After returning to the second semester of business school Monday, this first week has felt like a month. Whether it’s the reality that another tough semester has begun or the major contrast to a month of relaxation and laziness, the return to BC’s campus – while for me was definitely needed to get back into a routine – was not necessarily a joyous occasion when on Monday morning we literally got down to business (no pun intended!). Between Boston’s cold weather, the hundreds of pages of reading that now need to be completed, and other projects beginning to pile up, it may be difficult to look ahead to the various academic and social activities that will make our second semester at the Carroll School even better than the first. Here is a preview of the second semester:
- Carroll School of Management Winter Gala: Held every year, this is an event not to be missed! This year’s event will be held downtown at the InterContinental Hotel, overlooking the Fort Point Channel with views of the Boston Harbor and the city of Boston. Open to the entire graduate school, this is a great way to dress up for a night on the town, put on your dancing shoes, and let loose with your classmates – while making connections with some of the other students that the First Year Full-Time MBAs don’t necessarily get to see on a daily basis.
- BC Consulting Project: A unique aspect of the Carroll School, the BC Consulting Project, allows us to apply the skills that we have learned over the course of the first semester. Our class has been split into new teams (20 total) and have been matched with a company, nonprofit, or government agency that has a real-world problem that they need solved. This is not a simulation – but an actual business problem for an actual organization that our team is expected to complete over the course of the semester. While this will be a very challenging and time consuming aspect of this semester, I know it will be an incredibly rewarding experience. The capstone of the project is the Diane Weiss Consulting Competition that takes place in May. All of the teams present their work to a panel of faculty and three teams are selected to move on to the final where they present to a panel of outside judges. I look forward to seeing the hard work of my team, and all of my classmates’ hard work, come to fruition and see the impact we’ve made in these organizations throughout New England.
- BC Business Days: Every spring semester, there are typically at least three events to welcome admitted students to Boston College’s campus. If you are an admitted student, I highly recommend taking the time to come visit BC’s campus and spend a day in Fulton Hall getting to know the program, faculty, staff and current students. For my class, it’s a great way to pay it forward and share our amazing experience at BC to date with the future class of 2015.
- Tuck Winter Carnival: Held every year in Hanover, NH and hosted by Dartmouth’s Tuck School of Business, this is an amazing way to get out of town for the weekend, while networking with other MBA’s in New England. It’s a weekend complete with skiing, parties, networking, and enjoying some of New England’s best winter scenery!
As you can see, although this semester will be incredibly demanding, there are so many things to look forward to between now and the end of the year. Between the real world application of the business skills I’ve learned over the course of the year so far, plus a host of social activities to keep me sane, I plan to make the most of this semester and know that it will be even better than the last.
