Contact the WSA 2008-2009 Board A Day in the Life
Aaliyah Shafiq | Karla Berman | Winnie Ma
Winnie Ma - A typical Wednesday…
A 1 st year student perspective
7:45am—The persistent blaring from my cell phone alarm rouses me from a deep slumber. Even though I would love to snooze for another 30 minutes, I know that a busy day awaits me before the night out. After a quick shower and email check, I walk over to Aldrich to start the three-case day. I love my two-minute commute as I’m admittedly not the best morning person.
8:35am—The Aldrich Café is my first stop in Spangler every morning. I grab my requisite cup of coffee and yogurt parfait while catching up with friends from other sections. We get so wrapped up in talking about last night’s potluck dinner that I nearly forget class is starting soon!
8:39am—I make it just in time to my seat in the skydeck (back row) before our professor closes the doors. It’s really important to be on time at HBS, but especially for our first class of the day, BGIE (Business Government International Economy) since our professor routinely cold-calls the last person in his/her seat. I used to live in fear of being cold-called, but after a few they’ve become a lot less intimidating and (dare I say?) fun. Today, we are discussing the formation of the European Union. I’m still astounded by the diversity of the student body; there are thirty-two nationalities reflected in my section of 92 classmates, so there is always a wealth of personal experiences to draw upon. We often hold lunchtime presentation about our home countries; during the United Kingdom presentation, our entire section collectively discovered the “distinctive” taste of marmite—a British yeast spread. Yum!
10:00am—We have a short break between classes. I make a mental note to give my check for the upcoming Japan Trek to Jun, our International Rep. I’ve been on a few HBS treks this year and they have been amazing! We tend to mix business with pleasure, such a company presentations in the morning, city tours in the afternoon, followed by dinner at a nice restaurant and lounge afterwards. After organized trips to Las Vegas and Colombia this year, I cannot imagine a better way to travel than with fifty of your best friends!
10:20am—Entrepreneurial Manager is next. Our case for today focuses on Kate Spade and her decision options of expanding her venture. There are a whole host of issues to resolve, from protecting the brand from privacy, assembling the right resources and finally structuring a deal that will bring the most value. Just a few months ago, I never thought of myself as someone who could one day start her own business. But after many revealing class discussions and hearing case protagonists’ personal stories, I am starting to realize I misjudged my appetite for risk. I’m learning that a successful entrepreneur is not the person who assumes the most risk, but rather is someone who possesses the most skill at managing it. Who knows, I might even start my own handbag company someday now?
11:45am—After grabbing some sushi from the Spangler cafeteria, I find a quiet area to get a head start on tomorrow’s cases. It is not uncommon to see students working on team projects, meeting with professors or sometimes dozing off in one of the comfortable couches in Spangler during lunchtime. After a brief read of tomorrow’s Finance case, I run back to the classroom to pitch in with our Skydeck Awards, an HBS tradition. We use these to recap the best, funniest and strangest moments of the week. I try to think of a worthy recipient for the “Statue of Liberty” award for the person who had their hand raised the most in class.
1:10pm—Our last class of the day is Negotiations. We’re debriefing our recent labor strike discussions involving a famous meat producer. I’m especially fond of this class for the applicable nature of the case takeaways. For example, our discussion of wage negotiations will come in extremely handy next year when we receive full-time job offers. The girls in our section even designed our own t-shirts inscribed with the nifty negotiation phrase “I’m your BATNA!” (Best Alternative to Negotiated Agreement). We plan on wearing these in addition to our section t-shirts.
3:00pm—As a Leadership & Values Rep, I attend weekly Community Standards meetings with the administration to explore the connection between business and ethics. It’s been a true privilege to serve in this role. Today, we are assessing tangible ways to promote integrity, trust and the ambition to make a difference in HBS. We hold a number of events over the year, such as hosting roundtable discussions, debates and distinguished speakers such as Hank Paulson (ex-CEO of Goldman Sachs) to speak about ethics in the workplace. I feel that nowhere has this sentiment of a mutual respect and helpfulness been more apparent to me than in my own section. For example, during “hell week” (our dedicated interview period), many of our sectionmates coached each other in case and finance interviews. People used to tell me that HBS was an extremely competitive place, but I can’t think of a more supportive environment. We’ve gotten to know each other so well during our fall and winter section retreats, charity auction, and weekly “Why Not Wednesday?” (a section get-together every Weds night at a Harvard Square bar). I know it might sound a bit sentimental, but the section experience really is incredible.
5pm—The CEO of Gucci is speaking to the Luxury Goods Club today. As a career switcher, I find these talks as an easy and quick way to learn more about new industries. As VP of Speakers of the club, bringing industry leaders to campus also helps with my network job search.
6:30pm—It’s been a long day and I am finally back in my room. After reenergizing with a cup of coffee, I check email, call my sister and start reading my other case for tomorrow.
8pm—I meet my girlfriends at Cambridge One in Harvard Square for dinner. We dive into brick oven pizza and wash it down with some wine, all the while exchanging amusing stories from earlier in the week. Peals of laughter ensue as we chat about everything from relationships to classes to the upcoming Japan Trek. At some point in the dinner, I realize that even though it’s been just a year, these girls will remain my friends for life.
11:15pm—We head over to Tommy Dolye’s for some casual drinks and meet up with other friends.
1am—Closing time. After a brisk walk over the bridge, I head back to my apartment and check email once more before dozing off to sleep.