The Wharton Experience – Day 2
I woke up bright and early and headed down to Huntsman Hall to sign up for class visits. There were about a dozen of us there who signed up for the campus tour. A list is usually provided with the courses available for that particular timeslot. I chose Professor Seigel’s Macroeconomics & Global Economy class. The class was riveting; with some commentary on the previous day’s news from global financial markets as well as some thought-provoking historical comparison of different companies/industries over the past 50 years.
After class, I strolled back to the MBA Café to kill some time before meeting the next group heading to class. I was sitting there alone sipping a sprite, killing time before the next class that I planned to attend, when no fewer than three different students stopped by my table to say hello. I think the “smart casual” attire was a dead give-away and was equivalent to “I-am-a-Wharton-Wannabe” sign pasted on my forehead. The conversations were quite similar, comprising of name exchanges, business cards, background, and why Wharton. By this time I was two minds: either I have that lost puppy aura or there is just a very open and collaborative culture on campus. One student in particular suggested that I given my goals after b-school that the Innovation, Change and Entrepreneurship Class would be an excellent compliment, and would be worth checking out.
Throughout the rest of the day I was able to sit in on two more classes: the Corporate Development (M&A) and the Innovation, Change and Entrepreneurship class. I was expecting to be drowned in quantitative analysis, but was pleasantly surprised to see that the softer issues relating to both subjects were explored in depth. Issues such as: the effect of culture clashes, how to manage change, and the people equation were all given a thorough treatment during the lectures. Needless to say, it was a day well spent.
However, I absorbed this with a pinch of salt. All of the students I spoke to were all second years. My humble impression is the first-year students that I encountered were all focused and extremely busy. The second-years, while also pressed for time, seemed much more relaxed, and self-assured. Most of them had job offers secured, and appeared to have time-management down to a tee.
Again, after my recovery siesta, I got together with a couple second-years and spent a a few hours exploring the adjacent nightlife. We wrapped it all up just after midnight in anticipation for the subsequent day’s interview for me and group meetings/assignments for the rest of the contingent.
After class, I strolled back to the MBA Café to kill some time before meeting the next group heading to class. I was sitting there alone sipping a sprite, killing time before the next class that I planned to attend, when no fewer than three different students stopped by my table to say hello. I think the “smart casual” attire was a dead give-away and was equivalent to “I-am-a-Wharton-Wannabe” sign pasted on my forehead. The conversations were quite similar, comprising of name exchanges, business cards, background, and why Wharton. By this time I was two minds: either I have that lost puppy aura or there is just a very open and collaborative culture on campus. One student in particular suggested that I given my goals after b-school that the Innovation, Change and Entrepreneurship Class would be an excellent compliment, and would be worth checking out.
Throughout the rest of the day I was able to sit in on two more classes: the Corporate Development (M&A) and the Innovation, Change and Entrepreneurship class. I was expecting to be drowned in quantitative analysis, but was pleasantly surprised to see that the softer issues relating to both subjects were explored in depth. Issues such as: the effect of culture clashes, how to manage change, and the people equation were all given a thorough treatment during the lectures. Needless to say, it was a day well spent.
However, I absorbed this with a pinch of salt. All of the students I spoke to were all second years. My humble impression is the first-year students that I encountered were all focused and extremely busy. The second-years, while also pressed for time, seemed much more relaxed, and self-assured. Most of them had job offers secured, and appeared to have time-management down to a tee.
Again, after my recovery siesta, I got together with a couple second-years and spent a a few hours exploring the adjacent nightlife. We wrapped it all up just after midnight in anticipation for the subsequent day’s interview for me and group meetings/assignments for the rest of the contingent.
posted by IceMan07 @ 1:56 PM
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