Chai Saeyang
MBA’19
Everyone tells you that the two years of b-school will go by quick, but you never realize how quickly until it’s over. Now, I am officially a second-year MBA student. It was like I blinked and all the late-night study sessions, interview prep, and international trips flashed before my eyes. I had a wonderful first year, and I learned a lot too. Here are the top 3 things that I took away from my first year of b-school—I hope they can help others navigate their MBA journey:
Don’t be afraid to take risks. This is the best time to take any risk. Is there a company you always wanted to pursue? Did you ever want to open your own business? Is there a country that you always wanted to see? In the past year, I have been to 5 different countries on 3 different continents. If I can do it on an MBA budget, you can too! The possibilities are endless, and it can be a little overwhelming at times. Yet, Kelley has all the resources you need and there is always a second-year student to go to for advice. You will never get this time back, so don’t be afraid—go for it.
Keep your eyes on your own yoga mat. No matter how fun that headstand looks in yoga class, I remember to keep my eyes on my own mat and do what’s right for me. This applies perfectly to business school as well. It is so easy to compare yourself to your friends and peers. However, I found myself burned out. I was overwhelmed and kept changing my mind on where I wanted to recruit. In the end, I had to remember what I had written down as important to me during Me, Inc. Once I realigned what I wanted to do, the stress melted away and I was able to reestablish confidence in myself and my goals.
You’re stronger than you think. For every “Yes” that you hear, you will hear a lot more “No’s.” In the beginning, I didn’t get the internship with the company that I really wanted. I was stressed and felt down. However, with the help of my friends and the faculty at Kelley, I got back on track. They helped me realize that there were more options out there and helped me prepare for interviews. I ended up having a great internship experience at Nestle. You will need to put in the work and everything happens for a reason.
It’s hard to believe that my internship is already over. I’ve packed my bags and flew back to Bloomington. I’ve never been so excited to be a broke college student again! Last year, I made lifelong friendships and now that we’re all back in Bloomington, it feels like we never left. I am so proud to be a Kelley.