THE MBA STUDENT LIFECYLE – FROM A TADPOLE TO A PRINCE (OR PRINCESS)…SECOND IN A SERIES…

In part one of this series, we discussed the thrills of telling our boss that we will be going back to school, the all important computer upgrade decision, as well as beginning to form ideas about whom we might live with while we are in school. The journey continues…

Once you make your final decision on where to enroll, the fun part begins. Whatever school you end up choosing, prepare for a barrage of emails, new Yahoo Groups and information overload from your new institution. Granted, it is all exciting stuff, however it is a lot of information to process. This information ranges from insurance, scholarships, student loans, gym memberships, parking passes (which is probably the single most important thing if you go to a school in a city where cars are the norm…think southern California), books, professors, signing up for classes, the list goes on. No matter the school, you will have plenty of emails coming your way and it is best to have a good organization system for this.

Once you make your decision, you will likely have a few months of work left before you actually make your big move. Some of you might travel the world for a few months before b-school (my roommate surfed Costa Rica for 3 months), others might move just a few weeks before school. Some of the most important things to consider in these months are figuring out how to move your belongings, figuring out if you will need to buy (or sell) a car, and your new living arrangements. It is also a good idea (and this is random), to start making a working list of people to include on your final farewell email on your last day of work. This is fun. I worked for a large financial institution (aka Investment Bank) and had worked with many people, and had many people to include on this email. Trust me, it is always a good thing to leave your work and colleagues in a good light, you never know when you will cross paths again.

Usually orientation begins about 2 weeks before actual classes do, but it obviously depends on the school. You will need to give yourself ample time to get moved in and get almost everything squared away before orientation starts, as it is probably best to get started off on a fresh, clean slate. One of my roommates and I sent most of our stuff in a moving van, but we drove ourselves out from New York City to Los Angeles. What a way to meet your new roommate!! Highlights included biking (we had our mountain bikes with us) the famous Slick Rock Trail in Moab, Utah and also hitting Vegas for a night. It was a sign of good things to come when we left Vegas with $3200 cash in my pocket. Not bad for a $100 original bet.

Orientation began a week later for us once we arrived in Los Angeles. Orientation is great, it is sort of like summer camp. It is a chance to meet all of your future classmates before you get face deep in your statistics and marketing books. You do a lot of breakout sessions, group activities, and team building exercises, all things that will help you become closer with your classmates and form bonds that will last throughout business school and beyond. There are ample opportunities to carry these teambuilding activities into the wee hours of the morning and figuring out the new bar scene. You will definitely need a good watering hole while in school! It is a fun week full of information gathering, figuring out where things are on campus, how things work, and who these people are that you will be spending countless hours with. All in all it is a good experience and is a fun launching point into your first week of classes. It quickly goes from fun and games to studying, studying, and more studying! Be prepared!!

This article is the second in a series….please be on the lookout for the third piece…Next, we will discuss the adventures and awesomeness of what to expect in classes, first semester, and thinking about summer internships. It’ll be crazy fun, but watch out, the time flies by, soak it all in!!!! Soon you will be sitting at the table during your winter break and will be wondering where it all went!!