mytwotalents

Ok so DAK 1 has gone by and I will have a total report - I promise. I met tons of people and a bunch of students with the whole weekend confirming for me once again that this is the right place for me. Ok so I’m working on burning my whole cd collection since I want to get the jewel cases to the record shop for recycling…anyways I found this on the back of an oldie but goodie:

“To be nobody but yourself, in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else, means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.”          -E.E. Cummins

Here is a link to an MBA panel that Kellogg’s Dean Dipak took part in for the Financial Times. Sure I think the ratings are bunk (Kellogg was not ranked as high as it should) but here is the link so you can take it for what it is.

In response to one question regarding the current recession fears in the US and how that should affect getting an MBA, Dean Dipak responds with this:
“The right time to do an MBA is when you are mentally prepared to start the journey. External market conditions need to be factored into your decision but they should not be the driving decision. Conditions come and go, but the MBA degree will continue to be of enduring value. We believe that intellectual curiosity and learning should be your guide in the journey ahead.”

In relation to my previous post on Itunes U, you can get the story of Dr. Yunus and the Grameen Bank that he founded in Bangladesh over at amazon.  The link to his organization is here.

I think once in a while I’ll post some relevant text plus links regarding specifics of the Kellogg program I am joining. I think I’ll call it “Inside Kellogg.” Today we look at academics:

These core classes account for nine of the 24.5 minimum courses required for graduation:

* Accounting for Decision Making
* Business Strategy
* Finance I
* Marketing Management
* Mathematical Methods For Management Decisions
* Microeconomic Analysis
* Operations Management
* Statistical Methods for Management Decisions
* Strategies for Leading & Managing Organizations

During Pre-Term in our 2nd year, we complete a half-credit course, Values & Crisis Decision Making (broad class that looks at what we learned first year).
I have some ideas already as to some of the classes I want to take, but there will probably be changes as I try to figure out the whole bidding system for classes and professors. Cross-Cultural Negotiation and Managing Turnarounds are a few that already stick out to me. One other interesting one to me is the Human Element in Private Equity Investment. Well these are all prelim ideas for now, but I’m still looking through the countless options we have.

For the full Kellogg academics page go here.

Well I was exploring Itunes U. the other day and found quite a bit of interesting stuff. The specific group of podcasts that I downloaded were from the Stanford Center for Social Innovation. I am currently listening to the Muhammad Yunus talk on “Creating a Poverty-Free World.” I’ll report on what I learn, but this has encouraged me to keep developing an idea I have for a non-profit (which was going to be part of my Chicago GSB sliderama). Anyways, check that U category out on Itunes - it’s much better that listening to stranger’s conversations on the train or one more stupid Britney update on CNN.

I didn’t see anything from Kellogg on there yet, but I’m sure they are either working on it. If they are not, I’ll be sure to bring it up once I’m on campus. It is a great distribution channel for any school, plus great speeches should be shared beyond the confines of the 300-500 people that are sitting in an auditorium. I hope that our site: www.kellogg.northwestern.edu will also improve in the future. I watched several convocations online, but come on: bandwith is cheap!

Well 2008 is here and next time this year I will have lived through KWEST, CIM, and my first fall at Kellogg.  I know some of you are ready to turn in 2nd round applications (don’t forget to make sure your recommender’s have handed in their part!) - so to all of you may the next two weeks seem like a time freeze so you can finish editing and re-reading and adjusting your essays.  I think that the Chicago GSB power point slides will be interesting to look at once some sneak out online…

Well I will be taking a quant class here in the spring, and apart from that I am still busy trying to clean up the basement ahead of moving down to Evanston. I’m going to try to put together the FAFSA as soon as possible, but getting tax forms is always a struggle.  I am also looking at some summer opportunities that might even have a community service aspect.  Oh and yes I have been checking out some class requirements, but for the most part things won;t really start rolling till after DAK.

Last thing - I was watching the Iconoclasts show on Sundance the other day and it was very interesting to see how Norman Lear (I admit I did not grow up with his tv shows) and Howard Schultz (sbux whiz) became friends and in disparate arenas managed to influence life beyond the narrow roles we would normally give them.  Norman bought the U.S. Constitution and took it on tour to encourage voting.  Howard was a pioneer in health care for part-time employees, as well as ownership stakes.  Anyways, not totally related to mba  - except that meeting people from different arenas and learning from them IS really one of the top expectations and hopes that I have for my 2008-2010 journey.

Well I have to say that already knowing where I am going and not having to wait around has been huge! I remember sitting at Kellogg hearing Deena and the team reminding us to have a good Christmas and not fret about admit decisions. I was one of the ones that received the news earlier on (Dec 11th) so I haven’t had to worry much about it!

-To those of you still waiting, good luck.
-For those of you still working through 2nd round applications, good luck too - press on, it will be worth it.

I have been doing some school related researching, with the latest involving what smart-phone/pda I should get (iphone probably out since it is not supported) and looking more closely at classes. Yes I know it sounds like I still have so much time before starting, but it has been fun to dig in further knowing that’s where I’ll be next Christmas. Lastly, here is a lesser known Christmas carol on this most special day:

Pilgrims they were from unknown countries
Searching for one who knows the world
Lost are their names and strange their journeys
Famed is their zeal to find the Child
Jesus in You the lost are claimed, aliens are found and known and named.

Merry Christmas.

Well one thing I have realized through the application process is that I need to get more organized. I use a fairly simple excel doc to keep track of dates, essay, recommendations, logins, etc - but grad school is boot camp for time management for two straight years. I have not decided yet what I will use, but my brother in law J has some ideas and even gave me an itunes book as a congrats present for going to school. Once I settle on something I’ll post on it.

Right now I need to:

• brush up on some specific excel things I haven’t done in a while
• get ready for a certificate I’m taking
• start cleaning the basement so I can get the house ready to sell
• enjoy Christmas with my family

Well I am sending in the money tomorrow. No credit cards here - good old fashion money order or check says Mr. Northwestern.  I haven’t made a school payment in a very long time, but there are quite a few coming my way. I will chronicle as much as I can about the scholarship process, and hopefully I will have success in a few spots. In the general time line of the mba process, it might seem early for me to be sending the deposit in so soon, but frankly this is where I want to go and the sooner I start on the whole process the better.

I have a lot to do as far as getting the house ready for the market, the basement is a mess, and I don’t know what I am going to do with all the books I have been accumulating. And lastly, I have that big spring conference that I will be doing. I thought that over the late fall and early winter I would have a lot of time to dedicate to getting prepared for that conference, but applications took a lot out of me (a good thing) so I really have a lot of catching up to do. Last year’s conference was a great success except for one keynote, but I am pretty sure that I can handle that in ‘08.

*I am sure that the housing market will turn around by spring :), ha!

So tonight we had some people over to our house and after dinner the guys went down the street to the local hangout and the girls stayed back. I had a good conversation with one of my closest friends Jn about my future after Kellogg. I have a pretty good idea about what I’d like to do, and yes I am one of the few that actually would like to do what they wrote about in their essays. I know one practical aspect that I have been thinking about is that one of my options entails a lot of time away from home. While this would not be a big deal right now, I think that if a family is in my future that might change. Things to ponder. Sorry for lack of details, but I am still struggling with this right now. I do know that working at the factory right now does allows for some things outside of work (large part of one of my essays), yet I don’t think I want to go back to a similar role post school.

Funny thing is you think HARD about who you are, what you want, what school you want to go to, and then BAM! You show up at school and have to keep wrestling with summer internship + post school.

It never stops…