Thankful in 2012

With Thanksgiving this week, it’s hard to think of much else besides seeing my family, food and FOOTBALL! (stay tuned for a Beat M!ch!g@n post – I cannot wait to see how campus celebrates Urban Meyer’s first OSU v Michigan game).

It has been very interesting to learn about my fellow students’ traditions and ideas for Thanksgiving. Traveling hundreds of miles away to visit family, a town over, staying in Columbus and having a “non-traditional” Thanksgiving – everyone has someone and something to be thankful for.

It’s too easy to not see the forest through the trees. However, I am so incredible blessed and so happy that I get to go to THE Ohio State University every day and learn from the best faculty and students around.

My life is far better than I deserve  – here are my other top reasons to give thanks this season:

• My small, but very mighty, family: I have a fantastic support system, and I don’t know what I would do without their cheers during my MBA program.

  

• The simple fact that I wake up every morning and learn something new. I know, how incredibly cheesy is that statement?! But, it’s so true it had to be said. I am becoming a smarter business woman, but also a better person overall. No matter if I am in marketing, finance, operations or accounting – I am constantly pushing myself.
• I am so thankful to have found such great friendships within just a few short months. And I am extremely thankful that they know how to make me laugh when I am stressing out just a bit too much.
• The opportunities at Fisher. If I listed out every lunch, seminar, activity or special event – you would still be reading on Black Friday and missing TONS of great sales. So I’ll just say thanks for opportunities 🙂
• I have thankful to go to school in a city with such energy and life. Really, do I need to say anything more than Beat Michigan Week?!
• Thankful for my other support system, my boyfriend, Sam. Sometimes I feel that he should get his own diploma! I don’t know how I would have gotten through data analysis without him.
  
  Happy Thanksgiving everyone! See you next week.

Take a risk

On Tuesday, I was part of a lunch session with Anne Dunlap, an AVP in Enterprise Applications at Nationwide. Put on by Fisher Graduate Women in Business, Anne talked about personal development and self-awareness in the work-place…but she also talked about taking risks and knowing the type of environment that is perfect for YOU.

She spoke about her incredibly career and about having a dialogue with your manager. She also touched upon never being afraid to ask the hard questions and for honest feedback.

She shared her own stories and outlined how communication can open doors and pathways to relationships.

It can be incredibly scary to ask for honest feedback after an interview, or when you are passed over for a job or promotion. Anne talked about going and asking face-to-face, and not letting yourself get defensive – but really listening to what others had to say.

Also, find a mentor and learn from others around you. Anne told us what she learned from her own mentors and the effort she puts into developing other talent. I loved that she stressed taking risks, and not being afraid to make an impact (and maybe some waves along the way).

It was an incredible, and empowering, lunch. Thank you to FGWIB for bringing such strong female role models into Fisher!

Business School Tips

Hey everyone!

It’s insane to think that in about one week we will be celebrating Thanksgiving and cheering for a Buckeye victory against Michigan. I cannot believe that the time is flying by so quickly!  And with each passing day, the other 1st years and I are learning how to truly navigate through our program successful.

 These may not be your most traditional takeaways, but there are sure to help you in the long run!

• Bring lunch and snacks – The vending machine is delicious….but dangerous. It can be too easy to grab a candy bar when you are staying late to review finance or accounting, but be warned! The sugar crash later will only make your eyes heavy during class. I try to pack a lunch during my long days to stop any vending machine temptations. Packing also stops the trips to eat out for lunch . Trust me, you and your wallet will thank me later.

 

• Rohr Cafe will become your best friend (and possibly Panera) – Just to build off the previous post, your two years in business school will be the years you consume the most coffee. It is the norm to run  and grab a shot of caffeine before classes, in-between classes, after classes, while studying, and a few other times during the day. To help watch the spending, I recommend brewing your own cup at home and limiting the number of coffee runs a week. And if you are one of the stronger souls that don’t drink coffee – enjoy watching the frantic dashes of your fellow students who need to the sweet taste of Starbucks.

 

• Wear layers to class – Seriously. A wonderful 74 degrees in your ops. class to a freezing 64 in accounting (I know, I know. I am warm-blooded and like the temperature slightly warmer than other people). But if you don’t bring a sweater during the fall and spring months, you will be freezing in one class and sweating in another.

 

• Reserve a room – If you are meeting with a few others to study for a test or work through practice problems, make sure you reserve a room!  Around midterm and finals week, they tend to fill up quickly. You need to have a total of three attendees, so form a study group and reserve a room to ensure a productive evening of hitting the books.

 

• Use a calendar and update it often – It could be a Google Calendar, iCal, an agenda or a combination of the three! However, there are so many activities, meetings, networking events and more that you’ll go crazy if you don’t write things down. I check my Google Calendar daily(which in in sync to my tablet and iPod), to make sure I don’t miss anything. I combine that with my physical agenda to make sure I stay caught-up with my readings and assignments. Trust me, you don’t want to be that group member that shows up late to a meeting.

Have a great week! Talk to you guys soon.