Renee Sauerland, MBA '09
5:30 am: Someone answer the darn phone. Seriously...but, wait that's me. Is it really time to get up?
5:35 am: I MUST get up and greet the day! Five hours sleep is normal, right? Arising to the thought that most Americans are still cozy in their beds does not sit well, but it can always be worse. I take 5 minutes to get a drink of water and begin a morning personal devotion; 5 minutes is all I have - done. I'm thinking of exercising, thinking, and we'll go with no today.
Working with a competent and proactive team has been a significant attribute of the program, but this morning I must revise a paper we simply didn't have sufficient time to finish. After all, there are so many projects and only so much time in the day. Maybe if I finish quickly I can get 10 more minutes of sleep.
6:30 am: The sleep was a good thought, but getting a shower and ready for a team meeting before class may be a necessity.
7:20 am: I am leaving for the 20 minute drive to Oxford. The drive seems sometimes a lifetime, but other teammates come farther so I shouldn't complain. I wish this car would hurry up. I would love to pick-up Starbucks.
8:05 am: Well, no Starbucks and the team meeting is underway a few minutes late. Our discussion involves the development of a new product for our New Product/Service Development course. We begin by setting the agenda, expectations and the timeline for execution.
9:50 am: Dismiss from the group meeting and hurry to pick-up a new prospective student at the MBA office. Oops, I missed him. Okay, off to class.
10:00 am: Introduce myself to the new prospective that I missed in the MBA office. What is Tim listening to today? Geez, this is awful! Every Tuesday and Thursday we are greeted by one of our professors with various music selections. Sometimes fun, other times it is painful.
Moving on, Tim is discussing the final exam. This may require extensive review. Schedule in my planner - done and done!
We move on to discussing evaluation methodologies and their application. It is interesting, but I'm not sure everything is sinking in. I hope he provides - there they are - slides with examples. The discussion my group just had regarding our next project may have to be extended. Mandatory components our professor is talking about right now were not fully discussed in detail and must be expounded upon.
11:50 am: Class is over and we're off to lunch. Typically we leave Laws Hall to run off to Bell Tower (on-campus eatery) or an off-campus restaurant. Those are the days I wish I had saved more before beginning the program. On a positive note, I'm hosting a prospective student with a fellow MBA classmate today and that means we are having lunch on the MBA program today.
12:00 pm: The 1809 Room, the University's formal dining room, is empty, but will soon be filled with faculty, staff and students. The prospective student has many valid questions over lunch. I hope we can bring across all the great reasons why we came to do the Miami MBA: extended internship, global consultancy, accelerated program, financial assistance.
1:15 pm: It is now time to walk the prospective student back for his final interview. I say my goodbyes and am off to read some more finance. Read. Read. Read and read some more - ok, time for class!
2:00 pm: Capital Acquisition is a challenge, but superb class. Our professor, Dr. Shrider, is engaging and thorough. I simply cannot say enough about the interest faculty have in our success. Test results...ok, life is good.
Two groups must now present on their assigned finance research paper. Wait, excuse me, are you speaking English? I may need to review this one! Hold on. The concepts are making more sense - the explanation and team's ability to break the concept into pieces was fabulous. Now it is time for the second team. Real world application and examples - love their style and communication. The third exam for finance is next week - I better schedule time with Dr. Shrider and on my calendar for review.
4:00 pm: My team has a brief meeting. This New Product project may be challenging, but exciting at the same time. We go over our responsibilities and we're off to do some work!
5:00 pm: This afternoon I have the opportunity to attend a discussion in Hall Auditorium. Steven Van Andel is the Co-CEO of Amway and Miami MBA alum. What an excellent opportunity to hear about the challenges of rising within the ranks of a successful company and interact with an accomplished graduate of the program.
7:15 pm: Arriving home to a welcoming, adorable set of 3-year-olds. I get a few hugs and hear the stories of the day. The girls want to show me the "homework" they completed with grandma and then talk about their days. Dinner is ready. Yum. Moving back in with my parents was the best idea I've had all year, other than the MBA, of course.
7:45 pm: Back to work - this evening I am focusing on the Procter & Gamble internship assignment. I've been given the opportunity to determine the impact a transition to digital television will have on North American advertising production. I feel privileged to work on the project, but I'm so tired also!
12:30 am: I think it is best for me to sleep. I'm falling, falling and out before my head hits the pillow.
Last modified on 11/19/08 | Content maintained by MBA Program
