What I love about the UCLA FEMBA experience

Disclaimer: I'm not one to gush but right now I'm stressed  about a load of homework and upcoming midterms so this post is an attempt to focus on the silver lining.

I know it's only been 4 weeks but here goes in no particular order, what I'm loving about FEMBA life:


1. Our statistics professor - He's warm, easy-going, knowledgeable and funny. As someone pointed out, it helps that he even looks a little like Letterman. Also, he conducts snazzy online office hours on weeknights, which totally ups his cool factor. (Speaking of funny and cool, our Admisssions Director DS and Dean FG belong to that category as well!)


2. The carpool camaraderie - When you have to spend fours hours in the car with three other people every Saturday, you really appreciate the ability to have stimulating conversations with them. A, C, V and I discuss everything from finance to family and from class politics to country politics. I would love to share some of our more *interesting* discussions here but I'm bound by the "What's discussed in the car, stays in the car" vow. (I can tell this much though - A gets a Macy's gift card from us for his wedding, whenever that is.)


3. The surprise perks - I scored a free ticket to Disneyland! Some of our classmates who work at Disney very generously pooled together their perks to get a bunch of us free entry. There was a lottery, and for the first time in my life, I won at something like that! I've never been to Disneyland and now I'm getting to go for free with an awesome set of people.:)


4. The upcoming, much hyped Halloween party on the night after mid-terms!
Excerpt from the email from the student council:
Top 5 Worst Excuses Not To Go To FEMBA Halloween Party 2010- Debunked. 

5) I have to study.

Dumb.com. If you're studying on Saturday of Halloween weekend, that just makes me sad.

4) It's too expensive.  

Seriously? You're paying $$$K for your MBA, and you're flipping out about $70? Perspective, dude. Perspective. 

3) I don't have anything to wear.

Then go naked. There. You came as a streaker. Clever.

2) I don't drink.

There's plenty of other things to do (like watching others drink).

1) None of my friends are going.

Make new ones. I never liked your friends anyway.


5. Facebook community - It's heartening to see classmates commiserate over painful homework, cheer for each others' job successes, and laugh together over silly pictures from weekly post-class happy hours.


6. My study group - It could have been so wrong, but thankfully it feels right....We were all assigned random study groups and I'm very glad to be part of an affable yet assertive and sincere group. 

7. Last but not the least, I'm stoked about the ski-snowboard trip being planned for the week after finals!


With that, I'm off to hit the books. We have mid-terms next week and if I mess that up I'll be writing a "I hate FEMBA and I wish I hadn't jinxed myself" post here.