Bonding over food

Last night, my friend Caroline and I had five first-years over to my apartment for dinner. The dinner -- one in a series of NAWMBA potlucks -- was the perfect opportunity for us to get to know some of Darden's new ladies.
As is typical of most Angela/Caroline evenings, there was plenty of wine, food and chit-chat. Over plates of coconut shrimp, prosciutto-wrapped asparagus and chocolate fondue (I mention the menu, because this was one of the VERY rare occasions when we cooked!), Caroline and I talked about a whole range of b-school related experiences -- from participating in class and taking finals, to dating and bar-hopping. And we listened as the first-years shared stories about their learning teams, their sections and their post-Darden ambitions.
Maybe two glasses of wine into the conversation, I realized how short a time it's actually been since we were in these girls' shoes. As they talked about their long hours and moments of self-doubt, I thought how odd it was that just a year ago it was me admitting to those same crises of confidence. Yet there I was last night, trying to lend support and encouragement.
What a difference a year makes.

Family Day

... this year, with family!

Each year in the fall, when Charlottesville is at its prettiest, Darden welcomes its students' families to Grounds. Last year, my family couldn't make it and I had to watch enviously as many of my first-year peers proudly introduced the school to their parents, siblings, spouses, etc. This year, however, my mom and stepdad drove down from East Greenwich, RI, setting up camp in my one-bedroom apartment. Despite the tight squeeze, they had a great time.

On Family Day, they sat in on classes (Valuation and Leading Strategic Change), met my friends and professors and admired the school's column lined courtyards. On Saturday, we went wine-tasting, drove around Crozet and engaged in some good, old-fashioned bonding.

It was a wonderful weekend: one that reminded me not only of how much I enjoy my parents' company, but of how fond I am of Darden and how much I like showing it off.

Dear First Years,

I have to admit, when I first saw you walking the halls, crowding the bar at TNDC and pushing your way en masse to First Coffee, I was a little wary. I mean, I'd just spent an entire year getting to know everyone at Darden, and now, with the 09's departure and your arrival, half the school was again a mystery. I probably took a few days (... or more ...) to get re-acclimated; to make peace with all the unfamiliar faces; to learn the personalities behind those shiny silver name tags.
Yet over the past couple of weeks, you've won me over. In a whirlwind of club events, Pepsico Forum run-ins and FY-SY Peer lunch dates, I've gotten to know several of you and, despite my early trepidation, I've really liked those of you I've met. You're great additions to the Darden community and I'm excited to see what you contribute. So, welcome ... belatedly.

Oh reading days, how I missed you!

One of the great luxuries of attending business school is the reading day -- a day all to oneself without a single class blotting space in your schedule. As an intern, it took me a few weeks to recover from reading day withdrawal and now that I've returned to Darden, I welcome each one of those 24 hours back with open arms.
Ahh, but how to spend them?
Because reading days usually fall on a Friday, you can approach your reading day in one of two ways. One, you could opt for the productive route, viewing the day as an opportunity to catch-up, get ahead, or work on extra-curriculars. Basically, the reading day is an additional work day. Two, you could take the not-so-productive route, viewing the day as a chance to rest up, relax and re-charge ... in short, the reading day makes for a 3-day weekend.
On this particular reading day, I'm going with a blend. I'm writing cover letters and attending meetings, but I also plan on making a trip to the party-supply store and enjoying a couple lazy hours on my new couch.

NAWMBA Welcome Event

This past Friday, the National Association of Women MBA's at Darden (henceforth, NAWMBA) hosted a welcome event for first-years at a winebar on the downtown mall. The event was fantastic -- we filled the event space, wine and conversation flowed freely and I was able to meet and chat with more than a dozen of Darden's newest members.

Back in Charlottesville

I'm a week into my second year at Darden and I'd just like to take the opportunity to dispel the notion that second year is a breezy, golf-filled float to graduation. True, I no longer have 15-case weeks, or hours-long learning team meetings, but I still spend a ton of time on-Grounds (maybe even more than last year!). Each day this week there has been reading to catch up on (in some cases, entire books), bonds to price, club meetings to attend and events to help plan. And to think my expectation was to have wide open gaps in my Outlook calendar!

Yet while the schedule and pace may not have improved, my ability to manage those things certainly has. One of the greatest skills I think we acquire here at Darden is the ability to prioritize what needs to get done, focus in the free hours we have and quickly jump from one thing to the next.

Almost home

Just three more days until my summer in DC ends and I make my way back to Charlottesville. And I have to say, I'm pretty excited about going home.

While I've loved my internship and the chance to explore a new city, I've missed my life at Darden. I've missed my friends, I've missed my apartment and I've missed the b-school community I've become apart of. And what's struck me recently isn't just how much I enjoy being at Darden, it's how temporary my stay there is. One more year and I leave the bubble for good.