PCAP

It was another rowdy weekend, but it's time to buckle down. Classes start in a week and this week is all about career discovery, which I suppose is part of the purpose of business school. My roommate was told by a second year that of the people who know what they want to do now, 50% of them will get a summer internship in that function and then half of those will change their mind about the function after the internship. So if you don't have a set goal on what you want to do, it's ok, likely it would change anyway. However, each of us still wants to find the best fit, which is why we're partaking in PCAP - Personal Career Assessment Program. Before tomorrow, there are two online assessment tests that must be completed as well as 2 cases. Overall, doesn't sound too complex, but I'll admit, I'm having some difficulty with the introspection - odd given that I write about myself in an open forum all the time. I suppose I also get a bit nervous when I think about it because this program should help me narrow my focus for the job search. As much as I'm ready to start the job search, I am still overly open with the functions in which I'm interested. Perhaps too open.

Welcome Back to College

It's currently difficult for me to see the difference between undergrad and grad school. Granted, I'm sure that will change once the real work starts, but I sit here, gatorade in hand, wondering if my body can handle the rest of Camp Darden's planned activities. Yes, I wrote, CAMP DARDEN and no it isn't exactly a school group. A handful of 2010 classmates have been in Charlottesville for almost a month. They have taken a tour of sorts - bowling, karaoke, bull riding, house parties etc and they began calling it Camp Darden. It started as an email list and has grown to a google group with a logo. Most of my classmates will know what you mean when you ask what camp festivities are planned and the list of people/festivities keeps getting longer. Beer pong was last night and though I never played much in college, I held my own for Team Awesome - we even won a game. The plethora of Natural Light beer reminded me that we're here. At Colorado, we drank Keystone, but same difference esp. after a couple pong games. Tonight is the Triple Threat Birthday Party... starting at 7:30p. Ouch! Additionally, Friday - Sunday all have parties planned.

On the school front, we're in the middle of PreMats. I took the Excel course as a basis of learning how Darden wants me to tackle Excel. It was beneficial. Econ started today and though it probably would have been smart to take it, I opted not. Hopefully I can find someone who is good at Econ if I need the help. I'm already zeroing in on other functions as well. One of my friends is an accountant and though I do have an accounting background, I'm not good with the intricate details. Another is an excel wizard when it comes to making spreadsheets look pretty. These are all little tidbits that I'm sure will help me in the future.

Socializing

As we all know, we attend business school first and foremost for the education. However, there's another aspect that is often only spoken about in terms like community, networking, learning teams and sections. Though simply, we are referring to the social aspects of business school. In the grand scheme of things, life is about relationships - both personal and professional. Through both you may meet people who enrich your life on a level of friendship or who help you land your next job. The past few days, I have been socializing with my current first year Darden classmates.

I'll admit, when you walk into a room and get introduced to 8 of the 50 people standing there, it's a bit overwhelming. You claw to remember even one person's name and a tidbit about them. For me, I've worked slow. I aim to remember a handful of people, by name, each day. although it's even more difficult when you throw partners in the mix.

Thursday afternoon, I received a phone call and invite to a gathering in the building next to mine. Someone who had befriended me on Facebook remembered that I had arrived in town. Not only did I feel special, but I appreciated the chance to meet some people. Little did I know, this was just the beginning of the activites. The next night is when all hell broke loose.

The party at CD's house had been planned for weeks. It was the kick off to pre-matriculation classes, which begin tomorrow as well as another chance to meet 50 of your next BFFs. Luckily, I knew a number of people before I arrived, though, that didn't stop me from expanding my range. It was definitely a party for the books, a keg and a half kicked by midnight. Additionally, the flip cup and beer pong were quite entertaining to watch. (Anyone having flashbacks from college?) And the icing, making a beer run for Natural Light after the kegs were cashed. (Yes, definitely a "college" student again.) My favorite quote of the night... "I don't drink beer" ...looks down at beer in hand..."I DIDN'T drink beer."

Saturday was another day of moving in and after a trip to almost every desk store imaginable, I returned empty handed. Still looking. My roommate (who is ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS I MIGHT ADD) and I stayed home and baked cookies, both sharing in the duties. It was a real delight and a good break though it didn't last long. This morning we met up with a group of about 15 people and headed to the national park for a 6.5 mi hike. Indeed, after a bout of stupidity, I rolled my ankle, again. The end of the night was another gathering and potluck! Lots of good meals and quite an array of dishes. I'm not sure I'm ready for tomorrow, but I already know at least 5 people in my 8 am class. That can only be a good thing.

I'm not sure if this is indicative of all schools or even all classes because each one is comprised of very different people, but it seems, this class will definitely be a social one.

Welcome "home"!

My first days in Charlottesville were quite insane. I landed at 11 am July 23rd after flying all night from the West Coast, picked up my rental car, drove to a mattress store, made a trip to Costco (1 hour drive each way), returned home to receive the mattress, went to Wal-Mart and finally stopped by Kroger's, the local grocery store. I spent 2 days arranging my room, unpacking the two 49 pound bags I hauled across the country and re-packing a small carry on for my trip Vegas (Bachelorette party). I love my place, though besides my room, it's still quite empty - missing a table, couch, desk, roommate etc. However, I have found my 1.5 foot windowsill quite convenient as a stand for my computer, which I'm currently using as a TV.

Vegas was insane as most my Vegas trips are. Though this one may have been more so than those of the past. The girls were definitely there to have a great time, but on Sunday I was ready to head home. I returned to SF, half dead and with one goal for the day, SLEEP! Delirium set in and I wandered the house aimlessly for a few hours. By 3 pm, my head was on the pillow and I was sound asleep again. I slept the afternoon away and met up with a friend for a chat that night. Not many people knew I was returning as I had had enough festivities the week before my first trip to C'ville. The select few I saw were quite lucky.

Two days to pack and I was gone again, just as quickly as I had returned. I knew I couldn't take everything, which likely made things easier, but the question still reigned, what do I take? At this point, it was clothes, mainly summer things as I will be back in late August for a wedding. Additionally, I needed a few suits to hold me over. I parted with some shoes, however, I'd hate to admit how many pairs I brought. My last bag zipped substantially earlier than I anticipated. This allowed me time to make travel arrangements as my original 7:10am flight was cancelled by the airline less than 12 hours before its scheduled departure. I ended up on a 10:45am flight with 2 additional hours of travel time compared to my original flight. The only good news I received today is that my car, which I shipped before I left the first time, may arrive here on Saturday!!!

Travel these days isn't fun, but I don't have any flights booked until the end of August. And now, I'm home in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Moving is Expensive

I suppose I am in a different situation than many of my classmates. I've lived at home with my family for the last four years and conversely, I seem to have more and less to move. Some people hire movers, others pack up their car and drive across the country and a third group simply brings a few suitcases and sets up shop when they arrive. I suppose I land in the third category by default. My furniture pre and post college has been the same and won't be dragged across the country with me. My car on the other hand will make the long trek via auto transport. Though it means less time in the car, it also means less stuff in the car. I found a company for a decent price who will let me pack 75-100 lbs in my car, but that's a STRICT limit. Of course with gas prices, hotel costs, food, time and wear/tear, it doesn't make sense for me to drive anyhow.

Next, I keep trying to figure out WHAT to pack. I know I can leave stuff here on a semi permanent basis as I think my mother still hopes I will return after school. (Unfortunately, I have no intention of doing so.) But of course comes the thought, I want ... and it's still in California. I don't recall having those thoughts in Colorado, but I basically took my life with me. There are simplicities that I want/need in Virginia. My iHome and I have become good friends, but is it worth it to hull it with me or should I simply buy a new one, which leads me to the entire topic, MOVING IS EXPENSIVE.

It's not just a matter of what to move, but also what is simply worth purchasing on the other side of the country. I have a list of bare necessities that I need to purchase. For starters, it'd be nice to have a bed, some pillows and a down comforter (I've already picked out my duvet cover). A desk will be essential as I plan to study a bit harder than I did in college and I'm sure a dresser will be another personal requirement. Next comes the little luxuries, though essentials in my life. I love electronics, which can get expensive on it's own. After a year of research I purchased myself a nice plasma TV as a belated graduation present. It doesn't exactly make sense to bring it or leave it and it surely isn't shippable without the original packaging, IMO. Indeed, the distance where you are today should not dictate the schools you consider, but I can't help but wonder if some are slightly better off financially by not having to move.

Procrastination

It's Thursday, I think. I've lost track of the days since I quit my job and they've blurred even more as the end gets nearer. My lists are getting smaller, which is good, but of course, EVERYONE wants to see me. I've released the reigns for my birthday and thus, I have NO IDEA what or where we're going. In some ways, it's easier, in others, it's more complicated.

Last night, I grabbed farewell drinks with the soccer gang. The turnout was small, but perfect. I got to speak with everyone individually which was fabulous! We had a great time, though I cursed McIntyre's name this morning. He's evil. Or maybe it's whiskey that is evil. Could even be both. ;)

Packing... hmm, what's that? I look around my room knowing that in 4 days, I leave for C'ville and yet, procrastination ensues. I know tomorrow through Sunday are slammed with festivities and farewells. That leaves Monday and part of Tuesday, WOW! The question for me is WHAT DO I PACK?! I'm not taking everything. Obviously clothes are a must, but which ones. It sounds silly, but basically, I can take 4 suitcases with an approximate total of 200 lbs worth of stuff with me before I must start shipping. Unfortunately, even that realization doesn't give me the feeling that I should begin.

Oh, it's good to be HOME

Wow, I'm not even sure where to begin. Suppose for starters, I extended my trip by 5 days and thus, I finally returned to SF today. The total trip looked something like this:

New York City -> Berlin -> Dresden -> Prague -> Augsburg -> Munich (day trips to: Neuschwanstein Castle & Salzburg)

Couple tidbits about my trip. First, the Forte Conference in NYC was amazing. My Thursday evening commenced with a UVA dinner at which I met a number of 2010 admits. I was impressed to see so much involvement from my fellow classmates - those both at Darden and in the general MBA class of 2010. Ironically, I met a fellow blogger - we happened to sit at the same lunch table. The seminars and information provided by general speakers were very useful. The best seminar was Effective Collaboration, which mainly discussed giving and receiving feedback. Quite beneficial!

As for reading progress, I'm excited to report that I have finished 3 books already and put a 3/4 dent in a fourth. I have 2 more that I hope to finish before my next plane flight - 10 days from now.

Europe is quite expensive, not that anyone needed to be told that, but WOW! At first glance, prices don't seem as bad as anticipated, but then you take the second to convert to dollars, OUCH! I missed watching the EuroCup final from the center of Berlin due to a flight delay in NYC, which made me miss my connection in Paris. My newly adopted "brothers" watched intently with 500,000 fans an unfortunately boring Euro Final. Berlin was very short for me because I opted to attend the Forte Conference.

My travel group consisted of my parents, our family friends and their two sons. It was the perfect combination! We took trains between each city until Augsburg.

Dresden was incredible and is in the process of being rebuilt after a WW II bombing. It also houses one of the most fantastic armory museums I've ever seen. In Prague, the boys and I enjoyed the club Karlovy Lazne located near the Charles Bridge. The first night we danced until the wee hours of the morning, often switching among the 5 dance floors. The second night, we swapped life stories for 3+ hours. Not a lot has changed since I was younger. (I have 6 years on one guy and 8 on the other.)

We attended a German wedding outside of Augsburg. It was traditional in many senses except that it lasted 12 hours instead of the typical 2-3 days. It was fascinating to learn about some of the cultural differences. One is that in these small country towns, each household bakes a cake for the wedding, so instead of having one large cake, we had one large and 30 or so small. I didn't understand any of the spoken German, but it was a great day nonetheless.

From Munich, we took two day trips in our large 9 passenger van (there were 7 of us traveling together). It never failed that we would get lost going to and coming from our destination. We spent a day at the Neuschwanstein Castle, which was built for King Ludwig II - though he was declared insane before its completion. We also spent a day in Austria, starting at Eagle's Nest - Hitler's 50th birthday gift, taking a tour of the Salt Mine and finishing with Italian food in Salzburg.

My final three days were spent relaxing and shopping in Munich. Though we could have crawled through another dozen museums, I welcomed the break.

One observation I had was that Germans LOVE their dogs and a lot of hotels actually let owners bring dogs with them. They're also allowed in restaurants/bars (though I'm not sure if it is all inclusive). Additionally, all the hotels at which we stayed had NO clocks in the rooms. Odd if you ask me.

Fantastic trip and the perfect length in my opinion. It's definitely good to be home, but I'm starting to freak out a bit. The gist is, 10 days from today, I hop on another plane. That sequence of flights commences my move. More on that later.