SEMESTER SERIES : GISELLE BARRERA – The end of the first semester and “Dinner with the Dean”
The first semester of my Goizueta MBA was probably one of the busiest most challenging periods of my life. All the core courses are so content intensive that it’s hard to process all the information you are receiving at once. You are also adjusting to working with new people and networking with companies, figuring out what your dream job is and then working very hard towards getting it.
But after final exams are over and you have a few days of peace, you look back and realize just how much you are able to accomplish in such a short period of time, and this is possible because you are pushed out of your comfort zone. The first semester pushes you to pass that breaking point when you think you are too tired, have burned your last fuel or just want to go back home. You are pushed by your teammates, your professors, people from the program office and even second years, who will tell you to “Hang in there! You got this!” when they can see it in your face that the core semester is taking its toll on you. And once you look back and realize you did it, it’s a great feeling.
The end of the semester at Goizueta brings a lot of fun activities, from “Section Feud”, where we are able to vote for our classmates who are “Most likely to…” achieve certain milestones. The options go from who will be the first millionaire to who is the friendliest person in our class.
Also, one of the activities I was able to participate in was the Full-Time MBA Program’s “Dinner with the Dean”. Earlier in the semester we were asked to sign up if we would like to participate in this event where we would have dinner with Dean Brian Mitchell and a small group of other students. I participated last week in a dinner where myself and 5 other Goizueta students were able to speak about whatever was on our mind and get to know Dean Brian and each other better. We talked about many topics, from Management Practice courses and job placement for students to cigars and our favorite movies. Overall it was a very fun, relaxed conversation, and one of those great interactions you are able to have when you attend an MBA program as small as ours.
Before leaving Atlanta to visit my family for the holidays, I said goodbye to my classmates and realized how many great friends I have made this past semester. It truly has been a journey of learning; not only because of academics but also for the life experiences I have been able to share with the Goizueta community.