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FEBRUARY 2001 MBA JOURNAL: YEAR TWO Priti Patel: Academics, the Placement Process, and More "The atmosphere is completely different from that of the first year. There's no nervous, frenzied energy and it's obvious that most have adopted a more comfortable, relaxed attitude."
I've been enjoying my classes much more this quarter than in previous quarters. With my core requirements out of the way, I was able to choose classes primarily on the basis of interest. In addition, towards the end of last year, I sat down with a few second years to discuss which classes they found most useful or interesting. Their advice was really helpful in sifting through the choices. I ended up taking advanced courses in management and strategy, marketing, finance, and organizational behavior. Classes are as academically challenging, if not more challenging, than first year. More specifically, the concepts and problems discussed are more complex and require a greater level of insight and analysis. What has become easier is managing these demands. First, there's very little uncertainty about expectations. For instance, you never hear anyone ask the professor for an estimate of how much time one should spend on an assignment. After a year of classes, people can assess for themselves what makes sense. In addition, group work has become increasingly efficient. Virtual meetings (via e-mail) are more common, papers aren't nearly as arduous, and interaction is generally much smoother. People just know the routine. Another change for me has been the nature of assignments. While this may have more to do with the classes I'm taking than with the nature of second year coursework, I've found that I have fewer exams and more papers. Information builds on itself a little differently than in core classes and papers seem to be an effective way to test integration and comprehension of material. Personally, I like this better because I can pace myself a bit more with papers than with a mad rush of exams in the middle and end of the quarter. The dot-com buzz has definitely died down a bit and this has changed people's willingness to experiment and commit to this industry as freely. However, people who came from that industry or had a very strong interest to begin with are still interested in high tech. My perception is that people outside this pool are now taking a closer look at consulting and investment banking than before. As for my own career decisions, I still have a way to go. Normally, I don't know that I'd be so comfortable with such a decision looming over me, but given that so many people are in the same boat, it's easier.  | | [an error occurred while processing this directive] Learn about your online education options |
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