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Stormy in the city. Despite the fact that high temperatures have been topping out in the mid to high-90s, it rains almost every afternoon. This is a view of parts of downtown, with the French Quarter and Mississippi River in the background as clouds roll across New Orleans on a typically sultry summer afternoon.
Attention anyone who is not yet aware of New Orleans weather in the summer - it gets hot here. For the past two weeks, high temperatures have been topping out in the mid-90s, the heat index usually runs around 100 degrees. A few miles inland, north of Lake Pontchartrain, the heat index has been hitting about 110 degrees. Oh yeah, it’s also very humid.
Most people who have ever been to the Gulf Coast in the summer know that it is a human endurance test of tropical conditions. However, if you’ve decided on the Freeman School and you’re moving here soon - don’t forget to bring a sweater. It may sound crazy, but as the first few cool fronts hit us last year (October, November), a number of our classmates were running around buying blankets and Tulane sweatshirts from the bookstore. They thought they’d get by on shorts and flip-flops until going home for Thanksgiving. This is not Miami.
Cold fronts don’t last long, but it can get chilly quickly. I guess that’s one of the quirky things about living along the Gulf Coast - the weather changes often. I think we really get to appreciate sunny blue skies because we also trudge through the hot, humid, cloudy days all too often.
After a few years of working, the thought of spending a summer in school for a couple of hours a day may be appealing. Last year, I took the pre-MBA summer courses offered at the Freeman School and I can honestly say those classes helped me out when our real classes started in August.
About thirty of us signed up for the program, which ran for about four weeks in July. One class is a statistics course, one is accounting. The statistics course is taught by Russ Robbins, who teaches the mandatory stats class that first-year MBAs take in the fall. This means you have a head-start on your classmates. I had no experience whatsoever in Microsoft Excel. Russ’ class was quite the (much-needed) boot camp.
The accounting class was also a nice refresher, as most of us who took the summer classes were coming from jobs where we had limited financial experience. The best part of being in school early was getting used to being physically at school every day. It’s also a great way to meet your future classmates. The workload is not extremely intense, so you have lots of time to enjoy New Orleans with your classmates.
If you have any questions about the summer program, let me know.
This time of year, it’s easy to stumble upon college students at any level writing about how they can’t believe the semester is over. Add me to the cliche clique. These past nine months have flown by. It’s been a non-stop ride, but I’ve learned a lot and met a bunch of great people. I’ve built a financial model for a real estate deal, put together a marketing project for an NBA team and been a part of about nine groups. It’s been awesome.
As the summer air creeps across New Orleans, my classmates are fanning out across the country for internships. It’s a little sad to see us all leave the nest, but a good bit of non-natives are staying here in New Orleans, which surprises me. I’ve got a few options, and my summer plans aren’t set. I know if I stay or go - any internship will be a great chance to put our Tulane skills to work.
A year ago, I was preparing to move to New Orleans to start the Freeman School’s summer program. I had been out of school for a few years, and my math background was not strong. If you fit that category - I’d definitely come to Tulane early. Not only do you get a head-start at meeting your new classmates, but the statistics and accounting help goes a long way once school gears up in August. If you have any questions about the summer program, ask away. Also - throughout the summer we’ll have guest bloggers tell us about what they’re doing this summer.
A few hours back I had the last lecture of my MBA Degree! Wow ! Can’t believe it’s been 2 years, and it has been a heck of a ride. Next week is the finals, and we have the graduation ceremony on May 15th. We also had the graduate champagne toast today and found out the newest members of freeman 50. Freeman 50 is a group of alumni dedicated to furthering the cause of the Freeman school. At this stage, several of my friends have got jobs, and some are still looking. I am sure all the people seeking jobs will have something in their hands soon. The economy is slowly but surely recovering. This is also the time when everyone is making his or her plans after graduation. It’s odd how quickly it comes to an end. After May 15th, my friends for the last two years will leave New Orleans quickly. Some will go to their home countries to resume their jobs, many will move to different parts of the USA, and some of us will stay back in New Orleans. I am staying a bit longer in NOLA, so if any of you is considering Tulane MBA, feel free to drop me an email. Karthik M ; mkarthik01@gmail.com
Hi everyone, my name is Johan Andrés Acosta and I am a 1st year MBA student. Currently I am doing an exchange semester in Denmark and I would like to share with you my experience abroad. During my 1st semester at Tulane, I started to look for an opportunity to study abroad. I decided to apply for an exchange semester in Copenhagen Business School, the second largest business school in Europe and one of the most recognized schools in the area due to its quality and program diversity. I was fortunately admitted for the spring period 2010 and embarked myself in a fulfilling experience in every sense. Here at the Copenhagen Business School, I am: learning another approach to business, getting in touch with different cultures that enhance my knowledge and ideas, and meeting a lot of new friends as well as expanding my networking activities.
Tulane University’s semester abroad program is a great opportunity for students to take another insight at their MBA program, with travel possibilities to places like Paris, Hong Kong or Buenos Aires, among others. The process is simple and flexible at the same time, and I was always supported by the International Programs Director, the Director of Graduate Education, as well as the Faculty of the B-School, who analyzed and validated the courses that I was going to take in Denmark. First, you need to select the school that you want to go to, then you apply to get a place as an exchange student representing Tulane University abroad. At the same time, it is recommended to start analyzing with the Director of Graduate Education which courses you plan to take abroad, in order to have similar curriculums to facilitate the validation of credits process. After that, if you are one of the lucky admitted students, you prepare yourself for an experience that is going to be definitive in your career process, and, of course, be ready to represent Tulane as the quality and top B-School that is.
I would recommend that everyone take advantage of an opportunity like this one, because it will definitely change your life, allow you to expand your professional and personal horizons, and be a great complement for the International Business concentration that we already have at Tulane. I hope that many students consider this challenging option and dare to open their minds to the opportunities that the globe provides us.Remember, a whole new world is waiting out there for you to try it!
-Johan Andrés Acosta
jacostaa@tulane.edu
Sometimes it is tough to live in a city with so much going on and be able to focus on school work at the same time. I never could have done it as an undergrad! It’s festival season in New Orleans and there are activities every day/night/weekend. This week is particularly tough as we wrap up our first year as MBA students, and we’re in the middle of Jazz Fest. While the main festivities of Jazz Fest were last weekend and this upcoming weekend, there are related events every night this week. Not too mention, we all have friends coming in town to grab a little piece of the Jazz Fest action. And, some of us are starting internships almost immediately following exams and need to get our lives here in order before leaving town. And, it is gorgeous outside.
Finding that work/life balance is tough. I know when I started in August, it was 80% work/ 20% life (or perhaps I was just wanting to stay at school and soak up some of that famous Tulane air conditioning!) Now, I’ve really found the balance and am proud to report that I’m splitting my time about 50/50 (or perhaps that’s just the spring fever talking.)
Changing subjects, I am one of those folks who will be headed to an internship immediately following our last (and hardest) final exam. This summer I’ll be working on research and strategy at a design and advertising agency in Boulder, Colorado. I’m excited to get back out into the “real world” and expand my Tulane-provided marketing & consumer behavior knowledge base through this experience.
Per usual, if you have any questions about Tulane or New Orleans, please email!
-Sarah
sgaddis@tulane.edu
So tomorrow marks the last week of classes, and the final week of classes for myself and my fellow second year MBAs. I’ve been spending a lot of time with my friends reminiscing, doing all the “only in New Orleans” things that we decided we must do before leaving and generally just taking in all that The Big Easy has to offer. Saying that I’m going to miss New Orleans is an understatement. With all of the challenges that this city has I have truly grown to love it and while I’m extremely excited for the next chapter of my life there is a part of me that will always remain in Nola. I don’t know if it’s the people, the food, the culture, or the weather but there is something about this city that is truly amazing. If you ever have the experience to live here, even for just the two short years of b school, do it. But, just a word of advice once you get down here you may never leave. Or, like me you may move away, but you’ll be planning your return before you even step foot out of the parish limits.
Amina
First-year MBA bloggers at Alcatel-Lucent headquarters in Paris. Juan Molina, Sarah Gaddis and Louis David.
After more than two weeks in Europe, it’s back to work for many of us first-year MBA students. Two weeks ago, we left for a Global Leadership class in Paris. The following week was our Spring Break - so many of us stayed in Europe to travel. Along with some friends from school, I left Paris for Nice, Monaco and Barcelona. It was an amazing trip.
The school portion was fast-paced and pretty interesting. We learned about working overseas, doing business in a foreign country and how global corporations evaluate investment opportunities around the world. Add all of that to having nearly 90 classmates in a foreign city and you can understand how things got a little crazy.
My favorite parts:
School - Definitely our trip to visit with Alcatel-Lucent executives at the company’s headquarters in Paris. Alcatel is a French telecommunications company that merged with Lucent, a spin-off from the old AT&T. We got to meet a number of company executives from the US who are now working in France. They went over the benefits and challenges of working overseas. It’s a great experience, but there are certainly drawbacks. Above is a picture of the three fist-year bloggers (Juan Molina, Sarah Gaddis and myself) at Alcatel-Lucent.
Traveling after school - Barcelona. What an awesome city. I’ve been lucky enough to travel Europe a few times before this trip - but this was my first visit to Barcelona. I think it’s now my favorite European city. The architecture is beautiful, beaches are gorgeous, it wasn’t too touristy and the locals are beyond laid-back.
