First Quarter at Foster

18th of December, 2013

Lost around 15 pounds;  Gained a truckload of knowledge; Earned a GPA of 3. Something; Formed hundreds of friendships: All of this in the first 12 weeks of the Foster MBA.

December 18th, 2013: As I entered the program office, I had this weird feeling. It felt like I was standing in the same place finishing my admission formalities just yesterday. The past 12 weeks went by so fast that it’s unbelievable.

I had done research on the Internet to prepare for the upcoming move from corporate to student life. But as we started orientation and attended Jump Start courses (a quick crash course in business fundamentals) I was amazed at how smooth my transition was. Of course, all of my preparation was not a waste of time, but a second year student’s advice was right; the best way to prepare oneself for the program is to relax as much as you can because once you start, you will never (and in my case I don’t want to) stop. All the doubts that I had about myself being able to adapt to a new country and culture were cleared when I saw the amount of support I got from professors and students alike. To quote Albus Dumbledore –“Help will be given to those who ask for it.”

The pure high that I got from learning new things and broadening my perspective kept me going. As I continued my daily reading online, I started the applying new finance and accounting knowledge to interpret business news. All the homework, case studies, and career research was overwhelming at times but what kept me motivated was that I was in love with the constant battle of mind over body.

I had heard that the 3C’s mantra – confidence, competence and connections -help one to succeed in this world. Well, they forgot the most important C – Care. By that I mean the care given by family, friends, and professors to support MBAs in winning this battle of mind over body. I am so grateful to all who helped me make it through the first quarter!

~ Guest post by Vishwa Shanti Vaddi, Class of 2015 MBA Candidate