

Survivify: School

You've made it through the GMATs and the laborious application process. You've chosen which school to attend, and you've quit your job -- unless you are going to B-school part-time while you continue to work, in which case OMG -- and you are possibly going to relocate to pursue your number-crunching dreams. Props to you for taking the plunge. But the real work is only just getting started.
While any graduate program will require sacrifices and a great deal of effort, B-school is its own unique animal. After all, the main goal of it is to prepare people to work as managers, so you can expect the program to in fact feel like work. There will be meetings, PowerPoint presentations, sales forecasts, marketing briefs, and lots and lots of email.
So, share some strategies here to help the next group of masochists thrive in B-school. Whether you're a poet or a quant, all tips are welcome. It'll bring back memories, and it's just the right thing to do.
Look on the bright side:
- You'll learn how to function without sleep.
- If you were terrified of public speaking before, at least you won't be afterwards.
- You will have a completely new vocabulary and a Ph.D. in buzzwords before it's all over.
- You'll become really great at PowerPoint.
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Tips from the trenches:
- Reverse Polish Notation - learn it fast. Your life (or at least your sanity) may depend on it.
- Go to the math bootcamp program. If your school doesn't have one, take some math refresher courses before B-school starts.
- Invest in a decent laptop. You'll do a lot of work in remote locations featuring coffee and free wi-fi.
- Be true to your word. Most of B-school work is done in groups, and you will need to be a trusted teammate to get through it.
- Many programs use a cohort model, whereby you stay with the same group of people throughout the first year.
- Be social, and don't turn down invites for anything. Most of b-school involves making good connections for later. Be yourself and have fun.
- Cultivate faculty relationships. Your profs will likely have contacts at the company you want to work for.
- Get a nice portfolio that can hold a stack of resumes. You will be interviewing for a summer internship before you know it.
- You will probably have more meetings every day than you did while you were working. Manage your time well.
- B-school can put a big strain on relationships with significant others.
- Whatever you do, avoid groupthink.
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Survival kit contents:
(replenish as often as needed)- Read
- MBA Degree in a Box: All the Prestige for a Fraction of t...
- Business School Confidential: A Complete Guide to the Bus...
- The 10-day MBA: A Step-by-step Guide to Mastering the Ski...
- Harvard Business School Confidential: Secrets of Success
- 101 Things I Learned in Business School
- What I Didn't Learn in Business School: How Strategy Work...
- The MBA Jungle B-School Survival Guide
- GMAC MBA Survival Kit (4 CD-set)
- What the Best MBAs Know: How to Apply the Greatest Ideas ...
- The 30 Day MBA: Learn the Essential Top Business School C...
- MBA Companion
- MBA in a Book: Mastering Business with Attitude
- MBA In A Day: What You Would Learn At Top-Tier Business S...
- Forgotten Calculus
- Forgotten Calculus: A Refresher Course for Business Appli...
- The Vest-Pocket MBA, Third Edition
- Schaum's Quick Guide to Business Formulas: 201 Decision-M...
- The Case Study Handbook: How to Read, Discuss, and Write ...
- Mastering the MBA 2010: How to Survive and Thrive in Busi...
- Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side ...
- The Blushing MBA: Secrets from Graduate School
- Streetwise Crash Course MBA: Learn The Fundamentals Of Fi...
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- Everything else
- NoDoz Alertness Aid Caffeine Caplets, Maximum Strength
- Red Bull Energy Drink, 8.4-Ounce Cans (Pack of 24)
- Transcend 16 GB JetFlash 500 Retractable USB 2.0 Flash D...
- HP 12C Financial Calculator (12C#ABA)
- CAF-FIEND Extra Strong Coffee For Junkies Original Blend
- Bayer Genuine Aspirin 325mg 500 tablets
- Exam Cram Care Package
- Munchies, Snacks and Junk Food Treats Gift Basket
- Midnight Snack Care Package Gift Basket
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