Two-Timing the Stern Experience

As I embark on my second year, I can't help but feel guilty about experiencing a second MBA honeymoon phase.  My academically-induced love affair with New York City, by way of Stern, had all the makings of a long-term, committed relationship.  Once I dropped my bags at the Palladium and officially became a Sternie, I had a perma-grin plastered across my face for at least a month straight. I'm sure all the out-of-town and international folks can particularly attest to this state of big-apple bliss. That said, recruiting for multiple industries has a way of smacking off that smile, but that's another story. 

The first semester of business school presents seemingly endless opportunities to indulge the mind, body and spirit.  The parade of potential employers coming through the doors of KMC is dizzying.  The list of personal and professional clubs to join is staggering.  The social calendar is filled with new friends' birthday celebrations, club parties, bar blasts and the like.  In pre-term last year Dean Fraser and Dean Mittman kept reiterating, "It's a marathon, not a sprint," but we couldn't help ourselves…it's in our over-achieving nature to do everything!  But our minds and more appropriately our bodies eventually tire from the incessant stimulation of b-school.  Come second semester, the novelty has faded and we start to prioritize our time, eventually settling into a relatively predictable student lifestyle.  The honeymoon is over.  That is, unless you go on exchange.

I'm feeling a sense of déjà vu as I start my international exchange at London School of Economics.  The first day of school butterflies in my stomach are back in droves!  I'm reliving the buzz of the first semester at Stern except I'm 3,000 miles away.  New people, new classes, new places, new extra-curriculars and a new culture have got my head spinning once again.  Not to mention, I'm literally channeling Beetlejuice when crossing the street and trying to dodge oncoming traffic.

 

1980s movie references aside, the academic experience at LSE is a whole new cup of tea.  LSE doesn't have an MBA program, so b-school exchange students are registered in the International Management program.  The good news is that we are not limited to their Management courses.  We have enough rockstar professors of our own there.  Instead, we can choose from all the Masters courses offered so long as they are business-related.  Their course listing is huge and ranges from social policy and economic history to media and environmental studies.   The beauty of exchanging at LSE is that you can broaden out your MBA education with non-traditional coursework.  For instance, I'm taking a class called "Gender and Media Representation," where we examine contemporary media's portrayal of gender norms and question the politics surrounding it.

The teaching style also takes some getting used to.  Professors lecture to the larger class, but we're not encouraged to speak then.  Alternatively, class discussions are held for the separate seminars with about 15 students each.  This method cuts down on pointless commenting and creates more meaningful dialogue.  We're assessed mainly on essay papers due at the end of the term.  This can create a perverse incentive to travel and party all the time, which leads me to discuss the social shenanigans of the London Business School community.

While I have been cheating on Stern academically with LSE, I have been having fun with LBS on the side as well.  Since my fiancé is an MBA2 there, I've had the opportunity to partake in LBS social events through their very active Partners Club.  From acting class with RADA alumni to their version of Beer Blast including the sweaty room, LBS students have their fair share of indulgences.  The most exciting one so far has been Pub Golf, where members of the men's and women's rugby team compete in a pub crawl of 9 "holes" throughout Marylebone.  In between pints of Guinness and sing-a-longs, we learned about various watering hole histories including that of the Windsor Castle, where on the first Friday of each month the ole time Handlebar Club revels and reminisces on great moustaches and men.  This neighborhood discovery reminded me of Stern's pre-term scavenger hunt, where we scoured the streets of the East Village for local treasures and toasted to new friends at McSorley's.

The exchange proposition is alluring to anyone who is open to falling in love with another MBA experience.  By immersing yourself in the culture, you learn the subtleties of your host country's approach to academic and social life.  Also, you can't deny the appeal of making friends and exploring a new city all over again.  Yes, you have to take a temporary break from your Stern relationships, but in return, you get to broaden your perspective, expand your network, and show the world how awesome Sternies really are.