Hello again. The past two weeks have definitely been busy. We have hit the halfway mark of our last module this semester (our semesters are divided into two eight-week mods, so, lucky us, we have to go through two sets of midterms and final exams each semester), and things are starting to wind down for the school year.
The life of a business school student, as I’ve told you before, is busy with crazy amounts of schoolwork, projects and everything in between. But weekly social events also fill up our calendars.
March has been the busiest month socially since starting school back in August. We kicked off the month with spring break, moved into St. Patty’s Day with plenty of gatherings along Greenville Avenue, did a little two-stepping with our classmates at Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth (which included an organized bus ride there and back with dinner at the famous Joe T. Garcia’s), and then wrapped up the month with an incredible time at a classmate’s gorgeous spot out on Possum Kingdom Lake. I looked at my calendar this week, and all of the sudden the month of March was gone.
Being social, networking and creating long-lasting relationships are all things I feel are just as important as making good grades.
School was extremely hectic, but so was life outside the classroom. One thing I really love about business school is that we all work hard every day during the week, but when the weekend hits, we definitely know how to relax and enjoy life.
April has pretty much started off the same way. Midterms wrapped up last Thursday, and we got together with all of SMU at Barley House to cheer on our Mustangs in the NIT Basketball Championship. It was pretty incredible to see what our basketball program has become since I was an undergrad, and I can't wait to see what the next season brings.
On top of our weekend social activities, we also participate in SMU Cox sponsored events. Two weekends ago Cox hosted the annual International Festival, where we dressed up in our favorite cultural clothes, enjoyed food from various continents and watched performances by our classmates. It was an incredible party to say the least!
This past Friday we participated in the annual “sneak preview” weekend for the incoming class. We gave them more insight into our program and everything that SMU Cox offers. The day was jam packed with staff introductions, student panels giving advice and answering questions, information sessions about various programs offered to all students, and a farewell cocktail party to close out the day.
Being social, networking and creating long-lasting relationships are all things I feel are just as important as making good grades. As I said in my last post, the people you see every day in the classroom are not only your friends, but also your new professional network. We are headed down different professional paths, and it’s great to know that we have contacts across various industries and functions.
Who knows when we will need to pick up the phone and call a classmate for a favor, a lead or an introduction in the future? It’s all about building personal and professional networks, and I definitely feel SMU Cox has ensured solid ones for all of us.
Jennifer Kesterson and her fellow SMU Cox classmates.
