Spring Electives

Second-years just got information on bidding for spring electives and it appears that first-years get priority for electives taking place on Tuesday’s and Thursday’s between 1 p.m. and 2:20 p.m. This wouldn’t be a problem if THREE OF THE CLASSES I WANTED TO TAKE WEREN’T BEING OFFERED DURING THIS TIME!

Once again, second-years are forced to do more with less.

Maybe first-years shouldn’t be allowed to pick which electives they want to take. Maybe the faculty should produce electives specifically for first-years. I have a few in mind:

Tool Management 585: Fronting
Why bragging about your daddy’s Black Card is tacky.

Tool Management 886: Your Image and Money
Why mentioning in class that you drop $1,000 on dinner makes you look like a tool.

Tool Management 887/Blog Ethics 500: Theft
Why stealing content from someone else’s blog is unethical. (Here that, MBA Gladiator?)

Tool Management 888: Traditions
Why creating lame traditions is . . . well . . . lame. The case of Dr. Good will be examined.

Wanker Studies 554: Exams
Why complaining about three exams (when the class before you had five) makes you a wanker.

Wanker Studies 555: Workload
Why complaining about your light workload makes you a wanker.

Wanker Studies 556/French 100: Friday Classes
Le sob. Le boo-hoo. Why complaining about Friday make-up classes makes you a wanker. In French!

Spring Electives Update

There was a town-hall meeting last week. I didn't go, but here's what I heard:

• Several second-year students expressed their dismay with the school's decision to give first-years priority for electives.
• In response, the Dean, Deputy Dean, and Dean of Students met for nine hours afterwards to come up with a solution.
• Two days ago, the Dean of Students sent an email to second-years that revealed significant changes to the Spring electives schedule and informed us that first-years would receive priority placement in only four classes, one of which was designed just for first-years and none of which were particularly interesting to second-years.

I also heard that the Deputy Dean remarked after the town hall that he wanted to get a t-shirt made that said, "I love second-years." While I wouldn't necesarily object to this, lol, I believe that the administration did well enough by realizing it had made a mistake in how it approached this issue and by correcting it in a timely manner. I have to give them credit. When we spoke, they listened. (Of course, it would have been better had they taken our interests into consideration all along. . . .)

Fall Semester Update

In a nutshell, I've been busy. Completely overextended. Spread too thin. But I've grown accustomed to it. And I'm not sure that I would have it any other way.

It's funny. Everyone thinks that once you get a job (I accepted my offer), you just stop caring. But I still want to do well in my studies. After all, I am paying a great deal of money for this education and I still have quite a bit to learn. The core was great for the basics. But the really interesting material doesn't come until your second year, in your electives. Micro-economics seems much more relevant in the context of developing a pricing strategy, for example, than it does as an abstract discipline. As a result, I'm throwing myself into my schoolwork with the usual zeal. And feeling the exhaustion that comes along with it.

I do have a few fun weekends coming up. I'm heading up to Boston to visit some friends at Harvard on the weekend of "The Game." That'll be a drunken good time. Plus, Thanksgiving is right around the corner, which means lots of food and plenty of rest. And, I think I have a date tomorrow night. It's with a "townie." An attractive one at that. "Attractive" as I now define it, anyway. Yes, I've lowered my standards since coming to business school. But everyone does. And if you haven't already, you will, too.

I only have one final this year, on December 15th. All of my other "finals" are group projects that are due prior to this date. So I'm thrilled to be finishing early. Not that it matters much. I plan on staying in New Haven over Christmas. I know, I know. But I can't afford a month-long vacation. I'm trying to be good. Still, if it becomes absolutely unbearable here, a weekend in Florida may be necessary.