Camp Darden

Knowing which business school you're going to attend, in my experience, is one of the most exciting parts of going to business school. You have high hopes and great anticipation of what the next year to two will bring. This post is directed at incoming students, both for Darden as well as other business schools. If you have the flexibility to show up at your school a week or so prior to school, DO IT! At Darden we have pre-matriculation classes, which are basically a mix of refresher and getting people up to speed. TAKE ONE!! I realize it's more money out of the pocket, but it is a great place to make new friends.

In addition, if you're not on Facebook, start an account. Some people worry about privacy issues on the internet, there are tons of features on Facebook that allow you to restrict access to your profile. Fact is, with the internet, privacy is not what it used to be, deal with it. (I've also been informed that Twitter is a hot item right now.) Basically the great aspect of Facebook is connecting with people before school. Check out where people are traveling, exchange messages and build friendships before you get on campus.

Now for Camp Darden, this was a student driven list serve for all incoming students. We set it as a Google Group and people would essentially pick dates and places for either hosting a party or meeting up. It was fun because wherever we went, we took over. And of course, it was another way to build bonds among classmates. House parties were thrown, people visited Charlottesville bars and a group of 30 of us went hiking in the Shenandoah Mountains. This was a great way to kick off business school. The initial group consisted of about 7 people who were here for most the summer. It grew to approximately 3/4 of our class and there is a Camp Darden Reunion being planned for Vegas this June!

Hope all the incoming business school students enjoy their summers!