Seize the day

The Core had finally over yesterday. I couldn't believe that I've been through a tough quarter of an MBA. I don't wanna think about how the next semester will be (some said that I'll miss the Core more and more for the rest of the program). The things I will surely miss about the Core is the great people I've been around with. As far as I can remember, everybody talked about the same things during the Core. When you did bad in some courses and messed up with the quizzes or exams, there was always someone said, "No worries. None of normal person could do perfect in everything!". There are of course some extraordinary people who found everything easy to understand and got perfect scores without sweating. Jealousy was once the most unavoidable thing in my mind (my bad).

I was so panic and thought that I couldn't make it. I called Miss K and said that I didn't do good at school. She said, "No, Mom, you're smart. I'll pray to God so that you can do better and finish the school soon". I wanted to believe that right away. But it was hard... (sorry, K., Mommy was so much in trouble that night). 

Not until the middle of the Core that I realized I had to do something with the courses. I made a chart to make priorities; x-axis for the level of difficulty and the y-axis for the subjects importance. To be honest, Critical Thinking was the most difficult. Marketing and Operation came next. On the top 3 there were Finance, Accounting, and Quant which were both important and difficult. Strategy and Econ were in the middle, either because I was familiar with the subjects and I thought I could do many things with the materials. I always read the Strategy's cases & recommended readings and made all the analysis (however, I only spoked once or two times in each class discussion... I considered that as a big failure!). 

As the final exams approaching, I started reading the Fin, Acc, and Econ text books (way too late, baby!). I am not a big fans of scores or grades. I just wanna learn more each time, just like the snow ball which gets bigger and bigger as it moves down. In terms of learning, I learnt more of Acc and Fin in the last 2 weeks than ever in my life. Talking about grades, amazingly, my chart worked. As predicted, I screwed up my CT, Marketing, and Operation exams. I got 67 in CT and probably only got 60s to lower 70 in the last two (if I am lucky enough....). Acc and Econ went pretty well. Fin was OK, too. Strategy? I was such a big failure for my team. I couldn't do the presentation in the case competition.

Outside the class, I think I was just in average level. I joined the Toastmasters Club. I was one member of a team signed up for Asian MBA Association presidential election (I run for the position of VP of Social Event & Culture Development). I joined the Investment Banking Academy which offered many interesting things for me to learn (I regret that I also didn't perform well here). I joined the Student Admission Council which so far was the most interesting and enjoyable involvement: meeting prospective students, bringing them to class, sending notes, and hoping I can support people to make their decisions by sharing my own Kelley experience.

Off the school, I could only remember some parties and hang-out events. Colm's birthday party, fasting-break dinner at Mbak Sonya's in Ramadhan, dinner at Upland Brewery before the case competition, breakfast at CrackerBarrel after the competition, India Night, and dinner at Bill's in the middle of the exams. I watched some films at the cinema, came to a football game, came to IU Auditorium for two Broadway shows (Annie & Rent), sat for a ballet performance "The 1900's Perspective", and finished some novels during the Core (surprising, isn't it? I am surpised, too).

Running away from Bloomington, I wasn't too dissapointed. Urbana-Champaign, IL in September. The first New York City, NY trip with the IB Academy in October. New York again during the Thanksgiving break. Houston and San Antonio, TX before the final in December. And now, I am in Chicago,IL celebrating the end of the Core with Ika.

I can't find words to express it but I feel GOOD. And I still have a full 3 weeks free. F R E E.....