This post is a part of the Student Perspectives series - each post is written by a current UCLA Anderson student, and provides first-hand perspectives and experiences about being an MBA student at UCLA Anderson.
The life of a UCLA Anderson business student is filled with so many different, exciting opportunities that often it is hard to pick just what it is you want to do on a day-to-day basis. From insightful classes, to entertaining and educational recruiting events, to taking in another beautiful day in Los Angeles, there is never a shortage of ways to stay busy and make the most out of the MBA experience. While each student creates their own path, I want to give you a look into one of my days during the end of the fall quarter of my first year here at UCLA.
9:45am: As we near finals week, we are wrapping up the last few sessions of our Data and Decisions course. In today’s class, we presented our findings for a case study in which we were tasked with using linear regressions to analyze the housing market in Santa Monica. Real-world situations like this are common in the courses here, as professors aim to give us practical knowledge to use once we leave UCLA.
11:30am: Once class is finished, I am off to a lunch-and-learn workshop organized through the Strategy and Operations Management Association (SOMA). Membership in this club grants students access to a variety of events, career opportunities, company visits, and workshops to help improve technical and soft skills. Today’s workshop focuses on Tableau, and students are able to learn from instructor presentations while receiving guidance from 2nd years who are well-versed in the software.
3:00pm: Now that class is over for the day, my learning team decides that rather than work on one of our final projects in a library pod, we would instead take advantage of the fact that in the winter it is still 65 degrees and sunny here in LA. Luckily for us, the perfect place to get some work done and enjoy the beauty of LA is right down the street at the beach in Santa Monica. Even better, rather than just drive down Montana Avenue, we decided to jump on Birds, which contrary to the name, are electric scooters found across the city that can be used as a quick and cost-effective mode of transportation. We relax, but also get some work done, at the beach until the sun sets, at which point we all go our separate ways to finish up our days.
7:00pm: Because the day is never over for a busy MBA student, I return to school for my last event of the day. Today we are lucky to have representatives from the Pac-12 Networks on campus to speak with us and share their career experiences to a small group of us in the Sports Business Association (SBA). The SBA regularly brings guest speakers to campus to talk to students about careers in the sports industry and answer questions about their roles. Today’s round-table included Network Host Ashley Adamson and Senior Vice President of Sales Administration & Partner Services Bob Keyser. We discussed the growth of the network and how the company is working to expand their reach and gain viewers. This was the second time we were able to meet with representatives from the Pac-12 Networks, as we made a stop by their headquarters in San Francisco during the SBA Day-on-the-Job (DOJ) in the beginning of November (pictured below). DOJ’s allow students to visit various companies, and they provide another opportunity for Anderson students to learn more about what industry-leading companies are doing.
Days at UCLA Anderson can be busy, but you can see the wide range of opportunities we have as students to experience new things and take full advantage of being students. The Anderson experience truly helps students to become more well-rounded professionally, socially, and personally. While it may be plenty of work at times, I have thoroughly enjoyed my Anderson experience and am excited to see what new ways I will grow next quarter!
Student blogger: Tim Maleski
Hometown: Franklin, PA
Undergraduate Studies: Case Western Reserve University, B.S. in Chemical Engineering
Pre-Anderson: Data Analytics in E-Commerce
Post-MBA Goals: Data Analytics/Strategy in Sports Management
Activities @ Anderson: Anderson Ambassador Corps, Sports Business Association, Strategy and Operations Management Association, Challenge for Charity, Anderson Basketball Club
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