April 08, 2008
So much going on...
April 8, 2008
The past few weeks have been awesome – I’ve been able to travel extensively and work on a project that is still pretty neat. Prague was fantastic. Considering that the trip was in the pipeline for so many months, I’m really glad the experience was pretty much as I imagined. The project itself is still interesting and challenging. After Prague, members of my team and I returned to Ann Arbor to figure out what our next steps will be.
I ended up staying in Ann Arbor through the end of March, which worked out great because I was able to attend a luncheon with the Vice Chairman of Johnson and Johnsons. Her acceptance speech (she is the recipient of this year’s Women in Leadership Award) definitely made me glad to be going into healthcare. That last weekend in March I also went to a regatta to cheer on my alma mater (University of Rochester) as they battled University of Michigan and a few other schools.
The very next day I flew to Chicago with a MAP project teammate to attend a conference for our project and we were able to speak with some cardiologists who had some good insights. The demographics of conference was strikingly homogenous (take a guess) and that makes me glad to be attending Michigan.
After Chicago, it was on to Brussels, Belgium, where my team met up. The opportunity to visit Brussels (who does this for a class project!?!) was awesome, and then I also traveled to London with another teammate to conduct an interview with a cardiologist there. Another cool travel experience.
Prior to these past few weeks I haven’t traveled much in Europe, so this exposure definitely opened my eyes and makes me appreciate my business school experience even more. I’m currently writing this on the return flight, from Brussels to Chicago. It’s actually nice to be returning to Ann Arbor for a few weeks. Finishing up the MAP project shouldn’t be too bad, and then it’ll be packing up my apartment (moving to another one in the Fall) and then on to the summer.
Highlights:
- Traveling: Spending a week in Czech Republic for MAP; applying what I’ve learned, learning from my team, and meeting classmates, some who I swear I have never seen before. Visiting Belgium, Luxembourg, and London.
- Getting to know my MAP teammates better – some who I now consider to be good friends.
- Elected Healthcare and Life Science Club president; moreover, knowing that I have a great executive board with me
- Marathon training is on track and getting intense
- Getting more information about my internship and seeing where everyone else will be this summer
Lowlights:
- Not bidding enough points for some classes.
- London was pretty expensive
Things I’m looking forward to:
- Delivering a great MAP project.
- GBR – I’m a student host and HLS is hosting a happy hour!
- Studying abroad at Koblenz, Germany in May.
- Seeing my parents and friends from high school and college over the next few weeks.
- Summer internship in southern California
- Being a career counselor next year
Posted by amyhuang at 07:03 PM | 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)
February 26, 2008
Good problems
Winter A is officially over. Well, I have to make up a final after spring break and before leaving for the Czech Republic for MAP, but Winter A is essentially over. Recruiting is almost all over. Just have some final decisions to make, which is tougher than it sounds. It’s a great problem to have though.
As the incoming President for the Healthcare and Life Science (HLS) Club, here’s my shameless plug for the organization: it’s incredible. From a recruiting standpoint, I can’t think of a single active HLS MBA1 who did not get multiple offers. From an educational standpoint, most of us are well-versed in the industry lingo and will likely be successful at jumpstarting our internships. All this is due to the club. HLS this year had more educational and networking activities than any other that I’ve joined, and its MBA2’s were more helpful and generous with their time than any other.
As for Spring Break, I’m heading to Jamaica for a few days to visit my friend from college who’s doing Peace Corps there. Can’t wait. In fact, my plane leaves in less than four hours! The temperature change is one which I welcome.
I also have to decide on my electives for next Fall. There are a handful that I have heard only good things about, so I definitely want to take those. I’m not sure how many more marketing and finance classes I’ll take, since I’ve taken electives in them already. Again, another great problem to have: too many great electives to choose from.
Highlights:
- Hard work + great school = multiple internship offers
- Back on track with my marathon training
- Success across the board with recruiting among my friends
- All electives from here
- MAP! First-choice project! Czech Republic!
Lowlights:
- Core classes with my section are officially over.
Things I’m looking forward to:
- MAP?!?
- Studying abroad at Koblenz, Germany
Posted by amyhuang at 03:44 AM | Comments (0)
February 02, 2008
I have an internship!
I have an internship! The networking, mock-interviewing, researching, and etc. have paid off, and I received my first offer yesterday. I would be remised if I fail to mention that I’ve also been dinged by a few companies, some of which were high on my list, but this first offer is pretty sweet. I’m just relieved and can slightly relax now and maybe focus on class.
I’m just so fortunate to be where I am right now. I definitely would not have been as prepared as I was for interview season without the help of MBA2’s from the OCD (Office of Career Development) and the Healthcare and Life Science Club. Next year I’m definitely going to give back as much as I received, which is immeasurable.
Coursework definitely took a backseat to recruiting the past two weeks, and now I feel I can actually re-focus on the classroom material. The core classes this term are not comparable to those of Fall B. However, they’re on topics I know little to nothing about so I still want to stay focused.
My MAP assignment (my #1 choice!) is a healthcare incubator in Europe. In a few short weeks I’ll be traveling to Czech Republic with my MAP team. There’ll actually be 5 or 6 other MAP’s at the same site, so it’s going to be tremendously fun. A great learning experience, sure. But, working and visiting Prague with friends is going to be amazing.
Highlights:
- INTERNSHIP OFFER!
- Pre-interview dinners hosted by companies at the fancy restaurants in Ann Arbor
Lowlights:
- Interviews day-in and day-out
Things I’m looking forward to:
- MAP
- Spring break at the end of February
Posted by amyhuang at 02:16 PM | Comments (0)
January 13, 2008
The Circus that is Recruiting
The winter semester has kicked into high gear, and it’s only the start of the 2nd week. The bankers have their interviews this week, and the consultants this week and next. Some of the Consumer Product Goods interviews are also this week, so it’s somewhat fun to witness the circus. Most of my interviews are next week, so I’m sure this time next week I won’t be in such a relaxed mood.
I’ve had several mock interviews since October with second year MBA’s and with some recent alum representing their companies, so I feel almost ready. It’s probably one of those things where you can’t ever be fully prepared. I definitely feel that this whole process is as much of an art as it is a regimented process. Alas, as the saying goes, luck comes to those who are prepared.
My classes are a let-down so far this semester. It may be the fact that they’re following exceptionally good classes last term and that recruiting has taken over everyone’s priority. All my groups for the classes this term are self-selected, that means I get to pick who I work with, which is a nice change from last term’s mandatory groups. I’m working with a few section-mates who I haven’t worked with before, so it’s refreshing and a good exercise in teamwork.
This past Thursday I was a part of a Leadership Crisis Challenge (LCC), a 24-hour case competition that pitted two teams from each section against each other in a crisis situation. Each of the teams got the case at 6PM and had until midnight to turn in the deliverable, and then prepare for a press conference the next morning. Though my team didn’t advance to the final round, we had a great time working together and I learned a lot from that experience in terms of operating with a strict time frame.
I’ve submitted my MAP selections (ranking of my top 10 most preferred projects) so it’ll be great to find out which project will be mine in a few weeks. From what I hear, it’s really what you make of it, so I’m just hoping for cool teammates and a fun location. I’m really hoping for a MAP that works with a start-up company in Europe. I’ve also applied for a 3-week study abroad course in Germany for May. That’ll be another great opportunity.
Highlights:
- Getting back in the swing of things
- Close listed for some companies for interviews
- Leadership Crisis Challenge
Lowlights:
- Lots of time-intensive projects
Things I’m looking forward to:
- Interviewing, or rather, being finished with the interviews (same from last blog)
- Finding out my MAP assignment
- Spring break at the end of February
Posted by amyhuang at 11:24 PM | Comments (0)
December 31, 2007
R&R&R&R
This winter break has treated me exceptionally well. I’ve hung out with my family and friends from high school and college, and gotten lots of the 4 R’s: rest, relax, read, and run. There’s still a few more days before the start of Winter A, so I’m taking full advantage of not having to wake up before noon.
I’ve also spent some of the down time preparing for the impending interview season – hopefully I’ll have some interviews! I’m slightly nervous and excited – I feel like I’ve done my due diligence so we’ll see what happens.
The MAP list was released last week and there are some awesome projects. I’m really hoping to get one in Europe and in the healthcare industry, but the process is out of my control, aside from my ranking of my top 10 choices.
My Winter A courses will be predominantly quantitative: Management Accounting, Valuations, Operations, and maybe World Economy. I’m applying to do a 3-week exchange program in Germany, which will be another great experience, according to alum and MBA2’s, and they haven’t led me astray yet.
Happy New Year, and Good luck with those Round 2 applications!
Highlights:
- Seeing family and friends
- Getting those 4 R’s in
Lowlights:
- None – it’s winter break!
Things I’m looking forward to:
- Interviewing, or rather, being finished with the interviews
- Winter A core classes with my section mates and electives with other sections
- Finding out my MAP assignment
Posted by amyhuang at 05:23 PM | Comments (0)
December 11, 2007
Finals week
I just want to drop a quick "Thank You" for those who've emailed me with comments and follow-up questions on my blog.
Several of you have inquired about the transition to b-school, especially from a non-traditional background. While it hasn't been 100% stress-free, it really hasn't been that hard. Everyone is coming from different backgrounds, so we're kind of all in the same boat in that respect. I've really focused on leveraging my skills that I'm confident about, and then really capitalizing on the collegiality of my classmates to fill in the gaps.
It’s finals week, so deadlines are everywhere. I’m pretty excited about finishing up and then having some stretch of time to relax.
Good luck to those of you who are wrapping up the round 2 applications!
Posted by amyhuang at 02:06 PM | Comments (0)
December 07, 2007
T'was the week before finals...
Only two more days of classes left, which is slightly bittersweet. Marketing with Professor Nordhielm has been an amazing class for me, and I’m just hoping that my marketing electives are similarly excellent. Another class that I’ve really enjoyed is Finance, so I’m looking forward to taking Valuations next term in Winter A, which will be a whirlwind of recruitment interviews, MAP project preparations, and three quantitative courses (Valuations, Management Accounting, and Operations.)
In retrospect, this term was definitely more challenging than Fall A, due to the increase in team projects and assignments. Finding common hours among a group of MBA’s together is no easy feat. I’ve definitely learned more about my classmates and about working with teams. Some people continue to surprise me with their work ethic, their insights, and the overall energy they bring to the table.
I’ve also met a bunch of MBA2’s, both socially and professionally. I don’t know if they realize how helpful they’ve been to my internship search, but it’s definitely a lever that’s helped tremendously in the past weeks.
A fantastic thing happened this past Tuesday evening. A few Deucers (fellow section 2 classmates) and I were sitting around in the b-school’s lobby finishing up some work when we decided to continue hanging out at Good Time Charley’s, a bar/restaurant down the street. It turned into happy hour and karaoke. Hopefully we’ll repeat this.
This upcoming week is going to be insane. I have three papers and a Finance final. In addition, I’m wrapping up my Community Consulting Club (CCC) engagement. CCC partners with local non-profits to provide consulting services while giving MBA’s and BBA’s the opportunity to make an impact in the local community.
I still don’t know what I’m doing for winter break. I thought I would travel, but I think I’m just going to stay put and really focus on drafting cover letters and preparing for interviews.
Highlights:
- Doing better than I thought I would on my finance midterm
- Meeting a new people
- Networking with some key people in the companies I’m pursuing for an internship
- Tuesday night impromptu karaoke with my section mates
- Happy Hour on Thursday
Lowlights:
- Work, work, work. And, work. (It’s Friday night, and I’m at the library with a couple friends…)
- Ann Arbor has officially frozen over
- Missing some key recruiting events, having to pick and choose, and etc. (Repeat from last blog.)
- Not finding enough discipline to run more (Repeat from last blog.)
Things I’m looking forward to:
- Tomorrow’s hockey game!
- Reading for fun
- Seeing family and high school and college friends over winter break
- Winter A classes
- Interviewing
- MAP projects list – they’ve been teasing us about this long enough…
Posted by amyhuang at 09:40 PM | Comments (0)
December 02, 2007
Still loving it.
Before I forget, my email address is amyhuang@umich.edu , if you want to ask me about anything I’ve written. Also, if there’s something you (the reader) would like me to blog about, feel free to email me as well.
I can’t believe how fast time is flying by. I am almost finished with Fall B, so the end of class is fast approaching. Recruiting is on full-speed now, and yes, I’m still loving Ross.
Last Tuesday, the day before Thanksgiving break, my Brand Management class held a focus group on Miller Lite, our topic, and we had a great turnout from our section mates. Imagine twenty MBA’s sitting together to discuss beer – and you have the focus group. We collected excellent data and had a lot of fun – business school in essence.
Over Thanksgiving Break, I visited New York City to spend some time with my brother and cousins. It was fantastic to see my family and get away from school for a little bit. It was also great to return to school and see my friends here again – it’s amazing how close I’ve grown to some people!
Yesterday I played Dodge Ball with my section. We got slaughtered (0-6, can’t be great at EVERYTHING!) but again, it was a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to other similar events that take us out of our elements.
Last week my marketing group presented our mini-case to class. I think it was well-received by our peers but not by the professor and the TA. I really like how the professor has us writing and presenting the case, because it was absolutely a great learning experience – lots of work, but a great experience.
My recruiting is going pretty well – I didn’t realize how consuming it’d be, but I think I have a good handle on it. The MBA2’s have been un-quantifiably helpful, offering their free times for panels, 1-1 chats, mock interviews, and so on. I’ve definitely taken advantage of their help, and hopefully I’ll get a fabulous internship.
Highlights:
- The Ohio State Game – that was nuts! Even though we didn’t win, we still had a good time that night, enjoying the crazy crowd that was in town.
- Classes – I’m loving them all.
- Hockey game – fun
Lowlights:
- The Ohio State Game – we didn’t win.
- Missing some key recruiting events, having to pick and choose, and etc.
- Not finding enough discipline to run more
Things I’m looking forward to:
- More hockey games
- Winter break – not sure where I’ll be yet
- Winter A class
- Getting this whole recruitment process over
- MAP projects list
Posted by amyhuang at 03:49 PM | Comments (0)
November 10, 2007
They said we'd be busy...
These past few days have been insanely busy but equally rewarding and exciting. On Wednesday I visited Baxter in Chicago with several other MBAs to learn about Baxter’s Marketing internship. We got to meet with alumni at Baxter and talk with them one-on-one extensively, which was probably the best part of the trip. I’m constantly amazed by the impact Ross alumni are having in the field. It’s one thing to read about hear about the stories, but another to actually meet and speak with people who are doing exactly what I hope to do when I graduate.
Thursday continued the ultra-packed schedule. It went something like this:
7AM – wake up to finish HW and reading
10:20 – 12:40 – Finance class
12:40 – 1:30 - Lunch was with the Dean, who wanted to hear how our (Sections 1 and 2) year’s going. It was really neat to have his audience.
1:30 – 2:10 – change into suit and send out some emails
2:10 – 3:30 – Organizational behavior class; I switched nametags with my friend Sam who sat next to me, and promptly forgot about it. Midway through class I raised my hand to answer a question and the professor called me, “Sam.” The entire class had a good laugh.
3:30 – left class early to prepare for the Abbott case presentation
4:00 – 4:30 – case presentation
4:30 – 5 – met up with fellow classmates to go to the Dean’s house for a Women’s Initiative event. Michigan definitely is very supportive of women in business and it’s cool to see this in action.
6PM, I returned to school for the case competition closure. My Abbott team finished second, so we got to wine and dine with the judges the West End Grill – fancy food. What a cool experience!
10PM – went to a grad-school mixer at Vinology, it was packed and I wish I could stay, but left soon after to crash.
Friday opened (another reason I went home early) with an early morning mock interview and a meeting with my marketing team to decide on what brand/company we were going to spend the next few weeks researching. We’re thinking of o.b. tampons which will be fun to present, but we’ll see on what the team votes on tomorrow.
It’s not all work and no play though! Friday night I attended an Ice Hockey game with a friend, and I had a great time. Having attended a small undergraduate college (the University of Rochester in Rochester, NY), attending Division I sports games has been a really cool perk to business school. Speaking of which, Ohio State is next weekend! Talk about once-in-the-lifetime experience!!
Highlights since last blog:
- Marketing professor IS all she’s hyped up to be
- Finance professor is CRAZY… he’s making finance really challenging but fun as well
- Trip to Chicago to visit Baxter and meet alumni
- Abbott Case competition
- Meeting new people, especially working with different people in case competitions and class projects
Lowlights:
- Interview season is about to hit!!!
- The chill’s definitely here
Looking forward to:
- Meeting more people
- Running and rock climbing more
- Section activities
- Marketing and Finance
- Ohio State game (I’m not even a football fan, but the experience should be one of those “once in a lifetime” deals)
- More case competitions!
Posted by amyhuang at 04:02 PM | Comments (0)
October 31, 2007
here we go again
During Fall break last week I attended the West Coast Forum with about 100 of my closest Ross friends. I was one of the lucky people to tour Google and Cisco. It’s really amazing what awesome work can be created when you put top minds together. It was also great to meet alumni and just hang out with my friends in a non-academic setting. I also visited the high school I used to teach at, and it was really good to see how some of my students matured. It also really makes me appreciate my experience teaching and now being a student.
Fall B began this week as anti-climactically as Fall A ended. Marketing and Finance should be blockbuster courses, as they combine creative thinking and analytical skills. I’m psyched! Work is already piling on, but I think I have a better grasp of prioritizing this term.
I definitely also need to focus on my role with the Community Consulting Club, where I am leading the team of BBA’s and MBA’s to consult with the National Association for Multicultural Education. This ends in merely 6 weeks, so I need to carve chunks of time out of the next few weeks.
After the spectacular experience with the Medtronic case competition, I’ve entered another one with another group of friends. They’re awesome to work with as well, and I’m excited about our project so far. These cases do suck the time out of space though. They’ve definitely been one of the better uses of my time. Highly recommended.
Good book I’ve recently read: The Tipping Point... finding time to read at school is definitely something I've prioritized.
Ann Arbor’s about to ice over. Good thing I’m inside almost all day.
Highlights since last blog:
- Doing well in all of my Fall A courses
- West Coast Forum: seeing old friends and hanging out with new friends ; networking with alumni
- Return of my laptop
Lowlights:
- Recruiting season is well underway and slightly over-whelming
Looking forward to:
- Running and rock climbing more
- The section activities
- Marketing and Finance
- Ohio State game (I’m not even a football fan, but the experience should be one of those “once in a lifetime” deals)
Posted by amyhuang at 08:23 PM | Comments (0)
October 20, 2007
Introduction from Amy
Hello!
I come from a “non-traditional” background, aka, when people ask, “What’d you do before business school?” the facial expression they give after hearing my response is a mix of surprise and confusion. So, brace yourself. Before b-school, I was a Teach for America corps member, teaching high school science in Oakland, California at BEST High School, a new small school at the McClymond’s Educational Complex, focused on business and entrepreneurship. (Big shout out to my former students and colleagues!) Teaching biology and chemistry at BEST was an amazing experience; I learned tremendously from my students and colleagues, both about the issues of education equity and about my personal leadership strengths and weaknesses.
I went directly into teaching after graduating from the University of Rochester, in upstate New York, with a BS in Biomedical Engineering. Rounding out the reverse chronology of my background, I grew up in Kingston, New York, about 2 hours north of NYC. From BME to teaching to MBA, my professional development has taken several abrupt twists, but I’ve loved every bit of it, and this good fortune continues here at Ross.
How did I get to Ross? I attribute it mostly to good luck. I mean, I’m young. In applying for schools, I recognize that with only two years of work experience, I had to really demonstrate my intellectual capacity, how my Teach for America experience has shaped me into a future leader of some significance, and how great a fit Ross will be. And it has been an amazing fit.
All clichés aside, it’s really about the people here. And, of course, I need to give my caveat of how some fellow peers make me wonder how they got into this school, but those people are definitely in the minority. Most of the people here, especially those in my section (Deuce!) have been amazing: really bright, good-humored, and overall fun to learn with and from. I’m definitely looking forward to getting to know each of them better in our time together.
It’s not just the people in my section who have really impressed me. Recently I entered a case competition team with friends from another section (Section 3), and, although the project took much longer than any of us anticipated, we had a great time (or, at least, I did) dissecting the case and synthesizing our recommendations. I would be remised to leave out the result: we ended up as the Runner-Up (with the winners being MBA1’s from Sections 2 and 3, as well), so it was definitely a great first case-competition experience!
I’m also in another team projects – they’re definitely the norm here – for my Strategy class. This one has proven, again, more challenging that what my teammates and I anticipated initially. The biggest challenge has actually been in finding time to read the papers and actually writing. I think that’s going to be a major challenge for these next two years: finding time to execute plans.
Lastly, I want to conclude with other highlights/lowlights of my MBA experience:
MBA Games – day-long inter-section competition; it was competitive, and lots of fun. Section two came back from last year’s last place standing to third this year. We won some key events and, more importantly, I think that’s where my section really bonded.
Computer breakdown – after getting my computer set up and running well, the LCD broke. It’s definitely frustrating not to have my laptop, but, illustrating the generosity of my classmates, my friend Joe has let me borrow his old laptop for the past 3 or 4 weeks.
Getting my car towed – lesson learned, thank you City of Ann Arbor: read those street signs…
Penny Wars – raising money for Free the Children. Wow! It’s unbelievable how much our class raised in one week: almost $12,000!!
Looking forward to:
West Coast Forum – networking with the alum there, and visiting companies that I’m interested in for my internship.
Fall B classes – marketing with Professor Nordheim! I really like how classes are only 7 weeks long.
Posted by kkellerz at 08:23 PM | Comments (0)