Leaving college basketball aside, March is clearly a month of madness at HBS.
In the last two weeks, viruses have run rampant within our community.
Classroom wireless access has gone haywire. The Boston weather has fluctuated from 65 degrees one day to snow flurries the next. And recent club elections have produced more Vice Presidents among our ranks than could be found within a multinational commercial bank.
Realizing that less than three months remain until graduation, second year students have found themselves embroiled in dilemma. Which pre-graduation trek to take – Ireland or Ibiza? And where to spend the summer – Nicaragua or Nice?
Those EC’s who have accepted jobs have taken ‘networking’ (primarily with other soon-to-be-employed classmates) to an unprecedented level.
The frequency of must-go social events has increased fivefold. Mondays have become indistinguishable from Fridays.
Adding to the insanity are those who have not yet sealed their post-MBA fates. For these students, a more formal sort of networking occurs, though at an equally frenetic pace. Between field studies and phone calls, conferences and meetings over coffee, those in professional limbo are likely to scream, “STOP ASKING ALREADY!” to all who inquire about their future plans.
And the madness seems to be contagious, spreading both into other students and other forms.
RC’s have begun to worry that their careers are doomed as they have not yet attained (or even discovered) that perfect internship. Those who have not yet dropped the ‘banking 20’ (a phenomenon not unlike the ‘freshman 15’) have spent the most of the month-to-date at Shad, furiously preparing for spring break. Still others, who expected to find a soul-mate at HBS but who are still looking for love, have fallen into a state of disheartened despair.
Truth be told, we all came to HBS with a set of goals, or at least a vague idea of what we hoped to accomplish in our twenty months here. Now that it’s March, we’re forced to confront our progress. Where are we? Is it where we thought we would be? Are we happy with the experience we’ve had?
It’s easy to get caught up in what we should be doing or should have done and to become consumed by the chaos that is HBS – making it all the more important to reflect on what we’re getting out of the experience.
Chances are, even if you’re off the track you had planned for yourself, you’ve probably accomplished things that you didn’t expect to achieve, or found friends in people you didn’t expect to like.
The point? Ignore Shakespeare. Embrace the Ides of March, make a point to leave the school or your section without any regrets, and enjoy whatever madness comes your way.
Anne Ristau
Editor In Chief
