Arrrrrr and To-Ga To-Ga party

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

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!

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

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

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

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

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.