MBA Survival Pre-kit

I am trying to prepare my survival kit. For example, doing things earlier than later. I am trying to fill all the forms required before enrollment and do other things such as setting up email, sending out physical exam forms, initializing my background check, checking what did the previous class do during their time at school, etc. Now it seems everything is ready except the background verification completion. I felt much relaxed now.

I spent sometime to browse the previous classmates' blogs. Thanks God, some of them wrote so details for the first semester at Yale SOM starting from the first day to the final exam, and through out two years of MBA. I obtained so much useful information and guidance from these blogs. I figure out that SOM has similar summer assignment for each class :

Sam Walton’s autobiography Made in America; (ii) Roger Lowenstein’s biography of Warren Buffett, Buffett; (iii) Gandhi’s autobiography An Autobiography; The Story of My Experiments with Truth.

I went to the township library and found all three of them. Wow, I never in my life read an English story book, although I like reading and read a lot in Chinese. Still English is not my official language and I am still not used to read in English although I always try. But this time, I got to try harder, force my mind to read English for fun, not only for academic. I found a way to finish assignment: I also borrowed sound records for these books, so that I can listen to the tapes while I drive to work each day. That works! Now I am listening Warren Buffett's way when I am driving, and feel interesting. At least, it can train my listening English. I am not sure I can finish three books in summer. Each night, when I get home, I told myself, ok, let me start to read, but then I quickly found excuses to shift the target to TV friends or Cooking Book. Oh..maybe I will start to read this weekend then.

I have bought basic accounting book for the class. I thought I can pre- study for it. Who knows how many pages I will read before school. I just want to relax after work each day. Relax, ya, right, I need time to relax before I go to school.

Today, I received an email to inform me that my apartment in Yale will be ready in July 15th. I figure I will waste one month rent since I won't be able to move up after August 3rd, my scheduled last day of work. I cannot help since all the other 2 bed room apartments on campus starting from August are gone by the time I visited. I have to take this one. It is good to have place whenever I can move in August.

There is one thing I am wondering: what did other classmates wear during their orientation and visit to New York Stock Exchange floor, business suit or casual clothes? After I spent some nice money to two business suits for the school, I found I was pregnant. And my new suits are size 2, the smallest size they can make, which definitely cannot suit me during my three and forth trimester of pregnancy. I figure that I need get a pregnant special business suit. At least, I still want to be professional and I wish I can be treated as usual in a professional way in school other than a pregnant woman. I do not want my study group consider me as a burden also. Maybe this weekend, I need go to shop for the suits.

2 more month to school starts, 4 weeks to give resign notice, 6 weeks to work.

Oh, I am excited to know what I am carrying now, a baby boy or a baby girl. I will know this on July 2nd if I am lucky during my 20 weeks ultrasound check up. I already have a cute boy, and I prefer a girl this time.

I am a little scared before the B school Starts

A lot of things to do before enrollment in Yale. Processing the loan with the Financial officers, taking physical exam and filling the health form, finding the apartment and signing the lease, Processing the background verification, and packing the moving box, etc. I am exhausted each day after work, and still have to catch up those things. Too much stress recently, I didn't gain enough weight I should by now. I have been pregnant for 17 weeks, normally gaining 5-10 lbs, but I gain nothing. I didn't have much appetite due to the stress. I consider to quit the job earlier to have a break myself.

I have bought the Basic Accounting book and Eco book. I thought I can start to read early to prepare myself. So far, I only read a few pages.

I found a SOM's alumnus's blog, which is so detail about the life in Yale since the application process to the graduation. I read it every day from his application process. Today, I read to the October 2005, the month of his first midterm in Yale. I got scared by his post. Here is some quote from http://flatpointmba.blogspot.com/2005_10_01_archive.html

---First week of school :"My classmates and I are inundated with work. Three SEM assignments and two Accounting assignments are due this week. At the beginning of next week our first Finance, Econ, and Stats assignments come due - and they're pretty substantial. The reading, review sessions, study group meetings (we've already met twice and will meet two more times before the week is up), and career events have taken up 16 hours of every day since Sunday. And it shows no signs of letting up."

---For midterm: "It's a tremendous relief to be done with midterms/finals. During that week, I got 1 hour of sleep on Sunday and Monday nights; and three hours on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. A little cold at the beginning of week turned into a terrible one by the end of it. With so little sleep and so much caffeine, my body didn't stand a chance in fighting off the illness. I managed to sleep a lot over the weekend though and am now as good as new."

"A classmate of mine, for instance, told a story about how she walked home one day crying hysterically. "

I read and I felt almost freeking out. Oh MY GOD! A single man in his 20s or early 30s even felt tough for the first term. How can I pass it with late pregnancy and labor deliver in the middle. I do not want to be one of three to five who fails each year. And I definitely want to survive. I mean I never have problem in academic before, but I can stay late, no sleep and work hard. But this time, I cannot say "oh, I will work hard", because I have a new baby need rest. I cannot stay overnight even I can. I do not want my new born has any problem. The maximum I need get 5-6 hours sleep each day I wish. I wish professor and school can have more flexible arrangement for a pregnant student. I do not know until I really go there. But I do feel headache when I read those. I didn't even read to November and Final in December yet. Anyway, I have no choice. I have arrange to go, then I will need face it and try my best..that is all I can say now.

God bless me, my study and my new baby!

I am going for MBA with pregnancy

It has been a long time that I didn't have time to come to my blogger. I like to clear a few things before I start a new page. A few months ago, I did decide not to go to interview for Chicago. But at the last minute, my best friend criticized me and pushed me to at least just give it a try. I did go to interview for Chicago and met a good friend there. Of cause, I didn't get accepted. I appreciated the trip to the University of Chicago, where I did see a modern school of MBA and a lot of difference than other schools I have visited.

What has happened during these months since my last post? You cannot believe me. I got pregnant accidentally just when I decided to go to Yale MBA and dropped the CMU $40,000 Scholarship. I already told my boss I will leave this year. I was not ready for this sudden pregnancy. What should I do? Should I go for it or defer one year? I contacted school and friends, talked to existing YALE SOM students, posted on BusinessWeek for suggestion. My family were strongly against me to go this year as well as all the others except my best friend, the one who persuaded me to interview at University of Chicago. I did request the deferring, and it was approved. But then my best friend accused me again. We are similar type. At the end, she successfully persuaded me to go for this year with pregnancy due to my worse office situation. I did feel that I rather try harder to get through the roughest first term than endure office suffering. Now here I am, one of the class of 2009 at Yale SOM. I am not sure whether I can make it, but I have to make it, and no other choice.

I want to thanks all the people whoever give me suggestions and help through online. I know some students did give birth before the school start, or have baby at the second year. But I didn't hear any case that a student had baby in the middle of the first term, the most intensive term during full time MBA among top 20 schools. Maybe there is someone there I do not know. But I tell myself that you have to make it work. And here we go.

I have started the enrollment process a few weeks ago. Luckily my parents will come to help me in October before my due day. My husband will not be able to move up with me due to his work, but it is fine. I have locked a two bedroom apartment in Yale Campus and started to pack my things and baby stuff. I think I will still work until the week before the school starts. I am facing a huge financial debt for this MBA, but I wish it is worth for my future. I keep pray God to bless me and my new baby. I also pray for all the new students who will enroll this year, and for the one who will try next year.

God bless us.