When I was describing the second week of Orientation at UCLA Anderson to my father, he remarked that it sounded like a true total immersion, and wondered if other MBA programs had something as intense. Although I do not know the answer to that question, I do know that he hit the nail on the head when describing our orientation. The second week included our first real paper and final exam for Management 414, improv and public speaking, a simulated climb of Mt. Everest, a day of team-building on the Odyssey ropes course (see Connie’s blog about that amazing day here), our first (sort of) recruiting event with Bain & Co., and the Game Day Section Competition.
Classes start on Thursday and thus begins the quest to settle into official school life. As much as I have enjoyed Orientation, and am so appreciative of the clear effort Anderson puts into it to ensure that we have the most valuable experience possible, it is time to get into a routine. Bet before I get ahead of myself, I have to talk about Game Day!
It’s amazing to think that a mere two weeks ago, we all showed up on campus not knowing one another, because from the look of the solidarity and enthusiasm that abounded at this section competition, we’ve been good friends forever. Our class is divided into five sections, the group we will take 3 of our 5 classes with all fall quarter. Game Day was a chance for us to put our section and Anderson spirit on display and spend a day outside in the beautiful LA weather participating in some classic kickball, dodgeball, and wiffleball competitions.
We created class cheers, painted our bodies and faces, and my beloved Section B dressed up our fearless second year orientation leaders Sean and Nora as Thor with a Six-pack and a Renaissance-era Taco (respectively). A highlight of the day for me was tapping into my roots as the coach of our company softball team and playing with the championship Wiffleball team. Note to The Islanders: I can still play left field! Here are some photos of the day (my most sincere apologies to Sections A, C, D, and E, but I only have pics of my section):
Serious business school students prepare for a somber day of competition.
Not sure if blog celebrity Kenny Liao was scarier as this or the cowboy……….
Jason Meagher whips Section B into a frenzy shortly before our grand entrance on the game field through a human tunnel!
Section B represents!
Wiffle Ball Champs! What is it about baseball teams and that awkward lie-down-in-front pose?
For now, I will focus on enjoying the last week of Orientation, which includes various career panels and club fairs, a day of service at a local elementary school, the 80s party (by all accounts one of the best parties of the year), and a talk from Dean Judy Olian, who is one of the reasons I picked UCLA Anderson. I also need to try and squeeze in a bit of sleep since I signed up for the Los Angeles Triathlon this Sunday, a decision I am somewhat puzzled by now that the race is fast approaching and I feel completely unprepared!
This consists of an almost 1 mile swim in the Pacific Ocean, a 24 mile bike ride from the ocean to downtown, and a 10K around LA Live, the Disney Concert Hall, and other famous landmarks. To say that moving, orientation, and trying to find my way around a new city has taken serious priority over training is an understatement! But one of the main reasons I signed up is races are a great way to tour a City—traffic free!—and I am eager to know all the ins and outs of my fabulous new home. So maybe it’s just about enjoying myself and, for this South Florida girl, not freezing to death in the Pacific :)
-Charlotte Baxter
