Welcome to WEMBA world...
For those incoming WEMBA’s (class of 2006), I thought I would post a couple of my own thoughts and reflections as you prepare for your own personal Fuqua “journey of discovery” over the next couple of years…
Dress nice for your first day – pictures will be taken and posted on the class board…if you are having a bad hair day that day, you will have to live with that picture for the next two years. Because it had snowed heavily (by NC standards anyway) the night before orientation last year, I dressed casually in jeans and a rugby shirt. As a result, I came across looking like a precocious 20 year-old college student in my class photo.
Try to meet and remember as many people’s names in the first few weeks. They gave us handsome Duke MBA lanyards and nametags, but those got chucked after a few weeks into term one.
If you haven’t taken classes in a while, make sure you have a designated study area in your house where you can spend uninterrupted study time. Prepare your spouse, children, pets, etc. for the fact that you’re not going to be able to spend as much time with them as they (or you) would like. The first term is tough not because the material is hard, but because it moves so quickly and it takes time to adjust to the pace while trying to balance a full-time work load.
In the first class on the first day, choose wisely where you sit– it will be your place for all classes for the next 2 terms. If you want to keep a low profile, sit in the middle rows. If you are looking to be a class stand-out, the aisle seats and front rows are for you.
Get a fully-functional laptop computer that is running Windows XP, and make sure it isn’t one of those 8 pound desktop replacements. You will be shouldering enough weight with all the lecture notes and reading material you will have to carry around.
Most important – enjoy yourself! You will be challenged and stretched in ways you didn’t think you could challenge/stretch yourself. Don’t be afraid of saying the wrong thing or asking dumb questions in class or talking to people outside your comfort zone. The environment is very collegial and set up in such a way that is is very difficult to fail out of the program. Good luck!
For those incoming WEMBA’s (class of 2006), I thought I would post a couple of my own thoughts and reflections as you prepare for your own personal Fuqua “journey of discovery” over the next couple of years…
Dress nice for your first day – pictures will be taken and posted on the class board…if you are having a bad hair day that day, you will have to live with that picture for the next two years. Because it had snowed heavily (by NC standards anyway) the night before orientation last year, I dressed casually in jeans and a rugby shirt. As a result, I came across looking like a precocious 20 year-old college student in my class photo.
Try to meet and remember as many people’s names in the first few weeks. They gave us handsome Duke MBA lanyards and nametags, but those got chucked after a few weeks into term one.
If you haven’t taken classes in a while, make sure you have a designated study area in your house where you can spend uninterrupted study time. Prepare your spouse, children, pets, etc. for the fact that you’re not going to be able to spend as much time with them as they (or you) would like. The first term is tough not because the material is hard, but because it moves so quickly and it takes time to adjust to the pace while trying to balance a full-time work load.
In the first class on the first day, choose wisely where you sit– it will be your place for all classes for the next 2 terms. If you want to keep a low profile, sit in the middle rows. If you are looking to be a class stand-out, the aisle seats and front rows are for you.
Get a fully-functional laptop computer that is running Windows XP, and make sure it isn’t one of those 8 pound desktop replacements. You will be shouldering enough weight with all the lecture notes and reading material you will have to carry around.
Most important – enjoy yourself! You will be challenged and stretched in ways you didn’t think you could challenge/stretch yourself. Don’t be afraid of saying the wrong thing or asking dumb questions in class or talking to people outside your comfort zone. The environment is very collegial and set up in such a way that is is very difficult to fail out of the program. Good luck!
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