In Retrospect

So over the last week and a half or so, our first year class has managed to wrap up two final deliverables, three finals, a 48 hour integrative case, and the first round of resume drops. It was a grueling end to a tough (but fun!) semester, and as I lounge around in my friend's apartment in NYC, it's surprising to me that I can say, in all honesty....it wasn't that bad. What it comes down to, I think, is that the core curriculum is designed to stretch you and push you out of your comfort zone, and as you respond to each new challenge you become more and more resilient, and more prepared to take on the next one.

After delivering our presentation on Monday evening and celebrating our success (not only were we done with The Core, but Team 26 ended up taking home second place in the competition), I headed to NYC yesterday morning with my fellow Marketing Association trek attendees - we visited Johnson & Johnson in Fort Washington, PA yesterday, and have American Express, Reckitt Benckiser, Colgate-Palmolive, and Unilever on the agenda through Friday.

Despite a busy schedule even after academics have officially been put to bed, it is nice to have some down time to appreciate the softer side of business school. The support and encouragement we received from second year students, faculty, and each other as we finished up was amazing, and I really think that is a key aspect of the Johnson School experience. On Saturday, I will be heading back to Massachusetts to spend time with family and rest up for next semester - I will check back in before I head back to Ithaca in January. In the meantime, I wish everyone a safe and happy holiday season!