robinson’s first chapter (in snapshots from hell) talks about how he had math camp n computer camp prior to starting classes. something like a week of each. AGSE had a week camp for international students only that i didn’t attend because i was still dealing with visa stuff. from what i heard i’m pretty glad i missed it. sounds like it was full of ‘how to write a paper’ type stuff that culminated in teams having to write and present. sounded like it was a big waste of time.
AGSE also had a 4 day residential program for all full-time students. this was worthwhile because you got to meet people and there was a some interesting stuff talked about. but it’s nothing at all like what robinson talks about.
one thing i like about this book is how he mixes real examples (going as far as explaining problems and solutions, case study situations, etc) with his personal feelings. the math problems he talks about attempting to understand are so much different than what i’ve experienced in my 2 math classes here. i think mine were accounting leaning and more business focused rather than straight ahead math (he even gets into calculus). thank god for that. although i shared his terror. after his prof writes the very first formula on the board, robinson sez “i felt revulsion’. bingo!
in the math camp chapter he very briefly talks of calling his girlfriend for moral support but not receiving any because she was attending business school too (at another uni). he states they would realise ‘business school is the enemy of romance.’
i found that quite funny. meeting people is hard because you don’t really have the time. you’d think you’d shack up with other mba students since you could at least understand the misery but in my case a lot of them are married. and you don’t even have the time to socialise with other students. maybe that’s a biz opportunity. arranging sex partners for mba students.
over the summer i started seeing someone (hence having the time to hang out with someone) and although i’m not really comfortable in saying this… i think it’s an actual relationship. i don’t know how he deals with me though. all the time he’ll get things like… ‘ok, we can go out for dinner tonite but then i have to read. or i can spend all nite reading tonite and tomorrow we can get dinner and maybe a drink if i get enough accomplished. but we can’t do something both nites’.
i was wondering how in the world the students who are married and have kids are doing this. now i realise they first must have intensely understanding partners. cause you can’t really waste the time arguing over ‘x’ because that’s lost time taken away from study. now i’m seeing some of the positives too… the boy likes to cook so i’m eating better and it’s one less thing i have to worry about (rather… as some of you know… i get involved and forget to eat so now i have someone reminding me. and not just reminding but putting something good in front of my nose).