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

Transitioning from Working to Being a Full-Time Student

About Pete: Pete Severs (’23) is a first-year student at UCLA Anderson. He attended the U.S. Naval Academy for his undergrad degree, where he majored in Ocean Engineering. Upon graduation, Pete commissioned as a Surface Warfare Officer in the U.S. Navy, where he served on two warships and a support staff located in Hawaii and San Diego. After Anderson, he is intending to transition into management consulting. In his spare time, you can find Pete chasing after gainz at Kinross Rec Center, repeatedly getting stumped by the NY Times crossword, or dreaming about his next scuba diving trip.

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As I was nearing the end of my obligated active-duty military service and beginning to explore options to transition into a different career field, I became increasingly enticed by the opportunity to pursue a full-time MBA. I was excited by the chance to further develop my leadership and management skills, increase the quality of job options available to me, expand my professional network, and make new friends with whom to enjoy some of the memorable experiences embedded into the full-time MBA curriculum. However, there was one idea that made me a bit nervous about this new endeavor, and it was the dreaded prospect of going “back to school.”

 

My memory of going to school may have been slightly more stringent considering my undergrad experience at the Naval Academy was “non-traditional” to say the least. But I was still hesitant about the idea of sitting through lectures, writing countless papers, studying (ok cramming) for intensive exams, and all the other tasks associated with being a student again. Additionally, my undergrad educational background in engineering, combined with my military experience, was unique compared to some of my classmates coming from the business world. This made me wonder how I would ever keep up in classes covering some of the core business principles such as accounting, finance, and marketing. However, after spending close to a year in Anderson’s MBA program, I am pleased to report that those fears were premature and have gone unrealized.

 

For one, all of Anderson’s core classes are taught from the assumption that each student has no prior background in the subject. This was great for someone like me, who started accounting at the 2+2=4 level and was able to keep up with class material from the start. Additionally, most core classes are taken within your Section, a group of about 75 students, and within each Section students are placed into a Learning Team of 5-6 people. Nearly all assignments are completed by each Learning Team, which is great for balancing expertise and busy workloads, especially during the fall recruiting season. There were countless times that my Learning Team saved me, whether explaining the homework that I was still a bit confused about or stepping up to tackle a heavier part of the workload when I had a busy week with recruiting or other tasks. Additionally, I have found most classes to be genuinely interesting (although not hard to be more interesting than thermodynamics). Most professors go out of their way to incorporate real-world events into their curriculum, such as discussing Super Bowl commercials in marketing class or relating how current global supply-chain issues can be analyzed through core economics principles.

 

All things considered, returning to be a full-time student hasn’t been nearly as daunting as I expected, and instead has been quite the opposite. I’ve enjoyed escaping the grind of working full-time to take classes in business subjects with which I was previously unfamiliar. Combined with the other amazing aspects of the Anderson student experience such as top-notch recruiting opportunities and support, extracurricular clubs to be involved in, and nonstop social events for a wide array of interests, all with the famous Los Angeles sunshine constantly smiling upon us, the transition from working to being a full-time Anderson student has been everything I could ask for!

Learning Team at a Dodgers game!

Section B Holiday Party

 

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Student Blogger: Pete Severs '23

Undergrad: U.S. Naval Academy ‘15

Pre-MBA: Surface Warfare Officer, U.S. Navy

Leadership@Anderson:  First-Year Director, Anderson Ambassador Corps; Director of Alumni Affairs, Management Consulting Association; Director of Corporate Outreach, Anderson Veterans Association; Director of Joint Ventures, Cannabis Business Association

Shared Success Then, Shared Success Now

About Yitsac: Prior to Anderson, Yitsac Sandoval (‘23) lived in New York City and Miami and worked as part of a rotational program at Univision. Yitsac is a first year student at Anderson and in his free time, he likes playing soccer, participating in triathlons, and riding his motorcycle through the hills of Malibu.

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You may think that Anderson’s culture of shared success is just a tagline or marketing tool. However, it’s not. It’s actually so much ingrained in the culture that I was able to experience it as an undergraduate student.

As a Mexican immigrant to this country and previous DACA student, I grew up not knowing of all the possible career opportunities aside from becoming a lawyer and doctor. For the longest time I thought I wanted to become a lawyer. However, after spending a quarter in Washington DC working for a reputable law firm, I realized it wasn’t for me. I was back in LA and searching for a career opportunity where I could combine my strengths and passions. It was then that I joined a business club on campus where Anderson’s ALMA student club worked with undergraduate student interested in business careers. These Anderson students shared their previous experiences working on interesting projects, their career aspirations, and how their MBAs were helping them reach those goals. I was hooked. I knew that I wanted to pivot my career but I was unsure how or if was too late for me. Luckily, two Anderson students connected me to the Riordan program, helped review my application for a summer business program, and connected me to their career networks. By the end of that same year, I had secured a full-time offer for the next year. Anderson’s culture of collaboration and support had overspilled from the northside of campus and into my life and set me down a path of success.

Fast forward a couple years, as a current student, shared success continues to present itself in different ways. As I began my summer internship recruiting process, I was taken back by the amount of support from current students and Anderson alumni. Anderson alumni from different firms reached out to prep me for interviews, shared insights and notes regarding the group of interviewers, and shared what experiences I should highlight throughout my interview process with their company. Most importantly, I wouldn’t have been successful had it not been for the support from current classmates during this time demanding period. I recall one specific instance when my learning team called me before the start of interview week where I had an interview every day of the week. I was concerned about being able to juggle academics, extracurriculars, and recruiting during this time. I let my team know what I had going on through a casual chat on our group chat. My teammates immediately called me and let me know they would be happy to take on more workload so that I would be able to focus entirely on recruiting. I was heartfelt to see that there were people who cared about my success and truly saw my own as their own.

Anderson has and will always be a highly collaborative environment for students to learn, grow and thrive in. It’s one of the things I appreciate the most about Anderson. No matter what your background is or what previous experiences are, there’s always someone within the larger Anderson community who wants to see me succeed and do well.

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Student Blogger: Yitsac Sandoval ’23

Undergrad: UCLA, ‘18

Pre-MBA: Finance at Univision

Leadership@Anderson: Director of Partnerships - Alliance for Latinx Management Association, Director of Conferences -Entertainment Management Association

Student Perspectives: Getting Outdoors in LA

About Eli: Eli is a first-year full-time MBA student specializing in real estate and hoping to pivot into development after graduation. Prior to Anderson, he worked in architecture for several firms, and has lived in LA the past two years. An avid outdoorsman, Eli can often be found at the beach, hiking the Santa Monica mountains, or biking around the city. He also follows multiple sports closely and, as a proud owner of a rescue dog, loves all things dog related.

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For those who love nature, LA might seem daunting from afar. A city famous for its smog, traffic, and endless sprawl sounds unappealing for those who enjoy a quick escape into nature. I was worried that living in LA, all the great outdoor adventures would be too far away or too difficult to reach in the city’s infamous traffic. But having lived here for several years, I can safely say that LA is one of the best cities in the country for outdoorsy people like myself. And Anderson’s clubs have only improved the opportunity to explore this region.

I quickly fell in love with LA’s beaches. The deep expanse of sand, the mountains rising above Malibu, the surfers playing in the waves, the orange and purple sunsets – it was intoxicating. There’s no substitute for living near the ocean, and anytime I feel stressed or anxious, any view of it never fails to brighten my mood. A huge benefit of UCLA is that you’re likely to live within a 15-minute drive from a beach. Anderson’s Surf and Beach Club hosts frequent events, including surf lessons and volleyball tournaments, that provide the ideal break from whatever is stressing you out.

I also fell in love with the Santa Monica Mountains. Some of the best urban hiking in the US can be found 15 minutes from UCLA’s campus. Their variety of terrain, views of the ocean and city, and accessibility is amazing – in an hour I can go from school to standing atop a peak with views of the ocean, downtown, and other mountains that surround LA. Evening hikes are often informally organized by Anderson students, and the Outdoor Adventure Club (OAC) posts hikes as well. They’re a great chance to explore the mountains and see LA from above.

I found the bicycling here to be incredible – beautiful, safe, with every level of difficulty. Santa Monica and Venice are extremely bike-friendly, with miles of protected bike lanes. There’s a continuous path along the ocean that runs for over 20 miles, providing great sightseeing and opportunities to explore the other cities along the coast. Towering above LA, the San Gabriel Mountains quickly became a favorite place of mine to hike and ski. An hour from UCLA, these mountains house the closest ski resort to the city, and it’s possible to both ski and surf in the same day! 

Lots of beautiful streets to bike down

A foggy day in LA, over 10,000 feet below

And with a weekend to get out and explore? I found so many possibilities! The impossibly weird landscape of Joshua Tree is a short 2 hours to the east. The majestic waterfalls of Yosemite and enormous trees in Sequoia are 5 hours to the north. Through OAC, I spent a weekend camping on Catalina Island, a 45-minute ferry ride off the coast to the south. The variety of nature accessible from LA in a day’s drive is remarkable, and no class on Fridays make those trips more possible than ever.

OAC Campsite on Catalina

Having 284 days of sun per year makes adventuring outdoors even easier. Whatever you love to do outdoors is here, in great quantity and quality, and Anderson has a club that will make it easier for you to access and to meet people with the same interest.

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Student Blogger: Eil Wilson ‘23

Undergrad: Rice University ‘16

Pre-MBA: Architectural Designer, CallisonRTKL

Leadership@Anderson: Director of Community, Anderson Real Estate Association; Director of Net Impact Week, Net Impact Club; Director, Anderson Admissions Committee

Student Perspectives: Moving to LA from outside the USA, an International Perspective

About Alex: Prior to Anderson, Alex Caron (‘23) lived in Montreal and worked in management consulting at Accenture. Alex is currently a first-year student at Anderson and in his free time, he likes discovering California, playing tennis, watching sports, and reading up on technology. 

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March 24th, 2021 – That’s when I received the phone call from UCLA Anderson Admission telling me the amazing news that I had been accepted at UCLA Anderson in the Full-time MBA program. My wife, who was also applying to business school with me, received the same good news just a few hours after. This was a turning point in my life, but I could not have anticipated the amount of work necessary to move my entire life from Canada to Los Angeles. In the months that followed, there was a lot of stuff to do in order to get ready for the move. Below I have divided my experiences in two parts: before moving to LA and after arriving in LA. I’ve tried to extract some lessons that my wife and I learned in both. 

 

Preparing to move to LA – Nowadays, a lot of the preparation for moving and living in a new city can be done before you actually arrive in that new city. Without a doubt, the most important part for an international student is the Visa application, which UCLA helps you obtain. Another key decision that we took was deciding to rent an apartment before arriving in LA. We were debating between renting a temporary place and visiting apartments in person for the first few weeks or simply doing virtual visits from Canada and signing the lease remotely. We decided to go for the latter as the virtual visits gave us a good view and understanding of the apartments. COVID further accelerated the willingness of real-estate agents to do virtual visits. My first takeaway from that experience was the importance of visiting the neighborhood virtually as well and understanding the surroundings as this can drastically impact your experience. While we also considered if we should ship our furniture to LA, we ultimately decided that the international shipping costs were too high and not worth it. The rest of the preparation was straightforward but I recommend waiting to get to LA to set up your finances and phone plan as it is much easier with a US address. 

 

Arriving in LA – My second lesson is to arrive in LA at least a few weeks before classes start. We arrived about 3 weeks before and took the first week and a half to set up our bank account, credit cards, phone plans and furniture for our entire apartment. Navigating the US with no credit, as you are an international student, is difficult. This means registering for a prepaid phone plan, buying your car in cash with no potential for financing, and trying (somehow) to get a credit card that does not require SSN. An additional trick for international students to get a credit card in the US is to use the Nova Credit website that allows you to use your credit file from your home country to apply for an AMEX credit card. Giving yourself time before the start of class also allows you to enjoy the onboarding week at Anderson. That first week is very busy and filled with activities that are much more enjoyable if you don’t have to build furniture when you come back home at night. 

 

Overall, my main takeaways from this experience are the following: 

• Enjoy and celebrate this amazing feeling of being accepted
• Make a list of things you have to do before leaving your home country and a list of things to do when you arrive in LA
• Try to have your housing figured out before arriving in LA (ideally)
• Make sure you enjoy the experience of moving to and discovering a new city 

 

Pictures

Our luggage at the airport on the way to LA

First few days of building IKEA furniture

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Student Blogger: Alex Caron ‘23

Undergrad: University of Toronto, ‘17

Pre-MBA: Management Consulting, Accenture

Leadership@Anderson: Section Director of Community Impact, Director of Operations for Admissions Ambassador Corps, Director of Admissions for Family Business Association, Board Fellow for the Children’s Bureau of Southern California

Instagram: @alezcaron

Student Perspectives: Attending business school with a Sig-O

About Eric: Eric Lin (’23) is a first-year at UCLA Anderson looking to enter big-tech as a product manager. Prior to business school, he was a business operations analyst at a tier-1 automotive supplier in Chicago. A mechanical engineer by education, he enjoys (not always) losing sleeping on the weekends to watch Formula 1, venturing to the SGV to try new restaurants, and swimming in the not always 70 degree and sunny Southern California weather).

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Attending business school was never something I had thought about after college, until my wife Vivian (also a current first-year) mentioned the prospect to me as a way of expanding my horizons beyond engineering and exploring a career pivot. Fast forward several years later and here we are, both starting the next step in life together at UCLA Anderson.

The application process itself was rather challenging, as we had to carefully pick and choose programs that would fit both the type of culture we enjoyed as well as the profession and industry we wanted to pivot towards. We were both accepted into several programs together and decided on Anderson because (as mentioned in a previous blog post by Meggie) of the 3 P’s: People, Parker, and Place. And thus began our westward move from the windy city to sunny Los Angeles – funny story, it rained the day we landed in LA, just as it rained on our wedding day and when I proposed…probably good for the drought situation in California though!

I’m not sure if it was on purpose (it probably was) but we were split into separate sections and initially I was a bit disappointed, but it turned out to be a great situation for both of us. One of the goals we had both set ourselves was to grow our social circles and make more friends together and being in different sections provided the perfect opportunity for that to happen. The first two quarters of school have been an amazing experience so far and we’ve gotten really close with the people we’ve met, going on trips to Sequoia and Maui to name a few.

They say a sig-o is your best support system, and that holds true especially during business school. I’m not going to lie, it’s tough – balancing class, recruiting, networking, socializing, stressing, sleeping, it all feels near-impossible sometimes. But being able to not only talk to someone about what’s going on, but actually sharing those experiences and going through everything together is probably what’s gotten me through the first few months of school. I can’t imagine what it would have been like if only one of us had attended school, as the experience is just so difficult to put into words at times.

From a recruiting perspective, since we both have different education and work backgrounds and are targeting different industries, there’s less internal competition and a lot more of leaning on each other’s strengths and past experiences to help bolster resumes, cover letters, and interview responses. I never thought I would be interviewed/grilled by my wife about how to improve Google Maps or sizing the diaper market in China, but safe to say, I’ve checked those boxes now!

The one piece of advice I’ll give is this: find a sig-o before coming to business school! Just kidding. I will say that it’s been an amazing, shared experience and if you and your sig-o are on the fence about potentially attending the same school or even applying together at the same time, don’t hesitate - do it! You’ll thank me later.

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Student Blogger: Eric Lin ‘23

Undergrad: Duke University ‘16

Pre-MBA: Business Operations Analyst, Engineer at UGN Inc.

Leadership@Anderson: Director of Admissions, AMSA; Director of Conference, ECA; Anderson Ambassador Corps

Student Perspectives: A Day in the Life of a First Year

About Gus: Prior to Anderson, Gus Avarello (‘23) lived in San Diego and London and worked in Real Estate Valuation at KPMG. Gus is a first-year student at Anderson and in his free time, he likes traveling, surfing, and searching for the best breakfast burritos and sandwiches in Los Angeles.

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At Anderson there is a seemingly endless supply of events and activities going on every single day, so it is crucial to what will add the most value to your personal experience while also remembering to prioritize building lasting relationships with your classmates. 

During the fall (core) quarter, I was enrolled in four classes: Managerial Economics, Marketing Management, Data & Decisions, and a course with Parker on career prep. These took place Monday to Thursday. I will share with you what a typical Thursday looked like for me!

6:45 AM: After snoozing for 15 minutes, I roll out of bed and make a (much needed) pot of coffee. 

7:00-9:00 AM: On Thursdays I don’t have class until 2:30, so I like to use my mornings to surf! The proximity to the beach is a big reason I chose Anderson, so I make sure to maximize my ocean time each week. There is a good-sized group of first-years who love to surf (all skill levels!) and we try to go out a few times a week. 

9:00 AM-9:45 AM: Drive home from the beach (most students live about 15-20 minutes away from the beach) and shower before beginning the rest of my day. 

10:00 AM-11:00 AM: Given I am recruiting for a non-traditional industry (real estate) a big part of recruiting is holding coffee chats with Anderson alumni and industry professionals. I generally try and hold about 5 – 10 meetings (usually virtual) per week. On Thursdays I tried to schedule 1 – 2 during this window given my late start to class.  

11:00-11:15 AM: Drive to Anderson!

11:30-12:30 PM: Real Estate ACT (Anderson Career Teams) time! Something unique about Anderson is the opportunity to get coached in your industry of choice by 2nd year students (“ACT Coaches”). Successful 2nd years who recruited in a particular industry share their experience with first years, while teaching industry fundamentals and sharing their perspective on trends. Our ACT Coaches also organized various “101s” where we dove deeper into various real estate functions one evening per week. These sessions were led by recent successful alumni, so they were excellent opportunities to learn about how the functions differed from practicing professionals. 

12:30-1:30 PM: For lunch I would head somewhere on campus with a member of my ACT group. Anderson itself has a café that makes excellent bowls, salads and sandwiches, but I would also venture to the other dining establishments on campus if I felt like poke bowl or fish tacos. In addition to the plethora of options offered on-campus, a short 20-minute walk down the hill to Westwood offers access to almost every fast casual restaurant imaginable.  

1:30-2:30 PM: After lunch I would find a spot on-campus to catch up on emails, potentially have a coffee chat, or do any coursework. 

2:30-4:00 PM: My only class on Thursday was Data & Decisions. During the fall quarter, each class met twice per week for 1.5 hours each session. In Data & Decisions the class sessions alternated between traditional lecture format and “Lab” sessions where we had a chance to apply the theory to actual business problems using RStudio (a statistical program). We worked through these labs in class with our “Learning Teams,” which are study groups you complete your entire core curriculum with. My Learning Team and have gotten incredibly close, and this model has been one of my favorite parts of the Anderson experience. 

4:00-4:45 PM: Similar to before class, I would use this window to catch up on work or have a quick coffee chat before one of Anderson’s greatest traditions…

4:45-6:00 PM: Andernoons! Every Thursday, Anderson students put together an on-campus social event called Andernoons. This includes free beer, wine, and fantastic food. It is a great opportunity to unwind, catch up with classmates, and begin to plot the weekend ahead. 

6:00-8:00 PM: Head back home and get ready for the evening. I would catch up on emails for the day or have a coffee chat. Since we do not have class on Fridays, I typically saved any work on deliverables for the next day or the weekend.  

8:30 PM: Head out for the night! Given that Thursday is our “Friday,” it was one of my favorite nights to get together with friends. Thursdays included everything from getting dinner with classmates at one of the countless awesome restaurants in LA, watching the Anderson Soccer Club play a match against the Marshall (USC) Soccer Club (the most important UCLA / USC rivalry obviously), trivia nights, game nights, wine nights, and of course nights at classic West LA / Anderson establishments (Q’s, Mom’s, Bungalow, Thunderbird, to name a few…)

I hope you enjoyed a walk through my day! While it is incredibly important to attack your professional and academic goals while at Anderson, it is also just as important to unwind and build relationships with your classmates. The two years at Anderson will fly by!

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Student Blogger: Gus Avarello ‘23

Undergrad: University of San Diego, ‘16

Pre-MBA: Real Estate Valuation Manager at KPMG

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

Student Perspectives: Navigating In-Person vs. Virtual Events

About Ashley: Ashley Klotz (’23) is originally from Los Angeles. She graduated from Boston College with a Bachelors in Economics. After graduation, Ashley stayed in Boston and worked for Staples Inc. as a Product Development Specialist for private label office machines, think shredders and calculators! Most recently, Ashley worked as an Associate Brand Manager at Creative Circle, a creative and marketing staffing agency, where she launched a brand refresh; managing the creative services needed. At Anderson, she seeks to continue to develop her brand management career. Ashley is interested in the learning more about general management through course classes and student clubs.

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There’s no questioning that the world has changed drastically since March 2020. Now in 2021, while we are no longer in quarantine, we are not completely back to the “normal” we knew before. And I don’t think we ever will be, for the better. As a student at UCLA Anderson, my daily schedule includes a mix of in-person meetings, classes, and events, and virtual coffee chats, panels, and presentations. This blend of the “old” way and “new” way is enabling a current student to optimize our time and schedules. 

 

What’s in-person? 

• Classes are live with professors teaching from our Anderson buildings. While if needed, we do have the option of watching a class recording or on zoom from home if sick, many students choose to go in person! 
• Many student club events are being held on campus. From the club fairs to alumni career nights, our spacious outdoor space allows for events big or small and we are taking advantage of the fresh air! 

What’s a mix?

• Company recruitment presentations are often a toss-up of in person or virtual. There are pros and cons to each. Virtual allows for greater capacity and more flexible scheduling, while in-person is great for that added element of connection. 
• Guest speakers and panels can be virtual or in-person. Virtual options give the added flexibility to the speakers to accommodate this discussion in their schedules, increasing the availability of many high-profile panelists to speak with students. Usually more intimate speaker events tend to be in person, while larger panels are on Zoom. 

What’s virtual? 

• Coffee chats with prospective employers have all been virtual! Personally, I like this format because it makes it easier to schedule in our already busy days! 
• Interviews, first round at least, are likely going to be on zoom! We are prepping the in-person and virtual interview format with our classmates to ensure success in both. 

 

How UCLA is setting us up for success with this blended format? 

• Outdoor space is ample for events that are in-person! We are in LA after all! With the weather rarely dropping below 60 degrees, we can and do use our outdoor community spaces year-round! 
• Small working rooms are available to reserve all around campus. Virtual options mean you can say yes to more opportunities, however often you are on campus because of class or a student club and so having these rooms to reserve is critical to ensure a successful zoom interaction! 
• Support for both in person and virtual formats is available. Our curriculum has been updated to ensure that each student feels successful conducting any event in either of these formats. 

Ultimately, we have the community that admires and thrives with in-person socializing with the bonus of greater access to events now virtual. However, as we have learned in the past two years, things can change quickly! So please note this reflects one student’s experience in Fall 2021, but you never know how and when the future can shift. 

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Student Blogger: Ashley Klotz

Undergrad: Boston College '17

Pre-MBA: Associate Brand Manager, Creative Circle

Student Perspectives: Working Successfully with Your Learning Team

About Bowen:  Bowen Wang (‘23) is a first year at UCLA Anderson hoping to move into Product Management in the high-tech industry. Prior to Anderson, he was an engineer in the Process Control department at Marathon Petroleum in Los Angeles. In his spare time, you can find Bowen on the mountains of California going for hikes, failing to make pasta as delicious as shown in the pictures of the recipe and subsequently giving up and going out for food, or at Kinross gym trying to make up for his pasta dinner from the night before.

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Before even the very first day of Anderson orientation, I received perhaps the most anticipated email of the summer: my team assignment. These were the people I’d be working with for the next year, the people I’d see every day in class. I couldn’t wait to meet them on the first day. No really, I went ahead and checked them out on LinkedIn before we met. We had a non-profit consultant from Washington DC, an accountant from San Francisco, one who worked in marketing in Korea, one who worked in banking in Peru, and one who worked in finance in San Diego. And there was me who was an engineer. My first thought reading their backgrounds was how incredibly diverse our team was; we were all from different industries and functions and we all came to LA from different cities. 

One of the most important moments for me was filling out the group contract. In this document, each of us laid out what our expectations/goals are, how we conduct meetings, how we make group decisions, and what penalties exist for failing to abide by the guidelines laid out in the document. For me personally, the most important lessoned learned from the group contract was discovering what we expected out of each other. Some people want to get straight A’s while some were ok with just passing; some focused all on career search while others weren’t as worried; some were more focused on the social aspects of school. It’s perfectly okay if your goals and expectations don’t perfectly line up with your teammates’ and knowing their goals should not sway your own. But it's still a good start to calibrate your expectations and set a baseline of how you’ll be working.

Speaking of work, there will be, of course, going to be plenty of it with your team. Many guidelines should have been established in your group contract and from your very first assignments which are of course amenable over time. But, I recommend a few baselines. First, always do the reading and at least attempt the assignment on your own before a group meeting. Everyone’s time is valuable, so don’t waste time doing as a group what you could do on your own. Second, meet early and often – well before the assignment is due. No one likes staying up until midnight to submit an assignment – hold each other accountable to not procrastinate! Third, if you feel like you’re doing just your share of the work, then you’re not doing enough. If you have a 5-person team, you should feel like you’re doing 30-40% of the work, not 20%. Lastly, know that your group is not just there to submit team homework. Ask them for help in other classes or assignments, or about events on campus, or about anything else. Especially if you’re nervous about speaking up to a large audience (your section has around 80 people and your class has around 370), your team provides a smaller group to voice your questions and opinions. 

Lastly, Don’t forget to spend time with your team outside of class. Your teammates have interests and personalities that extend beyond the classroom, and you would be missing out on so much if you didn’t get to know them. Make regular get-togethers at a bar/restaurant/event. I’ve done barbeques, gotten drinks, before-class lunches, and workout sessions at the gym with my teammates and I feel that we are more open and work better because of it. 

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Student Blogger: Bowen Wang '23

Undergrad: The Ohio State University ‘17

Pre-MBA: Engineer at Marathon Petroleum, ExxonMobil

Leadership@Anderson: Riordan Scholars Program Mentor; Director, Anderson Ambassador Corps; Director of Curriculum, Anti-Racism Committee

Student Perspectives: How to Prioritize Self-Care During Fall Quarter

About Shana: Shana Jacobson (’23) is a first-year MBA candidate at UCLA Anderson. She comes from a background in finance, having worked at Goldman Sachs New York City in various internal strategy-related roles. Shana will be recruiting for a strategy role within the health & wellness/ fitness space. Outside of school, she enjoys exploring LA - learning how to surf, hiking, and experiencing new restaurants.

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As I reflect on the first three months of business school, I am amazed at the number of opportunities and experiences that have been presented in front of me. At times, it has felt overwhelming to determine how to spend my time and which activities add the most value. There are so many recruiting deadlines and class deliverables to manage, social activities to partake in, and ways to get involved on campus – it can be hard to navigate, and it can be easy to forget to take care of yourself. It’s important to remember that you need to prioritize yourself to be able to show up for others. 

How can you prioritize self-care into your busy schedule? A few tips to remember: 

 

Make time for “me time”

Define your wants and needs. What are the things that you want to make time for? Is it quality sleep, daily meditation, weekly exercise classes, journaling, etc.? There are always going to be tradeoffs and you’re not going to be able to fit in everything all the time, but you can still do small things that go a long way. 

Carve out the time. Prior to the start of the week, sit down and look through your calendar. What days/ times can you make self-care a priority? Planning ahead can help make it easier to prioritize yourself. To reinforce the positive behaviors, think about the details in advance. Maybe this means laying out your workout clothes before you go to sleep or committing to getting off your phone a few hours before bed. Take time to reflect on why you’re doing what’s important to you. This will help make prioritizing your time feel more important and meaningful. 

Lean on your classmates. You are going to have weekly deliverables and it’s important to be honest and open with your team members. There are weeks that you might need to de-prioritize your classwork and your teammates can pick up the slack. Then, the following week you can take more ownership of the group deliverables. Open communication is key. 

 

Stay true to yourself 

Be honest with yourself and be authentic. It’s easy to get swept up in what your other classmates are doing. Everyone has a different career path and is on a different timeline. Stay honest with your goals and grounded in the steps you need to take to get there. For example, just because it seems like everyone is recruiting for consulting or technology, it doesn’t mean that’s what’s right for you. Although easier said than done, block out some of the outside noise and connect with what you truly want to do. The same goes for social activities – if you know you need a “me day” to catch up on work or maybe take a solo hike, take the time to do those things. Sometimes it’s hard to say “no” and at times it’s easy to feel FOMO but ask yourself how you want to allocate your time and what is going to make you feel your best. 

 

Don’t overcommit

There are a ton of ways to get involved while you’re in business school: clubs, case competitions, academic internships – just to name a few. The problem is, when we overcommit, we put ourselves under pressure and stress, and we can’t show up as our best selves. It’s easy to feel like you’re not participating enough or you’re not active enough.  Define your personal and professional goals and make a list of the things you can get involved in that will help you stay dedicated to those goals. 

Anderson is an amazing place that offers a ton of opportunities. Be intentional with how you spend your time. Learn, grow, feel challenged, have fun, and prioritize your health and happiness! 

Q&Anderson: Jovanna Youssef (MBA '16)

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MBA Spotlight:  Jovanna Youssef MBA Class of 2016 From Management Consulting... to Retail Tech Marketing

 

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• Hometown: Santa Clarita, California
• Undergraduate: UC Irvine - Economics & Accounting
• Pre-MBA: Deloitte Consulting – Senior Consultant
• Internship: Apple – Product Management Intern
• Post-MBA:
  • Rent the Runway - Director, Product Marketing & Customer Strategy
  • Apple - Lead Global Product Manager
• Leadership @ Anderson: 
  
  • AnderTech - Director of Startups
  • Anderson Career Coach - Team Captain & Technology Coach
  • Entertainment Management Association - Director of Music
  • Riordan Program - Scholar Mentor
  • Admissions Ambassador Corps - Vice President of Yield & Special Projects
  • Women's Business Connection - Member

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7 QUESTIONS WITH JOVANNA YOUSSEF (MBA '16)

Q1: What career pivot did you make via your MBA?
A: I transitioned from consulting at Deloitte Consulting into my dream trifecta of an opportunity at a company I love (Apple), in a function I was deeply interested in (Product Management) in an industry I'm passionate about (Retail Tech).

Q2: What do you wish you know now that you wish you knew as a prospective Anderson MBA student?
A: You come into the whole MBA process thinking you have a good idea of the things and areas you like and don’t like. And then next thing you know you are sitting in a class unrelated to your career goals. Before you know it, you’re interested in the subject and considering a different path. This element of surprise and self-awakening makes business school a pivotal transition in one’s professional growth.

Q3: How has your Anderson experience changed you?
A: I developed an even deeper appreciation for the importance of diversity of thought of individuals of various backgrounds. Leading up to business school, we’ve all had very different experiences, lived in different cities, utilized different skills, and this all comes together in the classroom. Everyone’s varying experiences and backgrounds have shaped their thoughts and how they approach issues and problems found in and outside of the classroom. I’ve learned so much from the different perspectives of my classmates and it’s helped me become even more open to new ways of thinking.

Q4: Why would you recommend Anderson?
A: I chose Anderson for two main reasons: the collaborative culture and the opportunities. The collaborative culture at Anderson is unique and unlike anything I’ve experienced. My classmates, the alumni network, and the administration are always available to help with everything from classes to recruiting.

From a professional perspective, Anderson had all of the opportunities I was looking for. The strong West Coast network was very important to me. Going to school in a city like LA gives you access to leaders based right in the city who can easily drop by to speak on campus or meet for coffee. Those unique opportunities and that level of access are what drew me to Anderson.

Q5: Which class was your favorite at Anderson and why?
A: Urban Real Estate Financing and Investing with Paul Habibi. First, Prof Habibi is an excellent lecturer. Second, I learned so much about an industry I had little knowledge about in just 10 weeks. The class is engaging, the content is real world examples, and it was great to chase the curiosity in this space that wasn't directly related to my career goals.

Q6: What activity or hobby did you enjoy most during your MBA years?
A: What I enjoyed most and am also most proud of was my role as an Anderson Career Team (ACT) Coach for the technology industry. As an ACT coach, I led a weekly class of first-year students to prepare them for recruiting for summer internships. For me, it was an opportunity to give back at Anderson. And it was incredibly rewarding to see the class grow and become more confident in their abilities and go on to secure their dream internships. The role also helped reveal to me just how much I had grown and learned in a short time.

Q7: I geek out on...
A: ...helping others prepare for interviews and job offer negotiations. Seeing people WIN!

 

 

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