Thursday, January 31, 2013

School days wrapped up


Today is my last day of class!! I’ve exclaimed, “Last class ever!” multiple times in the past and been wrong so I’ll avoid saying it again. Funny enough, my last class is going on right now and I’m at home getting ready for the same class.

Maybe it’s fitting that I’ve accidentally missed my last class of business school. I stopped updating this blog when I started business school in 2010 after three years abroad. There is little doubt in my mind that I was among the least prepared people among my classmates.

I had only used Powerpoint once, when I got a C in a biology assignment my sophomore year in high school. Excel was a tool I had only used to analyze baseball statistics. The first time a classmate said “P&L,” I asked what it meant. Now I’m on the verge of having two masters’ degrees and preparing to start an amazing job. It’s safe to say that the past three years have changed me as much as the previous three. In addition to gaining 50 lbs., losing any semblance of a tan and shedding most of my shaggy blonde hair, I’ve gained a great group of friends and some serious knowledge and skills!! And some debt…

Last week I got an opportunity to pay it forward a bit. Ross admissions were in Shanghai, interviewing some prospective students. As a way to gauge how well prospective students will fit the Ross culture, several alumni and students helped to facilitate a sort of group interview. My first thought was how happy I was to be on my side of the equation. The application/interview/wait-list experience I had was really rough and I can’t imagine going through it again. The group of applicants was incredibly impressive, and nervous. As facilitators, we got to chat with Ross admissions director about the process and the business school landscape in general. I am happy to say that the past three years have transformed Soojin from the terrifying figurehead that would decide my fate into the impressive woman that shapes Ross into the great program it is.

The last week and a half has been filled with group projects, case preparation and presentations so I don’t have much from the China front. I’m excited for the weekend though (for very American reasons) as the #1 Michigan Wolverines play at the #3 Hoosiers on Sunday and the 49ers play on Super Bowl Monday morning. Clearly the timing is off but those should be some great games!! This is a great time to be a San Francisco sports fan that went to U of M with regard to sports.

That’s it for now. My free time will surely provide some great experiences soon.

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