Inside the Foster MBA

Foster Scramble

I have to admit I was thoroughly questioning my decision to participate in the Annual Foster Golf Scramble 2009 when at about Foster Scramble

8:15pm the evening prior to the event, a torrential downpour decided to hit Seattle. I moved to Seattle from San Diego back in August and I can honestly say that it was the hardest rain since my return to the Pacific Northwest. Thus, as I was sipping on a lovely cappuccino inside the warm walls of my favorite coffeehouse, I found myself dreading the cold, wet morning that was inevitably going to follow…

However, when I woke up Saturday morning, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the rain had stopped and it looked like fairly clear skies (from what I could make out at 6:30 am!) for our golfing excursion! The Annual Foster Golf Scramble was held at Washington National Golf Club located in Auburn, WA and is the official Huskies golf course. As the groggy MBA’s started trickling in, the sun emerged and it was an absolutely stunning day for a round of golf. The views on the course were beautiful and the grounds well-manicured, which made for a wonderful experience with my fellow Evening MBA teammates.

The event was a success, with everyone really enjoying themselves and the opportunity to spend a Saturday morning getting to know each other outside the classroom walls. I highly recommend participating in future events if at all possible!

Guest Blogger: Danielle Johanneck, Foster Evening MBA Class of 2012

Posted by Jessica Didion - November 11th, 2009 - 0 comments - Permalink

Foster goes to Omaha

The Foster MBA Program has been invited back to Omaha, Nebraska to have lunch with Warren Buffett for the second year in a row. Not surprisingly, this is a popular opportunity amongst MBA-ers so Administration chooses the lucky 27 students through a lottery system. After trying for a spot last year and being disappointed with the results, I received notice last week that I’m on the list this year! Watch for a follow-up post and photos after the trip in February!

Omaha here we come.

Posted by Jessica Didion - November 1st, 2009 - 0 comments - Permalink

What free time?

For anyone considering pursuing an MBA, here’s a little insight into life as a grad student at Foster…

I had two classes today – 8:30 am and then not again until 6:00 pm. This left me with over 7 hours on campus to get work done, attend a few short meetings and even get some exercise! I enthusiastically packed my running shoes and the necessary gear this morning and brought it all with me to campus today.

My 6:00 pm class is now nearing and the running shoes haven’t left my bag.

7 HOURS completely filled with the aforementioned homework and meetings, along with some impromptu conversations about bidding on next quarter’s electives, a short lunch with a classmate, time out to organize some files and return some emails and 7 hours are gone. Just like that.

I say it all too often but… maybe I can find time for a run tomorrow.

Posted by Jessica Didion - October 28th, 2009 - 0 comments - Permalink

Preview your life as an MBA

As I write this there is a room full of curious people next door listening to staff, faculty and current students talk about life as a Foster MBA. They are here for the first Preview Weekend* of the year and will likely be overwhelmed by the amount of information they receive, but after having countless conversations with current students they should leave with a very strong sense of what Foster is all about.

Current Students Hopefully they’ll also walk away from a long conversation with a first year student and realize that she has voluntarily given up time in her busy schedule and remained on campus during her first Friday afternoon without class to chat with those interested in Foster. She likely has a list of assignments waiting for her, midterm exams to study for, as well as an endless supply of other demands on her time. This is one undeniable thing about Foster – the students are really n-i-c-e!

This morning I spoke with prospective students from Portland (right down the road a mere three hours) to Hawaii and Thailand (not exactly right down the road)! It’s a huge commitment to travel that far to just visit a school, but it’s a bigger commitment to take two years out of your life to pursue an MBA! I think it’s a wise decision to learn as much as you can about a program before you take the plunge and there is no better way than being on campus and meeting the people who make up the program.

The next Preview Weekend will begin on January 21st. Visit the Foster website for more info.

Posted by Jessica Didion - October 23rd, 2009 - 0 comments - Permalink

The MBAs Are Coming!

NSHMBA Last weekend, I joined thirteen of my Foster classmates for an adrenaline-filled trip to Minneapolis for the 2009 NSHMBA National Conference & Career Expo. More than 300 corporate and academic sponsors that embrace diversity participated in the conference, which attracted an estimated 7,000 MBAs from around the world. From Deloitte to Coca-Cola, Johnson & Johnson, Microsoft and American Express, attending companies attracted ambitious, smartly dressed hoards. After an early morning pep talk with my new Foster friends, black coffee and standard hotel breakfast fare, I snapped on my nametag and got to (net)working. At this conference, on-the-spot interviews were the norm. If I stepped within a 6-foot radius of a company’s booth, I was fair game, and was prepared to answer any number of questions about my past experience, my academic credentials, my preferences, my opinions and my goals. At first, the speed and precision with which the recruiters, managers and others administered these questions was jolting (yet entirely appropriate for the setting). Recruiters readily answered questions about their respective companies, and I walked away with quality contacts for follow-up.

With seven days of classes under my belt, the fact that I was participating in interviews for a potential internship in 2010 was almost unreal. Not only did I get an inside look at a wide range of companies and MBA recruiting practices up-front, but I had a chance to bond with my classmates. Over the three days, we talked about more than just school assignments, but what our hopes and dreams were for the future. The experience was truly invaluable!

Guest Blogger: Adrienne Matthews, Foster MBA Class of 2011

Posted by Jessica Didion - October 19th, 2009 - 0 comments - Permalink

An Intense First Week

One of my classmates was pondering on Tuesday if the start of classes would feel anti-climatic after 2 weeks of orientation and leadership training.

After two days of classes, I think I can safely say “nope”. Not anti-climatic at all… As a matter of fact, I don’t think the effort and energy required in this program will peak until we sign our job offers. (And even then, because hopefully we’ll all get offers post-internships, we’ll have to finish up the school year.)

The MBA program at Foster is intense.

The professors are intense. One of them knew all of our names and faces on Day 1. (He also knew about my personal blog! Aye.) Another one gambled with us. And another one shouted, “Show me the data!” Jerry MacGuire style. These people are passionate and well trained, and I’m going to learn a lot. (By the way, one thing I heard today from our accounting professor was, “Don’t confuse comfort and learning.” So true.)

The MBAA clubs are intense. I’m still grappling with what clubs to join… In the mean time, there are club events almost every day and evening. One of the clubs, just as an example, organizes around case competitions, which are essentially math club for MBAs. (Someone made that analogy for me, and I love it.) Case competitions are going to be intense.

My fellow MBA classmates are intense. Smart people, who are all accomplished, and who are all ready to take this MBA program and run. I’m going to have to become one with being very, very average. Not to mention the 2nd years who are back from summer internships, full of experience.

Speaking of… Searching for an internship/job is intense. We had our first job fair this week. I had my photo professionally taken last week. I ordered business cards. And I’m scheduling info interviews for, you know, that extra time on my hands.

So, what I’m figuring out is that I need to be intense. This pretty much means staying on my toes at all times. I need to do as much as I can proactively. And I need to load my Husky Card with money so I can ensure I’m caffeinated at all times.

As I wrap up my first full week of classes, there’s definitely one thing I feel very intense about… Show me the weekend!

Guest Blogger: Allison Bilas, Foster MBA Class of 2011

Posted by Jessica Didion - October 6th, 2009 - 0 comments - Permalink

Club Leaders & National Conferences

Ithaca As a 2nd Year MBA student, multiple new responsibilities have found their way on to my plate… and have wedged their time commitments into my crowded Google calendar! One of the major differences between a year ago and now is that I’ve gone from being a passive attendee at MBA Club events – speakers, company visits, panels – to being part of the leadership of those clubs. The 2nd Year students are in the driver’s seat of all MBA clubs – setting agendas, holding meetings for the general membership, planning events. Today I spent the morning meeting with my fellow Net Impact leaders to discuss the year ahead and update them on my coordination of our attendance at the 2009 National Net Impact Conference in Ithaca, New York in November. We’re hoping to have a strong turnout out in Ithaca – not only to represent Foster well, but to experience what’s touted as one of the best conferences many students have ever attended. Having been an undergraduate in Ithaca, I’m particularly looking forward to it!

Posted by Jessica Didion - October 2nd, 2009 - 0 comments - Permalink

Evening MBA Orientation

Foster orientation: the first two days of the rest of your life. Along with any new experience a flurry of emotions, expectations, hopes and excitement fill the space leading up to the event. Also the inevitable questions of doubt: Did I make the right choice? Is this going to help me with my career? And, especially after listening to the second-year panel, what did I just get myself into? But perhaps the most pronounced thought is: “Ok, I’m here, dedicated and enthusiastic about my future but what do I want to do with the rest of my life?!!”

Current Evening Students Panel

For the evening students orientation is two days of introductions to peers and resources, the launch of the new year-long Management 510 course which promotes leadership and strategic thinking and of course the single moment I had been waiting for: finding out who will be in my study group.

Rather than a career crash course, Foster kicks off orientation by asking you to look at your individual strengths, attitudes, behaviors and personal attributes through various surveys and questionnaires. At this climactic point of our lives and while we try to forge a career path aligned with who we are and what we want out of this life, I was inspired, eager and even thankful that Foster recognizes the next three years as a comprehensive journey to conceive our best self. It is within this journey that Foster will help us to not only learn T table, but to also clarify all those doubts we may have had as we walked in the door. Orientation sets this tone and when we leave here we will all have a deeper understanding of who we are and what we are suppose to do with our lives. Thank you Foster, Hello World!

Guest Blogger: Raquel Johnson, Evening Student, Class of 2012

Posted by Jessica Didion - September 27th, 2009 - 0 comments - Permalink

What Happens Early Matters

LEAD Week Ten Jump Start sessions, a Pub Club, a fiesta, and one weekend later, I jumped head-first into LEAD (Leadership, Exploration, Association, Direction). It’s more than just orientation. It’s an immersion. From 8 am to 6, 7, or 8 pm each day. All week, my classmates and I have been sharing “trigger moments” with each other (how we got here, why we chose to pursue an MBA at Foster), discussing our expectations of the program, and getting to know each other real well, real fast. Already, I’ve managed to test a few boundaries with my sense of humor. For one, I recommended Eneman, a plush enema doll used to promote colorectal screenings at trade shows (and the best tchotchke ever!) as an informal team mascot. Blank stares, then, some smiles. I figured I’d take a few risks before Finance starts, right?

This LEAD also marks the launch of the Center for Leadership and Strategic Thinking, which runs a class, Management 510, concurrent with our core courses throughout the year. We’ve been learning about team-based leadership, the qualities of strategic thinking, and how both will apply to nearly every field that we will study. Through all this, it’s been amazing to me how our class is so diverse, yet so similar in many ways. We come from different countries, states, cultures, and educational and professional backgrounds, but we’re all here for the same reasons. For intellectual challenge and career growth. For networking and friendship. For holistic success.

With nametags, place cards, coffee mugs and backpacks in tow, this week has been a flurry of excitement and a touch of anxiety. Foster has done an excellent job of providing us with schedules, syllabi, panels and presentations on the “nuts and bolts” of the program. But, for a lot of us, we only have a “sense” of what’s coming. We know we’ll be BUSY during our first quarter, but how that will play out individually and in our teams is still a big unknown. In business and in life, we’ll often face times of ambiguity, and the next two years stands to transform us all. The best part? We’re in this together. Ready, set . . . go!

Guest Blogger: Adrienne Matthews, Foster MBA Class of 2011

Adrienne during LEAD

Posted by Jessica Didion - September 24th, 2009 - 0 comments - Permalink

“Jeff, does that make sense?”

For those not familiar with Jump Start, it’s basically a crash course in Accounting, Quant, and Finance designed to bring all incoming MBA students up to speed on concepts we’ll be expected to understand come the start of classes. It’s been a great way to get back into the swing of the school mentality without the pressure of handing in assignments and taking tests (that count, because we did do multiple quizzes and even finished off our accounting course with a ‘final’).

In addition to the academic side of things, Jump Start has also been a great way for me to meet some of my classmates and become close with those proficient in Excel. My own lack of expertise was made public very early on by our Quant professor, Thomas Gilbert, when we were asked, by raise of hands, who had limited experience with Excel. Sitting in the back row, I had no problem saving face and I raised my hand high over my head. I didn’t realize I had just sealed my fate as the barometer for the rest of the week for how well the class was understanding the Excel functions. “Jeff, does that make sense?” “Jeff, are we good?”. Those questions definitely kept me on my toes during my first week of the MBA experience, and also served as the means of meeting a lot of my classmates.

Beyond the classes, it was really good to see the MBA culture take shape during this first week. There seems to be a lot of talk about the collaborative environment and a culture of teamwork fostered in most MBA programs. I got to see this teamwork first-hand as classmates seated around me offered a helping hand throughout the Quant and Finance sections. Some even fell behind as the professor pressed forward, just to make sure I was understanding all of the content. It was nice to see it wasn’t solely lip service, but that our collaborative culture within the Foster family has begun forming just in this first week.

Wrapping up the adventures of the Jump Start experience, it’s worth noting the incredible experience that served as the grand finale. Our beloved Huskies beat the #3 ranked USC Trojans and I rushed the field with my Foster colleagues! So much for my feelings of disappointment for choosing a school with a sub-par football program. Go Dawgs!!

Guest Blogger: E. Jeff Hullinger, Foster MBA Class of 2011

Posted by Jessica Didion - September 21st, 2009 - 0 comments - Permalink