This time last year, I was accepted into the #1 part time MBA program in the country - EWMBA. I was really ***excited*** to become a part of this great academic institution. Since childhood, I had dreamt of studying at a world class institution, sharing the classroom with really talented students and learning from top class professors. This is a dream come true - not only because I have been accepted into the EWMBA program but more importantly because of where I come from and the journey that I've had.
On one hand, I wish I had made a diary entry last year, to keep a record of things I wanted to get out of the program and check boxes at the end of year 1. On the other hand, I'm really glad that I did not write that diary entry as it would have limited the amount of fun I've had.
Following are the highlights from my first year at Haas:
1) FFL: Whoever said that b-school is all about networking got it all wrong!
I have made a few friends (mostly from the Gold cohort) but I can proudly say that I have found "Friends For Life". I also met my girlfriend at Haas which makes this place even more special.
2) Haas Student Community: One of the things I love about Haas is the sense of community. The core course if 1.5 years, this is time that you spend with your cohort (60 people). The camaraderie and friendship that one develops with the cohort is incredible.
In my experience, I've found EW students (across cohorts and batches) to be really supportive of each other. The student council does a great job of representing the entire batch in meetings, raising concerns and making sure that the concerns are addressed appropriately.
3) Student activities: It's just amazing how much energy people have! Almost 50% of the students in my class are married and ~30% of the class has kids. Yet everyone finds time to participate in events on campus and competitions across the US.
Thursday is the new Friday. We do a happy hour almost every Thursday, after class, and find time to destress!
4) Academic Excellence: I came to b-school with an engineering background and data-analytics work experience. I started every single course (economics, finance, marketing, accounting, stats, etc) as a poet but I can proudly say that I can have an intellectual conversation and make an informed decision about the topics that I have learnt at school. It has made me a better employee at work.
A shout out to the program office for thinking through the core courses and stitching together the curriculum, to the professors for employing some innovative teaching methods and to the GSIs.
I have my finals in 2 weeks and can't wait to go on a Vegas trip with the entire batch. It's been an incredible 1st year and I can't wait to see what year 2 has in store for all of us. While, sometimes it does become a little crazy, managing a full time job and full course load together, I'm enjoying every bit of it.
For those of you reading this and considering doing an MBA, I would highly encourage you to explore Haas's EWMBA as an option.
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