MBA Journals

Although not nearly as intense as last year's core, the second year is busy for different reasons

—Alejandro Tinajero, UCLA

We come to second year with a battle wound or two and the knowledge that even though things might not happen the way we imagined, in the end it all works out

—Ellyn Charters, Chicago

Business school seemed like an excellent way to shake up my life while building a bridge to another career

—Brandon Cornuke, Northwestern

As I establish new relationships in the business world, I am getting a good idea about all the opportunities that await me at graduation

—Linda Craib, Yale University

Fascinating. Insightful. Investigative. Tumultuous. Microcosmic. Realistic. These are just a few of the adjectives that describe the once-in-a-lifetime summer opportunity I enjoyed from May through August of this year, as an MBA intern in the Office of Management & Budget (OMB) in the White House

—Jonathon Feit, Carnegie Mellon

My summer at CalPERS after the first year at Haas was challenging and eye-opening. If there ever was a year to intern in buy-side finance, this was it

—Toby Gardner, UC Berkeley

Most of us go through the same steps…Looking back, three main aspects of the process were critical to me

—Ron Margalit, Georgetown

The MBA internship is like a test—actually it's not like a test, it is a test. It is an opportunity for a company to evaluate you in a particular role

—Ash Martin, MIT

I came into business school thinking I had stellar people skills; I could talk to anyone about just about anything. Having grown up in Lima, New York City, and Miami, I had come across a multicultural landscape that had given me the necessary tools to put anyone at ease and break through the superficial weather talk. Well, I was quickly shown that any experience has its limitations

—Fernando Montero, UCLA

Now that second year is here, I'm finding myself pretty darn busy

—Erin Rupprecht, NYU

Like many MBA-types, I sign up for more things than I can possibly attend…because I'm always worried I'll miss out on something

—Kathleen Voboril, Texas

I've realized that I still talk to my father everyday, and although the responses are no longer verbal, somehow he is still helping me figure out things

—Scott Clemente, University of Virginia

The lessons I learned in business school enriched my perspective much like seasonings enhance a meal. The main components do not change form with the additions of more thyme or rosemary, but they become more appealing and honed for a particular purpose

—Nathan Kolmodin, University of Washington

There exists a misconception—in business and in some groups at Cornell—that finance and sustainability are polarizing topics

—Bailey Stoler, Cornell University

Being immersed in Wall Street's bulge bracket is exactly what I needed to reaffirm the career goals I'd set before business school

—Jonte Kenyon Harrell, Columbia University

Having a brand such as Oxford University on a CV is nice, but the true value of an MBA program is the network it provides post-MBA

—Larry Kao, Oxford University

I'm going to voluntarily suffer under the overwhelmingly crushing weight of another year of graduate education because of my dual-degree status. The horror!

—Matt Schaar, University of Michigan

My internship was a great ride. I did something different, I learned something about myself, and I have a compelling story to tell

—Sarah Baranowski, University of Wisconsin—Madison

Many people say an MBA is pointless or a waste of money...When I think about what I know now vs. what I knew in 2005, I know it was worth every penny

—Rachael Klein, Georgetown University

My B-school experience has been phenomenal. I achieved every goal I set for myself. I got an internship, got a job, became co-president of the Consortium Club, and earned better grades then I did as an undergrad

—Marjani Coffey, University of Wisconsin

After his first semester, this B-school student has developed some perspective and learned how to better balance his schedule

—David Thanairongroj, University of Texas—McCombs

I will have twice graduated at relative market bottoms—2002 and 2008—not bottoms in terms of financial asset prices, but bottoms in terms of hiring in the finance sector

—Brian Glenn, MIT

While my career search was full of surprises, there was never a mystery as to the value and significance of my time at Kenan-Flagler: It was the best two years of my adult life

—Danvers Fleury, UNC-Chapel Hill

No learning is complete until we reach the stage where we can question it

—Vivek Bhatnagar, Babson College