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March 25, 2008
First 5 weeks of MAP
Thanks to all of you who wrote me. I am feeling a lot better; I am a 110%, with a lot of energy to spend at MAP.
MAP definitely started with full force!!! My group is terrific, the client is very committed, and we have good advisors; this is a great combination for a fulfilling project. We are doing a great immersion on our client business; we have been traveling for the past 4 weeks and a half, to get to know all its operations and complexities. It is very good, but also a lot of work, some days we worked for 14 to 15 hours. Although we are working a lot during the week, we did so to have our weekends free. This is a good way to go.
We are having a real consulting experience. Ross indeed is very good and put in practice all you read about team work.
It is fundamental to have a good group; we spend all the time together, so it is good to establish team dynamics.
We hope this week we will be able to have some fun during the week. We are planning to visit a winery on Wednesday.
I had a goal to better understand American Business and I am accomplishing it. This is a 100% American company and I am traveling to really small American cities. Very cool! I strongly recommend to international students who want to have a flavor of the American Business Way to do a domestic MAP.
Wolverine Venture Fund (WVF) is aware of MAP demands, so they kind of expect us to miss classes during this period. I miss its classes. Therefore, I end my MAP traveling this week and so I will be able to return to WVF classes. This Friday we are going to have our advisory meeting but unfortunately I will miss a great part of it because I will arrive in Ann Arbor at the end of the day.
Posted by rsoares at 02:04 PM | Comments (0)
MAP and Moustaches
We are approaching the midpoint of MAP, and my team just delivered a draft Phase 1 (of 2) report to our company sponsor, Pacific Gas & Electric. We also scheduled our final presentation, which will take place on-site in San Francisco at the end of April, so the project is really starting to come along.
With many first-year MBAs periodically out of town during MAP, things feel fairly quiet in Ann Arbor. The second years, most of whom are set on jobs and finished with many of their academic requirements, seem to be having a low-stress Winter B. I for one am looking forward to spending some time in Ann Arbor because I was traveling again last week, and I am hoping to take care of some personal stuff (taxes, bills, etc), and potentially make my way over to the gym (exercise recently has consisted of loading/unloading baggage from the overhead bins).
One thing I am looking forward to in Ann Arbor involves a special month-long event called the Rossstache. It is a Burt Reynolds-inspired contest in which participants grow facial hair as a way to raise money for charity (you can check out the details here: http://www.rosstache2008.blogspot.com/). If the connection eludes you, that perhaps is partly the point – but it is a great event and for a good cause. I have been unable to participate thus far because I've continued to interview for summer internships, but I'm hoping to make up for lost time this week. The competition ends on April 3rd.
Finally, everyone at Ross is gearing up for GBR, which is just a few weeks. I just wanted, once again, to encourage anyone on the fence to come check out Ann Arbor and see what Ross is all about!
Posted by leahyt at 01:51 AM | Comments (0)
March 20, 2008
MBA Babies
Maps are now going ahead at full speed. We are in the third week already! It’s amazing how time flies. Last week my team visited our sponsor company and learned more about the project at hand. Most of the rest of the work is going to be primary and secondary research and we will do it from Ann Arbor. Sometimes it’s hard to stay focused at home, since there are always things that seem to show up when you are trying to sit down to do work. I have been managing to work pretty well though. I’m meeting all my deadlines and feel that I have made considerable progress already. Our main challenge right now is in trying to find unity between our projects. The way our MAP was structured, the company assigned a part of the research to each of us, which kind of made it seem like we had four different projects. Since this isn’t really the spirit of MAP, we have been trying to tie our parts together so that we can deliver one cohesive report at the end.
Other BIG news is that I am going to be a daddy! My wife and I are super excited and just had our first ultrasound yesterday. The little one is doing just fine and should be coming along on October 17th. Now that I am going to be a family man, it gives me even more motivation to work hard and make the best out of my MBA experience. When I started my MBA at Ross, many people told me that the true meaning of MBA was “Making Babies in Ann Arbor”. I didn’t believe them at the time, but I guess I just made it truer than ever. I’m not the only one though; it’s amazing how many MBA babies are on their way!
Posted by jtlynch at 02:32 PM | Comments (0)
March 19, 2008
MAP and more!
MAP is going well. My team is great and we have great processes in place in order to do a good job with the project. I have learned a lot so far on the project about HR strategy and I feel thankful for the experience. The client is also very easy to work and has provided a lot of information to help the project go smoothly. We head back to NY next week to meet with the client and also to conduct more field work. I can say that its going by quickly. We are already in the 3rd week and MAP and there is a lot of work to do still.
One of the joys of having a domestic MAP is the flexibility with my schedule. My team has decided not to work as a team on the weekends and to leave that time for individual time. I will be leaving Ann Arbor for a couple of days to spend time with my family in Atlanta for Easter. I am excited to see them since I haven’t seen my family since Winter Break. Also next weekend, I will be participating in another case competition. This will be with Sony Marketing in Dallas. i am excited about the competition since I really like Sony products.
Before I leave I wanted to say - Congrats to the Round Two applicants. Please be sure to attend GBR, it is a wonderful experience. Go Blue!
Posted by alantria at 07:04 PM | Comments (0)
March 17, 2008
MAP
It has been a whirlwind couple of weeks. MAP started two weeks ago, so MBA1s regrouped in Ann Arbor for a few days and then spread out across the globe. I headed to San Francisco, specifically to Pacific Gas & Electric Company, where 5 of my classmates and I are doing some research relating to alternative energy technologies – this is exactly what I came to school to study and exactly what I want to be doing when I graduate, so the project is ideal for me. PG&E has been a great client and they kept us busy in SF – we had had a ton of meetings in which we learned all about the energy industry. Fascinating stuff, especially with all of the renewable energy activity taking place in California these days.
And it didn't hurt to spend a week out in beautiful San Francisco - my team and I managed to do a lot of exploring. Last weekend we biked from downtown SF across the Golden Gate Bridge and into Sausalito. We had lunch on the water (it was 70 degrees and sunny) and then took a boat across the bay back to SF. We also explored the city via cable car, had a great dinner in Chinatown, and met up with a few other MAP teams that were also working in the Bay area. All in all, it was an awesome trip.
My MAP team is now back in Ann Arbor for a few weeks – we will be meeting with faculty advisors, conducting primary research via conference calls, and starting to put together the early pieces of the final presentation and report that are due at the end of April. MAP is very much meeting the high expectations I had for it.
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Posted by leahyt at 08:38 PM | Comments (0)
March 12, 2008
The Big Three
Being so close to Detroit, the big three usually refers to Ford, GM and Chrysler. For this blog however, the big three are: MAP, internship and fall classes. The project our team is working on involves determining barriers to growth for remanufactured parts in Europe. We had our scoping meeting with our team sponsor last week and our team is off and running. The five other guys on my team are great and come from very different backgrounds, although 4 out of the 6 have engineering degrees (finance and economics round out the rest of the group). MAP got started with a couple of sessions were we discussed team interactions and communication techniques with our faculty coaches and have put our project and rules on paper now. We will be traveling to Europe in about two weeks where we will then spend two weeks meeting with parts distributors and meeting key stakeholders so that our proposal is as actionable as possible. Before we head to Europe though, we have a ton of work we must get done to prepare for our meetings and have a framework around the problem we are trying to solve. I am very excited about my project and have really enjoyed meeting and working with my new teammates.
Internship…Well, with so much going on with MAP I have not really gotten a chance to get to know my summer project team. Starting May 5, I will be spending the following 14 weeks working on a project for Intel based out of Chandler, Arizona. As part of my Tauber team, I am staffed with a PhD student and a masters of engineering student. I have interacted with them in class and during corporate project presentations and feel good about the way this summer will go. The project is not exactly crystal clear, so Intel is having us fly out to Arizona in early April to meet with them and talk about the details and nature of our project. What we do know is that it will involve their Houston and Costa Rica operations which we will visit and spend a good part of our time in. Being so busy with everything else, I just wish I had a little more time to spend on my internship prep, but like everything here at B-School it is about time management and trade-offs.
Lastly, I have to find out which classes I want to take next fall and bid on them. There are several classes I am interested and some that are requirements that I need to finish. On top of those, as part of Tauber I have to sign up for five credits of engineering courses. Putting all that in a blender and then being able to line up schedules is turning out to be a challenge. The other big variable in this is that the first part of the fall period is recruiting season and that takes a lot of time to really prep and be ready. Wanting to transfer into consulting means that I have a lot of work to do in terms of case practices and really sharpening my interviewing skills. Most MBAs probably had more interviews that those of us in Tauber, so going into the important full-time interviews I feel that I must prepare and practice to catch up with the rest of my class. My plan is to try and network as much as I can during the summer so that come fall I am ready to tackle the next big step in my MBA track, before it’s over :S
Posted by jolaiz at 11:38 AM | Comments (0)
March 11, 2008
MAP rocks.
Spring break was jam-packed with travel. I went to Minneapolis for a sell-day with a company that’s made me an internship offer, jetted to Kingston, Jamaica to visit one of my closest friends from college who is doing Peace Corps there, then scrambled back to Minneapolis for a final-round interview with another company. All in all, it was a very hectic yet fulfilling spring break.
I’m in the Czech Republic!!! My team and I arrived with hardly any hitches Sunday afternoon, so we have been here for a couple days now. Sunday after arrival I went for a run along the river next to the conference/hotel center with a fellow Ross classmate from another MAP team so that helped me recover from the travel. That night the whole group went into Prague for dinner and sightseeing, and then Monday we got down to work. There are approximately 35 MBA1’s here, working on 6 different MAP projects, so it’s a good crowd.
Today (Tuesday) we met with our project sponsor who really helped us to understand our project background and we spend several hours pounding through the scope of the project. Overall, I am having a great time working with my MAP team. Yes, spending hours on end with the same 5 people can be taxing on multiple levels, but I’m excited about our project, and I really believe that this is a great time in terms of the different skills we bring to the table.
On the top of my list of “Things to Do” list for tomorrow is to pick and bid on electives for next year. According to the lady who delivered the bidding workshop, 70% of the electives are 70% filled after bidding, so it’s highly probable that I’ll get the classes I want… now I just have to figure out which ones they might be. I’ll probably pick the classes by the reputation of the professors, and I still need to take my ethics/law requirement and communications requirement.
On the top of my list is also to plan out my travels for the next few weeks. After our return from Czech, my team and I will probably return to Europe for subsequent data collection projects in Germany and England. How awesome is that? After MAP and the conclusion of MBA1, I plan to visit my family in Taiwan for approximately one week. Then, it’s on to Koblenz, Germany, for a 3-week study-abroad program.
Highlights:
- Spending a week in Czech Republic for MAP; applying what I’ve learned, learning from my team, and meeting classmates
- Elected Healthcare and Life Science Club president; moreover, knowing that I have a great executive board with me, most of whom are my good friends so I’m extremely excited about next year
- Marathon training is still on track
Lowlights:
- Absolutely none
Things I’m looking forward to:
- Delivering a great MAP project
- Studying abroad at Koblenz, Germany
- Seeing my parents and friends from high school and college over the next few weeks
Posted by amyhuang at 06:11 PM | Comments (0)
March 09, 2008
Winter B and MAP
As I mentioned before, winter A ended. Spring break was great, I went back home in Sao Paulo, Brazil. There was warm, nice whether, and it is always good to meet family and friends. I am glad that the recruiting season ended well. I received several offers from the consulting companies, this is an excellent sign that Michigan indeed prepares us very well. I had a nice problem, to decide to which firm to go. I tell you, the decision was not easy. But I decided to go to McKinsey. Therefore I will work 3 out of the 4 summer vacation months. I prefer to do 12 week internship than 10, so I can better get a feeling and understanding of the company and opportunities.
Last week was the first week of MAP, our Multidisciplinary Action Project. I am trilled to work for InterfaceFabric, one of the sustainable icon companies. MAP, at least mine, looks like a real consulting project. This is very exciting. I am in a four person work team. We are all motivated and have excellent backgrounds. The client is very committed and willing to do this project. He prepared a lot of meetings, traveling and agenda for all of us. Today I am leaving to Maine and the following two weeks I will go to North Carolina. We are returning for the weekends. We are all looking forward to delivering a good analysis.
I expect none of you experience health problems during your MBA course, but sometime it happens. Last week I had a severe abdominal pain and went to the ER of the School Hospital. I have to tell you, they are very good and it is comforting to know that we have such a good health care system so nearby. Now I feel better and I have to follow up with some specific doctors. I hope you don’t, but if you need you will be in good hands.
As soon as I have more news from MAP I tell you!
Posted by rsoares at 05:16 PM | Comments (0)
March 05, 2008
MAP
Spring break is over and MAPs have started at full steam. After a full week of sitting on the warm Caribbean sand in nothing but shorts, coming back to the cold and snow was difficult. I had a great time in St. Barth. I went snorkeling, kite surfing, sat on the beach and relaxed a lot. It was a good opportunity to recharge the batteries and soak up some sun rays before my MAP which will certainly be very challenging.
MAPs started early on Monday morning, with a kickoff presentation and meetings with our team coaches, which are second years that help us in managing the team. On Monday afternoon we had a meeting with our faculty advisors who are the faculty contacts with our sponsor company. The project is starting to come together, and after a few conference calls and meetings this week, we will travel to New York and Connecticut next week to meet our client and start doing some serious work. I was really impressed by the amount of energy and preparation put in by our sponsor company, and also by the importance of the project to the company. It is clear to me now that the MAPs are true consulting projects which will add a lot of value to the sponsor companies.
My finance club duties have also started. I have meetings this week with the former Finance Club VPs to pick their brains for any advice and information they might have that will help me next year. I am also waiting for the feedback from my Career Counselor interview which should come out sometime soon. If I do get the Career Counselor position it will make for a very busy semester after summer, but I am sure it will be well worth the effort.
Posted by jtlynch at 10:20 PM | Comments (0)
Winter B Kick-Off
Well Spring break is over and I enter the last term of my MBA1 experience. For spring break, a couple of my classmates and I headed down to Ft. Lauderdale for a little sunshine and relaxation. I must say that it was an incredibly relaxing time to unwind from the busy term.
This term feels a bit different since I do not have any official classes other than MAP. I’ve spent most of this week in meetings with my team trying to get ramped up and ready for our client visit. We will travel to Equinox, which is in New York this Thursday and will stay for about 5 days. My team is very excited about working on the project and I think that it is going to be a truly rewarding experience and learning opportunity. The school has been helpful in getting the teams ready for MAP and ensuring that we are successful throughout the project. We were assigned many people to work with us such as a communication coach, faculty advisor, and team coach. The resources available are just all a testament to how Ross really focuses on the students getting the best academic experience possible. I will keep you guys posted on how things are going with MAP.
MAP is pretty much wrapping up the first year of my program and I am amazed at how quickly the first year went. One of the joys of being a second year is that I get to select my classes for next year. There are a ton of electives available to take and we start a process to select classes today. I have a couple of electives that I am interested in taking in Marketing, Strategy, and Management/Organizations. I will find out the results of my bidding in the next couple of weeks. I’ve also decided to study abroad for three weeks before I start my internship in Germany. Ross has a partnership with WHU-Otto Beisheim School of Management, which offers a class on The Changing Environment for International Business in Europe. About 25 MBA1s will attend the program. I must also say that Ross offers a lot of opportunities for students to gain international experience either through Study Abroad or course assignments. I am really looking forward to the opportunity.
Posted by alantria at 09:04 AM | Comments (0)