The MBA Student Voice

MBA Orientation 2015: Thinking in the Next

This week Anderson's Class of 2015 got down to business and began its first MBA course, Leadership Foundations. At the moment, we're only a few days into the class but we're already laying the groundwork for our next two years at b-school and beyond. As its name implies, the course builds on leadership frameworks and uses them to reinforce the Anderson credo, "Think in the Next."

Hey, Summer Bloggers! What has this week taught you about leadership and what it means to "Think in the Next"?

 

Alena Kostenkova: This week's experiences were not easy for me, but who said that they would be? I think I didn't realize how much teamwork means until the Odyssey day of Anderson's Leadership Foundation course. When I was climbing the pole (see below) and fighting with my fear to step up to the top, my team was cheering me on, giving advice and support. Buzz was the one to realize that I am in trouble and he took the initiative of guiding me step by step: he told me where to put my legs, how to help me overcome my fear and finally stand up on this very high pole. Buzz demonstrated the true leadership of giving a hand to a teammate who was struggling: he was calm, patient and very supportive. All of these characteristics will be very helpful in the workplace in the real world.

Another exercise was on teamwork and communication. It was fantastic! You have to go on a 30- to 35-foot high rope with a partner who is going on a second rope parallel to your own. As you can see, you need to be leaning against each other to make it work. Only good teamwork and trust could help you reach the goal!

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Alena and her partner conquering the ropes course. Great job, guys!

 

I am very glad I took this wonderful course. I know that not everything was perfect, but the takeaways and lessons learned are important for future business leaders. Of course, I need to think about this over and over to make some conclusions, but for now, I can say that this expereience helped me become more open to people and more trusting. I will for sure bring all of these takeaways to the workplace as a leader.

MBA Orientation 2015: We Belong Here

Four days ago, we stepped foot on the UCLA Anderson campus with a few friends, some butterflies, and buckets (briefcases?) full of questions. Who knew in such a short time, we would already feel right at home?

Four days of Orientation in, two weeks until classes, we can already feel that we belong here.

I belong at UCLA Anderson because…

Aimee Musil: I belong at Anderson because, even though my classmates are amazingly diverse, we’re already showing signs of the engaging, supportive, collaborative, and open-minded community they talk about in those shiny admissions brochures.

What exactly does that mean? As for engaging, over the past four days we’ve spent more than 9 hours watching presentations on what some might consider dry material - ethics, technology services, and the Anderson library (I apologize in advance to my mom, former librarian). However, from Jackie Reynolds, the Chief Technology Officer (and Anderson alum!) who had us cracking up to the saucy Angela Horne, newly appointed head of the Rosenfeld Library, the staff consistently impressed with their charm, wit, and genuine interest in helping us succeed during our time here.

Our collective open-mindedness came into play later, during our class photo scavenger hunt, when the accomplished and successful professionals of the class of 2015 literally ran around campus sweating profusely, planking, twerking, and screaming at tour guides/undergraduates, “Where’s the tree of knowledge?” All in all, I’ve been so impressed by the people I’ve met both on the staff and student side, and am excited to spend the next two years with this great group of people.

Anderson's Class of 2015: The First Day

Together At Last: The Class of 2015 Summer Bloggers

 
Today was a big day. It was the first day on campus for incoming students and the day the Class of 2015 was officially welcomed into the Anderson family. As faculty enthusiastically introduced the program and second-year students started to show us the ropes, all of us who are new to campus got to meet our classmates face-to-face and experience first-hand all of the excitement of the Anderson MBA.

For the next two weeks, your favorite Summer Bloggers will be here to share their unique experiences at Orientation and their first impressions as the newest additions to the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Summer Bloggers, how would you describe your first day at Anderson?

How I Spent My Pre-MBA Summer

You may have noticed that August was a little quieter than usual on The MBA Student Voice. With Orientation right around the corner, there's no doubt that Anderson's Class of 2015 has been busy preparing for the start of school. What does it take to be Anderson ready? Here's a look at how I prepared to become a Bruin.

 

 1. I quit my job!

I loved working at Liberty in North Korea.

Bittersweet as it was, this was the moment when I felt my MBA journey begin. I had been looking forward to going back to school for quite a while and the prospect of starting something new in a big city and at a school I was proud to attend was truly exciting.