Studying Abroad – Challenging First Week

1 year ago, I never would have thought that I would be going on a European road trip with people from Japan, Greece, Spain, Argentina, London, and Kuwait.

Almost every time I sit down to eat, I have an average number of 6 different countries at my table. Studying abroad at a truly international MBA program was one of the best decisions I made. I am reminded constantly that while the United States does lead in culture sharing, there are more economies, politics, social areas all over the world. I have never known so much about Capital Markets, Political Elections and culture than before now.

~UPDATE~

This was the first week of Term 1 and let me say it was a lot! I have now read over 112 pages in case studies, 56 pages in reading material, listened to 210 minutes of Financial Times podcasts and been in at least 3 meetings or networking sessions a day. It’s been challenging but I have really enjoyed it. It’s dawned on me that my brain hasn’t been exercised like this in awhile and I really missed it. Practicing leading, figuring out who I am and who I want to be, constantly contributing to conversations and classes while sleeping 4-5 hours every night will definitely be worth it.

~FUN~

Last weekend, I took a trip to Palamos, Spain with my team. At IESE (my school), we have about 380 people in my cohort which are then separated into 6 sections composed of 65-70 students and then each section is then further divided into teams of 9-10 individuals. More than likely, there is never more than 1 person from a country on a team which makes for great diverse conversations. In Palamos, we went snorkeling, ate, danced and bonded.

~EVENTS~

This week, I was asked to take pictures of our Women in Business Kickoff event. Being asked to photograph was nice and I must say I had a blast. I remember when I had years that I probably took like 1 picture so for people to really appreciate and want me to do this, it feels great. I don’t think photography will ever be my full time passion, but it is a nice, fun thing to do on the side. There are so many great women to meet here and I was happy to capture this memory. This event gave me ideas on what’s next so stay tuned 🙂

~LEARNINGS~

My favorite case this week was about Carla Harris, a strong Black woman in Investment Banking (my focus). Carla is the Global Vice Chairman of Wealth Management at Morgan Stanley but more importantly, she is a BOSS. I’ve realized, the reason I really enjoy the case study learning method is because we learn about real world examples and applications. Some things I took away from her are:

1. What made her special was that her personal life was just as important as her professional life and they both made her stronger independently
2. Be willing to take risks; BE FEARLESS
3. Be Denise. When people see people who are confident and comfortable in their own skin, people gravitate towards them.
4. The secret to growing your power is giving it away.
5. It is easier to beg for forgiveness than ask for forgiveness. You can’t give people the power to say no.
6. If you meet a man who thinks they’re you’re much for him, he’s right. Don’t apologize for your success.
7. Get the blessing of the lesson. Get up and move on.
8. You don’t ask, you don’t get.

What I’m going to work on this week:

1. Staying organized/on top of my schedule
2. Integrating the gym more into my routine
3. Learning more about photography/video editing
4. Get ready for my family to come visit me next week