Mike Strus
MBA’19
Last exam completed, the first year done… now what? The answer to this is straightforward – celebrate! While this is probably the most obvious answer, the bigger question came next-how was I going to spend my few weeks before my internship started? I wanted to make the most of it because my next break lasting this long might not come until retirement.
Catching up
The time commitment required to succeed during my first year at the Kelley MBA program-at times-was quite overwhelming. I made sure to prioritize school which led to some extracurriculars being put on the backburner. Catching up, for me, took on various forms:
- Family, Friends, and Former Colleagues – Balancing school with keeping in touch with family, friends, and former colleagues was a difficult task for me. I wanted to make sure I caught up and connected with those important to me. Building a network of supporters is great but maintaining these relationships is paramount.
- Fitness – Running is a way for me to clear my head, catch up on the world via podcasts, and get a good workout in to stay fit. Unfortunately, I slacked off for part of the year but stayed in decent enough shape to run the largest half marathon in the US, the OneAmerica Mini Marathon.
- TV and Reading – The last few weeks gave me the time to kick back and relax with some of my favorite shows: Billions, Westworld, and Silicon Valley (all highly recommended). I’ve also been able to catch almost every NBA playoff game-especially those on the west coast that were normally past my bedtime during the school year. My one reading recommendation comes from a book I finished last week, Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown.
- Activities – I made room for fun-enjoying a few rounds of golf at Cascades, attending the Indycar Grand Prix practice round, and spending a weekend in Atlanta to see the new Mercedes Benz Dome and an Atlanta United soccer match.
Internship Preparation
The last few weeks have also given me a time to do a real deep dive for my internship this summer at athenahealth in Boston. Thanks to feedback and recommendations from various professors, and staff, of the Kelley Business School, I focused my time on a few things:
- Expectations – What do I want to get out of the internship? How do I get there?
- Company Profile – What is the company’s latest news and financial information?
- Competitors – Who are they and how do they differentiate themselves?
- Industry News – Is there anything going on from a political or policy perspective that might impact the business?
- Boston – How do I get the best experience out of the city?
As my time off winds down, there is one thing left that I have yet to do…time to start packing.