ONE-YEAR AT GOIZUETA: RACHEL PETERSEN – SEVEN TIPS TO SURVIVE THE SUMMER
I can’t believe how quickly the summer came and went. It feels like just yesterday I was in my first week of school being handed my bright blue core values t-shirt…by the way, have I mentioned Goizueta’s core values? Every school has their own values but Emory’s are truly embedded within the culture. A great example of this is the core value awards handed out every semester where students nominate their peers who demonstrated one of the values. Don’t worry – as a student you don’t have to memorize them. They are on the back of your name cards that you bring to class every day but it’s important you know what they stand for and it might be useful to know for your application *wink wink nudge nudge.
To help you learn about them, I’ve come up with seven tips to help future one-year students conquer the summer and each tip is related to one of the values.
- Courage – This is the time to make mistakes and learn from them. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, voice your opinion, and challenge the status quo.
- Integrity – You won’t have a GPA but it’s important to keep up with the coursework. Be a good group member and always come to class prepared.
- Accountability – This applies to schoolwork but keep your commitments and make time for your loved ones whether it be a significant other, friends, or family.
- Rigor – Don’t forget about the career stuff. Have the discipline to reach out to alumni, explore career options, and practice those behavioral and case questions.
- Diversity – Focus on building relationships. Be open-minded and genuinely interested in learning about others. You can learn a lot from your classmates and you never know who will end up helping you with your accounting homework or introducing you to someone at your dream company.
- Team – Have outings with your core team. You will work on group projects with the same five people throughout the summer. It’s easy to get caught up with schoolwork but take time to grab dinner or explore the city together.
- Community – Get involved! The summer is busy but there are several opportunities to contribute and give back such as running for the class representative or participating in clubs like the One-Year Advisory Council.
Celebrating the end of the first block
Braves game mixer to meet the evening MBA students
Team Spice celebrating the end of Block II – we did it!
That’s all you need to know to get through the summer. If I had to do it over again, I would tell myself to enjoy having the business school building all to yourself, don’t worry so much about grades, and never ever…forget your morning coffee.