Student Diarists

Around the World in World in 18 Days: (Unemployed) Wharton Globe Trotters

Eduardo Mestre — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 18:48:00 GMT

'How was your Winter break?' The second semester's answer to 'What is your name?' headlines most conversations I've had with friends in the two short weeks since our returns from the remotest corners of earth.

'Antarctica was pretty cool. The landscape was desolate, and I didn't see darkness for 8 straight days.'

'It was a catamaran technically, so we were able to jet among the BVIs faster than any monohulled vessel.'

'My break was pretty calm. I had a couple of weddings to go to in India so I spent the entire time there.'

Within 10 conversations my first day back I had spoken with people who had set foot on every continent in the world just one week prior. Not bad. Between intense Wharton Leadership Ventures, student-led treks, adventures with friends, and family vacations, Wharton's December exodus from Philadelphia is far-reaching and complete. I personally was visiting family in Argentina, several thousand miles from Pennsylvania, so I am no exception.

Despite the multi-directional madness of the life of an MBA student at Wharton (clubs, classes, jobs, social life, etc.) at certain points in the year the entire student body switches gears to travel. I am headed to Park City in three weeks for Wharton's annual ski trip, and then am off to Japan 3 weeks after that via a Wharton-organized student trek. Options for May before beginning a summer internship are just about limitless at this point. Any suggestions?

Welcome to DIP: Or, winter break is already a distant memory

Janine Mandel — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 15:30:00 GMT

A lot has happened since I last wrote, faithful readers. First semester finished with a bang, i.e., an exam period with five exams and one final paper in a seven-day span (yikes!). Then came winter break, during which my fellow classmates and I scattered to far corners of the world, each trying to outdo the others with the most outrageous and exotic Facebook photos possible. Riding an elephant in Thailand? Spraying champagne in Rio? Hugging a penguin in Antarcitca? Been there, done that. (Figuratively. I, personally, went on an amazing trip to Chile and Argentina. You should see my Facebook photos!)

But then, ah--tragedy, winter break trickled through the sands of time like the sun slipping below the horizon as you watched yet another perfect sunset from your yacht in the British Virgin Islands (another trip a group of friends took over break...). And suddenly we were back in cold, windy Philadelphia, diving head-first into third quarter. New professors, new classes, new subject matter. But that wasn't even the most jarring transition.

See, there's this thing called an "internship" that all students are looking to get this summer, and interviewing for said "internships" happens, oh, right about now. Fortunately, Wharton is kind enough to provide something called DIP, or Dedicated Interview Period, during which core classes don't meet and all on-campus interviewing takes place. It's a huge lifesaver to not have to worry about classes while interviewing, and it's one of the many factors that make Wharton an amazing place to get an MBA.

But still, there's the nitty gritty of preparing for interviews, getting rest, ironing your suit, and all the other million things that recruiting entails. Walk around Center City now, and you'll see Wharton students in every possible nook and cranny, cramming for case interviews (if they're future consultants) or behavioral interviews (if they're not). It's stressful and exciting, all at once.

Wish me luck-- I'll report back if I make it to the other side!

What a semester!

Seun Oyegunle — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 02:51:00 GMT

It’s hard to believe that it’s been five months since I began my Wharton journey. Two quarters, ten exams, lots of parties, tons of friends – ordinary people with extraordinary backgrounds - and loads of unbelievable experiences. The first bunch of the class of 2014 got their admission decisions some days ago and I so envy them. They are going to have the time of their lives. Congrats guys!

It seems like yesterday that I got that ‘congratulations’ call while on a bus in southern France. It was probably the most important call of my life and tomorrow will make it exactly nine months. My colleagues shot an incredible video, which shows the awesome community we have here http://www.wharton.upenn.edu/mba/welcome/index.cfm. So c’mon round two applicants! Look at those essays one more time, it will be worth it in the end and trust me you will more than make up for the lost fun this holiday.

For what it’s worth, I will discuss some of the things I’ve discovered about Wharton during my time here:

 The most down-to-earth yet most impressive people you will find in one place. We don’t learn to be humble at Wharton. It’s who we are. You are friends with people for weeks only to hear that they were Olympic stars or started multiple successful businesses in their past lives.

 The brand image and leverage Wharton offers is incredible. From employers to bartenders, Wharton means one thing… excellence.

 You will definitely be stretched. It’s not an easy school to be in even if you were top of your class at IIT. You are constantly challenged by world class professors and competitive colleagues yet it is so collaborative that hard work seems like fun.

 Time management is one of the skills I got to develop in the past few months. Four hours of sleep becomes a luxury when you have multiple classes to prepare for, friends to meet over dinner, clubs you are active in and recruiting events to attend.

 Yet we have MBA pub every Thursday, you get to meet more people and start the weekend early because WE DON’T HAVE CLASSES ON FRIDAYS. The parties are awesome and all the costumes you have, even your parent’s 70’s gear, will be put to good use.

Next year is going to be awesome. We descend on Park City, Utah in February. Over 1000 students, three days of skiing, boarding, live music, and partying in our most obnoxious '80s ski gear. Need I say more? The spring Gala, spring break treks to fun places all around the world from Japan to Israel, the Global Immersion Program (GIP) http://gip.wharton.upenn.edu/gip-faqs.cfm and leadership ventures http://wlp.wharton.upenn.edu/wharton-leadership-venture1315.cfm to some of the most amazing places on earth.. Kilimanjaro and Atacama etc, all in the first half of 2012. It’s difficult to not be excited for what Wharton has in store for us in 2012.

Have a happy holiday guys!

end of semester = parties (among other things)

Charlotte MacAusland — Sun, 11 Dec 2011 17:35:00 GMT

Classes have ended and we're turning the corner into finals week (or weeks, in my case). Being the ever enthusiastic student that I am, I'm really excited to have this time to sit down and dominate everything I have learned this quarter.

But even bookworms such as I allow ourselves to be momentarily distracted by end-of-semester parties.

From the holiday party at Lauder:

Notice that the writing on the cake is in Korean. Sadly, our holiday party was also doubling as a goodbye party for Sherri, the Lauder managing director and resident Korea expert. On another note, the chocolate covered strawberries disappeared well before I finished my dinner, meaning that some of my classmates were eating dessert first. What the heck!

The Lauder holiday party was punctuated by performances, first by a professional Korean dance troup, who performed a traditional Korean dance, and then by the first annual Lauder Carolers, who performed a medley of Holiday Classics, including Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas is You":

Now it is Sunday. You'd think that means that the parties are over, but we actually have another party tonight, and it is fully sanctioned by the school. In fact, it is at the residence of the President of the University of Pennsylvania. It should be fun. However, I'm actually going to stay home and start hitting the books. This is school, after all, Madam President!

Q2 is almost over, but recruiting has just begun: Or, B-school won't last forever...

Janine Mandel — Sun, 04 Dec 2011 00:30:00 GMT

It's hard to believe we're almost at the end of second quarter (you heard that right-- four more days of classes only!). That means our first year is almost half over. That means business school is almost a quarter through. Holy Hunstman, when I heard people say b-school goes by quickly, I didn't know they meant THIS quickly...

So what has quarter 2 been like, you ask? Jam packed, that's what. Somehow my core schedule worked out so that I've been taking seven classes (two of which are once-a-week quarter-credit modules, but still), so academically things have been fierce. But more importantly, just when we were starting to hit our groove, Q2 threw recruiting into the mix. That's right-- time to think about getting a job, already. Remember when, just about six months ago, we all voluntarily left employment for the comparative haven of Wharton? Yeah, we do too. And now we're spending anywhere from five to ten to forty or more hours per week trying to go in the opposite direction.

Let me explain how things work. Established industries, particularly banking and consulting (with a jaunty dash of consumer products thrown in as well), started vigorous recruiting efforts for summer internships on the very first day of Q2. If you're recruiting for a consulting firm, say, you'll attend the firm's EIS (Employer Information Session, which will provide the company's best-polished pitch to pique your interest). That's the anchor of each firm's recruiting efforts, and you can fill your week simply going to EIS after EIS. But wait, there's more! If you're interested in a particular firm-- and want to demonstrate said interest-- you can then go to specialty panels and lunches and sessions (for the firm's healthcare practice, or to learn more about the company's social impact side). And individual offices will have special recruiting dinners, where they'll send representatives to get to know you on a small-group basis. Former employees of the firm in your cohort may host informal drinks or coffees or dinners. There may be women's or diversity events for you to attend. All in all, if you want to recruit wholeheartedly for a decent number of these established firms, Q2 just added another 40-60 hour-per-week commitment on top of what you'd been doing in Q1.

For me, this is all hypothetical, of course, since I came from consulting way back in my pre-MBA years and don't plan to go back. I'm looking at CPG marketing or strategy roles, so my recruiting commitments have been slightly less intense than my banking or consulting friends'.

But you know what the weird part is? It's actually kind of fun. Sheer time commitment aside, attending these company sessions and hearing about potential jobs and responsibilities and new life paths makes me really, really excited. After all, this is a large part of why I came to Wharton-- to leave on a new career path, with a job that engages, challenges, and thrills me. And already I've found a few employers that make me look forward to a potential summer and long-term future with sheepishly giddy anticipation.

So, all in all, recruiting has been eerily like business school as a whole: overwhelming, a huge commitment, definitely intense... but yet profoundly incredible as well. As we sprint on into the last week of the quarter, I'm excited to see what the future holds.

Cover Letters and Itchiness: Wharton Recruiting

Lindsay Miller — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 22:14:00 GMT

I write this from the study room on the ground level of Huntsman, amid the clicking of dozens of other keyboards. Multicolored umbrellas are bobbing past me outside, sheltering the students beneath them from the gentle late November drizzle. But precipitation isn't the only thing raining down upon us. Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to introduce: RECRUITING.

My first couple of weeks here were so exciting, so intellectually stimulating, so fun. But as they were going by, I couldn't shake the feeling that I was forgetting something. And I was. Well, not "forgetting" so much as "blissfully unaware of". And here I am, several coffee chats, EISs, company receptions, and DOJs later. (I'll explain the acronyms in a moment.) (No, I'll explain them now: Employer Information Sessions and Days On the Job, which I'm trying, so far unsuccessfully, to encourage people to pronounce with a soft "J".)

When we checked in two entries (and almost three months!) ago, I was very vaguely stating my recruiting intentions ("Strategy...ish... in a small company... that does... something...") and eating banana chips by the truckload. Why? Well, I was eating the banana chips because banana chips are delicious, but I was being vague because I was afraid. I didn't want to put my hopes on paper (or whatever material the internet is made of) and then have them not pan out. Well, too bad. Here goes:

I, Lindsay Anne Miller, am a marketingaholic.

And I'm not going to deny it any longer.

(Gentle late November drizzle has become significantly less gentle. Speed of umbrella-bobbing has increased dramatically.)

I feel bad even whining about recruiting since marketing is so much less abusive of a process than some of the others (read: investment banking). Recruiting for marketing is actually fantastic, because the people are nice and they give you all sorts of goodies at the info sessions. I highly recommend it. But I guess there's a difference between recruiting and RECRUITING. The former is just talking to people and learning about different companies, which is kind of fun. The latter is a dark cloud of stress and business casual that makes people sad. Everything takes on this hefty significance and sense of urgency, which seems ridiculous when you step back and realize that these things we're all fighting over (whether explicitly or implicitly) are jobs. You know, those things that we couldn't wait to quit and get away from for two years.

So, for a sense of timeline, the EISs have mostly wrapped up, at least for marketing. The majority of them spanned the 2 or 3 weeks before we left for Thanksgiving break, and coffee chats with people from the company typically took place earlier that day. Now I have a few more DOJs to attend, which is where you go to the office and see what they do and how they do it. Very helpful. The next huge thing to tackle? Cover letters. Actually, probably more like COVER LETTERS.

I know I just have to come to terms with it and do them, but it brings back all kinds of itchy memories of applying to business school, which is unfortunate because my main motivation at the time was the knowledge that "at least I'll never have to do this again!" I may also be particularly sensitive to this process because I've never... exactly... had to write a cover letter before. Potentially a disadvantage, since I suspect it's something you get better at with practice. Or... maybe everyone has within them some maximum amount of cover letter brilliance, and my tank is totally full! Sure. Let's say it's that one.

Okay, so a cover letter and a resume is the bulk of an application, most of which (again, at least for me) are due in early January. And what you're applying for is an interview, most of which take place during DIP (the Dedicated Interview Period), which is at the end of January. So fairly quick. The companies vary a bit-- some have one round of interviews, some more-- but my understanding is that you find out pretty soon afterward whether or not you've received an offer. At which point one either does some sort of jubilant dance or, I suppose, starts fresh. I've heard that between 40 and 50% of students' internships come out of DIP, but not everyone is going through it (either because their on-campus recruiting cycle occurs later in the year or because they're recruiting off-campus), so I guess that puts the odds in favor of jubilance (if, as I occasionally imagine, internships are assigned by random draws from a large hat).

Even though I know it doesn't exactly work that way, I really have been thinking of it as a 50/50 shot: I'll either get an offer or I won't. It's tempting to think of things more strategically-- how many people trying? for how many spots? at how many companies?-- but I find this kind of thinking unhelpful at best and destructive at worst. I'll keep you posted, but I'm feeling cautiously optimistic, and overall just very excited to see where my friends and I end up.

Next time I'll talk about my Q2 classes and (inspired by my DOJs) try to give you a sense of a day in the life of a Wharton MBA. If you have any specific questions, send 'em on over to millerl@wharton.upenn.edu, I'd be happy to answer them (good practice for Welcome Committee!).

P.S. - I'm very proud to say that I'm also writing for Bloomberg Businessweek! I've dreamed of this day since I bravely portrayed Lois Lane in my kindergarten play.

You won't find this anywhere else!

Charlotte MacAusland — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 05:11:00 GMT

Today in my Lauder International Political Economy class we were discussing the political economy of energy policy, which, of course, meant that my professor brought cachaca for us all to share. Don't see the connection? Guess you'll have to take the class!!

Me pontificating about something highly important, no doubt.

Don't worry, I had help on the bottle!

Business of selling

Amod Jain — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 00:18:00 GMT

We are all in the business of selling.
Companies sell products.
Consultants sell ideas.
Bankers sell capital.
Students and employers sell themselves to each other.

And J Hoffman showed us how to sell. Anything. In a marathon day-long workshop, we were exposed to his world of cold-calling, social paradigms and buyer-seller relationships as we realized he could sell you your own home. How do you email a CEO you don't even know? How do you pitch your product to someone in the middle of an emergency? How do you make someone need your product when they don't even want it? We were in splits, we were shocked and we were wiser as some of his mind-blowing secrets came tumbling out. Selling couldn't be easier.

But what if you are on the other side. How do you figure out how genuine the seller or her product is? If you are an investor planning to put your money in a startup, how do you trust the owner? How do you know your employee is not lying about his whereabouts the previous day? Well, you read them- their behaviors and their actions. In a sleek presentation by a master former interrogator of the CIA, we learned the tricks of reading body movements, the magic of carefully crafted sentences and the unbelievable power of observation. Identifying deception by asking the right questions is the name of the game. Game ON.

Outside the Bubble...

Charlotte MacAusland — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 04:33:00 GMT

(I've decided to ditch any efforts to not make every blog related in some way to food. Apologies for my one-track mindedness!)

When I first got to Wharton, I was sure I'd be able to avoid the so-called "Wharton Bubble" - the relatively narrow rectangular area connecting Huntsman Hall and Center City. However, as we've gotten deeper into the school year, between class, recruiting events, and all the other exciting opportunities and things I want to do on campus that I must, alas, prioritize and choose between, it's been increasingly difficult to get off the beaten path in Philly.

So, despite being a vegetarian, I was more than eager to hop on board this past weekend when my friends Jane and Gil invited me along to Crown Fried Chicken on 11th and Filbert (OK, probably technically still in Center City, but near the edge, and a good bit east of where I usually grab dinner).

Dinner was devoured quickly. The chicken looked really tasty, and I can attest to the quality of the fries.

Gil and Jane, eagerly waiting for me to finish with the pictures

While this was my first trip to Crown Fried Chicken, Gil is a regular and is buddies with the guy behind the counter, who was particularly impressed that this time Gil had come with two lovely dates insteady of just one, like last time.

A good time was had by all -- look foward to discovering more hidden gems like Crown soon!

Run! Hide! Here Come Exams!

Eduardo Mestre — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 22:38:00 GMT

Though a top notch business education was the primary magnet that lured me to this venerable institution, taking exams to turn all those pages read into brain wrinkles was in my mind a necessary evil. The experience, however, was actually quite positive. After just six weeks (six weeks!), it was time for final exams in two of my classes, and midterm exams in the other two. This school moves in a hurry. Six weeks means just 12 classes in each subject.

Statistics was particularly memorable: "Please leave one empty seat between you and your nearest neighbor. Remember to use a number 2 pencil to fill in your Scantron sheet. If you change an answer, please make sure to erase thoroughly." Latent memories of the SAT in a giant school gym loomed large, but after so many years absent, my classmates and I were a little nostalgic for such ritualistic standardized learning. I exchanged a reminiscent smiling glance at each compadre to my left and to my right before picking up my pencil and getting busy.

I had four exams - one a day all week. Accounting. Marketing. Statistics. Finance. My brain still hurts a little bit from the condensed period of rapid knowledge accumulation, but I now see how one can learn so much in two short years here. Classes move quickly baby.

The night after the Statistics exam, Wharton threw us all a boozy "Quarter One Salute". Attendees capitalized on the tidal wave of motivational beverages. Quarter two began the next morning at 9AM. Needless to say, class attendance the next morning was highly negatively correlated with attendance the night prior. I told you I learned stuff in Statistics.

All That Gliding Feel

Danni Wang — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 18:28:00 GMT

I am a recreational figure skater. By recreational I mean non-competitive and skating for the fun and the thrill. I don't know any other Wharton classmates who also skate (except for hockey players) or at least skate right now. It's a solitary sport by definition and usually cannot find its way onto Whartonians' busy schedule. However, I find my peace on ice. That's why I've been keeping my skates in my assigned small locker and constantly make the 10 minutes commute between the Huntsman hall and the class of 1923 ice rink on Walnut street on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons.

It's all about that gliding feel.

Every time I put my skates on, I know there are challenges and risks ahead, whether it's trying new jumps or practicing that old spin I cannot seem to get right. When I step onto the ice, greeted by the chilling air and the cracking sound of freshly resurfaced ice sheet, I know it's time to concentrate all mindshare on one thing and coordinate all muscles toward one move after another, one at a time. To me, skating is about constant calculated risk-taking. Entering into a jump, you have to know whether to confidently take off or withdraw from ill-prepared entry, especially for an amateur like me. It is also about courage, that is, mentally preparing myself for a painful fall as the price for learning a new move, when I have little data on how a certain way of doing it would work for me. And if one way doesn't work, try another way. If skating is only about doing risky and daring moves, it would be boring. Above all, it's about that gliding feel, expressing joy and freedom with speed whiling holding your head up.

Three or four months into Wharton, I tend to see those exams, interviews and applications for leadership opportunities as those jumps or spins, because it's easy to define their success in isolation. But knowing how it feels to glide on ice, I know there is another level of quality to the real sense success at Wharton or in life in general, that is, whether you enjoy and take pride in what you do and make difficult things look easy by doing them gracefully. It's all about that gliding feel. I always remind myself.

Lazy weekend and flakes

Amod Jain — Mon, 31 Oct 2011 00:00:00 GMT

Examinations over. Parties done with. What do you on the following weekend? You do what you are born to do- Sleep, eat, sleep more, drink, sleep more, eat more, sleep.

It was another lazy Saturday but different in one way. I was lying on my bed- 11 straight hours when the first rays hit me through the window. They couldn't win over me this morning, I thought and hid my face in the pillow. Few minutes (or hours?) later, the neurons got together to send a hurried signal through the brain already messed up by all the cheat sheets and mid-sem questions. A hurried signal about something different outside. Eyes open in a flash, the body sprung up in nanoseconds. I moved towards the window to confirm what my brain thought my eyes had seen earlier. It was right. I saw flakes- flakes of snow gently falling all around the building, all over the city. A smile followed. Its October and its snowing- first time in my life. Chilled.

After several more hours of bedtime, the evening found me braving the cold and meet the flakes face to face. There I was, right beneath the open sky, moving at breakneck speed to Anuj's place as the flakes hit across my body. Once back in the warmth of his apartment, the next stage of binging began. When I think of lazy rainy Saturdays, I think of chai and pakodas- a heavenly combination of fresh tea and home cooked gram flour balls deep fried and served with ketchup. Schoolmates, chai and pakodas, and gossip- with the backdrop of a Philly being gently whitewashed- perfect ending to Quarter 1.

Quarter 2 begins.

You know when 'you don't know'

Amod Jain — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 21:51:00 GMT

15 strangers in one room. No rules. Play.

The mind game smartly named "Small Group Processes" began on Friday morning. The players had no clue of what was to hit them. The game ended on Sunday evening. The players were clueless what had hit them. But there was one difference. The 15 players were no longer strangers to each other or to themselves. We had just learned some important lessons about ourselves, together. The most important lesson? You know when you say you dont't know. Know what you really know. If you don't know what you don't know, try to know what you don't know. Powerful.

Unknown competition. Maximize profits. Play.

Another game was going on the other end of the day for the past week, as we applied game theory to maximize our profits in an online game. And to make matters worse- Grades depended on our profits. Prices.. Quantities.. Cornot.. Cooperation.. Competition....Carnage.

Q1 close. Examinations begin. Play.

Two mind games give way to one more. With Q1 classes coming to an end, time to hit the class notes and survive the examinations. Five subjects to juggle in five days. And I don't know what I know in any of them. But if I am saying that, I am supposed to know. But do I? Hmm...

A Week in a Life

Seun Oyegunle — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 23:42:00 GMT

My experience last week was probably not typical for a Wharton first year and perhaps more boring than it would have otherwise been because of the unwanted but unavoidable - exams- starting this week. Believe it or not, we already have to give account of what we’ve learnt so far at Wharton.

Saturday 10/15 – Quite a chilly night spent at a house party a couple of blocks away from home. Met new people and listened to good music. Before the party, I met with a small group to discuss trial balances, journal entries and all those sexy things accountants do. Accounting is one of those things that you either get or hate! Earlier in the day I attended an event organized by the African American MBA Association, wearing a suit for the second straight day. While I prefer shorts and tee-shirts, its good practice ahead of the Employer Information Sessions which begin in few weeks.

Friday 10/14 – Awesome night! Serious day! Midnight met me at a friend’s get together in my building. We were quite a small but animated group and really had fun listening and dancing to music from all over the globe. By the way I missed out on the Bollywood party which I heard was pretty awesome. Between 8pm to 10pm, I was with a couple of classmates at the Kimmel Centre in Philadelphia enjoying a Jazz experience by Esperanza Spalding, who beat Justin Bieber for the 2011 Best New Artist Grammy award. It was a really long day, which I spent mostly at the Wharton Investment Management Conference (really cool but I’ll spare you the details).

Thursday 10/13 – I have only one class on Thursday. I spent most of the day doing personal work and catching up on lost sleep. The highlight of most Thursdays is Pub and last Thursday was the Pink Pub. Somehow we helped to increase cancer awareness by wearing pink and drinking (just kidding we did much more). I previously signed up for the Wharton Leadership Venture http://wlp.wharton.upenn.edu/MBA/wharton-leadership-venture.cfm to go on a trip to the Atacama Desert in Chile. Minutes before the mid-night deposit payment deadline on Thursday, I was still trying to convince myself that my estimated $5k+ investment in the venture will be worth every penny. I just hope it’s as awesome as people say it is.

Wednesday 10/12 – Last statistics quiz (Yay!!!). I spent the last five weeks waking up every Wednesday to a quiz on Statistics. I’m glad it’s over but the exam hurdle remains. I had classes from 9am to 3pm and meetings from 3pm to 6pm. Mondays and Wednesdays are days when I can’t decide which is tougher: work or school?

Tuesday 9/12 – I remember spending most of the evening at a small group dinner celebrating a friend’s birthday and thinking half of the time about the loads of things I had pending and whether Stats quiz the next morning was worth studying for. Again lots of meetings and club/sporting activities in the day.

Monday 8/12 - Don’t worry about Monday. It was not better than yours.

Summary: The week was busy; the weekend was fun and its now time to study.

The end of Q1: Or, exams. And skiing.

Janine Mandel — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 18:39:00 GMT

When you last heard from me, I was blown away by the fact that it was already time for midterms. Well, fast forward to right now, and you'll find me blown away by the fact that it's already time for finals. The quarter system is funny like that-- just when you're getting your groove down, around the bend comes a curve ball like "midterms" or "finals." On the plus side, in just about two weeks I'll be knee-deep in a whole set of new classes, with new professors, new topics, and a fresh start. On the minus side, getting there requires... studying. A whole lot of studying.

Fortunately, Wharton gives us first-years who are plowing through the core a reading day, complete with no classes, this coming Wednesday. My first exam isn't until Friday, so I have Wednesday and Thursday "free" (more accurately, crammed with other activities and meetings, just no class). I'm hoping to get a good amount of studying in then, as right now this beautiful fall weather is luring...me...outside...

Sorry, I got distracted by the sunshine streaming through my apartment windows. Back to the principles of game theory and adverse selection! I really should do some review problems... in a little bit. In the meantime, I have something much more important to think about, in fact: Lest you think we're all about studying here at Wharton, at the most opportune time in the fall calendar, the merciful ski/snowboard club provides the student body with a glimmer of hope. I'm referring, of course, to the infamous Park City ski trip!

If you haven't gotten wind of this trip, it's essentially ~1000 Wharton students descending upon Park City for a weekend in February to ski and, um, apres-ski. Last Monday, the club sent out the email with the official dates and details, which resulted in an insane flurry of flight bookings, rental-house research, contract-signing, and more. It may be apple-picking weather in Philadelphia, but Wharton is dreaming of fresh powder and hot chocolate in a hot tub.

So that's where we find ourselves right now. I'm on the precipice of Q2, but just like climbing Mount Everest, the last bit of Q1 is the hardest part.* On the other side is the beginning of summer internship recruiting, which gets cracking on the very first day of Q2. I'm sure I'll have more to report on that from the other side...

*Or something. Note that I have not actually climbed Mt. Everest so this could be completely inaccurate.