sbs orientation...

Well, it is Wednesday night and I think I have just now recovered from the business of Monday and Tuesday. We had two long days of orientation for the business school, lasting from 8.30am-9.30pm both days; phew!

Monday morning started with a welcome from the Dean, as well as from the head of the programme and the director of the programme (they don't know what the difference is either). It's great that the emphasis from the school (and you can certainly tell from the personalities of the students they have chosen to be here), is to be a very different sort of business school from all of the other top ones. It is striving to create a community amongst it students, fostering teamwork as opposed to competition; in the view that if everyone is here supporting each other, everyone will perform better in the end, which is helpful both to individual students as well as for the reputation of this relatively new programme (we are the 10th class).

Also on Monday we spent a full four and a half hours on individual student introductions. This consisted of each student walking across the stage of the auditorium and talking about themselves for one minute. Pretty intimidating in front of 226 classmates you don't know, but everyone made it though with relative ease. I thought for sure that we would all stop listening after the first 50 or so, but in reality the stories were all so different and interesting that it managed to hold everyone's attention even though it took and hour and a half longer than had been scheduled for it! There are some pretty remarkable people in our class, from every possible background. Will be interesting to hear more than a minute about all of their experiences as I get to know them over the year.

Tuesday was more introduction to the school and facilities and career services, etc. Also, we were split into our assigned study groups for the first time. My study group consists of Indian, Japanese, Chinese, Iranian/Canadian, South African, and American (me) nationalities. Quite a complex mix, I think! I am the youngest by a couple of years, and the only female. I think these guys are striving for great marks, so I'm guessing it will be a nose to the grindstone atmosphere, but hopefully we will manage to have a bit of fun as well, even if we aren't in the pubs every night like some of the other groups appear to be planning... ;) Will try to get a photo sometime soon, to document the team.

The rest of this week is being spent on tying up remaining details (phones, registration with doctors, buying textbooks, supplies, etc) before preparing for classes which are starting on Monday! Am looking forward to finally starting the work that I came here to do, though perhaps a little bit scared as well! Hopefully will get quite a bit of reading in over the weekend.

In these days before the real schedule and structure to my time here begins, I'm finding myself really missing everyone back home (or at least elsewhere, if not in DC). It definitely helps to hear from you all, so keep those emails and instant messages coming!! *K