The 3 Cs of My First Year at Babson
Now that I’m down to the last classes of the first year of my Two-Year MBA program, a series of flashbacks is playing in my head: Orientation. My first meeting with the Signature Learning Group. Techmark. BCAP client calls. Late nights of project work. As I look back, Steve Jobs’ “it’s all about the journey” lesson rings in my year. From not knowing what to expect on my first day, to now writing about my experience for all of you, here’s an overview of my first year journey.
The Cohort
In the beginning, we spent most of our day on campus, eager to discover everything Babson had to offer and meet our amazing cohort. While I’m sure most cohorts feel this way, I have to say–MBA’19 is a special group. I’ve learned so much from my peers this year.
The Classes
Every class at Babson encourages discussions that extend outside the classroom. Some classes like Entrepreneurship and Opportunity even force you out of the classroom to learn. As overwhelming as group activities may seem in the beginning, they define a major part of your MBA experience. The most memorable time I had with my learning group in the first semester was the 24-hour Strategy exam–you are given a case and have 24-hours to define the strategy of an organization, identify opportunities and threats for the company, and provide recommendations for the future. Most of the groups thought 24 hours was plenty of time, but it took the full 24; I remember bonding with my classmates over burrito bowls from Reynolds while we worked on the exam. We came out of that experience stronger, closer, and prepared to have dinner together a lot more often!
The Clubs
Even though we were buried under tons of work during the first six months, many of us were more than happy to be part of the number of Babson’s extracurricular activities. Students ran for positions on the Graduate Student Council, leadership positions in different clubs like the Babson Marketing Club, Babson Consulting Club and events like the Babson India Symposium and Babson Latin American Forum. For me, these activities expanded my Babson family and made me feel more a part of the greater Babson community.
The year has flown by. I’ve made memories that are difficult to fit on any page or blog. Though I’m looking forward to the next year–the chance to create more memories and welcome a new first-year class–I am already dreading the thought of walking out of Olin for the last time next May. They say all good things have to come to an end, but at Babson, the ties and memories you make are sure to last forever.