The last time I had a winter break (or summer break, or spring break, or any kind of "break," for that matter) was a whole six years ago. Re-reading that last sentence, I'm very tempted to wallow a bit in self-pity, but fortunately--or unfortunately--for most first-year students winter break allows no time for mindless dawdling. Please allow me to elaborate:
After the crazy & hectic orientation season came the crazy & hectic recruiting season.
After the crazy & hectic recruiting season came the crazy & hectic finals season.
After the crazy & hectic finals season came the crazy & hectic resume-drop season (present time).
After the crazy & hectic resume-drop season will come the crazy & hectic interview season (January & February).
And then it's time to let out a huge sigh of relief and finally get that haircut you've been putting off for a year and see friends that you've somehow managed to raincheck into oblivion.
Now, keep in mind that folks who are looking to go into marketing, media/entertainment, real estate, or other non-traditional fields will not follow the above-schedule. But for most students who are looking to recruit for consulting or finance, this schedule will hold true. And that's exactly why first quarter of first year is likened to the saying, "drinking water from a firehose." Because it is information-overload at every turn and you have to be comfortable with the dynamic and ever-shifting gears of business school.
And that brings me to point out one of the greatest characteristics and skills to hone in business school: adaptability. We all come in possessing varying degrees of this characteristic but soon will find that we're pushed to our limits. Ultimately, the sheer willingness to change and adapt according to the situation at hand is a great advantage. And this is the overarching theme beneath all the noise.
OK, I'm off my soapbox now. So now that first quarter is over and winter break has officially commenced, what to do? For starters, many of our fellow first years and second years have gone off to ski, snowboard, and just plain lounge in Breckenridge, CO. They seem to be having a blast from all the Facebook picture postings and I feel tinges of jealousy here and there. Alas, I didn't sign up to go so now I'm missing out. But never fear, there are always more cases to practice and cover letters to polish, so the next few weeks will be busy without a doubt. I just hope and pray that by this time next year, I'll be able to bequeath more of my insider knowledge and experiences with the readers--with a job offer in my back pocket.
-- Connie Kim
