The MBA Student Voice

8 Days and Counting

...before the big move to Los Angeles! Hard to believe that it’s been nearly a year since I started preparing for the GMAT, and over 4 months since that fateful R2 admit call. Anderson-related TTDs have been piling up as the Class of 2017 gets closer to Orientation... and by the looks of it, things are only gonna get crazier!

So how has Anderson kept me busy lately?

• International Preps: Being an international student adds an extra layer of moving-out stress and logistical errands--luggage, apartments, banking and phone plans, etc. First order of business after submitting my SIR to UCLA was to sort out all visa and finance-related documents. I secured my F-1 visa early in June thanks to Anderson and UCLA's Dashew Center for International Students & Scholars (DCISS). Both have been a constant presence in my inbox throughout summer with international programming updates (DCISS) and pre-departure career preps (MBA Student Affairs), among other helpful content. Students on a visa are required to take UCLA's iStart Program which is a series of online modules designed to help us transition to life in the US. Topics covered are: academic integrity, culture shock, visa workshop, and getting started in LA & UCLA. In addition to school/web resources, I found that talking to fellow international students and 2nd years has been most helpful in navigating this complex pre-MBA stage. Currently, there's even a group of us looking to set-up a family phone plan to get better deals!

DCISS' online iStart program has informational modules for international students transitioning to UCLA.

Across the Narrow [Pacific Ocean]

Hello, world and hey, MBA Student Voice readers! My name is Kathleen Uson and I'm thrilled to be part of the new batch of Anderson student bloggers for the Class of 2017. I was born and raised in Manila where I graduated with a B.A. degree in Organizational Communication from the University of the Philippines. For the past 5 years, I devoted my career to the advertising industry in which I specialized in integrated media strategy and negotiation for multinational clients ranging from CPGs to banks.

In less than two months, I will fly over 7,000 miles to the other end of the Pacific Rim. I'm staring at the 3 suitcases and 1 backpack where I'll be stuffing 25 years of my life in as I type this. (Really, sorting out 30+ pairs of flipflops has never been so painful!) It'll also be my first time (gasp!) to finally visit UCLA in person. It's true that most MBA admissions tips strongly recommend visiting schools to gather info and assess campus culture before applying. I'd certainly encourage you to follow this if you have the time and resources to do so, but don’t feel discouraged if otherwise—more so if you live far away. There are a multitude of other sources you can tap (i.e. attending off-campus and online info sessions, reading blogs, and reaching out to student ambassadors) and still be able to exhibit your enthusiasm/resourcefulness to the admissions committee.

That said, joining this group is my way of paying it forward and sharing my international student perspective/overall Ander-love. I'll be on Instagram for the most part (visuals and microblogging are more of my thing!) but will also pitch in here from time to time.

So folks, without further ado, if you want [literal] snapshots of how student life is at UCLA Anderson, do follow @uclamba and check out #WhyAnderson on Instagram. We’ll have a bunch of great content out there in the next several weeks. So stay tuned and hope you have a good summer—or rainy season, in my part of the world—ahead!

And speaking of snapshots...

Capping off with my last pre-MBA summer in El Nido, Palawan. Here's to more beautiful sunny days in LA!