Please read Part III below before reading this post.
That’s when I realized how much different Tuck was. True, it’s in Hanover, New Hampshire and two hours away from the nearest metropolitan area (Boston). But that’s actually a strength! Students mostly live within a 10-minute drive from campus which means in-person meetings are the norm. It shouldn’t take the regular blog readers too long to figure out how Tuckies are always gushing about the quality of their interactions with fellow students. Well, this is why.
I would be remiss if I say that HEC students do not interact with each other. I’ve made good friends with a number of HEC students and fellow exchange students. There are strong connections they have amongst themselves. All I am saying is they have to work much harder to get to know their classmates really well whereas at Tuck, it happens because you are right in the neighborhood for two full years.
That’s how I think Tuck alumni develop such a strong connection to the school. Having spent two years of their lives immersing in the Tuck experience, making connections with Tuck staff, faculty, and students, and having had the time of their life doing so, they identify themselves with Tuck with so much nostalgia and so much affection that they really go out of their way (literally and figuratively) to talk to students (prospective and current) and give back to Tuck in such a tangible way. And so, the tradition continues.
I’ve been at Tuck for a little more than one year, but I can already feel the change within, not the least of which is a result of the exchange program. MBA itself is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. To that, add the opportunity live for a few months in a different country, immerse in a different culture, see things in a different light, and appreciate the wide world of possibilities. Simply put, the Tuck MBA has been a great adventure for me in every way.
Having had such a great time, I can’t believe I won’t be at Tuck, come June, and I know I am not alone in feeling that way. Countless Tuckies have felt these pangs of separation for almost 110 years and have moved on to achieve some great things in their lives.
For the class of 2010 to which I belong, the next adventure and the march to greatness is right around the corner!
Read the full article: Thoughts on Exchange Program – Part IV