The MBA Student Voice

2/3 Through Year 1, 1/3 Through the MBA!

With the winter quarter having wrapped up and spring quarter just beginning, it's hard to believe... I'm 2/3 of the way done with my first-year! All that remains between me and my summer internship are the 10 weeks of Spring Quarter (which will be action packed). On top of that, I'm 1/3 of the way done with my entire Anderson MBA experience! That is even more mind-blowing...

With that in mind, I'm dedicating this blog post to some activities that took place over the end of Winter Quarter and Spring Break. 

Academics Wrap-Up

The one required core class for Winter Quarter is Operations and Technology Management. Above you can see the wheel of knowledge that you move around throughout the quarter. While the class is challenging, as its the first time many of us have been exposed to operations in a granular fashion, I certainly learned a lot. Especially after learning about Queuing Theory - now everytime I see a long line I just want to fix it!

The second core class that you have the option to take in the Winter Quarter (if not in Winter, then you take it in Spring) is Strategy. This was my first class that is truly case-based - every class there was a case to read. Above you can see the themes that we learned about through all the cases. It was an amazing class, and a great way to learn a lot about a wide-variety of industries and companies through the case material.  

Our Strategy professor also closed out the quarter for us with some "gratuitous remarks" (shown above). The biggest takeaway I had was that people should keep their minds open to careers they hadn't previously thought of before entering business school - examples include health care, where the large scale reforms require tons of changes that business managers can assist with, and "non-sexy industries" such as baby carrots, where people have the opportunity to do exciting work and make a great living but might not have an exciting job from an outsider's perspective. 

UCLA Anderson Harlem Shake

 

On the non-Academic front, Anderson hopped on the Harlem Shake trend to pull together a video of our own right before spring break. Here it is, along with a look behind the scenes below. 

Behind the scenes

 

And from a smaller group of students, done on a beautiful, 75 degree day in Hermosa Beach... Harlem Shake Hermosa Beach

 

 

Japan Spring Break

This trip was unbelievable. 120 first-years, second-years, and significant others visited Kyoto, Osaka, Atami, and Tokyo over the course of 9 days. I need to give another HUUUGGEEE shout-out to the organizers who pulled off an incredible job! Some highlights are below: 

In Kyoto we had the pleasure of witnessing the last day of a 15-day long sumo tournament, which rotates cities on a bi-monthly basis. Our timing couldn't have been better! Having heard about sumo, but never seen it on TV or live before, it was quite the experience. There were some epic bouts that really got the crowd going, some matches that ended almost before they even began it seemed like, and plenty of ceremony.  

At one shrine along our journey, we had the chance to be instructed in zen meditation. It was a very peaceful moment during the trip, and gave everyone a chance to pause, take a breath, and relax. During the second part of meditation, we had the opportunity for the monk to help us "focus" by asking him to politely tap us on the back with a stick. Apparently this is done to monks in training to help clear their minds - not as painful as I thought it would be!

Another highlight was the trip to one of the Toyota factories and showroom. In the Operations Management class we had a case about Toyota, where we learned all about the Toyota Production System which is world-renowned in manufacturing circles. This was an incredible chance to see what we had learned in action - and also check out some really cool cars. One of the Lexus' on the showroom floor had back massages installed in the back seat! 

We had the good fortune of being welcomed by blooming cherry blossoms upon our arrival in Tokyo. Apparently they bloom annually sometime between March 25 and April 4, so we were truly lucky. It made for some gorgeous photo taking and walks around town from one location to another. 

Some of my classmates were adventurous enough to go to the Tsukiji fish market to witness the auction that takes place every morning for fresh fish. Now we know where the sushi we eat in LA comes from!

Looking forward into the Spring Quarter, it's jam packed! Over the course of April we have Anderson Admit Days (aka A-Days) where a large number of admitted students from the class of 2015 will come to Anderson for a weekend full of events; we have C4C Sports Weekend at Stanford where the battle for the Golden Briefcase will be decided; we have AnderProm, the annual spring formal; and tons of other events that take advantage of Anderson's location in LA and the beautiful spring weather. 

I'll be sure to keep you filled in on all the action!

Until next time, 

~Kyle Forrest, follow me on Twitter and follow UCLAMBA

 

 

Finally, an update on what happened at NICC and beyond!

Last month, UCLA Anderson Net Impact wrapped up the Eighth Annual Net Impact Consulting Challenge (NICC), a two-week consulting project that offers students the opportunity to assist local nonprofits and for-profit social ventures with specific business challenges. All 17 student teams presented their strategic plans to teams of judges and members of their assigned organizations. After the first round of presentations, the finalists were called on stage in Korn Hall to present once more, this time in front of a crowded auditorium. And the winners are…

First place: The Los Angeles Center for Law and Justice - Kiara Barrett (MBA 2013), Diana Lin (MBA 2014), Ana Peña (MBA 2013), Alisa Sommer (JD/MBA 2013)

Second place: The Mary Magdalene Project - Megan Groh (MBA 2014), Suzanne Howard (MBA 2014), Shuhan (Bali) Majid (MBA 2014), Ada LingJun Peng (MPP 2013)

Third place: EVO Farms - Chris Calice (FEMBA 2015), Dan Freeman (FEMBA 2015), Axel Guerra (FEMBA 2015), Don Sutherland (FEMBA 2015), Allyson Tom (FEMBA 2015)

Congratulations to all winners! 

NICC proved an extremely valuable experience for both the partner organizations and student teams. In talking with the participating students following the competition, one thing was very clear. All of us felt proud to have done work that had real impact on a real organization. It made us realize just how much we have learned in business school so far!

Many of the organizations have asked the student teams to present their recommendations at upcoming board meetings. In fact, just last week my team attended our client’s board meeting to give a presentation and discuss how our recommendations can be implemented going forward. This was a great opportunity for us to get to know the board members on a personal level as well as to address their questions and concerns. The board was very excited to get going on the plan we created, and to show their appreciation they even got us a cake! 

All in all, NICC was a very rewarding experience that I highly recommend to anyone who is interested in putting their newly acquired MBA skills to use to have a real impact on a real client in the Los Angeles community. So all you first-years and incoming students out there, remember to sign up next year! 

Real case. Real client. Real impact. The Eighth Annual Net Impact Consulting Challenge!

Last Wednesday, the UCLA Anderson chapter of Net Impact held the kickoff for its Eighth Annual Net Impact Consulting Challenge (NICC). NICC offers students the opportunity to assist local nonprofits and for-profit social ventures with current strategic challenges across various areas, such as marketing, finance, operations, and leadership. The students work with their assigned organizations for a period of two and a half weeks, and the competition culminates in a presentation on Sunday, January 27th, when all teams will present their strategic recommendations and compete for a cash prize. 

In an effort to bring together students of various disciplines and levels of expertise, NICC is open to FEMBA and EMBA students, as well as graduate students outside the business school. Students compete in teams of four to six, and this year there are a total of 17 teams and 86 students. The participating organizations were selected through a competitive application process, and are dedicated to causes that include education, poverty, domestic violence, healthcare, and environmental issues. In past years, NICC had been restricted to nonprofit organizations, but the application process this year opened up to for-profit organizations with a social mission, reflective of a growing interest in this business model. 

Over the past eight years, NICC has brought together 190 students and impacted over 60 local organizations.  During the kickoff event, guest speaker and Anderson alumna Gayle Northrop noted that across the years, interest in the nonprofit world has grown at Anderson from just a few students to a sizeable group of individuals with varying interests and aspirations.  

I'm also participating in NICC, and my team and I were fortunate enough to get placed with the Alexandria House, a non-profit organization that empowers women and children who are victims of domestic violence and human trafficking by providing them with access to transitional housing, a support network, and medical and career services, ultimately preparing them to lead happy, fulfilling lives. We met with our clients at the kickoff event to discuss the strategic challenge at hand and outline our plan of action for the  next few weeks. We feel honored to have the opportunity to work with such passionate, dedicated individuals, and are so very excited to compete in this challenge and help Alexandria House to reach its goals! I urge you to check out Alexandria House's website and learn more about how it helps to make L.A. a better place: http://www.alexandriahouse.org

Stay tuned for my next post later this month to find out who wins NICC!

Glad to Be Back! Winter Quarter at Anderson Begins...

Whew, made it through the first quarter! After four straight finals that required me to know...

Assets = Liability + Equities (Accounting)

That the Firm is at the center of everything (Economics)

How to analyze a case using 3C, STP, 4P (Marketing)

And a variety of statistical methods (Data and Decisions aka Stats). 

I then went off and had a relaxing winter break. Now, fully rested and recovered, here I am at the end of week one of the Winter Quarter, and now more than ever am super excited to be at UCLA Anderson. 

Why am I super excited you might ask? Not that I didn't have an absolute blast in the fall quarter and learn a lot, this is the quarter where I get to experience many of the reasons I came to Anderson, starting with...

- Electives

This quarter we had more freedom in choosing our schedule, as the only two mandatory core classes for Winter Quarter are Operations Technology Management and whichever class out of Marketing and Finance you did not do in the fall (I'm in Finance). We had the option of doing Business Strategy now or in the spring (I'm taking it now), and of taking electives, whether at Anderson or classes offered through other graduate or undergraduate programs.

I'm taking Pay and Rewards in Organizations, since I thought it'd be pretty cool to learn about different ways firms try to incentivize employees. I don't have any action photos for this post, but here's a picture of Professor Phillip Leslie, who spoke at our Orientation closing ceremony and is the Business Strategy professor this quarter. 

- Extracurriculars

While continuing to be involved in the Riordan Fellow Mentor program, I'm also going to start volunteering with Project Echo. Project Echo is a business plan competition for high school students who are mentored through the business plan development process by teams of Anderson students. Not only is it a great opportunity for me to give back to the community, but its a valuable experience to watch people go through the process of bringing their idea to life. 

During the Winter Quarter, training for the Challenge 4 Charity sports weekend at Stanford will also begin, along with additional volunteering and fundraising activties. Right before classes started we participated in a Junior Achievement Bowl-a-thon, which proved to me that I should stick to team sports for Stanford weekend.

 (The eight section C bowlers out of the ~50 or so bowlers. We rocked it.)

- LA Marathon

On Sunday, March 18, I'll finally get the up close and personal tour of Los Angeles that I've been waiting for when I run the LA marathon. According to Runner's World Magazine, the race was named the nation's best big city marathon - no wonder Anderson's location in LA was such a key factor in my decision to come (well, other than all of the career related opportunities LA offers as well)!

After starting at Dodger Stadium, I'll get the chance to run by landmarks such as the Pantages Theater, Hollywood Walk of Fame, Rodeo Drive, and ultimately finish at the Santa Monica Pier, where I can plunge in the ocean to immediately begin icing my legs down. 

- Japan Trip

The shining light at the end of this quarter is the spring break trip to Japan organized by the Japan America Business Association (JABA). Last year over 90 students went on the trip, and I think we're on pace to easily top 100 this year. Highlights of the trip include visits to the Golden Pavilion in Kyoto and trying Zen meditation, checking out the entertainment district in Osaka, touring a Toyota factory and chilling out in the Atami hot springs, and of course, last but not least, SUMO!!!

That's all for now - I'll be back next week with more, as I'm heading out to Las Vegas tonight with members of the High Tech Business Association to attend the Consumer Electronics Show. 

Until next time, 

~Kyle Forrest, follow on Twitter and follow UCLAMBA 

ALMA Welcome Week Event!

UCLA Anderson Latino Management Alumni

Welcome Week event at Obika Mozzarella!
When: October 9th, 6pm - 8pm
Alumni: $15 - Students $5
Where:  Obika Mozarella - Century City Westfield, 10250 Santa Monica Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

Last Week Before The Action Starts

This blog post will be written true retro journal style... with (almost) daily entries! Get excited to hear about how I spent my last week before orientation starts on Monday. And so we begin with...

Labor Day Weekend 

My girflriend and our dog, Campbell, flew in on Friday night for their first visit to Los Angeles. Friday night we had dinner at Tavern in Brentwood, which was a pretty incredible meal. What made it even more awesome is the fact that we can walk there! Coming from Houston, not having to drive everywhere has been quite a nice change. 

Saturday began with our first trip to the beach at Santa Monica, where we were greeted with gorgeous Labor Day weekend weather. 

(Beach...blue skies...sunshine...I think every weekend is going to be like a mini-vacation, perfect way to relax and take a break from the action-packed MBA schedule of class, recruiting, and clubs.)

We also went on a walk around the neighborhood to check out the local dog park. Houston is very flat terrain-wise, so the inclines in the area knocked Campbell out pretty quickly. 

(Wiped. Out.)

On Saturday night we joined up with Brady Clegg, his wife Liz, and a couple of their friends to attend our first LA "cultural" event. We went to see Dirty Dancing at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery, which was playing as part of a summer movie series hosted by Cinespia. We arrived at 5:30 because, even though doors opened at 7 and the movie started at 8:30, we heard that the place gets packed. And by packed I mean it looked like this...

(The crowd that arrived between 5 and 5:45 got to sit in the shade and enjoy their picnics.)

(The crowd that arrived after 5:45... stretched down the block.)

Once 7 came around it was a dash to the part of the cemetary where the movie was playing. It's not everyday that you see a crowd of people with picnic baskets rushing through a cemetary, especially to see Dirty Dancing. 

(The movie was projected onto the back of a large building.)

Having never seen Dirty Dancing before I had a great time, but I'd say 99% of the crowd had seen it before. Which meant there were A LOT of Patrick Swayze fans who enjoyed his shirtless scenes and smooth dance moves. 

Sunday we crossed one of our to do items off the list when we ventured into Westwood to check out Diddy Riese, which has PHENOMENAL cookie ice-cream sandwiches. 

(So many choices! So good! So cheap!)

Monday my girlfriend and Campbell had to head back to Houston, which leads us to...

Tuesday

On Tuesday I went to the full-day Math Seminar, which was designed to help refresh incoming students on key math concepts that we'll need during the year. Fellow blogger Kate Edwards already has an awesome post up about her take on the seminar, so I'll just throw a couple of photos in here. 

(Going over exponents...)

(The Professor, David Ravetch, was AMAZING. Energetic, enthusiastic, brought his A-game in terms of comedic math jokes to keep people engaged, and also threw some audience interaction into the mix.)

On Tuesday night I also attended my first Dodger's game, which was organized by Kenny Liao, one of the UCLA Challenge 4 Charity Co-President's for this year. We had over 105 Anderson students in attendance!

(The stadium is located at a pretty incredible place.)

(Part of the block of seats filled with Anderson students.)

Wednesday

On Wednesday I was back in action at the full-day Excel seminar, where I learned some new tips, tricks, and formulas that will help me out shortly once class starts. 

(Professor Ravetch was also back in action on Wednesday, and made learning Excel extremely exciting. How about that alliteration?)

Thursday 

Thursday I went to a BBQ / potluck, where I had a chance to meet some new people and test out their baking and/or cooking skills (or ability to pick out a store bought item, which is equally important). I have to say, based on the below, we have some pretty good bakers. 

(A UCLA pie and Anderson cupcakes!! Delicious.)

After the BBQ I headed down to Santa Monica pier with some people to watch one of the Twilight Series concerts, which last night featured Best Coast. I'll let you guess where the band hails from, and while you guess, you can also enjoy a few pictures from the evening. 

(Cool view of the pier at night...)

(For the concert, you could either be on the pier close to the stage, or you could sit on the beach and watch via large screens. We chose the beach so that we could also have an impromptu picnic.)

(Fellow classmate Lauren, me, co-blogger Ashley Mallinson, and the aforementioned Brady.)

(Ashley's fiance Tom, classmate Brooke, her boyfriend Scott, and classmate Pete.)

Today

That was my week! Tomorrow I'll be attending my first UCLA home football game at the Rose Bowl, where the Bruins will be taking on the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Sunday there might be a Section C gathering, and then it's Orientation on Monday! Hard to believe it's finally here... but don't worry, you'll hear all about it soon enough. 

Until next time, 

~Kyle Forrest, follow on Twitter and follow UCLAMBA 

Starting my New Life!

Hello everyone! Sorry for the long absence. I arrived at Los Angeles a few days ago and have been so busy with the move in and meeting everyone. It has been so very exciting! 

That's me on my first day at Anderson (The best business school ever!). The picture was taken by the lovely Nhung Phung who happens to be my roommate. Here is a picture of her on our first dinner together at L.A., at Gushi, which is right down the street in front of Weyburn. The teriyaki chicken there is delicious, if you are around the area you should definitely try it. Be warned food portions are huge, expect to only eat about half unless you are starving.

We rented a car and went to Santa Barbara to visit my aunt and go to the Camarillo Outlets where I went a little shopping crazy. Ok very crazy, it is very hard to resist sales! One of the nice things about Los Angeles is that whatever you forgot to bring you can easily buy here. A part on me was hoping the airport would lose one of my bags so I could have an excuse to buy more things. Shame they all arrived safely!

On the way back from Santa Barbara we stopped at the side of the road a bit to look at the beach. Isn't it beautiful? That's one of the many perks of living here, beautiful beaches and great weather!

I had the not very smart idea of requesting Weyburn Terrace (university apartments) to give us the apartment unfurnished. We did all the furniture and appliance shopping in one crazy day. Then it took me a day and a half and a few cuts and blisters to build it all. Not to mention our apartment is up hill and on the third floor at the end of the hallway so you can imagine how hard it was to carry everything there. I am very thankful that elevators exist!  Take my advice and get the furnished apartment to save yourself the stress unless you are already bringing things with you. I even had to fix the car's trunk because we shoved so much furniture and things in there that some parts came loose. 

A tip for everyone moving to their MBAs soon (or next year), If you don't have a car and are planning to rent one to shop, take the time to research where the stores are and who has the best prices. Car rentals and gas here can get very expensive so you don't want to lose time and money. Here is what my shopping plan looked like, courtesy of my boyfriend and his awesome shopping planning skills:

After I settled in my apartment I stared going out to meet everyone I could from our class and let me tell you guys that Anderson's class of 2014 is the best!!! They are so friendly, helpful, interesting, and fun to be with. I urge all of you thinking of applying to Anderson to reach out to any of them (me included) to talk. You will be convinced to apply in no time!

These are some of my new friends and classmates Anisha, Anosh, Ayushman, Daniel, and Alessandra. Daniel should change his name to something starting with an "A" to match the group hahaha. 

I'm off to sundowners soon, Anderson's weekly get together, so I will see you guys in my next post. Go Bruins!!

 

-Alejandra Rodriguez '14
Follow UCLA Anderson at @UCLAMBA

Class of 14' insider summer scoop - PART 4 - "Rush hour frenzy"

We’re almost all here now and everything kicks off very shortly but there is SO much to do once we get in. Here are the main things we had to settle upon arriving and what we did to make everything go smoother.

(Source)

Kyle Forrest: Outside of the typical items that go along with moving (setting up internet, utilities, etc.) most items on my to-do list involved paving the way for proving I should receive in-state tuition in year two. DMV visit for a California license and vehicle registration... changing the mailing address on all my current bills, credit cards, etc... and other items that the Financial Aid Office recommended I do to prove my intent to be a California resident and not just somebody chasing in-state tuition.

Ashley Mallinson: I’m not actually in LA yet, so my to-do list is still rather long. Top of list are changing mailing addresses, new drivers licences, establishing residence and of course, there is a huge push to be prepared academically, be recruitment-ready and ready to prioritize all the great events and club activities that we will soon be signing up for!

Kate Edwards: I just nailed down my apartment with two incredible girls from Anderson, and at the top of my to do list is to get settled! All three of us are moving with very few possessions from the East Coast, so we’re essentially starting from scratch. The decorating possibilities are endless. In addition to furnishing our empty abode, I’ll be working on finding a new car - do I lease, do I buy, and importantly - what awesome ride do I get?? There are lots of decisions to be made. And of course there is so much to do academically before school begins - I’ve been furiously working on my math skills and I even broke out my old accounting book from college. It’s been a while, so I have lots to do!

Alejandra Rodriguez: Thankfully I got an apartment at Weyburn Terrace so I do not have to run around looking for apartments when I arrive at Los Angeles in a few days. Sadly I had the silly idea of requesting the apartment unfurnished so now me and my awesome roommate, Nhung, will have to rent a car and visit Big Lots, Ikea, Walmart, Target, etc. until we find all the furniture and appliances we need. I am also ordering a Laptop to pick up at Best Buy and I am planning to go to the premiere mobile booth at UCLA where we can get discounts on mobile phone services. Finally, I need to pick up some of my belongings I sent to a Relative in Santa Barbara a few weeks ago and pick up my Bruin Card! I am attempting to do all this in three days, wish me luck everyone!

Chris Varin: If you’re international it really helps to get a place before arriving, I can’t imagine what it might have been otherwise. Also make sure that you have plenty of cash or credit available for putting down deposits for EVERYTHING. Gas, electricity, water, phone, apartment... if you don’t have a social security number your initial bill can be quite high. There is so much to get set up it’s hard to figure it all out. I still don’t have a bed to sleep on and I’ve been here 3 days, my back hurts. People are meeting up all the time and you need to be on the ball not to miss anything which you inevitably will anyway. Get a phone early as well as it’ll be useful to get in touch with people early on. Finally, getting a driver’s license is going to be a pain because to get to the DMV I need a car! I’ll probably figure that one out as I go but I want my two wheels ASAP!

Ayushman Jain: I landed here last week and what REALLY helped was the fact that I’d already rented .an apartment and my awesome flatmates Chris Varin and Daniel Kraus had already purchased mattresses. After a 30 hour excruciatingly long journey, I could sleep at my own place on a comfy mattress instead of couch-surfing and making daily trips for apartment hunting! The important things I got done were - opening an account in CHASE bank, getting my BruinCard (UCLA id card), getting a new number and phone and buying some groceries to survive on. The Dashew Center at UCLA has tied up with common service providers - banks, wireless network providers, apartment package providers, etc and all that is pretty helpful for international students, especially those who’re coming here without much preparation. I’m also slowly meeting up fellow batchmates who live close by though my jet lag did not permit me to attend Sundowners (a weekly UCLA Anderson happy hours get-together). Exploring the beautiful UCLA campus is next on my list!

 -Anderson 14' bloggers

Follow UCLA on Twitter @UCLAMBA

Embracing Diversity - MLT & the Consortium

The statistics are staggering. When Don Thompson assumed his new title as CEO of McDonald's a couple months ago, he became only the sixth active African-American CEO at a Fortune 500 company, according to CNN. A 2011 report from Catalyst exposed that women held only 16.1% of corporate board seats, while women of color held only 3%. And this 2010 report from the Alliance for Board Diversity notes that together, African-Americans, Asian Pacific Islanders and Hispanics represented 33.7% of the total U.S. population, and that until U.S. companies "begin to reflect their shareholders, markets, and employees, they will fail to reach maximum potential as leaders in the global economy."

On the heels of Ashley's great post about the Forte MBA Women's Conference, I'd like to introduce two programs that champion diversity and inclusion in MBA programs: Management Leadership for Tomorrow (MLT) and the Consortium.

MLT is a career development organization for underrepresented minorities, providing skills training, one-on-one coaching and unbelievable access to admissions officers and corporate recruiters alike. Aspiring b-schoolers will first go through the MBA Prep program, during which you'll spend time (lots of it) figuring out and learning to articulate your story. Short-term goals, long-term goals, why MBA, why UCLA Anderson? Upon submitting applications, fellows transition into the Professional Development program, which trains you to put your best self forward for summer internship and full-time recruiting. Fair warning: MLT was at times a lot of work! But it pushed me to a level of introspection and self-awareness that I wouldn't have reached otherwise. Nineteen months, sixteen assignments, four seminars and countless coach calls later, I can attack class and recruiting with confidence and the support of a phenomenal network that's only getting stronger.

Likewise, the Consortium promotes diversity and inclusion in American business in conjunction with member schools and sponsor companies. Prospective students can apply to their choice of seventeen member schools via a common application, though which the Consortium also awards merit-based fellowships. This past June, all c/o 2014 Consortium students convened in Minneapolis for Orientation Program, known affectionately as OP, for five really intense days of skills development, interviewing, networking and, of course, partying. Personally, my favorite part of OP was getting to know my Anderson classmates. Sounds mushy, but it's real. See, we even recently reunited in Manhattan Beach for some fun in the sun.

Soon we will bury our heads in textbooks and cases. But not today.

One of Anderson's fall application events is called Embracing Diversity. I'm proud to see the school live up to those words by embracing partnerships with organizations like MLT, the Consortium and Forte Foundation.

- Gregory Paige
  (Follow me on Twitter: @gregorypaige)

First Week in LA in the Books

As I write this post I'm sitting in the United Lounge at LAX (which I'm sure will occur several times over the next two years). Unlike a few of my fellow bloggers like Kate Edwards, Gregory Paige, and Chris Varin, I did not have extensive international travel plans prior to school starting, so I'm headed off to squeeze in a few days in Costa Rica before my pre-orientation trip next weekend. 

This morning I realized I've officially made it through my first week in Los Angeles...time flies out here! Especially when everyday you wake up to weather like this: 

(You may notice that the weather in this picture is from today's date... yes, I did not plan this week's blog in advance, but I showed up at the airport waaaayyyy to much in advance of my flight and have time to kill.)

My first two days in LA were spent taking care of the basics - internet turned on, unpacking, scheduling a DMV appointment to get a California driver's license, etc. 

Once that was out of the way, I began to fill my time with one of two types of activities - getting ready for school, and enjoying LA. I'll save the school activities for another post, but at a high level, our pre-orientation tasks consist of configuring your laptop, completing Parker Career Management Center items (Anderson format resume, LinkedIn profile, etc.), and a series of other items. 

Most importantly what I've been doing is getting to know the area and my other classmates who have begun trickling into LA. 

(Tough to see, but there are fourteen people in this group shot - twelve incoming 2014ers and two Sig-O's.)

The first group get together for people occurred at Palomino's (pre-dinner drinks), the Glendon Bar and Kitchen (dinner), and the Westwood Brew Co. (post-dinner drinks). If possible, I highly recommend that people arrive in LA at least a week before orientation starts so that you have the opportunity to meet people in informal settings (once the unpacking is done of course). 

To combat the fact that I'm going to do some serious food indulging while exploring the LA restaurant scene over the next couple of years, I've also been getting in some morning workouts with a fellow classmate, Brady. 

(Picture is from a past CrossFit competition at Drake Stadium at UCLA. Source for photo.)

Brady received his level 1 CrossFit certification prior to moving to LA (for those of you who don't know what CrossFit is, click here), and has graciously been coaching me on the various exercises prior to us working out. 

Some of you may remember from my first post that I've run a few marathons, and have a tentative goal of doing the IronMan in my second year. From all I've learned from Brady and heard about CrossFit in general, it's going to be a great way to increase my fitness level and marathon time. 

It will also greatly help me as a prepare for my first triathlon ever. A few classmates and I are participating in the Herbalife Triathlon event on Sept 30, just after school gets started. I'll be doing the Sprint Tri, the shortest of all triathlon distances. 

(Source for maps.)

Not only will the race be a great way to get my feet wet (literally) in the triathlon world, it's also a great way to explore LA! From the maps above, I'll get to swim at Venice Beach, bike through a few neighborhoods, and finish the run at LA Live, which is a huge entertainment area and includes the Staples Center. 

Writing all of this down makes me realize how easy it is to pack a lot into just one week!

With that, I'm off to board my flight to Costa Rica - I hope everyone has a great weekend and I'll see you back here next week!

~Kyle Forrest, follow on Twitter and follow UCLAMBA