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JULY 2002 MBA JOURNAL: FIRST YEAR REVIEW Arash Farin: Reflecting on the First Year of B-School "I feel my level of confidence, maturity, business savvy, and interpersonal skills have all grown, and I've learned to approach many business situations in a smarter, more well-informed way." My waiter, Kyle, a recent immigrant from Lebanon who had sought better fortunes in the U.S., engaged me in such dialogue and we spent the better half of the evening discussing various business schools and what I've learned from HBS. Ironically, the gentleman sitting next to us was from the class of 1990 and together we chatted, sharing our thoughts on the HBS experience with an eagerly listening Kyle. Almost a year has passed since I started at HBS and the experience thus far has been tremendous, exceeding some of my highest expectations. I feel my level of confidence, maturity, business savvy, and interpersonal skills have all grown, and I've learned to approach many business situations in a smarter, more well-informed way. Thanks in part to a class we took last semester called The Entrepreneurial Manager, coupled with my interactions with numerous entrepreneurs at school, I've met with a few independent businesspeople about a variety of opportunities after leaving school. Before, having worked tremendously long hours on Wall Street, I may not have first thought about the big picture and where I would fit in. But, today I look at opportunities with an eye toward my potential to become a leader in any professional endeavor I undertake. Perhaps more importantly, the school's efforts to inculcate students with ideas of honesty, ethics, and integrity in business remain at the forefront of my thinking, particularly as we witness a slew of highly successful CEOs and corporations facing increasing scrutiny and allegations of impropriety on the job. The credibility crisis facing corporate America, along with the classes I've been fortunate to take, are stark reminders of the ramifications of trying to cut corners, hide questionable business practices, and fail to represent the interests of all stakeholders at all times. HBS has given me access to a cadre of bright, eager students who I can rely on to assist me with most any challenge, particularly those I've come across this summer as an intern. For example, on a recent assignment where I had to write a short paper on the energy sector, I was able to speak in-depth to a number of classmates and alumni about their experiences in the industry and get some very useful guidance on industry dynamics. My first year also helped hone many basic skills essential for running any successful company, including finance, accounting, technology and operations, marketing, and business/government interaction. I am pleased with the administration's responsiveness in dealing with issues raised by students and serving as a support network for any possible concern, including those stemming from September 11, the challenging job market, balancing school with personal time, and violations of our Community Standards (a set of rules designed to ensure everyone acts with honesty and integrity as they partake in the HBS experience). Finally, HBS offers its students incredible flexibility with respect to the classes we take as second years and the ability to travel and write cases alongside faculty members through field studies on most any topic. Certainly, some students won't be able to get into the most popular classes, and some classes certain students want to take may not be offered. But, on the whole, I've been impressed with the diversity of offerings next year and heartened to learn that most faculty members are open to suggestions given by students on topics for field studies.
To its credit, the technology department has been pretty responsive in tackling these issues, but students still nervously murmur and look around in class when we're told we have an exam coming up which must be downloaded from the web. Nevertheless, I'm told that the technology environment at HBS is by far the most advanced of any business school in the world, so I'm sure we have more stress free times to look forward to.
Finally, some colleagues of mine have noted a bit of redundancy in cases across various classes, where we've been exposed to companies such as Microsoft and Dell a number of times. I think the administration has listened carefully to these thoughts and, through a comprehensive evaluation system with input from students, is constantly re-assessing the mix of cases used each year to ensure an appropriate balance.
Kirsten, from my section, has so far assessed brand strength, outlined strategies for dealing with existing brands, and helped identify opportunities to improve internal processes and operations. Nate and Sava, both of whom were in my study group, are working at the Department of Defense and in nanotechnology, respectively. Nate is doing strategic planning and working on the military transformation effort (implementing an HBS hallmark, the balanced scorecard, which Professor Bob Kaplan is famous for), and Sava is doing business development with plans to brief the board of directors on what he's undertaking.
This past 4th of July, I had the pleasure of taking in the fireworks at a secure and undisclosed location with Dick Cheney; seriously, we were in a secure location, but I can disclose where we were—Fort Myer, which continued its long tradition of opening its scenic Whipple Field to about 2,000 guests. I joined Sava and Russ, two classmates from West Point, as we ventured to the base and were searched at two separate security checkpoints by the base's military police to ensure a safe holiday for all. Having never celebrated Independence Day at the nation's capital, it was an exhilarating experience, particularly given the tragedies we've faced as a nation this past 12 months. Later this summer, I'll be traveling to Thailand with a group of section-mates, thanks to the generosity and hospitality of Oo, another section-mate who hails from Bangkok. It should be an exciting 10-day excursion including tours of the Grand Palace, ChiangMai and Samui Island, elephant rides, and relaxation at the beach. It will be a welcome segue to my second year, where I expect our classes to continue to be engaging and even more practical. As president of the Jewish Student Association, I hope to bring great speakers to campus and increase our membership through more frequent events with other clubs and other schools at Harvard. Given how fast I've been told our second year will fly by, I'm also planning to take ample time to host dinners and trips with friends to create memories and friendships that will last a lifetime.
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