Kate Ngo: For You, FAQ's

There is little I can do to make this piece interesting. Nothing characterizes the first semester of business school more than a complete elimination of time, leisure, and personality. Between classes, deadlines, and recruiting trips into the city, people operate in machine mode. I don't even know what it's like to soak in a good book, experience a great concert, or splurge on a pair of cute shoes.

Interestingly enough though, there are still many triggers that are affecting the way I view my personal values, goals and the people in my life. Challenging professors, rising-star type classmates, and detachment from the real world inevitably lead to self-reflection, boosts in self-confidence, and periods of questioning and self-doubt.

So in essence, every day of the first semester is an opportunity for a downward spiral toward emotional and intellectual breakdown. However, bumping into first-year friends who have failed a test, been dumped, declared bankruptcy, felt inadequate, bombed an interview, or all of the above, there is renewed hope that everything is normal after all.

On the other hand, what is not normal is my growing addiction to Outlook. I spend more time organizing my life than I do living it. I remember the free spirit with which I used to make weekend plans. Now, I consult my calendar before firming up any commitment. In addition, I have over 20 e-mail folders, including one entirely dedicated to correspondence with prospective students. And rather than responding to e-mails, I have a bad habit of flagging them for follow-up.

However, what's cool about this BusinessWeek thing is that I can follow-up with prospectives without even thinking about Outlook. Because the first semester is a game of time management in itself, I figure I best represent it by using this piece, and effectively kill two birds with one stone. Following are my responses to the most common questions I've received:

Do relationships from home continue after a few months of business school?

First, the bad news... As an MBA, you value things like PARs, beta, and z-tables, which to someone outside business school, is worse than the Outlook addiction. Often coupled with a distance factor, this drastic reduction in common interests results in dead-end phone calls, lame conversation and partners with bad attitudes.

In many cases, there are relationships that undoubtedly lose communication, require too much energy, or succumb to the 7:3 boy-girl ratio. However, I really believe that relationships, either romantic or platonic, can be actually strengthened – that is, if both parties are comfortable with trusting a bit more, exerting extra effort, and flying economy class. While the odds are great, those that make it over the two-year hurdle prove to be the strongest.

On another positive spin, if you do neglect non-MBA relationships, it does little damage if the people in your life are as self-absorbed as you are. Sometimes they are the ones who are apologetic for not calling, and you are home free. In the cocoon of business school, you find that you miss your friends more, they miss you, and when you actually get to see them, it is that more fun. This is true in my case, and for the first time in my life, I am thankful for conceited friends.

As far as relationships that blossom within the MBA class, well, that's a whole column in itself.

How much interaction is there with students at other Cornell graduate programs such as hotel management, international affairs, and comparative literature?

For most Johnson School students, the opportunity to take classes in other programs and formally interact with other students is available in your second year. If you customize your Immersion, it may happen as early as the second semester of your first year. In addition, you will start to see people from other schools (mostly hotel and engineering students) taking classes at the Johnson School.

Regrettably, I haven't had the opportunity to meet anyone in Comparative Literature and I am entirely at fault. There is a happy hour every Friday where grad students from all schools go to hang out, but I haven't really taken advantage of it - one of the downsides of really liking my classmates, I guess. I do plan to go one these days, though.

What is your daily schedule like and how do you balance school work, job search, and leadership?

For core classes, the first semester schedule is pretty standard, with classes on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday. Most first years go from 8:40 a.m. to 1:10 p.m., with a few short breaks in between. On special mornings that mark either an Economics or Finance quiz, we are all at school by 7:30 a.m. After classes, you might find yourself meeting with a professor, arguing with group members, or wishing badly for a nap.

Outside of scheduled classes, there is no daily schedule. The entire semester is my schedule, and it is an ongoing effort. Wednesdays and Fridays are class-free, but are usually more hectic and involve some variety of team assignments, projects, office hours, club meetings, and corporate information sessions (which may occur on or off-campus). With every finish there is a beginning, and the object is get as much done in one day as possible. As far as those people who say they hit the gym, eat well-balanced meals, or catch their favorite TV show, I think they are lying.

What would you change at the Johnson School?

I would add a component to the Entrepreneurship and Private Equity (EPE) Immersion and/or provide more structured resources for family/small business interests. If you are interested in starting a small business that is not necessarily high growth, such as, let's say for shameless plug's sake, a bakery (www.fluffythoughts.com), you would need to do a little bit more legwork and reach out to Entrepreneurship and Personal Enterprise (EPE), an organization serving the greater Cornell community.

The great thing about going to a small business school is the flexibility and the ability to implement change early enough to benefit from them. I am currently working with BR Incubator (BRI) to incorporate things directly within Johnson School, such as SBA (Small Business Administration) resources, loan application guidance, and patent applications.

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