of a toy. He wants to punish Fred for his parents’ bad decisions. I think we can do better. We all know that any form of social welfare will be abused, but that does not mean it isn't worthwhile. It doesn't mean we can just give up on each other.

Your parents, teachers, friends, and community all sacrificed parts of their lives to support your life. It is our responsibility as individuals to make productive decisions for the community. I apologize for soap boxing to all of you, but I feel it is very important to understand that the world John Allison envisions is a world of dramatic hardship and poverty for billions of people. While social welfare may not be a sustainable answer either, I will sleep better at night knowing that I have helped other people have "long lives well-lived."

Ample Opportunities for Service and Growth

Ahkesha Murray is a 26-year-old first-year MBA candidate enrolled in the Wake Forest Schools of Business full-time program. Ahkesha earned her undergraduate degree in actuarial science from St. John’s University in 2005, and she is interested in consulting and finance.

This is Ahkesha’s perspective on her first weeks in the full-time program.

*****

“It’s like drinking from a fire hydrant.”

That is how my Managerial Economics Professor and Advisor, Ken Middaugh, described the first semester in Wake Forest’s full-time MBA program. I could not have said it better myself. However, I would not want it any other way because, frankly, I’m thirsty.

Just two weeks into the program, I’m having a hard time recounting all of the experiences and opportunities I have been privy to because it really does afford so much. Dean Steve Reinemund often speaks about students’ holistic development, and we are fortunate enough to be cared for and led by a dean who not only talks the talk, but walks the walk. The Wake Forest University Schools of Business embodies the values that it preaches and, if anything is remiss, the issue is proactively mitigated.

Nostalgic musings aside, I would like to share a sampling of my experiences at Wake. Please do not consider this list to be comprehensive or final; as I type, more plans are in the works and that is part of the excitement. I will be sure to keep you well-informed of my journey and be as honest and frank as possible to provide a genuine representation of not only the Wake Forest full-time MBA experience, but the life experiences that come along with this journey as well.

So, imagine if you will…

Orientation. Our learning and growing actually began before classes started; orientation was as much a part of the value we will gain here as the formal teaching. Even though it only spanned a week, orientation was chock-full of highlights. Some of my favorite moments included: meeting students in the other graduate programs; listening to “Joker One” author, Donovan Campbell, speak candidly and with great heart about his experiences in Iraq; participating in team-building activities with my classmates and developing a charter for our study team; learning more about myself through a detailed analysis of my Meyers-Briggs personality assessment; and volunteering with Meals On Wheels during the Community Plunge.

My first classes. The first week was not so much a week as it was three days. Classes started Wednesday, Sept. 26, which happened to be the first of many highly anticipated “Donut Days” for the Graduate School of Business (I can’t spill all the goodies; you must come see us to learn more.) My class section was fortunate enough to begin our experience with the infamous Jon Pinder teaching Quantitative Methods (not a cake course) and my eyes and ears have never been more open or attentive. The first wee k of classes was simply fun. Even though three short days boasted four of the eight classes we will be taking this semester, I was so glad to finally be at Wake Forest, sitting in a classroom to learn, and get this show on the road. By the end of the first week, I found myself thinking, “ok, I can do this,” and it has been my mantra ever since.

First “real” week of classes. Things started getting real this first week. I had another realization during this time and while it is not entirely “deep” or mind boggling, it has put things into perspective for me: My MBA will truly be earned outside of the classroom. Classes are from 8 am to 1 pm Monday through Friday. I may be speaking for myself, but classes are the easy part. I do need to come prepared to participate in the class discussions and listen to my professors’ and peers’ insights, however, the work I do outside of the classroom (such as readings, homework, study team projects) is where I will earn most of my MBA. The workload is nothing to scoff at; while certainly manageable, it is not something to be taken lightly. My advice going forward: Do not miss a beat; read every word, ask questions, do the homework … and then some. Wake Forest has a wealth of resources and I am fortunate to have them at my disposal.

Second full week of classes. We are half-way through the week and there is already a new buzz in the air. The Schools of Business hosted its annual Club Kickoff Fair, and we were able to learn about the clubs and student service organizations. I signed up for nearly everything just so I can get emails about the events that would be coming up in each organization, though I already realize that I will have to focus my energy on one or two specific clubs that truly interest me.

At the end of this week, the Student Government Association (SGA) will administer elections of first-year student representatives for all organizations. “Secretly,” I can tell you that I am considering putting my name on a certain organization’s ballot.

My interests truly run the gamut and my name is on the subscription lists for Babcock Women In Business (BWIB), Black Business Students Association (BBSA), Strategy and Consulting Club, Net Impact, Babcock Marketing Association (BMA), Entrepreneurship Club, Finance Club – think that’s enough? Some other hot-ticket items coming up are scheduling interviews to be on an Executive Committee for the nationally acclaimed Marketing Summit and submitting applications to be a Student Ambassador. If I do nothing else this year I want to be a Student Ambassador. During my application process, I was fortunate enough to have an Ambassador who cared a great deal for me and genuinely wanted to see me succeed so I feel obliged to pay it forward, so to speak. I find few things in life more gratifying that helping someone else shine their light.

I know that right now it looks like I have my hands, feet and elbows in too many hats. Perhaps that is the case, but Wake Forest has given me so much. I just want to give it back. Yes, I am being stretched and challenged like never before, but is that not the point? Until I find reason to do otherwise, I’m running on all cylinders, and you, ladies and gentlemen, can be my passengers.

It is now 11:43 pm, my homework is finally done, and I am due to wake up at 5:45 am, so I bid you a good night and look forward to the next chapter.

Two Weeks In

“It’s like drinking from a fire hydrant.”

That is how my Managerial Economics Professor and Advisor, Ken Middaugh, described the first semester in Wake’s Full-time MBA program. I could not have said it better myself. However, I would not want it any other way because, frankly, I’m thirsty.
Only two weeks into the program, I am having a hard time recounting all of the experiences and opportunities I have been privy to because it really does afford so much. Our learning and growing actually began before classes started; orientation was as much a part of the value we will gain here as the formal teaching. Dean Reinemund often speaks about students’ holistic development and we are fortunate enough to be cared for and led by a dean who not only talks the talk, but walks the walk. The Wake Forest Schools of Business really does embody the values that it preaches and if anything is remiss, the issue is proactively mitigated (more on that later).
Nostalgic musings aside, I would like to share a sampling of my experiences at Wake so far. Please do not consider this list to be comprehensive or final; as I type, more plans are in the works and that is part of the excitement. I will be sure to keep you well-posted of my journey and be as honest and frank as possible, so as to provide a genuine representation of not only the Wake Forest full time MBA experience, but the life experiences that come along with this journey as well. So, imagine if you will…
Orientation. Even though it only spanned one week, orientation was chock-full of highlights. Some of my favorite moments included: meeting students in the other Schools of Business graduate programs; listening to “Joker One” Author, Donovan Campbell, speak candidly and with great heart about his experiences in Iraq; doing team building activities with my classmates and developing a team charter with my study team; learning more about myself through a detailed analysis of my Meyers-Briggs personality assessment; and volunteering with Meals On Wheels during the Community Plunge.
First “week” of classes. The first week of classes was not so much a week as it was three days. Classes began on Wednesday, September 26th, which also happened to be the first of many highly anticipated “Donut Days” for the Graduate School of Business (I can’t spill all the goodies; you have to come see us to learn more about that one). My class section was fortunate enough to begin our experience with the infamous Jon Pinder teaching Quantitative Methods (not a cake course) and my eyes and ears have never been more open or attentive. The first week of classes was simply fun. Even though 3 short days boasted four of the eight classes we will be taking this semester, I was so glad to finally be at Wake Forest, sitting in a classroom to learn, and get this show on the road. By the end of the first week, I found myself thinking, “ok, I can do this,” and it has been my mantra ever since.
First real week of classes. Things started getting real this first week. I had another realization during this time and while it is not entirely “deep” or mind boggling, it has put things in perspective for me: my MBA will truly be earned outside of the classroom. Classes are from 8 am to 1 pm Monday through Friday. I may be speaking for myself, but classes are the easy part. I do need to come prepared to participate in the class discussions and listen to my professors’ and peers’ insights, however, the work I do outside of the classroom (e.g. readings, homework, study team projects) is where I will earn most of my MBA. The workload is nothing to scoff at; while it is certainly not unmanageable, it is not something one can afford to take lightly. So my advice going forward: do not miss a beat; read every word, ask questions, do the homework and then some. Wake Forest has a wealth of resources and I am fortunate to have them at my disposal.
Second week of Classes. Well, we are only half-way through the week and there is already a new buzz in the air. At the end of last week, the Schools of Business hosted its annual Club Kickoff Fair and we were able to learn about all of the clubs and student service organizations. I signed up for nearly everything just so I can get emails about all of the events that would be coming up in each organization, however, I realize already that I will have to focus my energy on one or two specific clubs that truly interest me. At the end of this week SGA will administer the elections of 1st year student representatives for all of the organizations. “Secretly,” I can tell you that I am considering putting my name on a particular organization’s ballot, but I will fill you in on that tidbit later. My interests truly run the gamut and my name is on the email list for Babcock Women In Business (BWIB), Black Business Students Association (BBSA), Strategy and Consulting Club, Net Impact, Babcock Marketing Association (BMA), Entrepreneurship Club, Finance Club – think that’s enough? Some other hot ticket items coming up are scheduling interviews to be on an Executive Committee for the nationally acclaimed Marketing Summit and submitting applications to be a Student Ambassador. If I do nothing else this year I want to be a Student Ambassador. During my application process, I was fortunate enough to have an Ambassador who cared a great deal for me and genuinely wanted to see me succeed so I feel obliged to pay it forward, so to speak. I find few things in life more gratifying that helping someone else shine their light.
I know that right now it looks like I have my hands, feet and elbows in too many hats, and perhaps you are right, but Wake Forest has given me so much, I just want to give it back. Yes, I am being stretched and challenged like never before, but is that not the point? Until I find reason to do otherwise, I’m running on all cylinders, and you, ladies and gentlemen, can be my passengers.
It is now 11:43 pm, homework is finally done, and I am due to wake at 5:45 am, so I bid you a good night and look forward to the next chapter.

Club Fair ~ A Perspective

An old adage comes to mind when I think about Grad School: “so much to do, so little time.” Truer words have never been spoken. The resources that the Wake Forest University Schools of Business has laid before us are nearly immeasurable and I feel like a kid in a candy store – I just want to consume everything!

I have been warned by 2nd years, professors and administrators alike that I should not try to spread myself too thin. However, their sage advice and good intentions could hardly compete with my excitement when I walked into our Club Kickoff Fair last Thursday.

Clubs, organizations and student service offices had booths set up all over the Professional Center Courtyard. Each booth enticed students with not only myriad opportunities to grow throughout the school year, but snacks and prizes as well. How could I say no? I made a point to visit each booth, whether I thought I would have an interest in what they were offering or not; it’s a good thing I did because I learned about campus services that I did not even know were available to me. By the time the fair was over I had placed my name on several club e-mailing lists (such as Babcock Women In Business, Black Business Students Association, Strategy & Consulting Club, Entrepreneurship Club, Net Impact), signed up to compete for a 1st year position on our Case Team for the Marketing Summit, and picked up brochures about diversity initiatives and Campus Ministry.

It remains to be seen whether or not I will be able to consistently participate in all the clubs I signed up for. However, the method behind my madness was one of passion and a desire to take advantage of any and all opportunities set before me. In truth, I expect I will find my niche soon enough and commit myself to one or two clubs and campus activities. In the meantime, however, I will navigate through my emails and look forward to all the great things to come.

~ Ahkesha T. Murray, full-time MBA program, Class of 2011

Witnessing Generosity

I’m sure many of you are curious about my first impressions of life in Winston-Salem and how I am acclimating to my surroundings. Let me try and address what are likely to be the biggest questions about my first moments spent at Wake Forest University.
How is it here?
It’s pretty tidy. People have a warm and welcoming way of greeting you. So much so that my cheeks start to hurt whenever I meet an American and try my level best to be equally warm. If you pass by any lanes, corridors or any public place, people nod at you and recognize your presence.

I am trying to learn this bit of culture, for now, but at times it becomes a bit embarrassing when someone ignores my “how ya doin?”
Where have I been living?
My future roommate and I have been staying in a senior’s place. It was quite gracious of him to offer us an accommodation. I am sure that I would have ended up spending at least $200 by now if he had not volunteered to have us. I usually hang out with my Indian batch mates at another senior’s condo; so, again, the students at Wake Forest have been quite phenomenal in making our transition comfortable.
How about food?
I am a vegetarian and until now I’ve been eating pretty regularly and have not really skipped any kind of meals. Thanks to mum, my seniors, and my Indian mates, I haven’t faced any problems in terms of food.
How about the people?
My survival mantra for now: “Each one for his own self.” Initially, I found people such as my Indian batch mates arguing over quite stupid things, but it is getting better. The seniors are really cool and helpful and I think they’re the ones who’ve ensured some pleasant times for us.
The way forward?
I’m trying to network a bit and get the basic idea of how do things such as study and work here. So, I think I’d take some time to write about it. I’ve also been trying pretty hard to rejuvenate my spiritual side and I hope it stays the same way.
~ Rahul Goyal, full-time MBA program, Class of 2011

Club Fair Scheduled

It was brought to my attention that there will be a club fair Thursday, Sept. 3, from 4–6 pm in the courtyard area outside Worrell, targeting first year students. The clubs are based around various business interests (such as Finance, Marketing, Health Care, etc.) and hold events throughout the year with the focus on career development in a given business discipline.

I know many of us have a lot going on outside of the classroom, but these clubs may offer some additional benefit if you can find the time to squeeze them in.

All About Teamwork

A week in to the Evening MBA Program, I am aware of the importance of having a great team. The way I understand it, our group was assembled based on varying criteria: geography, professional backgrounds, Myers-Briggs , etc. Someday I may delve deeper into that selection matrix and relay my findings in a post.
Our first “bonding” experience came during the third day of orientation, where we had to learn about our strengths/weaknesses, passions/ambitions and where we want to go once we have MBAs in hand. Such an exchange of information should provide a solid foundation for collaboration.
My favorite moment was the last group challenge, where we were savvy enough to find the fastest way to flip a tarp without touching the carpet beneath it. Five seconds! (The secret: step onto a neighboring tarp, quick flip, and jump back.)

I have a lot of confidence in our team, despite having the fewest members of any group within our program. Most of us live in Greensboro, reducing the drive time. We have an interesting blend of professional backgrounds: a journalist, project coordinator, project managers, risk management. So far the personalities have fit as well, even after sitting through a five-hour team meeting on Saturday.
The first challenge for us is financial accounting, which is interesting because none of us are coming from professional background that fully immerses us in the practice. We have reached consensus on our group project, and we are ready to get out there and show the rest of the class what we’re made of!

~Paul Davis, Winston-Salem Evening Program, Class of 2011