Here's to Section B

During the core curriculum at Darden, students are randomly assigned one of five sections, lettered A through E.  For the first seven months at Darden, you will attend three classes a day, four days a week (that’s 300 cold calls), with the same 60-65 peers in the same classroom, while the faculty rotates in and out.  Your section becomes your family.  Your section becomes your life.  I remember when I first arrived at Darden, a wise second year forewarned me that I would quickly fall in love with some people in my section.  Over the course of the year I would fall out of love with some of them, but by the end of the entire shebang, I would be enamored of them once again.  And sure enough, the year unfolded just as predicted.

Fortunately for me, I was assigned to Section B.  It is one steeped with tradition.  We have a song that we sing after the final class of every week; a song that has been passed down through the section for decades.  But perhaps the most unique tradition in Section B is the bird.  Each week, as a section, we award the bird to the classmate who made the most ridiculous comment that week.  Bird-worthy comments include:

1.     During an Operations case that focused on improving the effectiveness of a hospital, a classmate suggested that the hospital upgrade to bunk-beds for the patients.

2.     When asked during a class on Managerial Accounting what was the most important four letter word, our classmate’s response was “Love.”  This at least garnered him a hug from the professor.

But Section B doesn’t stop in the classroom.  Each year, Darden sections compete in athletic and philanthropic events in an attempt to win the annual Darden Cup.  This year, Section B won in Softball, Soccer, and Cricket.

And of course, there have been no shortage of social events.  When all is said and done, Section B has helped define my first year experience.  We’ve learned a ton, we’ve struggled through tough cases together, we’ve pushed one another, and most importantly, we’ve laughed a lot.  So here’s to Section B!

Learning to Think Like a Manager

Darden is well-known for its focus on developing general managers.  Darden is also well-known for having arguably the best teaching faculty among MBA programs.  Combining these two elements results in a curriculum that really challenges students to think like managers.  But what does that look like?

Take my accounting class as an example.  I could spend hours working on, say, determining what the differences in accounting were for inventory using FIFO or LIFO accounting methods.  Yes, I would feel a sense of accomplishment, but in truth, this is only the start.  After reviewing the math in the first ten minutes of class, the majority of the time is spent discussing the managerial implications of the different techniques.  In my finance class, it was very common for the professor to come in and lead with the cold call Brian, what is your recommendation?  This is a very different question than Brian, what answer did you get?  To make a recommendation, you have to put the numbers into context and, like a manager, use the analysis to shape strategies and recommendations.

More recently, the faculty have been teaming up to facilitate a more robust class discussion.  The Ethics and Decision Analysis faculty led an energy case on hydraulic fracturing.  By team-teaching, the class is forced to think about how decisions-making actually plays out in the real world.  The Marketing and Operations faculty co-taught another class.  They did a great job of demonstrating how managerial decisions can have competing consequences for marketing and operations personnel, and again, forced students to think more broadly through a decision.  Another example is a finance negotiations case led by the Finance and Decision Analysis faculty.  In each of these classes, you are challenged to bring together material covered in each class independently to make more informed strategic decisions.

Having just completed the first-year core curriculum, I am convinced that it is the faculty's dedication to continually push students to think about the managerial implications of our decisions that is one of the largest catalysts for our future success.  By teaching in a style that closely mimics the decision making process for general managers throughout the world, I am not only developing essential functional skills.  I am also applying techniques for decision-making and communicating these decisions three times a day.

Brazil: Global Business Experience

Each spring, Darden students have the opportunity to enroll in a Global Business Experience (GBE). This year's opportunities led Darden students to India, Spain, South Africa, China, Brazil, and Argentina and continued the strong Darden tradition of experiential learning.

I had the privilege of travelling with thirty of my peers to Brazil. With stops in the Amazon, Sao Paulo, and Rio de Janeiro, it was definitely learning-by-doing-and-seeing at its finest. Layer thirty inquisitive and bright minds on top of face time with academic professionals and corporate executives within Brazil and you have a recipe for a wholly unique global experience.

While the GBE was distinctive in many ways, it was during this trip that I really recognized the value of the Darden core curriculum. In one day in Sao Paulo, we had a discussion on Brazil's opportunities and challenges that aligned perfectly with what I learned in my Global Economics and Markets class, followed by a dialogue on cultural differences reminiscent of my Leading Organizations class. This was capped off by a tour of a manufacturing facility, bringing to light many of the kaizen concepts we'd covered in our Operations class. The Brazil GBE provided a great avenue to synthesize the core curriculum.

Of course, education doesn't always have to be visiting companies and sitting in classrooms. I've included just a few of the items from the Brazil itinerary below, but suffice it to say words (and pictures) are a horribly inadequate substitute for the experience.

Meeting of the Waters (confluence of Amazon River and Rio Negro):

Municipal Market Negotiations Activity:

Exploring Rio de Janeiro (view from Christ the Redeemer):

Fun and Games

As a first year student at Darden, this week has been a whole lot of fun and games.

Earlier this week, we had a class facilitated by our Operations and Marketing professors. The class was divided into competing teams to participate in a beer distribution simulation. Individuals within each team assumed various roles throughout the distribution process from manufacturer through retailer (no, nobody was assigned the role of consumer). The purpose of the game was to meet customer demand for beer while managing the entire supply chain. The winning team walked away with Darden beer steins.

Outside of the classroom, this week was the official start to the Darden Spring Bowling League. On Tuesday evening after learning team, Kegler's Lanes bowling alley was the place to be for Darden students. Our team ended up losing the first two games in a best of three matchup, but we still had an amazing time.

The weather has been an adventure as well. The week got off to a good start with the first actual snowfall of the year. On Sunday, a few of my classmates and I were working at Darden when it began to snow. For some of our international peers it was the first time they had witnessed snow falling! Of course, we had to take a break and enjoy the beautiful scene in Flagler Courtyard.

Snow accumulation on Sunday, high of 70°F today. Even the weather decided to get in on the fun and games this week.

Building Goodness in April

Those unfamiliar with Building Goodness in April, or BGiA as it is commonly referred to throughout Saunders Hall, may be wondering why January just ended and I’ve moved on to discuss April. You may feel like February has just started and that I’m not giving any credit to the month of March. Well, contrary to the name, here at Darden, Building Goodness in April is a year-long philanthropic undertaking aimed at strengthening the local community.

Each year, come April, the Darden community dedicates itself to rehabilitating low-income homes throughout the greater Charlottesville community. The largest fundraising effort, a set of auctions (in which the items donated are from students and faculty members) followed by a black-tie holiday ball, occurs at the end of the fall semester -- this year raising $65,000.

The Auction: I was the lucky winner of a handful of items, including a Mexican fiesta thrown by two of my classmates, a round of miniature golf and jello shots “caddied” by two of my classmates, and one week’s worth of Whole Foods groceries delivered to my doorstep. This weekend, I cashed in my on my week’s supply of Whole Foods and now my refrigerator is overflowing with fresh produce. Choose My Plate would be proud.

The Holiday Ball: The Holiday Ball for BGiA has been hands-down, one of my favorite events to date. Not only was it an incredible social event, but it was a friendly reminder that it’s not all about “increasing shareholder value” (gasp). Having had so much fun at the last charity ball, I am excited about another upcoming charity gala. Tomorrow evening, Darden’s National Association of Women MBAs is throwing the 22^nd Annual Shelter for Help in Emergency (SHE) Gala and silent auction. The proceeds go to support SHE, an organization that provides a variety of services in support of domestic violence victims. Here at Darden, it’s April all year round!

Time for Term 4

I always suspected that Charlottesville abided by its own weather code. And now I have proof. The other day, I was driving down to Charlottesville from Washington, DC and when I was ten miles outside of town, this was the view from my car:

Spending the past few weeks away from Charlottesville with family and friends outside of the Darden community was healthy and rejuvenating. After the amount of time and effort I put into the first semester, I felt like I had earned a winter vacation. Returning reenergized to Charlottesville, it’s time to kick off my fourth term as a Darden first-year.

Of course, an abrupt cold-turkey separation from Darden would have presented its challenges, so here are two ways Darden played a role in my winter break.

Job Trek in Washington, DC: Thanks to the effort of one of my classmates, Darden students interested in consulting had the privilege of visiting nine different consulting firms in Washington, DC. This was a fantastic networking opportunity that provided us with great insights into the inner workings of various consulting offices.

Interview Preparation with Classmates: While many might not find this fun, I really enjoyed setting up Skype sessions with my classmates to assist in our interview preparation. After spending nearly every waking hour of a semester with Darden friends, it was a good excuse to catch up with my classmates scattered around the world for the holidays. Over the next few weeks we'll be putting this preparation to use as we interview for summer internships.

The Bad News Bears

Today marks the end of Term 3. This means I will not step into another Darden classroom until January 2012. Of course, a lot of Darden ground will be covered between now and the beginning of next term including final exams, Week on Wall-Street, resume drops, job treks, and interviews (to list a few). I definitely feel a sense of accomplishment, but there’s no way I could have survived without relying on my learning team.

Darden first-year students are placed into learning teams comprised of five to six students. Each team is assigned with a conference room where we meet for a few hours the night before classes to review our case material. It’s a great opportunity to clarify case content (or strike a healthy debate over interpretations of case facts), but it is mainly a tool to facilitate preparation and stronger in-class discussions.

Four months ago I stepped foot into Learning Team Room 33 for the first time. I introduced myself to the strangers, my new learning team members, and we began our first team task; determining a team name reflective of something we all had in common. Failing to find any commonalities, we adopted the name Bad News Bears. We hoped this our unique backgrounds wouldn’t result in a dysfunctional team

To give you a sense of what we were working with (our diversity of backgrounds), here’s a brief profile of the Bad News Bears and perhaps more importantly, the roles we’ve taken on.

Non-traditional student: Previously doubled as a Chinese instructor and admissions representative at a boarding school. Talk about a non-traditional but amazing background. She brings energy and optimism unrivaled by any Darden student.

Quintessential banker: Yes, the quintessential banker. He previously lived in New York City, working within fixed income. He is incredibly efficient and does a great job ensuring that our team stays focused during learning team meetings.

International perspective: Formerly served six years with the Israeli Defense Forces, and brings far more than just an international perspective. He arguably plays the most critical role, willing to challenge the team’s assumptions and providing poignant remarks that challenge our methodology.

Media mogul: Has experience in media sales and co-production for an international broadcasting corporation. Another relatively non-traditional student, but he has the intellectual curiosity to push our learning team to think beyond the bounds of the case and is one of the brightest individuals and fastest learners I’ve ever met.

Although we started as a motley crew, we have definitely transformed into a high performing team (our Leading Organizations professors would be proud!) Beyond preparing for classes as a team, we’ve established strong bonds (pleasing the Finance professors) and I would consider these guys lifelong friends. We actively seek each other out at Darden events. On Sundays, we often eat dinner together (the last time my learning team dined at my apartment, I pushed the apple pie, since I was frantically trying to make use of all the apples I purchased at Carter Mountain Orchard).

As we head into 2012, I’m looking forward to forging stronger relationships with my learning team, not to mention all of the free Sunday dinners!