Today has been a very productive day. I seem to have fit everything into my schedule: workout, strategy and consumer behavior paper, a nice lunch, and... even an earthquake. As the evening drew near and I was wondering what my next entry was going to be on, I realized that I have talked about pretty much everything except for the challenges that married/committed couples could face while in the program.
When I started this blog I was the only one in the program, while my husband took on the role of the supportive partner. In the meantime, I am getting ready to graduate, while my husband is getting ready to finish his first year in the MBA program. It started as “hmm, what you’re studying is really interesting” and ended with “I think I’m going to apply for this program.” And so he did!
We are lucky because both my husband and I love to get involved in a lot of projects. Ever since we have known each other, we have always worked on projects outside of school or work. So we are used to being very busy. However, I understand that this is not the case for everyone. And while my husband and I talked about our expectations and how we were going to handle the challenging workload of the program, I realized the other day that for various reasons not everyone does so.
Currently there are about 20 married students in the program. This is the official statistic; however, it does not account for students in a committed relationship who still have to face similar challenges to those of a married couple. The main challenge is obviously time, or lack thereof. And then it is about managing expectations. In a recent conversation with a married student, I realized that there is no orientation on how to balance school and your relationship. So I will use this medium to share with you what worked for my husband and I:
* Look at the program curriculum together and discuss time commitment
* Visit the school with your spouse
* Prior to applying for the program, talk to a married student to find out what the experience is like
* Set time aside just for you and your spouse. This is easier said than done, but if there are no kids involved yet, it is even more doable. As unnatural as it might seem to sit down with both calendars and figure out a time, it has to happen. Put it on the calendar as your “non-negotiable” time. In our case, I took Saturday off and no matter how busy my schedule was, we always knew that Saturday was our time. It helps the relationship as well as recharges the batteries for a new week of school.
* Bring your spouse to the social events. It helps your spouse make friends and relate to the MBA life.
* Once in the program, connect with other married students and build a support group.
Good luck! Getting a master’s degree while married or in a committed relationship is challenging enough but not impossible. And it can be fun!
Sunday, April 4, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
The Beginning of the End
I hesitated to write this entry. The purpose of this blog was to record my journey through business school and now I have only three weeks left of school. Which means I only have three entries left for this blog. As I write my final papers for my classes, I am also handing off my other responsibilities at school. Tonight I have been recruiting students to replace me and five of my colleagues on a marketing panel that I have been involved with for the past year. I have also started writing thank you/good-bye letters to various people and organizations that have supported Challenge for Charity over this past year and also used this opportunity to introduce the new leadership.
As Ashley, my Challenge for Charity co-chair, and I are passing the torch to the new co-presidents, we are definitely starting to feel sad. We are handing off our "baby", the result of our vision. This past year has been a very challenging – in a good way – and busy year. It has allowed both of us to grow a lot and learn how to juggle school, extra-curricular responsibilities, work, friendships, and our sanity. We struggled with our own day-to-day workload, while doing our best to keep our team motivated and continue to grow Challenge for Charity. I have worked two days a week, taken three classes, and managed the Run the Waves Race. I do feel now like I have been running a marathon, but the truth is that if given the opportunity, I would do it all over again!
It is fair to warn you though. These last three entries are going to be less cheerful. It is the end of a journey and as exciting as the next step is going to be, I will have to say good-bye to a lot of people that have become my friends and family for almost two years. We spent a lot of time together, partied, played games, had late-night study sessions in the library, got sick of writing papers or case analyses, went to each other’s weddings, birthdays, and engagement parties. When we graduate in three weeks, most of us will move to wherever our jobs or family responsibilities will take us. And although we will vow to keep in touch often, sometimes life will get in the way. So here is to the last three weeks of my program!
As Ashley, my Challenge for Charity co-chair, and I are passing the torch to the new co-presidents, we are definitely starting to feel sad. We are handing off our "baby", the result of our vision. This past year has been a very challenging – in a good way – and busy year. It has allowed both of us to grow a lot and learn how to juggle school, extra-curricular responsibilities, work, friendships, and our sanity. We struggled with our own day-to-day workload, while doing our best to keep our team motivated and continue to grow Challenge for Charity. I have worked two days a week, taken three classes, and managed the Run the Waves Race. I do feel now like I have been running a marathon, but the truth is that if given the opportunity, I would do it all over again!
It is fair to warn you though. These last three entries are going to be less cheerful. It is the end of a journey and as exciting as the next step is going to be, I will have to say good-bye to a lot of people that have become my friends and family for almost two years. We spent a lot of time together, partied, played games, had late-night study sessions in the library, got sick of writing papers or case analyses, went to each other’s weddings, birthdays, and engagement parties. When we graduate in three weeks, most of us will move to wherever our jobs or family responsibilities will take us. And although we will vow to keep in touch often, sometimes life will get in the way. So here is to the last three weeks of my program!
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Second-Yearitis
It is real and you can feel it all around campus. As much as we do not want to admit it, we have it. Second-yearitis is hitting everyone hard. We come to classes and leave four hours later as quickly as we came. Rarely are there any second-year students in the library anymore. We take twice as long on school assignments just because we cannot focus. Or we take twice as less, because we rush to do other things that are required for our re-entry into the real world.
There is also one other thing that almost no one talks about openly. Graduation is in five weeks and the economy is not as good as we thought it would be. Last year, we pitied the graduating class for their bad timing and believed 150% that when we graduate, the economy would be just about at the right level. I bet the first-year students are thinking the exact same thing now. With graduation approaching, my classmates and I struggle with the decision to take "a" job versus pursuing "the" job. We all came to school to acquire the skill and knowledge that would allow us to do what we love. And now the reality is that some of the jobs that we love and prepared for are not available. So what do you do?
It is a tough decision. On the one hand, we want to be responsible and on the other, we know that compromising now – although the easy way out – will have long-term, negative consequences and it distracts us from pursuing what we love. I have made my decision. It took me some time, but I did it. I have looked at my expenses, evaluated my options, had a long talk with myself and decided that...I will follow my passion!
There is also one other thing that almost no one talks about openly. Graduation is in five weeks and the economy is not as good as we thought it would be. Last year, we pitied the graduating class for their bad timing and believed 150% that when we graduate, the economy would be just about at the right level. I bet the first-year students are thinking the exact same thing now. With graduation approaching, my classmates and I struggle with the decision to take "a" job versus pursuing "the" job. We all came to school to acquire the skill and knowledge that would allow us to do what we love. And now the reality is that some of the jobs that we love and prepared for are not available. So what do you do?
It is a tough decision. On the one hand, we want to be responsible and on the other, we know that compromising now – although the easy way out – will have long-term, negative consequences and it distracts us from pursuing what we love. I have made my decision. It took me some time, but I did it. I have looked at my expenses, evaluated my options, had a long talk with myself and decided that...I will follow my passion!
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Run the Waves 5K/10K Charity Event
March 6th is going to be a very special day. It is our 6th Annual Run the Waves 5K/10K benefiting the Special Olympics and the Children's Lifesaving Foundation. This is an amazing event that Challenge for Charity organizes every year for our two organizations. It is a lot of work and even though we did it before, it takes a lot of planning and attention to detail. Every year there is something new that we either try to do or just have to do. And just like with any other big event, we sometimes get tired and frustrated, but at the end of the day it is all worth it because the kids love and need this event!
I remember that last year I was so impressed by some of the kids' stories. Although they were born in Los Angeles and they lived here their entire lives, they had never seen the beach! The look on their faces when they came to the Race and then got to walk and play on the beach was just unbelievable. I have never seen so much joy in my life! And that is when the hours and hours of planning pay off.
So if you happen to be in Malibu on March 6th, stop by Zuma Beach. Come by to say hi, volunteer, run, walk or donate. Take a look at our website to find out more about the two organizations we support and to register for the race: www.pepperdinec4c.org/run
See you on March 6th!
Sunday, February 7, 2010
The Ugly Side of Marketing
Some people think that marketing is dirty, that it is just about sales, or just advertising manipulating you into believing that your life is not good enough as it is and you need this extra product that will change it forever. Well, not all marketing is the same, of course. As long as it is authentic and relevant (thanks to my marketing professor who basically beat this into us!) and I would add honest, then I accept it. But, as with almost everything in life, marketing also has an ugly side to it. And this is exactly the side that I am trying to stay away from.
Today I will tell you about an instance where marketing is not honest. At least in my opinion. I am pretty sure most of you receive Facebook invites from friends to join some company page offering free products. I receive lots of those and ignore all. But today I noticed an ad on my Facebook page that claimed to offer a free pair of boots (I won’t mention names) if you were a certain age and female. It intrigued me because I do not have my age posted on Facebook and my profile mentions nothing about shoes (although I do love them!). Plus I am a very skeptical person and never believe that anything is free. So the marketer in me decided to embark on an investigation to find out what hid behind this message.
I found out that the company did offer the free pair of boots! BUT… and as you know, there is always a but! But, a quick look at the fine print and the participation requirements said that you had to agree to receive sales calls and must participate in a number of sponsor offers. These offers would require you to sign up for memberships or trials or open or extend a credit card.
Some would probably say that these practices are perfectly fine as long as these companies list the requirements and people agree to it. And I would say the same thing. At first! Because if you think about it, almost no one reads the fine print, unfortunately. Who clicks on that link that says “Terms and Conditions” or “Participation Requirements”? And people get tricked into signing up for memberships that are free for the first month and then the fine print (again!) says that it automatically charges X amount to their credit cards.
All I am saying is that as marketers, we have the responsibility to be honest. Revenues are important, but honest revenues are even more important and sustainable. Not to mention that as a consumer, if I am promised something by a brand I enjoy and then discover that I was tricked into a sales scheme, I lose trust in that brand. And as we all know, it takes more money to get new consumers than to keep existing ones.
Today I will tell you about an instance where marketing is not honest. At least in my opinion. I am pretty sure most of you receive Facebook invites from friends to join some company page offering free products. I receive lots of those and ignore all. But today I noticed an ad on my Facebook page that claimed to offer a free pair of boots (I won’t mention names) if you were a certain age and female. It intrigued me because I do not have my age posted on Facebook and my profile mentions nothing about shoes (although I do love them!). Plus I am a very skeptical person and never believe that anything is free. So the marketer in me decided to embark on an investigation to find out what hid behind this message.
I found out that the company did offer the free pair of boots! BUT… and as you know, there is always a but! But, a quick look at the fine print and the participation requirements said that you had to agree to receive sales calls and must participate in a number of sponsor offers. These offers would require you to sign up for memberships or trials or open or extend a credit card.
Some would probably say that these practices are perfectly fine as long as these companies list the requirements and people agree to it. And I would say the same thing. At first! Because if you think about it, almost no one reads the fine print, unfortunately. Who clicks on that link that says “Terms and Conditions” or “Participation Requirements”? And people get tricked into signing up for memberships that are free for the first month and then the fine print (again!) says that it automatically charges X amount to their credit cards.
All I am saying is that as marketers, we have the responsibility to be honest. Revenues are important, but honest revenues are even more important and sustainable. Not to mention that as a consumer, if I am promised something by a brand I enjoy and then discover that I was tricked into a sales scheme, I lose trust in that brand. And as we all know, it takes more money to get new consumers than to keep existing ones.
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