In a stroke of genius today, as I was fussing around with my proxy's settings and bemoaning it's slowness, I realized as an incoming student I am already privy to a bevy of goodies that the school provides me (in part via the humongous tuition payments I provide it, of course). Lo and behold, the power of the Kellogg VPN. *cackles maniacally* Up yours, Golden Shield Project! I am drunk with the power!!! Blogosphere beware, I have found a smooth way to connect and will now be updating you with not only my travels and travails but the state of my toenails and my opinion on reality television shows. Oh wait, that's what Twitter is for.
Note: Above is obviously tongue in cheek, as I don't have Twitter (oh, I know, how dare I claim to be a "modern" businesscow) and I don't watch reality telvision shows. But if you are curious, they are bright red, and they suck.
I, like so many others have reported, have failed in my mission to secure McManus housing and now must venture into wide world of unknowns. I am waffling between just securing an available apartment while I'm overseas, and waiting until August when I can actually go smell the drapes and blacklight the sofa covers. This is additionally complicated by the fact I would really like a roommate, but am pretty picky about ... well just about everything. Obviously the danger of waiting is that all the nice places get snapped up, and I'm left with nothing but crap to choose from. Yet, the little devil cow sitting on my shoulder keeps whispering into my ear, "Maybe if you procrastinate long enough, the problem will go away." *rolls her eyes*
My one and only scholarship application has been sent off, and I will now sit on my hands for the next month while I await for a response. The scary part is, despite my griping about the essays, I am well aware that the hardest part if yet to come. I have no consulting experience to speak of, and the last time I even looked at a case study was over 8 years ago. I will need to pick up some books on case interviews and do some intensive studying, and the thought of lugging even more books around with me as I am globetrotting and supposedly enjoying the last of my free days is a bit disheartening. I am however, a bit encouraged by Orlando's in depth account of his own experience with BCG, and hopefully I will be able to draw from his success and navigate my way to a scholarship/internship award.
Now, back to the mundane task of figuring out how to coordinate paperwork from 3 different countries to submit for my healthcare records.
PS. I have just received an email from Northwestern University's BE AWARE YOU'RE UPLOADING (I'm not even joking, it's even been abbreviated to BAYU) service, warning me about the dangers of pirating copyrighted materials. Obviously I forgot to turn off Transmission when I VPN'ed. Le oops. Oh, and as a CYA (another one of those silly acronyms that make me giggle), I was torrenting legal material, such as podcasts. Of course.
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Brain so rusty you can hear the creaking coming out of my ears
Throughout this whole application process, and now as I try to apply for ONE scholarship (I don't think I can muster the energy for anymore) what I've found the most frustrating is my difficulty with writing essays.
Like most other b-school candidates, I learned the art of BS at an early age and used it effortlessly and to my advantage through my undergrad years. But after many moons in the corporate world where writing is limited to scribbling on Post-It notes and the occasional quick email or dry financial report, my ability to generate persuasive writing has waned. Furthermore after living internationally the last 2 years I now feel hard pressed to put more than two coherent, meaningful sentences together.
I've identified a few factors at play here:
1) I now have a more sophisticated BS radar. Writing I would have felt was the epitome of eloquence 5 years ago no longer passes muster; as I become more well-read my standards of acceptable writing seem to have increased. This means I dismiss more of my initial draft as rubbish, unfortunately, increasing exponentially the time it takes to get a simple essay finished.
2) Technological distraction. I cannot work more than 5 minutes without receiving an email or an instant message from a friend, or being compelled to check Facebook or read BBC News ... oh yeah, or post to my blog. ;)
3) Shifting priorities. Although I remain a geek to the core, I have branched out significantly from when I was last a student, and I just don't find it interesting to sit in front of my computer, rearranging sentences to find the perfect cadence. It was easier when I had less of a life, but now I'd much rather be out playing tennis, getting a foot massage while catching up with my friends, or reading a book by somebody who actually has a gift for writing, really.
4) Straight up rustiness. There's no denying this, no matter how many excuses I come up with. I am hoping this is will pass with time, because if not the next 2 years will be very painful for me and my group mates.
That is the most frustrating part, knowing I should be better, have been better in the past, and really must be better at this in order to make it through successfully and still hitting writer's block so bad I feel I need to be physically shook up and down to dislodge it. There's an idea, somebody go find me a trampoline.
Like most other b-school candidates, I learned the art of BS at an early age and used it effortlessly and to my advantage through my undergrad years. But after many moons in the corporate world where writing is limited to scribbling on Post-It notes and the occasional quick email or dry financial report, my ability to generate persuasive writing has waned. Furthermore after living internationally the last 2 years I now feel hard pressed to put more than two coherent, meaningful sentences together.
I've identified a few factors at play here:
1) I now have a more sophisticated BS radar. Writing I would have felt was the epitome of eloquence 5 years ago no longer passes muster; as I become more well-read my standards of acceptable writing seem to have increased. This means I dismiss more of my initial draft as rubbish, unfortunately, increasing exponentially the time it takes to get a simple essay finished.
2) Technological distraction. I cannot work more than 5 minutes without receiving an email or an instant message from a friend, or being compelled to check Facebook or read BBC News ... oh yeah, or post to my blog. ;)
3) Shifting priorities. Although I remain a geek to the core, I have branched out significantly from when I was last a student, and I just don't find it interesting to sit in front of my computer, rearranging sentences to find the perfect cadence. It was easier when I had less of a life, but now I'd much rather be out playing tennis, getting a foot massage while catching up with my friends, or reading a book by somebody who actually has a gift for writing, really.
4) Straight up rustiness. There's no denying this, no matter how many excuses I come up with. I am hoping this is will pass with time, because if not the next 2 years will be very painful for me and my group mates.
That is the most frustrating part, knowing I should be better, have been better in the past, and really must be better at this in order to make it through successfully and still hitting writer's block so bad I feel I need to be physically shook up and down to dislodge it. There's an idea, somebody go find me a trampoline.
Monday, May 25, 2009
The prelude continues
Once again I find myself blogging rather than doing pressing work which actually really needs to get done...
Last week I had the privilege of attending a local Kellogg mixer and met both alumni and several students in my upcoming class. I will start with the caveat that I am not really "small-talk inclined," and I usually feel distinctly uncomfortable when I go to a mixer where I hardly know anybody. I'm quite a straightforward person by nature, and although I am aware and am constantly reminded that business is about networking and gaining connections, I am quite comfortable with a small circle of friends and have no patience for the inanities usually found at such social gatherings.
Well I must say, I was impressed. I stayed much later than I intended, and I had a really enjoyable time. What stood out the most to me wasn't how friendly or diverse the crowd seemed, although both was true. It was how damn helpful everybody was. A 2008 graduate introduced herself and immediately took the new admits she found under her wing, giving us the scoop on housing, internships, brand management (her field) and recruiting. I also met an eMBA alumnus who immediately offered us a place to stay if we "ever wanted to get out of Evanston." He owns a house 30 minutes north of Evanston (and lives there with his wife, so I'm fairly certain there was nothing fishy about it).
Yes, there was small talk. But with alcohol once again acting as the essential social lubricant, it seemed to me that the people were relaxed, happy to be chatting with each other, and generally enjoying themselves. I left even more convinced I made the right choice to enroll Kellogg.
Also last week, the announcement went out at work about my imminent departure. It has been very bittersweet, explaining to my adopted friends and family why I'm leaving them behind. While it is true that I have been very unhappy during these last months, I am glad I have a great reason for leaving and something to look forward to, because otherwise I can see how I would be persuaded to stay. I need to learn to resolve my guilt complex for being unable to save everybody, as I know the unfavorable changes made were out of my control. But happily, it's onward to bigger and better things. My colleagues are planning a huge farewell bash at an all-you-can-eat-and-drink Japanese teppanyaki, sushi, & sake restaurant. Knowing my company, the drinking will be epic.
There is tons to do, and the window of opportunity for me to get through it all is shrinking rapidly. I'm getting business school at a huge opportunity cost, but even picking and choosing the things I get to do this summer is becoming difficult. Just some of the items on the list are: learning another language, traveling to different countries, making progress on my insanely long reading list, brushing up on accounting & finance, finding housing in Evanston, getting a sorely needed winter wardrobe, attend some pre-MBA seminars, buying investment property, and oh yeah, relaxing and catching up with my friends, some of whom I haven't seen in close to a year. Oh, and learn to play Rock Band, because I must be the only person on the planet who's never played before!
The thing I am trying to keep in mind is to have perspective. In reality, there are no wrong decisions, and it's about prioritizing (god, I use that word way too much) and also finding the balance that keeps you productive but sane.
Last week I had the privilege of attending a local Kellogg mixer and met both alumni and several students in my upcoming class. I will start with the caveat that I am not really "small-talk inclined," and I usually feel distinctly uncomfortable when I go to a mixer where I hardly know anybody. I'm quite a straightforward person by nature, and although I am aware and am constantly reminded that business is about networking and gaining connections, I am quite comfortable with a small circle of friends and have no patience for the inanities usually found at such social gatherings.
Well I must say, I was impressed. I stayed much later than I intended, and I had a really enjoyable time. What stood out the most to me wasn't how friendly or diverse the crowd seemed, although both was true. It was how damn helpful everybody was. A 2008 graduate introduced herself and immediately took the new admits she found under her wing, giving us the scoop on housing, internships, brand management (her field) and recruiting. I also met an eMBA alumnus who immediately offered us a place to stay if we "ever wanted to get out of Evanston." He owns a house 30 minutes north of Evanston (and lives there with his wife, so I'm fairly certain there was nothing fishy about it).
Yes, there was small talk. But with alcohol once again acting as the essential social lubricant, it seemed to me that the people were relaxed, happy to be chatting with each other, and generally enjoying themselves. I left even more convinced I made the right choice to enroll Kellogg.
Also last week, the announcement went out at work about my imminent departure. It has been very bittersweet, explaining to my adopted friends and family why I'm leaving them behind. While it is true that I have been very unhappy during these last months, I am glad I have a great reason for leaving and something to look forward to, because otherwise I can see how I would be persuaded to stay. I need to learn to resolve my guilt complex for being unable to save everybody, as I know the unfavorable changes made were out of my control. But happily, it's onward to bigger and better things. My colleagues are planning a huge farewell bash at an all-you-can-eat-and-drink Japanese teppanyaki, sushi, & sake restaurant. Knowing my company, the drinking will be epic.
There is tons to do, and the window of opportunity for me to get through it all is shrinking rapidly. I'm getting business school at a huge opportunity cost, but even picking and choosing the things I get to do this summer is becoming difficult. Just some of the items on the list are: learning another language, traveling to different countries, making progress on my insanely long reading list, brushing up on accounting & finance, finding housing in Evanston, getting a sorely needed winter wardrobe, attend some pre-MBA seminars, buying investment property, and oh yeah, relaxing and catching up with my friends, some of whom I haven't seen in close to a year. Oh, and learn to play Rock Band, because I must be the only person on the planet who's never played before!
The thing I am trying to keep in mind is to have perspective. In reality, there are no wrong decisions, and it's about prioritizing (god, I use that word way too much) and also finding the balance that keeps you productive but sane.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
From then til now
Looking through the list of over 30 varied, amazing KWEST trips and trying to pick my top 10 was probably the highlight of this week. The low was probably when the enormity of the amount of debt I will undertake to finance my further education. But no matter, onward ho.
Hello and welcome. I am late to the MBA blogging game, having been drowning in work during the application season. The end result was I was only able to submit 4 applications total, later than I had planned at that, and I feel extremely lucky to have been accepted to the Kellogg School of Management, a perennial top 5 school.
Along the way the information, advice, and witty insight provided by other bloggers was invaluable to aiding me in my own process, and I am grateful to those who have shared their journeys. I will be picking up blogging again as a way to chronicle my own journey, to collect my thoughts as I make my way through the next two years, and have somewhere to reflect back on. I have separated this from my personal livejournal as I am not convinced this will stay anonymous, and I would prefer to not have the years of my raging teenage angst exposed to those who know me on a professional level. ;) Having lived with the stifling internet censorship in China for the last 2 years, it feels great to be back in the blogosphere. I realize this is an ambitious undertaking, as I have been forewarned about the intense quarters ahead, with sleep deprivation and hundreds of pages of required reading, but it feels so good knowing I will be back in the free world, that I am determined to exercise my right to blog.
Until next time,
I remain,
faithfully,
BC
Hello and welcome. I am late to the MBA blogging game, having been drowning in work during the application season. The end result was I was only able to submit 4 applications total, later than I had planned at that, and I feel extremely lucky to have been accepted to the Kellogg School of Management, a perennial top 5 school.
Along the way the information, advice, and witty insight provided by other bloggers was invaluable to aiding me in my own process, and I am grateful to those who have shared their journeys. I will be picking up blogging again as a way to chronicle my own journey, to collect my thoughts as I make my way through the next two years, and have somewhere to reflect back on. I have separated this from my personal livejournal as I am not convinced this will stay anonymous, and I would prefer to not have the years of my raging teenage angst exposed to those who know me on a professional level. ;) Having lived with the stifling internet censorship in China for the last 2 years, it feels great to be back in the blogosphere. I realize this is an ambitious undertaking, as I have been forewarned about the intense quarters ahead, with sleep deprivation and hundreds of pages of required reading, but it feels so good knowing I will be back in the free world, that I am determined to exercise my right to blog.
Until next time,
I remain,
faithfully,
BC
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