Wow! Where did my month go? Actually, reading through my previous entry, it feels like it’s been ages since core started! Reality check – it’s just been slightly over a month. Guess the best way to fill you guys in will be snippets from various random facts about Sloan.
Sloan time: Well, this is one of the most interesting and useful concepts I have found in Sloan. Can you relate to that feeling when you wake up and realize you have 5 more minutes to snooze? Sloan time pretty much instills that feeling in me! In Sloan, all classes start 5 minutes late and end 5 minutes early than the scheduled time. For instance, the stated time for a typical morning class reads 8:30-10:00 but classes are actually in session only from 8:35-9:55. The idea is to give students enough time to commute/settle between classes (which are mostly next door)! Five minutes may not seem like a big deal, but trust me, when you are rushing through that last calculation in that homework or trying to schedule that meeting with your team or sending that all important email before class, every second matters
The Core: Ok, people weren’t kidding about ‘surviving’ the core. I for one always thought the core was over rated and hyped. Let’s run a simple calculation – we have 4 core subjects twice a week + 2 courses (Managerial communication/Organizational processes) once a week. So with each class lasting 1hr20mins – that’s a total of ~ 14hrs of classes which translates to just ~ 9% of your big fat week! I know…too many numbers for a blog. Have my ‘Data Models and Decisions’ (read statistics) midterm tomorrow, so figured I’d ‘leverage’ the ‘synergy’! Anyway, so yes, what really happens in the remaining 91% of your time which pretty much leaves you with just ~5hrs sleep a night? Here’s a sneak peek into my calendar –
This is just part of the calendar, couldn’t get a full screen capture. Anyway, so you get the idea. Things fly at you from all directions and the actual problem starts when you want all of those ‘things’. As you can see, many of those slots (especially the yellow ones) overlap – and of course, you can be only in one place at any given time! At most times, Ouch. Fridays: We all breathe a sigh of relief on Fridays. No classes. We have sessions scheduled by the CDO (Career Development Office) which basically trains you in all career related etiquette ranging from resumes, cover letters, networking essentials to writing effective thank you emails! Collaboration/Culture: This place is weird. Really. Sometimes I feel I am in this la-la land where people are just waiting to help you!! This is where the small class size of MIT actually shines. It feels really tight knit when you walk into Sloan and recognize almost everyone you see. There is this sense of ‘we are in this together’ echoing from all corners and the tension and stress of school only further tightens the bond. The interaction between the 2nd years and us is just plain fabulous. Seriously, I was blown away by their genuine interest in our career aspirations and willingness to help. There was this one instance when this 2nd year bumped into me and one of my friends in the lobby. He introduced himself and after initial exchange of pleasantries, advised us on career tracks, dos and don’ts of job hunt, people to contact, things to concentrate/take an easy pill on and the mistakes people generally make – all unsolicited! I have lots more to share, but I better get back to DMD. Unfortunately Sloan does not allow collaboration in midterms!! I’ll leave you with a few random clicks of my core team. We were working on this crazy team case dealing with decision trees! Pay attention to the board. Was a fun ride though!
All smiles -