MBA Insider's Blog

Student Perspectives: Tips for Staying Organized in Business School

About Michelle: Michelle Li (’23) is a first year at UCLA Anderson. One of the dual MD/MBA candidates, she is pursuing a career in urologic surgery and is hoping to use her MBA for a future role in hospital administration. Outside of Anderson, you can find Michelle exploring new coffee shops, baking way too many cookies, or reading under her weighted comforter.

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Student Perspectives: Tips for Staying Organized in Business School 

“For every minute spent in organizing, an hour is earned.” – Benjamin Franklin

While I can’t tell you much about pivoting (unless it involves Ross and a sofa) or recruiting, as a veteran student, I do consider myself an expert in how to succeed academically. Trust me – I have almost two decades of experience in the field to back it up. 

In all seriousness, a key to succeeding in business school (and in life, I’d argue) is to stay organized. Bombarded with social events, team meetings, and assignment deadlines amongst a million other commitments, I rely heavily on a few tricks that have helped me keep track of everything (or, at least most of them).

• Use your calendars – If you are one to keep mental notes of every commitment, business school may be a good time to switch things up. Keeping a calendar will help you stay accountable and redirect you from distractions throughout the day. At Anderson, most events and meetings are coordinated through Outlook, which syncs up perfectly with iCal for Apple users. By having all your activities in one place, you’d save yourself the headache of double-booking and having to send an awkward e-mail asking to reschedule. Before the end of each day, I look over my schedule for the next day to ensure that I know exactly where to be and that I am prepared for those events.

• Plan out your weeks – I always have a recurring Sunday to-do: “plan for the week”. While an old-fashioned paper and pen will always be near and dear to my heart, I’ve slowly joined the digital squad. For those that love customizability and seamless syncing on all your devices, I highly recommend Notion. I use the premade templates (there’s one called “Weekly Agenda”) and add all my to-dos for each day of the week on Sundays. If it’s not written down, it will not get done.

• Take advantage of the first week of each quarter – I started this habit in medical school, but something that I’ve found to be incredibly useful is going over all my syllabi and compiling all the assignment deadlines in one location. I try to do this the day before the quarter officially starts, but if you take your breaks seriously, the first week of classes is a great time to do this. There will be a lot of assignments (weekly readings, group problem sets, individual write-ups, etc.), and I find it much easier to have them all in one place than to pull up the syllabus or course website every day. Here’s an example of how I organized all my assignments for the semester using one of the templates on Notion:

• Set goals AND revisit them – If you applied to business school already, you’re no stranger to the notorious “Why [business school name]?”, and I’m sure you put some incredible things you want to do at Anderson – organizations you want to join, competitions you hope to enter, courses you plan to take, etc. Don’t lose sight of them! Business school goes by FAST. Write them down before you start. Add goals that aren’t business school specific. But most importantly, make sure you revisit them throughout your journey. Have you completed them? Are they still relevant? Do you have additional goals since you’ve applied? It’s very easy to get carried away by recruiting or coursework (or Netflix), so you want to make sure you maximize your time at business school.

P.S. Notion did not sponsor this blog post.

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Student Blogger: Michelle Li ‘23

Undergrad: Harvard University ‘17

Pre-MBA: Medical student at David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA

Leadership@Anderson: 1^st Year Director, Anderson Ambassador Corps; Director of Admissions, Healthcare Business Association; Riordan Fellows Mentor

First Year Perspectives: A Texan’s Perspective on Adjusting to a New City and Adapting to School

About Hunter: Prior to Anderson, Hunter Haas (‘24) lived in Dallas, Texas and worked in Accounting Advisory at Riveron Consulting. Hunter is a first-year student at Anderson and in his free time, he likes running, cycling, trying new coffee shops in Los Angeles, walking/hiking with his wife and dog, and game nights! At Anderson, he seeks to pivot his niche accounting consulting experience into management consulting.

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In the interest of full transparency, I never envisioned myself moving to and living in California. But once you visit the great city of Los Angeles, things can and will quickly change. Upon stepping foot on campus, I quickly fell in love with UCLA, Anderson, and the diverse and vibrant city of LA. That being said, I do want to take this opportunity to provide some key tips in adjusting to LA and adapting to school:

Adjusting to LA:

1. Live close to campus: If you’re not familiar with the landscape of LA, it’s H-U-G-E. To maximize your Anderson experience, I would highly recommend living close to campus. I prefer Brentwood, but other neighborhoods include: Sawtelle, Santa Monica, and Westwood.
2. Driving in LA hits different: Drivers beware, LA drivers are aggressive and do NOT use blinkers. Being from Houston, I thought I was ready for driving in LA; however, I had to quickly adjust to the pace and type of driving.
3. FOOD: The food scene is incredible and should be explored to its fullest potential! I have had the pleasure to try Persian, Peruvian, and KBBQ. If you’re ever missing home and want a food companion, count me in and invite others too!

Adapting to School:

1. Network early: Anderson helped expedite the internal-networking process by creating a spreadsheet to input: hometown, current city, background, interests, etc. As a result, my very first friend reached out to me because of my interest in anime. We got coffee and talked about anime, sports, and much more. As a bonus, he invited me to a BBQ where I met more Anderson students. Making new friends in business school may sound easy or nerve-wracking but do it! It’s worth it!
2. Know your priorities: If you’re a pivoter or recruiting for an intense industry, know your priorities. Easier said than done, but it will help you assess competing deadlines and other distractors.
3. Take time for yourself: Outside of the hustle and bustle of school, networking, and interviewing, take time to invest in yourself. Go to the beach. Take a walk. Call a friend or family member. MBA school can feel like an individual mission, but once you’re able to invite others into your team/corner, the experience becomes more enjoyable and conquerable. Soak up your first teammates – your learning team! Shout out to the Lazy Daisies!
4. Have fun: This may seem far-fetched because you’re coming to MBA school to obtain an education and secure your dream job, but MBA school is meant to be FUN (cue the SpongeBob song)! It’s an exciting time to meet other classmates and professors, to experience a new (or familiar) city, and/or to reflect on yourself. So, join clubs that are interesting to you or that will expand your horizons, take classes that will sharpen you instead of for a grade, engage in dialogue with your peers, etc.

Hopefully this Texan turned Los Angeleno was able to impart his wisdom. If you need more specific information, don’t hesitate to reach out!

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Student Blogger: Hunter Haas ‘24

Undergrad: University of Texas at Austin, ’16 and ‘17

Pre-MBA: Accounting Advisory at Riveron Consulting

Leadership@Anderson: Consultant – Anderson Strategy Group, Director of Student Affairs – Admissions Ambassador Corps, Director of Allyship – Women’s Business Connection, Executive Director – Retail Business Association, Riordan Mentor, Tutor – Financial Accounting

Instagram: haaston_texas

Leaving a Target Industry: The Value of an MBA

About Noah: Raised in Portland, Oregon, Noah was an undergrad at Northwestern University, where he received degrees in both Economics and Film. After briefly working in the media audience measurement space, he moved to New York, where he was a management consultant with Oliver Wyman. He chose to attend UCLA Anderson in the pursuit of an entertainment strategy or finance career, and will be working in DTC content strategy during Summer ’23. He loves movies, TV, board games, skiing, and is learning to surf in the sunny waters of LA.

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As a management consultant, a common question I received when applying to business school was, “Why?”. For many, working in consulting is the goal of attending business, and the prospect of giving up two years of income and experience was certainly daunting. I loved my time in consulting, and can’t speak highly enough about my firm, but the nine or so months that I’ve been at Anderson have reinforced my decision to return to school, and have illuminated the myriad of ways in which business school can still enrich your life and career, even if you’re already in a target function or industry.

The Chance to Grow Your Network: It may be a cliché, but the network of like-minded colleagues you develop during your MBA experience is the single greatest benefit you receive. Not only are you given a chance to learn and grow alongside incredibly smart, driven, and accomplished classmates, but you are also handed the keys to a vast network of decision-makers and influencers across industry. In relationship-driven industries like consulting or investment banking, the opportunity to meet and connect with hundreds (if not thousands) of current and future executives and leaders allows you to better understand how to drive value via your professional services.

The Chance to Take a Breath: Consulting is a momentum-driven industry; engagements happen on tight timelines, and when one project ends you’re often immediately jumping into the next engagement with a new problem to solve, and limited time to reflect. An MBA gives you a chance to deliberately take a pause from your professional life to reflect on your goals, values, and experiences. Being away from it all has given me a greater appreciation for the pace and challenge of consulting, not to mention my peers and colleagues in the industry. I’m able to balance that perspective against my career goals, better defining what I want to accomplish on a career-long timeline, rather than simply pushing for success in the next read-out or project.

The Chance to Fill Knowledge Gaps: Much of consulting is learning on the fly; picking up what you need to in order to drive a particular outcome or deliverable. This method is outstanding for fast skill progression and improving your adaptability, but can leave gaps in your knowledge. Taking classes purposefully defined to give you a thorough and holistic knowledge of accounting, financial valuation, data analytics, marketing strategy, and more, will give you a more cohesive and complete toolkit. I’ve been able to identify the gaps in my knowledge and deliberately fill them with electives, and whether or not I end up back in consulting, I’ll be much better prepared to lead others and help educate them, a core activity whether in professional services or industry.

Losing two years of income and career progression can be a tough pill to swallow, but I have found innumerable advantages and benefits while seeking my MBA. Anyone who’s curious can learn, grow, and benefit from an MBA, even if you’re already at the firm, function, or industry of your dreams!

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Student Blogger: Noah Piwonka ‘24

Undergrad: Northwestern University (’17) – B.A. Economics

Pre-MBA: Associate, Oliver Wyman

Leadership@Anderson: First-Year Director, Admission Ambassador Corps; Director of Entertainment Career Night, Entertainment Management Association

First Year Perspectives: Unique to Anderson - An Inside Look at the Summer Technology Immersion Program

About McKenna: McKenna Allard is a life-long Californian. She grew up in San Diego, went to UC Berkeley, and lived in San Francisco prior to moving to LA to attend Anderson. At Cal, McKenna double majored in economics and psychology and was a Campus Ambassador/tour guide. After graduating, McKenna worked as a healthcare consultant in San Francisco. She hopes to pivot from the healthcare industry to the media-tech industry in a product-related role. In her free time, she loves going to the movies, traveling, and trying new restaurants.

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Although Anderson’s MBA program officially started August 1^st this year, I (as well as about 115 other first-year students) was on campus and in class midway through July taking part in the Technology Immersion program. The optional Summer Immersion programs for Consulting, Finance, and Tech first started in 2021 with the goals to 1. give first-year students an early introduction to three popular post-MBA career fields so students could test out their interests prior to recruiting and 2. help students get acquainted with industry terminology and knowledge to pave the path for a successful recruiting process.

This year’s Tech Immersion consisted of 8 classes focused on Technology Management and Product Management and provided a high-level overview of technology-based innovations such as cloud computing and blockchain. Even though taking part in the program meant that I had homework and in-person classes prior to school actually starting, there are 3 main reasons I believe the Tech Immersion was totally worth it!

1. Professor Kramer. This year’s Tech Immersion was taught by Professor Kramer. In addition to being one of the most interesting and well-liked professors at Anderson, Professor Kramer is the Faculty Director of the Easton Technology Management Center. He really encouraged active participation in the course and answered our questions thoughtfully and thoroughly. Being able to learn from and interact with a professor of his caliber starting on Day 1 of my time at Anderson made me really excited for future classes.
2. An early introduction to the case method. Like most first-year students, I had never worked on a case study prior to Anderson and had not used the case method in any of my undergraduate classes. So, I really appreciated that the Tech Immersion gave me early exposure to the case method in a risk-free environment. By the start of our Summer quarter classes, I felt better prepared for and more confident in writing case studies thanks to the experiences I’d had and feedback I’d received in the immersion program.
3. Friends! Finally, and maybe most importantly, being part of the Tech Immersion allowed me to meet tons of my classmates prior to orientation. Walking onto campus on day 1 of school was a lot less nerve-wracking knowing that I had already made friends in the Tech Immersion. Some of my closest friends at school are people I met in the immersion program and I think that alone made the Tech Immersion a valuable experience.

Overall, I really enjoyed taking part in the Tech Immersion and would recommend it for any incoming students who are interested in:

1. Learning from interesting faculty such as Professor Kramer
2. Getting an early introduction to the case method
3. Or making friends early on in your time at Anderson!

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Student Blogger: McKenna Allard ‘24

Undergrad: UC Berkeley (’18) – B.A. Economics and Psychology

Pre-MBA: Senior Consultant, Cloudmed (formerly Triage Consulting Group)

Leadership@Anderson: First-Year Director, Admission Ambassador Corps; Director of Marketing and Communications, Entertainment Management Association

Instagram handle: @kenna_ta

Academics, Recruiting, and Extra Curriculars: How to Prioritize Self-Care

About Cassidy: Cassidy Waters (’24) is from the Bay Area and graduated from the University of Southern California with a Bachelor's degree in Journalism and a minor in Marketing. After graduation, Cassidy worked for a media agency executing the integrated advertising strategies for various clients, most recently Universal Pictures. At Anderson, she is looking to pivot into a content or strategy role at an entertainment/media tech company. 

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Academics, Recruiting, and Extra Curriculars: How to Prioritize Self-Care

Life is all about finding balance. Never has this statement felt more applicable than in the last six months since starting at Anderson. Between countless networking and recruiting events, meeting new people and building friendships, and actually studying for classes, there is little time left to devote to self-care as a first-year MBA student. However, maintaining a healthy balance is not only essential for your happiness, but it has also been proven to boost productivity and lead to greater career success in the long run. So here are some of my personal reminders on how to balance all that Anderson has to offer, while keeping your sanity in check:

1. It’s okay to say “no”

This is one that I struggled with a lot at first. In your first days/weeks/months of business school, it will seem like you simply MUST go to every club event, happy hour, and extracurricular activity Anderson is promoting. While you definitely want to take advantage of all the exciting new opportunities, you also don’t want to stretch yourself too thin and put both your physical and mental health at risk. The reality is you won’t be able to attend every single event, so remember to prioritize your time and say “no” to things that don’t spark joy – I know FOMO is real, but I promise there will be more than enough chances to make up for it!

2. Don’t compare yourself to others

When it comes to finding an internship (or full-time job), it’s easy to get swept up in what your other classmates are doing and how they’re approaching the recruiting process. But it’s important to remember that everyone has a unique career path and is on a different timeline. As someone who is currently recruiting for Entertainment, it’s been easy for me to compare myself to those in Consulting or Finance industries who are already receiving offers for summer positions. Rather than letting the outside noise in, it’s important to focus on your individual goals and ultimately remember the reason why you came to Anderson in the first place.

3. Break out of the Anderson bubble every once in a while

By this, I mean don’t forget that life exists beyond the walls of Anderson. Starting business school is a huge life change and the newness of everything can often feel overwhelming and all-encompassing. While I fully support submerging yourself in the experience, it’s also important to find footing elsewhere to remain rooted in your own perspective. Stay in touch with family and friends, explore new areas in and around Los Angeles, introduce others to your favorite hobbies, and continue to nourish your pre-MBA identity. In doing so, you’ll learn how to balance all aspects of your life in a healthy and enjoyable way.

4. Carve out me-time and allow space to unwind

Sometimes, the best thing you can do for yourself is take a step back. Whether that’s from recruiting, social outings, or anything else, try to take a moment for yourself and prioritize self-care: get a good night’s sleep, disconnect from your email/slack for an afternoon, go for a long walk, meditate, treat yourself to a massage, etc. Taking the time to destress will not only improve your current mental state, but your future self with also thank you in the long run.

Creating balance is often easier said than done and while it can seem easy to get distracted by the stress of so many things going on at once, don’t forget to prioritize yourself and ultimately ENJOY your first few months of MBA life.

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Student Blogger: Cassidy Waters ‘24

Undergrad: University of Southern California (’17)

Pre-MBA:Digital Media Advertising, Essence Global

Leadership@Anderson: Marketing Director, Admission Ambassador Corps; Director of Brand/Communications, Marketing Association; Entertainment Management Association, Women's Business Connection

Instagram: @casswaters

Practical Tips for the First Year of Your MBA

About Esteban: Esteban Ortega (’24) is originally from Chile. He graduated as a structural engineer in 2017, and since late 2016 worked in a local boutique investment bank until starting his MBA. This next summer he will be joining an investment bank’s LatAm group based in New York City, seeking to stay in investment banking for the long term. Esteban enjoys mountain biking, playing the guitar, meeting new people, and spending time with his family. 

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Starting your MBA journey is an exciting time, filled with opportunities to meet new people, explore different cultures and backgrounds, and develop new skills. During the first week, you will be welcomed with breakfast with the whole class, official receptions, and several other introductory events. You'll soon discover that your classmates are highly motivated, and that their diverse backgrounds bring valuable perspectives to class discussions.

Despite the never-ending events, it's important to balance academics, socializing, and recruiting. While some people may feel overwhelmed, the best advice is to embrace every opportunity. During the summer, make the most of the intense socializing and forming connections with your classmates.

In the fall, you and your classmates may begin the recruiting process, which can bring its own set of anxieties. It's important to remember that recruiting outcomes vary by industry and that some things are beyond your control. To make the most of your MBA experience, focus on balancing your academics, socializing, and recruiting efforts.

Here are some practical tips to help you make the most of your MBA experience:

1. Manage your time effectively: Make a schedule and stick to it, prioritize your tasks, and allow for some down time (emphasis on this last point).

1. Network: Attend events, join clubs, and reach out to alumni to expand your network.

1. Stay organized: Use tools like calendars, to-do lists (I’m a huge fan of to-do lists) and note-taking apps to keep track of your academics, social activities, and recruiting efforts.

Overall, I am sure you will remember this time for the rest of your life, and that you will make long-lasting relationships with your classmates.

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Student Blogger: Esteban Ortega ‘24

Undergrad: Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile – Structural Engineering

Pre-MBA: Boutique investment banking

Leadership@Anderson: First-Year Director, Admission Ambassador Corps; Latin America Business Association. Member of the Student Investment Fund.

First Year Perspective: Consortium Fellow and Beyond!

About Jessica:Jessica Naves (’24) was born and raised in Los Angeles. She graduated from UCLA with a Bachelors in Sociology. After graduation, Jessica worked in various marketing roles from marketing assistant in theatrical brand marketing at NBC Universal to social media coordinator at a non-profit called Fulfillment Fund. Most recently, Jessica worked as a marketing manager for a marketing and advertising agency that specialized in outreaching multicultural audiences. At Anderson, she seeks to pivot her career to product marketing for a streaming service such as Disney+ or HBO Max. Jessica is interested in being an advocate for diverse representation in the entertainment industry and she becomes a marketing leader in the space. 

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As I reflect on my time at Anderson thus far, I can say that my experience has truly been enriched by being a Consortium fellow. From getting an opportunity to network with top employers during the annual Orientation Program (known as OP) to making life-long friendships with my Anderson-Consortium family, here is why my experience as a consortium fellow at Anderson has been so rewarding:

The Consortium Orientation Program

In early June of last year, I attended OP, an event for all the new fellows to meet and network with alums and corporate partners. OP took place in Aurora, Colorado, and for five days, we got to attend career development workshops and connect with top employers and consortium fellows from other business schools. At OP, I connected with recruiters from companies such as Amazon, PepsiCo, and Microsoft. From my connection with Microsoft at OP, I was able to secure an interview for a product marketing MBA internship which I later received an offer for in the fall. Although I ultimately did not accept the offer, OP allowed me to start practicing my 30-second pitch and getting comfortable speaking to employers. However, the most fun part of OP was meeting my Anderson-Consortium classmates and building friendships before school started. We all hung out in the evenings, either in the lazy river, hot tubs, or the sports bar in the hotel we were staying in. In those five days, we all bonded and formed our Anderson-Consortium family.

Anderson-Consortium Family

A lot is going on during your first year, from classes to applying to summer internships and preparing for interviews. It can sometimes feel overwhelming but having a community you can rely and lean on makes all the difference. For me, that community is my Anderson-Consortium family! During the summer quarter, when we were taking accounting, we had study sessions led by one of our friends with a background in accounting. Those study sessions were super helpful as we went over practice exams and problems which helped all of us who had not taken accounting before. As we were searching for summer internships, we would also share internship opportunities and help each other by reviewing resumes and conducting mock interviews.

Aside from supporting one another in our classwork and recruiting, we also make sure to have fun! We have group dinners, gone bowling, tailgated for the UCLA vs. USC football game, gathered for holiday potlucks, and come together to celebrate each other’s successes. I am super grateful for my Anderson-Consortium family; my Anderson experience would not be the same without them.

Suppose you are applying to business school and have demonstrated a commitment to the Consortium’s mission through community activism, professional involvement, and/or life experience. In that case, I highly recommend you apply for the Consortium Fellowship. Not only will you get financial support to cover tuition and access to top employers, but you will also meet incredible people who will become an extension of your family. 

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Student Blogger: Jessica Naves ‘24

Undergrad: UCLA (’16) – B.A. Sociology

Pre-MBA: Marketing Manager, Wicked Bionic (Marketing & Advertising Agency)

Leadership@Anderson: Director EDI, Admission Ambassador Corps; Director of Corporate Relations, Entertainment Management Association; Director of Admissions, Alliance for Latinx Management 

Adjusting to a New City (A Lifelong New Yorker’s Perspective)

About Tom:Tom Vance is from NYC and lived there until he moved west to pursue his MBA at Anderson. His interest in tech has guided his career so far, and he hopes to continue on that path in pursuit of a role in digital product management. In his free time, Tom loves attending concerts, playing golf, cooking, and trying new restaurants.

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Having comfortably lived in NYC my entire life aside from my college years, I have to admit I was a little worried about what life in LA would be like. Here are some of the things I was excited for, worried about, and surprised by:

 

Looking for an apartment: Going into this I knew nothing could be worse than looking for a new apartment in NYC. I devised my plan and visited LA in early June for a July move-in (for first years the program begins in August). I had an idea of availability (which was pretty strong) from looking at Apts.com in the Sawtelle and Brentwood neighborhoods. Classmates recommended that I drive around the neighborhoods and call the management companies listed on each building, which I did. They didn’t always answer, but I still was able to see between 10-15 apartments over two days. I did not have to wait in any lines to view them, did not have to interact with a broker, did not have to pay a broker’s fee, and found an apartment at a better value that it would go for in NY. LA wins (by a mile).

 

Getting around: Everyone knows about the LA traffic, but the nice thing about being a student is you may not always need to commute during rush hour. It may surprise some, but I actually enjoy driving. Maybe it’s because I haven’t been doing it for that long as I didn’t get my license until after college (city life). Other than driving, your only real option is Uber or Lyft (and e-scooters for short dinstances). I generally follow the rule that a trip could take 3X as long with traffic as it would without. Being a planner and wanting to be punctual, the unpredictably of travel time in LA bothers me more than NY subway delays. NY wins.

 

The food scene: I have to admit this is close. I’ve been spoiled living in NY and it’s easy to spoil yourself in LA, just not as frequently as a student. There isn’t a whole lot you can get in one city that isn’t in the other. The biggest drawback is that I have do feel that, on average, a nice meal out in LA will cost you a little more than it would in NY. One difference is ordering on the food delivery apps: the density of NY gives you way more selection.  Regarding late night food, street tacos have been a solid replacement for pizza slices, but I really miss NY pizza. NY wins

 

Concerts: I had a list of shows and venues that I planned to hit before I made my way to LA. Being one of the entertainment capitals of the world, I wasn’t worried about being able to catch some of my favorite bands and artists. The differences really come down to venues. The Hollywood Bowl is easily one of the best I’ve been to in my life and beats any in NY (although Madison Square Garden for concerts holds a dear place in my heart). The Hollywood Palladium and the Wiltern are solid for mid-size venues but don’t stack up to NY’s Beacon Theater and Brooklyn Bowl. I’ve also found NY’s more intimate / clubby venues to be better more unique as well. NY wins

 

Golfing: LA’s public courses have the same issues as NY’s. But if you’re willing to drive an hour outside of Westwood/Sawtelle/Brentwood, there are some great courses (as there are in NY, but it’s a slim chance you have a car or know someone who does living there). I know you’ve been waiting for me to say something about the weather so here it is – in LA I can play golf close to any day of the year I want, in NY I can’t. LA wins

 

LA has been a great change of pace, but my heart will always be with NY. If you feel strongly about any of my thoughts, for or against, feel free to reach out!

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Undergrad: Villanova University ’14 – B.B.A. in Finance

Pre-MBA: Strategy & Operations at Uber (UberEats)

Leadership@Anderson: Executive Director, Tech Business Association (AnderTech); First-Year Director, Anderson Ambassador Corp; Director of Events, John Anderson Golf Club

Instagram: @vance_inmypants

UCLA Round Two: Why I Decided to Return to Anderson for Business School

About Kat:Katerina (Kat) Friese (’24) is originally from St. Louis, MO. She graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor’s in Communications and Political Science, including a concentration in International Relations, and was also a member of the Women’s Swimming and Diving Team. After graduation, Kat stayed in LA and worked for ChromaDex in a variety of marketing roles from influencer marketing to global project management. Kat returned to Anderson intending to pivot into technology marketing, specifically product marketing management.

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Not long after graduating from UCLA (the first time) and settling into my new job, I realized that I needed an MBA to bridge gaps in subjects like finance, accounting, and strategic management in order to achieve my long-term career goals. UCLA Anderson was the first school I considered and after an application journey filled with multiple GMAT/GRE’s, essays, and interviews, I received an acceptance call from Anderson on a rainy-day in December 2021.

I accepted the offer and was ecstatic to come back and claim my title as a “double bruin.” Here are a few reasons why:

1. Los Angeles: It’s a global city, and you can find your fit anywhere. Whether its sports, music, food, hiking, the beach, fashion, or technology, UCLA Anderson happens to be at the center of all of it. Surrounded by the three B’s (Brentwood, Bel Air, and Beverly Hills), UCLA Anderson’s convenient location empowers students to explore all parts of the city—so long as you avoid the 405 at 5PM rush hour. Even though I’ve lived in LA for seven years, I often still feel like a tourist in my own city. The idea of sharing this city I know and love with 330 new friends ignited a belief that I could bring more to my MBA class than simply classroom engagement.
2. Industry Switch: A huge part of what brought me back to UCLA for my MBA was the industry and job function after graduation. I planned to use business school to pivot from Bioscience-CPG marketing to tech (product) marketing. Over 25 percent of Anderson’s MBA class has work experience in the tech industry, and it has one of the highest tech recruiting classes of any MBA program. Pivoting industries isn’t easy, and I wanted to ensure I had the best resources and support available to make a smooth transition, especially during recruiting season (Amazon’s interview process is no joke!) Some of these resources came from the Parker Career Management Center and the Tech Business Association at Anderson (AnderTech), both of which I knew I was going to utilize if I wanted to successfully pivot into product marketing management. Regardless of your career goals (industry pivot, skills enhancement, entrepreneurship), Anderson’s vast resources are designed to support all students both in the short and long-term.
3. MBA Capstone Project: Anderson encourages its students to take its classroom learnings and apply them to real world scenarios. Rather than write a paper or take a comprehensive exam, Anderson’s capstone projects include (but are not limited to) consulting with Fortune 500 companies, investing money through portfolio management, or even creating and launching a company, all with Anderson’s resources. Outside of pivoting into tech, I’m highly interested in entrepreneurship. The solidifying factor in why I decided to return to UCLA and attend Anderson was the freedom to explore this interest in a low stakes environment through The Business Creation Project (BCP) capstone.

Two quarters in, I already feel like I made the best decision returning to UCLA for business school. There are a handful of double bruins in the class of 2024, and we wear the title as a badge of honor. From the classrooms to Pauley Pavilion, all the way to the Rose Bowl, I feel like I clicked the heels of my blue sparkly shoes three times (not red: wrong LA school) and said, “there’s no place like home.”

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Student Blogger: Katerina (Kat) Friese ‘24

Undergrad: University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) (’19) – B.A. Communications, Political Science

Pre-MBA: Marketing Project Manager, ChromaDex

Leadership@Anderson: Director of Interviewing, Admission Ambassador Corps; Director of Communications, Women’s Business Connection; Director of Community, Tech Business Association at Anderson (AnderTech)

What to Expect in the First Half of your First Year at Anderson

About Briana: Briana Rayhaun (’24) is originally from Orange County, CA. She graduated from USC with a Bachelors in Business Administration. Since graduating, Briana has worked in the commercial real estate industry, most recently in commercial real estate lending. At Anderson, she seeks to transition to the equity side of commercial real estate.

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I’m sure we’re all familiar with the college triangle where you have to pick two of the three points: sleep, good grades, and social life. For us MBA students, we get to add a fourth point, recruiting! Lucky for us, Anderson is grade non-disclosure, which means grades don’t matter, so back to the triangle it is! The best advice that I received is that you can have all three but not at the same time. Depending on the day/week/month, you’ll have to prioritize different things.

Summer Quarter:

Summer quarter had an early start; for my class of ’24, school started on August 1^st. For fall 2023 admits, you’ll be starting on July 31^st. The thought behind an early start is that students have the opportunity to take quantitative courses that may help with fall recruiting. There will be one week of orientation, during which you will take Foundations of Inclusive Leadership. For the rest of the quarter, you’ll be taking Organizational Behavior, Financial Accounting, and Career Management Workshop I.

All first-year students will be divided into one of five sections, and you’ll be taking all your core classes with your section. You will also be divided into learning teams of five or six and will be doing all your core class group projects with this team. You’ll also have the opportunity to run for a leadership position in your section: President, EVP, International Relations, EDI, Social, Community Impact, and Sustainability.

Summer quarter flies by, and many say it’s their favorite quarter. It’s when you’ll meet and form close relationships with your amazing classmates! You have a bit more time for social during this quarter since you’ll have a light course load and don’t have to worry about recruiting until fall quarter. This quarter ends with a first-year class trip to Vegas!

Fall Quarter:

Things start to pick up during the fall quarter. Now, you’re taking Data and Decisions, Managerial Economics, Career Management Workshop II, and either Financial Accounting or Marketing, whichever you choose. You’ll also have to pick your primary industry focus for recruiting so that you can meet in your ACT teams, which are led by second years and are meant to help first year students with recruiting.

This quarter, in addition to recruiting, your focus will be on networking, joining clubs, and taking on more leadership positions. Companies will visit campus. You will visit company offices. You will set up coffee chats with your peers, 2^nd year classmates, and alumni. It’s a busy quarter but you’ll get as much out of it as you put into it so take advantage of all the resources and opportunities. People are always happy to chat with students!

We end this quarter with a snow trip, a month off to enjoy the holidays, and well needed rest before another busy, but amazing quarter!

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Student Blogger: Briana Rayhaun ‘24

Undergrad: USC, ‘18

Pre-MBA: Commercial Real Estate Lending at Wells Fargo

Leadership@Anderson: Director of PSA, Admissions Ambassador Corps; Director of Alumni & Community, Association for Real Estate at Anderson

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I’m sure we’re all familiar with the college triangle where you have to pick two of the three points: sleep, good grades, and social life. For us MBA students, we get to add a fourth point, recruiting! Lucky for us, Anderson is grade non-disclosure, which means grades don’t matter, so back to the triangle it is! The best advice that I received is that you can have all three but not at the same time. Depending on the day/week/month, you’ll have to prioritize different things.

Summer Quarter:

Summer quarter had an early start; for my class of ’24, school started on August 1^st. For fall 2023 admits, you’ll be starting on July 31^st. The thought behind an early start is that students have the opportunity to take quantitative courses that may help with fall recruiting. There will be one week of orientation, during which you will take Foundations of Inclusive Leadership. For the rest of the quarter, you’ll be taking Organizational Behavior, Financial Accounting, and Career Management Workshop I.

All first-year students will be divided into one of five sections, and you’ll be taking all your core classes with your section. You will also be divided into learning teams of five or six and will be doing all your core class group projects with this team. You’ll also have the opportunity to run for a leadership position in your section: President, EVP, International Relations, EDI, Social, Community Impact, and Sustainability.

Summer quarter flies by, and many say it’s their favorite quarter. It’s when you’ll meet and form close relationships with your amazing classmates! You have a bit more time for social during this quarter since you’ll have a light course load and don’t have to worry about recruiting until fall quarter. This quarter ends with a first-year class trip to Vegas!

Fall Quarter:

Things start to pick up during the fall quarter. Now, you’re taking Data and Decisions, Managerial Economics, Career Management Workshop II, and either Financial Accounting or Marketing, whichever you choose. You’ll also have to pick your primary industry focus for recruiting so that you can meet in your ACT teams, which are led by second years and are meant to help first year students with recruiting.

This quarter, in addition to recruiting, your focus will be on networking, joining clubs, and taking on more leadership positions. Companies will visit campus. You will visit company offices. You will set up coffee chats with your peers, 2^nd year classmates, and alumni. It’s a busy quarter but you’ll get as much out of it as you put into it so take advantage of all the resources and opportunities. People are always happy to chat with students!

We end this quarter with a snow trip, a month off to enjoy the holidays, and well needed rest before another busy, but amazing quarter!

---

Student Blogger: Briana Rayhaun ‘24

Undergrad: USC, ‘18

Pre-MBA: Commercial Real Estate Lending at Wells Fargo

Leadership@Anderson: Director of PSA, Admissions Ambassador Corps; Director of Alumni & Community, Association for Real Estate at Anderson

First Year Perspectives: Three Lessons from Fall Quarter

About Christine: Christine Sasaki (‘24) completed her undergraduate studies at Emory University where she received a Bachelor of Business Administration with concentrations in Marketing and Strategy. Following graduation, she returned to her hometown of Los Angeles where she worked in advertising brand strategy on accounts in the consumer, TMT, and automotive industries. Christine plans to pivot her career from advertising to management consulting, and chose Anderson for its highly collaborative and student-led culture.

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I’ve always heard that business school moves quickly, but oh wow, how time flies! It’s mind-boggling to think that my cohort’s first year is already halfway complete when the first day of orientation seems like it was just a couple weeks ago. Yet, here we are, a little wiser in accounting, economics, and R coding (among other topics), and well under way in recruiting, our club director roles, and finals.

 

As the quarter comes to a close, I find myself oscillating between feeling immensely energized from the personal and professional growth I’ve already had at Anderson and needing a nap. However, I would be remiss as an MBA to not round out this digressive monologue with a “so what” and a few takeaways. So, here are three of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from my first fall quarter:

 

Lesson 1: Asking good questions is a trainable skill. Throughout life, I’ve heard phrases like, “there is no such thing as a bad question,” yet in reality, developing questions that facilitate deeper connections and perspective sharing is far from an innate ability. While conducting research and studying course material is foundational to spurring inquisition – after all, you need to know something to be able to probe on it – the ability to maximize the value of any interpersonal exchange requires tactful communication strategies and active listening skills that can and should be practiced regularly. 

 

Lesson 2: Perfection is the enemy of good. For this learning, I’ll borrow a concept from our core economics course: the law of diminishing returns. In an ideal world, everyone would have unlimited time and mental bandwidth to create masterpieces out of every single thing we cross paths with. However, my learning team and I quickly came to the realization that business school is definitely not that ideal world. Prioritizing efficiency became more imperative as our somewhat fast-paced summer quarter ramped into an even faster-paced fall quarter. For me personally, this meant internalizing that law of diminishing returns – realizing that sometimes, the first (or second) draft of something is sufficient and that time boxing tasks is a friend and not a foe. Which brings me to the last lesson from this quarter...

 

Lesson 3: Time is the only true zero sum in business school. Many people perceive MBA programs to be cut-throat environments created by a finite quantity of internship spots, a competitive curve, and an over-selection of naturally ambitious people. However, for this learning I’ll directly lift a lesson from our negotiations module in Organizational Behavior: the value pie more often than not increases in size through collaboration. That is, there’s always more value to be captured through working together instead of competing. I’ve learned over the past quarter that every hour spent operating in a silo was an hour taken away from collaborating with peers, professors, and even alumni to maximize the value pie. And thus as I continue forward, I’m finding myself prioritizing opportunities to increase collaboration to continue growing that pie among my peers.

 

This may come across as hyperbolic, but I can’t recall a time in my life that’s felt more busy than these past four months at Anderson. And while the workload is challenging at times, it is everything I’ve hoped for in my business school experience. In fact, one of the reasons I chose Anderson was for its highly engaged student community – I wanted to be able to feed my wide ranging, and sometimes random, interests with academic, extracurricular, and social stimuli. And I’ve had more than enough opportunities to do so through the seven student-run organizations I’m a part of and through my ever-growing network. Thus, one could argue that this running-around-like-a-headless-chicken state of being is exactly what I signed up for – and I look forward to the remaining five quarters of exactly that.

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Student Blogger: Christine Sasaki ‘24

Undergrad: Emory University (’17) – B.B.A. (Concentrations: Marketing and Strategy)

Pre-MBA: Brand Strategist, MullenLowe

Leadership@Anderson: Director of Admit Events, Admission Ambassador Corps; Director of Community, Management Consulting Association; Director of Admissions, Asian Management Student Association; Director of Santa Ynez Excursions, Anderson Wine Club; Executive Vice President, Section C