It’s a beautiful Friday afternoon here at Tuck – a rather quiet afternoon at the end of another busy, but fantastic week. I picked up my first take-home final exam a little while ago, which means that we’re now heading into the last week of classes for Fall A. Since I first visted campus for my interview one year ago this week, I’ve been hearing about this intense, action-packed, first term at Tuck called Fall A. Students and alumni talk about it with a bit of reverence. Fall A consists of four classes in four weeks, and for sure, it flies by. If you mention Fall A to someone who has lived through it, you’ll get a knowing nod. (”Ah yes, I remember Fall A. Didn’t sleep much.”) It’s one of the many experiences that binds Tuckies together. Asides from the fact that the term is so short, it’s challenging for a number of other reasons: you need to really understand these foundational concepts to be successful in the rest of your MBA career, you need to learn excellent time management, and you need to start getting an idea of the career and companies that are out there.
Everything is thrown at you, pretty much all at once, and it takes some time to sort out what’s important to you and what’s only slightly less important. Whether it’s reading a case for class, going to a company briefing, attending a guest lecture, or taking advantage of the waning days of summer and going or a hike near campus. The balance is different for everyone, and it takes time to figure out what combination is best for you. I surely haven’t hit that perfect balance yet (if there even is one), but I’m enjoying testing myself and finding out what it is I’m interested in and what I want to most spend my time doing.
I’m writing all of this about Fall A, the craziness, the stress, the fun – because I love it. I love being engaged in and out of class. I love working with my study group and getting involved in student clubs. I love having a new community to explore (Tuck as well as the Upper Valley) and new people to meet.
In any case, campus is unusually quiet at the moment as students head home for the evening. As I write, I’m sitting in the elegant Stell Hall, with its dark wood paneled walls and stately chandeliers. I’m inspired by the atmosphere just as I’m inspired by my professors and my classmates. I’m looking forward to sharing my experiences with you over the course of the next two years, and I hope to be able to shed a little light on what life is like here on campus. There are endless opportunities to get involved and make a mark; I’m going to do my best to take advantage of it.
An alum aptly summed this up to me at a Tuck Women in Business event over the summer: “You’re starting at Tuck this fall? Lucky.”
Read the full article: First Few Weeks on Campus