hi!

i'm kristen.

It’s hard to believe that the first quarter of b-school is coming to an end. All that looms in the horizon are late night study sessions for our four finals in four consecutive days. Well, that and a few more assignments.

The giant marketing project is over, and it was pretty amazing to see all my classmates’ hard work in the presentations. We all came dressed in business attire, and spent 20 minutes showcasing the results of our quarter-long projects. It’s funny how each group’s dynamic is very apparent when they present. It shows if they’ve taken on this challenge fairly easily, or if they’re one group meeting away from throwing down. But the ideas and marketing plans that my classmates have created are incredibly detailed, creative, and hopefully implementable at their respective organizations.

Spending more time with my classmates has made me realize how valuable this network is, and will be for life. I have become fast friends with some people who are insanely talented and ambitious, with good hearts and quick minds. I didn’t expect this experience to open me up to so many more—whether it be trying new types of food, celebrating Diwali, hearing others’ career paths and learning from their life stories. Even though most of us have found smaller groups of friends, it is important to remember to reach out and connect with everybody, or you might miss out on something truly life-changing.

Remembering to apply for internships has also been challenging (at least for me) amidst all the chaos. The entire point of b-school is starting a great career, but you’re so busy with schoolwork that actually taking the steps towards that can escape your mind. Of course, the career center is a godsend in this regard, but they can’t do the work for you. So I’m going to begin reserving an hour each day solely dedicated to my internship and career search. I’m hoping this will steer me back on track.

The anticipation of winter break is fueling us through a few more weeks here in the “cold” (60-degree) California winter. Excitement has been building as we’ve started choosing our electives for next quarter. It is somewhat of a turning point, where we decide our concentration and run with it. Come January, we will be in a new classroom with new voices to be heard, but all I know is that there are many more adventures to be had. Happy Thanksgiving everybody!