It feels like we just started, but spring semester is almost half way done and we are fast approaching mid-semester break. For first years, spring (second) semester is different from fall (first) semester in many ways, but perhaps the most striking difference is in how the courses you take are chosen. In first semester courses choose you, in second you choose the courses. Both have its own advantages. In first semester, Goizueta offers an integrated core, where you build a strong foundation and get ready to make your own decision about courses for spring semester. Right before the end of first semester, you can choose courses for spring from an exhaustive list of courses. In other words: first semester is what it is, but Spring, and in fact all the other semesters, is what you want it to be. So, Spring semester can be very challenging or not so challenging based on courses one chooses to take.
While I am taking small steps toward the end of spring semester with all the classes, numerous team meetings, club responsibilities, and internship interviews in between, my train of thought goes back to block 2, arguably the most academically challenging part of doing an MBA from Goizueta. One of the things – that we (first years) got warned about most often from second years when we started school back in August’09 – was block 2 (it was block B before it was renamed as block 2). Before I start elaborating on why block 2 is what it is, let me explain, to those not familiar with block system at Goizueta, how it works. Essentially, first semester is roughly equally divided into three blocks. Few courses are just one block long, and most extend over two blocks. There are exams at the end of each block.
Block 2 starts around mid-September and continues till about end of October. The senior class (second years) had a challenging time during block 2 (hence the warning from them) a year before because of the tremendous amount of multi-tasking required to get through ‘successfully’. Success can mean different things to different people. For most, it was about finishing all the readings and assignments in time for the four core courses, all very challenging and important. For few, it was about getting highest grades. For some, it was about doing well in the three career conferences, which also happen during same time (yes, same time), so that you have your dream internship before even on campus recruiting starts (internship recruitment does start as early as September). For some, it was about building networks and being socially active. Then, there were a few for whom success was to achieve all of the above. So, the ‘coefficient of difficulty’ varied based on which category one fell into. However, although the relative perceived difficulty varied, there was no denying that it was difficult even at the bare minimum level, just because there were so many things to do.
So, that was block 2. Difficult? Perhaps. More difficult than spring semester? Depends. That reminds me that the answer of many questions in b-school is just one word: depends. But, I will save more detail about that for some other time. Before I finish, let me share another interesting fact about block 2. It was actually even more challenging a year before than it was for us. Based on the feedback that the program office received from our senior class, we got a stripped down version of block 2, with lesser number of courses, for which we thank second years (and MBA program office) whole-heartedly. And, yes, at Goizueta, feedbacks are considered seriously and are acted upon. They trigger change.
After first six months of MBA full of great learning, tremendous work, new friends, surprises, and lots of fun, I can’t wait to discover the rest of the experience of doing an MBA here at Goizueta Business School at Emory University.
Read the full article: Spring semester vs Block 2