Mini-Me...ster
Even though I did take those classes before, it was like six years ago. Some days I can barely remember what happened the day before or where I'm supposed to be in the next two hours, so don't even try six years ago. So when midterms came around, I, like a lot of my classmates, were a bit concerned about how we were going to get through the following 10 days.
Thankfully, one of the awesome parts about McCombs is how close the MBA program staff is to the students. They've always got a finger on our pulse, ready to make sure they could support us in any way I could. Even so, I was pretty surprised to see this email, sent from one of the high-ranking MBA staff, pop up a handful of hours before our first accounting midterm:
First Years,
It is hard to believe that you are already at your first mid-terms. I wanted to wish you luck. I hope the semester is off to a good start and you are enjoying your experience. Are you bored yet?
I say this next part, only partly jokingly…It is this time in the semester that students start to question (either publicly or privately) if the admission office made some sort of mistake admitting them. I assure you that our admission office takes great pains to admit the best class and identify students who we know will be successful in the program. We have lots of experience with this so I know firsthand that each and every one of you deserves a place in this class. That does not mean everyone will get an A in Statistics AND Accounting, but it does mean that you each have your strengths. You came back to school to learn and the less you knew about your classes coming into school, the more you are learning in the process.
So, whether you feel confident going into your midterms or you are experiencing a mild case of panic, I assure you that there are others who have gone before you who have experienced the same range of emotions. So, take a deep breath, study and work with your study group to be sure that everyone is as prepared as possible.
Remember that you came to business school to stretch yourself beyond your comfort zone….or was it Fridays off…no, no, it was definitely to stretch yourself. This is part of the process.
I will be in Carpenter from 9-10am Wednesday and Thursday if you feel like joining me for a study break to catch up.
Good luck and stop by to let me know how things are going!
That study break mentioned in the email included free donuts! In the following week we received two similar support emails from other members of the staff.
Sometimes it's the little things that keep you going. When it boils down to it and things feel overwhelming, it's nice to know the entire program staff is with you.
I will try to write more often, but with finals coming up in less than two weeks, I can't promise a lot.
Hook 'em!
