A little over six weeks ago, I graduated. Almost two years ago to the day, I moved to Los Angeles.
Wow.
I felt prepared for business school before I had started - I'd been given advice by recent grads, read blog posts, done some prep work, but there is nothing that can truly prepare you for the transformative experience that takes place over two years. Even by the end of year one, when I thought "Ok, now I know what to expect in year two", I didn't appreciate how much could be packed into the remaining 50% of my time at Anderson.
Now that I've had a chance to step away from school and decompress a little bit, I wanted to write one final post to share some lessons learned and thoughts, along with a good collection of photos from my Anderson journey. The thoughts are in no particular order of importance, but the pictures start from pre-Anderson and end at graduation.
Enjoy!
Pre-MBA / Starting MBA advice
If you are considering applying to business school or have already applied, you've probably spent a lot of time thinking about what getting an MBA means in the context of your career. Yes, an MBA is a means by which you can career switch or advance further in your current field, but a full-time MBA is also a two year experience that has a significant personal life impact.
Take the time prior to starting your MBA to decide what personal life goals you want to achieve during your two years away from work. Do you want to cross countries/continenents off your list? Do you want to try yoga/Cross-fit/surfing/camping? Do you want to learn another language?
When I started at Anderson, I had a goal of completing an Ironman by the time I graduated. While I didn't accomplish that, I did discover a love for obstacle course racing, and have transitioned from half and full marathons to Spartan Races and my first Tough Mudder coming up.
Taking time off before starting
I left my job 9 weeks before starting orientation. Out of my class, the average time off prior to business school was probably 4-8 weeks. On the extreme end, one of my classmates traveled the world for close to a year prior to starting, while on the other side a few people left work on Friday and started orientation on Monday.
Consider your finances, whether you are moving cross-country, how much prep you might need academically, and then add on that the value of meeting some of your classmates prior to starting, decompressing from work, and exploring your new city.
I strongly encourage people to take off enough time prior to starting.
My MBA journey started with a 3 day drive from Houston to LA; travel for weddings and a trip to Costa Rica; BBQs and beach days in LA meeting my new classmates; and math prep.
Push yourself academically
While it is important to take classes that equip you with the skills you need to career switch or career advance, don't forget to push yourself outside of your comfort zone. This may be your last chance to dabble academically, so if you are a Finance person, take a couple of Marketing or Strategy classes, or get even more adventurous and learn some technical skills.
Coming from a Psychology background and working within Human Capital, I challenged myself by taking Corporate Finance, Urban Real Estate, and Business Law.
Location location location
(Beach day during orientation spent playing volleyball, catching rays, and making friends)
There will be stressful periods during the two-year MBA experience. Whether caused by class, recruiting, or personal life, it'll happen.
Knowing that, think about good ways in which to destress. Having a home cooked meal and a glass of wine, going for a hike, giving yourself a day at the beach, or watching a movie are all ways to disconnect and relax.
When thinking about where to get your MBA, look at the programs you are considering and the cities they are in and ask yourself "when I'm feeling stressed, does this place provide me with sufficient outlets to decompress?"
During my application process, I did class visits during the December and January time frame. My first two visits were cold and featured snow/rain. Upon my arrival in LA (Jan 25, 2012 to be exact) I was greeted by blue sky, sunshine, and 72 degrees.
Needless to say my decision was made for me - if I'm already facing potential stress, why compound it by stepping out of the classroom and having to trudge home cold and wet/snowed on?
Take time for yourself
(Group of students heading out on a post-Economics final run around the campus loop)
It is very easy to get caught up in all of the events that take place. Club meetings, company info sessions, happy hours, study sessions, interviews, trips, etc. all combine to make your calendar look like it doesn't know the meaning of free time.
Learn to find that free time - or also learn that it is ok to dress exclusively in exercise clothes, or show up to class sweaty post-workout.
Keeping in shape and healthy will contribute as much to your success in recruiting and academics as the extra time spent on interview prep and studying.
I did not do a great job in year one in this regard, but I became known for my neon workout shirts and Lululemon running shirts in year two.
Tap the alumni network
(Future Deloitte consultants at dinner with the CEO of Deloitte Consulting and his wife, both Anderson alums)
Alumni get involved at Anderson in various ways. Some come back for recruiting, or offer up their time via informational interviews. Others (especially higher level executives) might donate a dinner or event to charity. During our winter quarter Casino Night, several of the big auction items are experiences with successful alum.
Think outside the box when it comes to connecting with alumni. You never know what might happen.
Explore outside of Anderson
One of the big perks of attending Anderson is that you have access to the broader UCLA campus. This provides the opportunity to take some incredible classes in the undergraduate or other graduate school programs (for a recent list of the 8 coolest classes to take at UCLA, click here).
It also means there is a healthy extracurricular scene to tap into, whether artistically or athletically.
I have friends who competed in intramural flag football and soccer, and as shown above, I had the chance to rekindle my love for indoor volleyball with a phenomenally talented team, as we came in 2nd place in the Graduate School Games.
Graduation
Graduation will sneak up on you quickly!
By the time the day arrives, you'll look back on your two years and be blown away by how much you have accomplished. You'll have made several new friends for life, have classmates who are becoming colleagues, and packed more into two years than many people do in four or more.
At Anderson, one of our graduation traditions is for everyone to tape their name tag to the wall or stairs entering the business school after your last class or exam. As you can see above, it makes for a very colorful scene.
It also brings home that while the two-year program may be over, the journey and experience of being a part of the Anderson family has only just begun.
Important relationships
(My fiance and I at graduation - I wouldn't have made it through the two years without her support!)
For those of you entering business school, plan ahead and dedicate time to the important relationships in your life, be it family, close friends, or a significant other.
Take time to call or go to lunch with loved ones. It is very easy to get caught up in the MBA experience, and you don't want to disappear for two years and then pop back up and have to reconnect with your friends.
For people with significant others, integrate them into the program. Take them out to happy hours, talk to them about classes (or even take them to audit one if they have the time), and make your friends their friends.
The more your signifcant other understands the program and what you are doing, the more supportive they can be, and the more likely you are to succeed.
Becoming an alum
(After two strong years of events with my core learning team, we had to have the obligatory C-4 (section C, learning team 4) team photo at our Dis-Orientation party)
As I wrap up my thoughts on this blog, I realize I could go on for days. Being accepted into Anderson is one of the best things that ever happened to me, professionally or personally. It set the stage for professional and personal growth, and I got to know an incredibly diverse group of people who I plan on staying in touch with for a very long time.
I'm already planning on staying involved on campus by returning this fall to help the Deloitte Consulting recruiting team look for future interns and full-time employees.
Staying in LA, I'm sure I'll get the chance to be actively involved in other ways as well, and can't wait to see what value I'll continue to get out of the Anderson network.
While I won't be returning to the blog (unless I have the pleasure of doing future posts as an alum), I'm more than happy to talk about Anderson with anyone who has questions.
Feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn www.linkedin.com/in/kyleforrest/
In the meantime, good luck with your application process or have a blast getting your MBA!
