Launching Into the W. P. Carey MBA

The new McCord Hall building at W. P. Carey has been filled with excitement over the past week, much of it coming from the Full-time MBA students. As the class of 2015 settles in, support has poured in from a range of sources to help all of us make the transition to b-school.

Over the next two years, my classmates and I will undoubtedly discover much about ourselves and each other as we navigate this journey together — many of us switching careers altogether.

Throughout orientation, known at W. P. Carey as “Launch,” we formed teams to work on pre-course cases and projects. And even before classes began, we’ve learned to rely on one another for advice. In one of our team-building exercises, for instance, one student was blindfolded and had only the precise verbal commands of another to avoid stepping on the makeshift “landmines” on the gymnasium floor.

We have also worked through some Excel and accounting bootcamps as a larger group and brainstormed ideal characteristics of our future careers. It’s all part of helping us hit the ground running, getting familiar with each other and basic concepts we’ll use over and over again for the next two years.

Beginning a full-time MBA program can be a bit daunting. There is a lot of anticipation, a little bit of nerves and seemingly more questions than answers at this early stage. But one thing I know for sure: We will have an abundance of resources to guide us along — professors, career coaches, and second-year students. But we will also have the rich blend of unique talents and strengths that each member of the class brings and is willing to share. Now I think I’m beginning to grasp what it means to be part of the W. P. Carey “family.”