End of Autumn Semester

One review session, two exams and one take-home final stands between me and break.

So. Close.

When I look back on the first semester of the Fisher MBA Program, and I can’t even begin to list all the memories. Ranging from classes, hysterical lectures (really, wait till you hear Professor Campbell tell you about pirates), Fisher Follies, drinks at the Varsity Club after finals, tailgating, EOTW (Events of the Week),  study groups, a perfect football season and so much more.

There have been tears, there have been laughs, and there have been hundreds of cups of coffee.

I know that days into the holiday break I’ll be missing everyone at school, but I am excited to sleep-in and watch a few movies. But in all honesty, this break will be a great time to throw myself into my 3rd full-time job: finding an internship.

I know numerous companies will be posting internships and coming to campus in January, and I want to be ready. I have had some great mentors show me how they researched companies, and I know I am up for the challenge. Even better, a few weeks without class will allow me to research more companies and follow-up on networking emails.

No one ever said business school was easy – good thing I love a challenge 🙂

The break will give me a chance to rest, recharge, start researching companies and see my family and friends back at home. I know that next semester with Strategy, Finance II, Marketing II and Operations II will be here before I can blink…so let’s get my last three finals out of the way!

Happy Holidays!

Lookin’ sharp

One of the sweetest compliments a blogger can receive is someone emailing them and commenting on a blog – and then continuing to ask questions! It truly makes a writer feel like they are touching on meaningful topics and making a difference…no matter how small! So to that person, thank you very much!

Moving forward with that idea, I was recently asked in an email: What do you WEAR to business school?!?

Great question! And, just to be honest, that was a question we anxiously asked one another during pre-term (well, ok, at least some other girls and I talked about it! Sorry guys, this post may not be for you).

This website is a great resouce that outlines business casual for both men and women.

Jessi’s opinion on how to dress at Fisher College of Business:

-During pre-term you will be expected to dress business casual and business professional. So, nice pants and a blouse, and a jacket when needed. Besides, the jacket is great when the AC is on and blasting!

-Once classes start the outfits begin to span across the board. Students who are working in offices around the college are usually in business casual. However, on regular days, jeans are totally acceptable – but you usually don’t see a lot of sweatpants in Gerlach Hall.

Personally, I try to dress-up a little bit for class every day! When I see my professors in full suits for class and looking extremely professional, I want to be seen in the same light. When I only have class I am typically in jeans and a dressy top with heels. Comfortable when I’m spending 10 hours on campus studying and going to class — but still business school “appropriate”.

Just remember! There always seems to be an fantastic networking/meet-and-greet event going on at Fisher and these require business attire. You always want to present yourself in the best light when meeting business professionals and learning more about their careers.

Something I’ve learned within seven weeks of classes? If you don’t want to dress up, have a nice outfit (don’t forget your shoes!) and a few resumes in your locker. You never know who will be on campus and who could be your next important contact!

Again, this is a quick post of my own opinion about what to wear at Fisher. As an MBA Candidate who is constanly scheduling meetings with advisors, the Office of Career Managment and professors, I am always striving to put my best (dressed) foot forward.

Hopefully this shed a little light on how to dress for school 🙂

Have a great week, see you guys soon!

Take Time for Yourself

“Don’t forget to take a little bit every day for yourself.”

I heard these words a few times during the pre-term program last month and I couldn’t help but wonder exactly what that statement meant. I mean, of course I was going to be busy with school/homework/projects/exams/getting involved/football/networking, but why the frequent reminder to take time for yourself?

Well, about a month into school, I know EXACTLY why our professors, advisors and second-years tell us to take some personal time.

If you don’t take a step back every now and then, it’s easy to get overwhelmed and slightly panicked. (And when I say overwhelmed, it’s sort of like the feeling of juggling five objects in the air and getting nervous that one is about to drop).

After getting through the first few midterms terms and starting to study for the SECOND round of exams (I know, it’s insane) I finally am finding a balance. When I come home I study and study – but I make sure I take 1 hour and go got a run a few times a week, and I try to find one night a week to have dinner with my roomie, and I make sure that I focus on my non-MBA friends as well.

Because I need that.

School is a huge (ok, it’s the main part of my life), but there are other aspects that need to be attended to. It’s all about balance. BUT, you cannot forget to take time for yourself. When school feels overwhelming and I think that the next stats problem may cause me top bang my head against the table, I go for a ten minute walk. I don’t think about classes and I don’t make a mental to-do list, I simply just walk and get some fresh air.

It always helps.

One thing that the MBA program is teaching me is time management and how to focus my time. But it is also teaching me that school, work and personal life are all important.

See you soon after another crazy week of exams, meetings and classes.

First day of school – less than 24 hours

“I believe that the most important single thing,
beyond discipline and creativity,
is daring to dare.”

― Maya Angelou

Tomorrow I embark on a new journey – BUSINESS SCHOOL. I know I will meet incredible people, learn more than I thought possible, have stressful nights, make great friends, push my mind to the limit and grow both as a student and a professional.

Let’s do this.

A new adventure – MBA

I cannot believe it has been almost two weeks since I last blogged – but I have a good reason…

I am officially going  back to school! That’s right everyone, you are looking at (I guess I should say reading) an MBA student’s blog.

I have never been happier as I type those words.

Today marked the last day of my pre-term program and classes start next Wednesday. While I am feeling slightly overwhelmed and have a ton of information to digest, I am so excited to  be going back to school and focusing on my career and my future.

So far, every single person whom I’ve met has an incredible, and interesting, story.  Some are like me and recent grads, some students have a few years of working under their belts and some have lots of experience and stories to share.

And I am ready to listen and learn (and talk – because, really, it’s me –  I am not one to have a problem talking to others!). I cannot wait to start classes, start looking for internships, work at the Wexner Medical Center as a GA and meet new people. In my Core Group I have two international students and two from other states; we all bring some diversity to our team. I can tell that we are ready to make a splash and work hard to impress our fellow students and professors.

I have chatted with professors, deans and faculty, and I know that I am swinging with some major players. Welcome to the big leagues.

I have some big expectations, from myself, my school and my amazing family/friends supporting me… and I am ready to make a name for myself.

Classes start next week…stay tuned for stories about my new adventures!

Triumph over blogger’s writer’s block

We’ve all had it.

It stops us from writing a term paper, an essay, a long-answer or extended response. It freezes our keys and forces our computer to open up our Facebook window or look over our Twitter feed again. When it rears its ugly head we suddenly feel the need to create new boards on Pinterest.

Writer’s block.

It sneaks up from behind and freezes your mind. No matter how quickly the words seem to flow, once writer’s block strikes there seems to be no hope. The screen continues to stay white while the annoying cursor stays firmly in the same spot – words refusing to come and any hope of a sentence dying as the blue background of Facebook appears.

So – all joking aside – students, college grads and even professionals know about writer’s block. I experienced when writing my history papers and even today when I blog. It can be extremely frustrating when you plan out a specific time to write…and as soon as you put your fingers over the keys everything seems to stop. Nothing appears on the page, minutes continue to tick by, and nothing happens.

Now that we’ve discussed how writer’s block is annoying and spans to all ages – the big question arises. How do you fix it? Doesn’t matter if you’re writing a paper, essay, blog or email, writer’s block is writer’s block. How do you overcome the dam that stops all ideas from flowing from your brain to your computer or piece of paper?

After an extremely annoying attempt to blog last week where I ended up watching UP with my roomie and wasting time on Pinterest because I could think of nothing to write.

Nothing.

I had  drafted a blog about respect earlier that day and even though I had ideas in my head…

… nothing would appear on my computer. I wanted to throw the entire thing across the room and scream. I had purposely planned a good two hours to write, edit and post and I could time ticking away. It seemed like the entire evening was a waste and I would still need to blog in the next few days. I was wasting time and crossing nothing off my to-do list.

And what is a great way to deal with stress and grab some great advice? Twitter. I tweeted about my situation and asked if anyone knew of a way to overcome writer’s block. Guess what? Found some wonderful ideas from Thomas J. Armitage, Molly Osmon and Abbey Lape. While their advice differed slightly, it all included walking away from the computer for a bit and returning with a fresh outlook.

Thomas recommended music, Molly suggested a short break away from writing and Abbey thought I should try “purge writing”.  Music erases any stress you may be holding from other situations and walking away from a computer screen allows you to take the much-needed breath and refresh your mind. I love going for a run or going to the nearest coffee shop to write. Fresh air and a change of scenery is sometimes all you need. While Thomas and Molly’s ideas helped me overcome writer’s block for my blog post, Abbey’s idea helped me think of new blog posts for the future.

Purge writing.

Simply write. Start with a small, easy idea –  just your name and age –  and see where your brain takes you. It’s a great idea to shake away the cobwebs and see what is really on your mind. For example:

• My name is Jessica Reynolds. I am 22 and will soon be leaving Orlando to return to Ohio for a job. I am nervous about beginning a new chapter in my life. I am excited about returning to the city I love and seeing all of my friends. one of my strengths is my passion for everything I do – a weakness is the pressure to be perfect. In Columbus I am excited to eat in the Short North, visit downtown and see the city as a professional. I think people create their own happiness and need to focus more on respect.

See? It’s a very easy writing lesson, but allows possible blog ideas to appear. From the simple paragraph above I could now write a post about growing up, leaving my family in Orlando, job interviews & skills, nightlife in Columbus and more.

Next time you’re not sure what to blog about or even where to start writing an essay – try purge writing. Don’t think, just keep your fingers moving. At the end look at what you have and allow your conclusions and ideas to jump out.

Writer’s block doesn’t stop writers, it simply makes us write better.