Year 1: My B-school Reflection

Will Fetcenko, MBA’20 

My first year at Kelley went by in the blink of an eye. As I transition into my summer internship at 3M, I’ve had time to reflect on what made this year so incredible – I hope that this reflection can help those about to start their business school journey. If I could go back and remind myself to do just 3 things every day, this is what I’d tell myself.

1. Use your support system (and be a part of others’). The first year at Kelley is a rollercoaster ride of classes, competitions, recruiting, and extracurriculars. Inevitably, there will be hurdles along the way. Whether you need help studying for a finance final, practicing for an interview, or just need someone to vent to, the Kelley community is there to help. Thankfully, whenever I seemed to lose my footing, I had an amazing group of friends, family, and classmates to lean on and help me get back on my feet (special shout-out to my awesome and supportive wife Kathleen, who is also the President of Kelley Partners’ Club). One of the things that makes Kelley so special is how everyone is always willing to help – so remember, when someone helps you through a challenging time, be sure to look out for ways to pay it forward.
2. Step outside of your comfort zone. Kelley is the perfect place to build new skills and experiences. There are countless leadership opportunities, events to attend, and chances to travel to new places. Before coming to Kelley, I had never really traveled outside of the U.S. Now, thanks to GLOBASE, I have new international business experience and got to travel all the way to Indonesia for a consulting project! When I first signed up for GLOBASE, I was nervous about traveling all the way to the other side of the world. Looking back, I’m incredibly glad that I was able to travel with an awesome group of students and faculty. It made the trip much more enjoyable and provided a great set of “training wheels” for traveling internationally. If you take these 2 years to say “yes” to new experiences, it’ll be well worth it!
3. Be yourself. There are so many impressive people at Kelley with different backgrounds and goals, and once things kick off, it’s tempting to start comparing yourself to them. There were times that I felt overwhelmed trying to keep up with others, but once I regrouped and focused on my own goals and progress, everything became much more comfortable. This is where it helps to have a trusted support group to encourage you in tough times and help identify your unique skills and characteristics that will help you stand out naturally. Though you can try to “fake it ‘til you make it” for a while, it’s better to just be yourself and use your time at Kelley to grow.

Hopefully, these tips can help keep you grounded through your first year at Kelley. I’m proud to be here and can’t wait to come back for my second year!