I can’t believe it, but next week it is already time for Fall A midterms (The first semester is divided into 2 halfs)! It really has been a fast paced and exciting start to B-School, both in terms of the classes and the huge amount of other things going on. I’ve been loving how interrelated the classes are – something you learned in microeconomics or statistics is suddenly the best tool to solve a case in leading people. While on the topic of leading people – I’m finding it so different to any classes I have taken before. We’re learning about management and leadership skills but in a very interactive way. Assignments often involve taking surveys with the results reviewed in class to demonstrate biases and stereotypes.
Enough about class though and more about everything else that is keeping me busy and making time fly by. Firstly there are the clubs. I’ve joined quite a number of industry and social clubs (High Tech Club, Digital Media and Entertainment, Marketing, Beer, Wine, Redwoods … I think that’s it) and am looking forward to being involved. Both in terms of organising conferences, going on treks to companies, generally networking, and of course visiting local breweries and wineries. :-) Related to the clubs, there are also optional speaker series which bring in speakers from various industries every week. I’m attending the Marketing series in Fall A and Topics in Tech in Fall B, so learning a lot!
Finally, there is the social scene – and it never disappoints. Every week there is Tuesday Night at Bears Lair, and every Thursday there is Bar of the Week. Then there are all of the impromptu events at people’s houses, Consumption events at Campus, and of course weekend trips. Last weekend for example was Labor Day long weekend. There were groups that went to Napa and Lake Tahoe and other places, but I chose to go in a group of 16 partners and Haasies to Lake Shasta, about 4 hours away, for a weekend of houseboating and wakeboarding and it was incredible … if a little exhausting :-) We had an amazing time relaxing in the sun and swimming in the beautifully warm water.
Looking forward to all that the rest of Semester has to offer.
Ben
Berkeley MBA Students Blog 