Let's Talk About Fashion

Those of you who are my friends on Facebook might have noticed an interesting exchange stemming from my updated status yesterday. My status read, "Jen is tired of talking about planes, cars, and other boy stuff. Can't we talk about fashion instead?" I received many responses - with girls in favor and guys not so much. Surprise surprise.

But really - which is more interesting, this:



Or this?


Philip Lim Spring 2009 via NYMag.com

If I can't talk about fashion in class, I'm going to talk about it here! Check out this new article from Forbes.com about shopping smart during the credit crunch (the LBD - Little Black Dress - has perhaps never been such a critical wardrobe component). Just because we're in a recession doesn't mean you should look any less professional in your next job interview. This article is a worthwhile read for all you professional (or professionally-aspiring) ladies out there!

And really? Why can't we discuss the fashion industry in class, instead of constantly churning over aerospace, automobiles, and Apple? Many of the same principles apply, and the fashion industry impacts us all. Sigh. A girl can dream of a Chanel case study...

Cheers,

Jen
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Jed's Guide to Cambridge Colleges

Our esteemed classmate Jed has written a Fan to the Tastic blog post about Cambridge colleges. Prospective students, you do not want to miss this! Current and former JBS MBAers, please check it out and contribute with your comments. The college process can be a tricky and confusing one to navigate, so the more complete this guide, the better!

For those of you who don't know, once you accept your place at Judge Business School, the MBA staff will apply to colleges on your behalf. All you need to do is give them some criteria from which they will be able to figure out which colleges will suit you best. If you want, you can also ask for a specific college and they will do what they can to get you in. For more info on the process, Jed's post is a great resource.

My college process was fairly amusing but definitely worked out for the best. Once I accepted my spot at Judge, I emailed the MBA office to say that I wanted to a) be close to Judge (since I'm terrified of cycling in this town), b) be close to the train station (since my fiancĂ© lives in London), and c) have my own bathroom. I received a prompt reply asking, "Would you prefer Magdalene or Wolfson?" I decided to go for Magdalene, since it was older and would be a better embodiment of "the Cambridge experience"... only to receive an email a few days later welcoming me to Downing.

I definitely lucked out. Downing is probably the most convenient college in terms of proximity to Judge, and it's only a 13-minute walk (or 9-minute half-walk-half-run after two pints of Guinness) to the train station. My dorm - the Singer building - is one of the newest and though I have my issues sharing a kitchen with folks who don't wash their dishes, not to mention my noisy neighbor, overall I would highly recommend Downing to any prospective student looking to live in college.

Would love to hear from fellow classmates about their college experiences! Please leave your comments!

Cheers,

Jen

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How I Spent My Winter "Vacation"

Gotta love the Midwestern US of A!

Hello folks,

It's been awhile! But I am finally back to blogging, having returned from a whirlwind winter break and having (um, barely) survived Michaelmas exams. We're already into our Lent term - we had our first Operations Management, Innovation, and Strategy classes this week - but I'd like to take a moment to revisit the gloriousness that was winter break.

Granted, I had bronchitis for most of it. Not to mention the weight of exams hanging over my head. But I still managed to enjoy myself - it was hard not to, considering I was wedding planning!

Yup! As if a full-time, one-year, super-intense MBA programme weren't enough to keep me busy, I am getting married next September in Portsmouth, Rhode Island. So on Christmas Day, I flew to see my mom in Michigan and in the two days following, we, along with my cousin/Maid of Honor, embarked upon The Great Dress Quest of 2008.

Now, planning a wedding during an MBA program might be rather insane, but having to condense wedding dress shopping into two days is completely bonkers. And yet, it also necessitates an exceptional level of focus for which I ended up being quite grateful. I can see how other brides' quests can last days, weeks, even months, and span across cities, counties, even states and countries. But I knew I had just two shops to visit, and my Wedding Dress of Dreams had to be in one of them. There was just no choice.

And, lo and behold, it was! I found my dress at the hilariously and endearingly Midwestern-American shop in the photo above. Despite the fact that I woke up at 6 o'clock that morning in order to get in some Finance review, I did not let my looming exams overshadow my big day and my big dress. 

It's all about keeping a balance, right? It's about doing the best we can in this programme while keeping in mind that there is life - and possibly some satin and lace and sequins and fabulous beading and a lovely train and layers of crinoline - beyond it. Okay, so the lace and sequins might not be for everyone, but the balance should be.

Hoping to keep that in mind as we traipse through the next eight weeks of Lent and on into our Global Consulting Projects...

Jen

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The business of modern slave trade

Nicholas D. Kristof is a New York Times columnist that writes about a variety of issues generally dealing with the developing world. His last set of columns have highlighted the modern slave trade, specially focussed on sex traficking. Plase see the links below if you are interested in learning more about these issues. Particularly relevant is the last column titled "Striking the Brothels’ Bottom Line" where the sex trade is analysed based on its business model, and on how it can fail.
AJ

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/11/opinion/11kristof.html?_r=1
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/04/opinion/04kristof.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/25/opinion/25kristof.html

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Who is Ben Barry?


Q: What does Judge Business School, PhD & a Modelling Agency have in common?

A: Ben Barry




This man, a PhD student at Judge Business School who owns a modelling agency, has received the Canadian Governor General's Awards in Commemoration of the Persons Case Youth Award by making "the most positive impact of anyone I have encountered on women and their self image. Ben is instrumental in affecting a change of societal values of women through both his modelling agency and his research at Judge Business School."
...............................................................................

What do you think of the above?

I wonder if it would have been the same outcome if a female PhD student, who owns a modelling agency, had written the same stuff.

Also posted on Blinkymummy.
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Surviving Michaelmas Term

So it's been quite a while since our last post. Let me assure everyone though that this does not signify our lack of commitment. Quite on the contrary it is actually a direct result of it: we finished Michaelmas term and I suspect that we were all so tired from the hard work that we "passed out" and forgot how to spell. (that's my excuse and I am sticking to it!)
The good news is WE SURVIVED!!!!
And as I prepare myself for exams this week,"nostalgically" reviewing a term's worth of finance and accounting notes, I have been fondly thinking about the time so quickly gone by and all the grand things that I did... which lead me to consider how on earth I actually got all those things done without having a nervous breakdown???
So I decided to record what I think are aspects or common strategies for surviving the first term of a one-year MBA at Cambridge. I hope those of you with whom I shared the wonderful last three months can look at this and think "Ah yes! I remember doing that too! Hahaha, how I have grown!" And for those considering joining, do take note -- your mental health needs this information, even if your physical one doesn't.

1) Meet the class before classes starts. The first few pub outings where essential ice-breakers : even if you couldn't remember anyone's name afterwards...they remembered YOU!
2) Do not attempt to use the grand staircase before studying the entire building plan thoroughly. You will get sucked into a black hole if you ignore this and never ever make it to class. Use the elevator on the right side of the building instead.
3) Give up trying to remember the 5 different log-in names, 8 passwords and 29 websites you are suppose to check daily. Make friends with "responsible" people in class and have them inform you of all important notices.
4) Go to class. You don't want to be that "person who doesn't exist".
5) Make sure you have an accountant in your study group. If you don't, task someone besides yourself to become an accountant.
6) Bring a blanket to LT3 and iced-drinks to LT1, no matter what the temperature is outside
7) If you can 't find a suitable kick boxing class, use your study group to vent your stress and frustration. Just don't tell them that is what you are doing -- better be labelled mental than mean:)
8) Go to every possible finance recruiting/information event even if you are not interested in the topic. They always serve decent free food afterwards, crisis or no crisis!
9) Accept every possible formal hall or fancy dinner party invitation. Otherwise you will forget how to use a fork and how to dress sensibly. The everyday jeans and sandwiches do not reflect the real world!
10) Do prepare a "plan of attack" for your career search. You will probably not follow it but it will make you feel better knowing you tried... when you realise you don't have a job.
12) Find your favorite coffee place in Cambridge, check opening hours and get a loyalty card!
13) If you get a bicycle remember to get a helmet...and body armour to go with it.
14) Join rowing. Otherwise you will be envious of the people who wake up at 6:00am to go exercising in the freezing English mist and show up in class smelling like the Cam. (Really, that would make you more pathetic than them)
15) When playing Management Practice games remember that whatever you do and no matter how you excuse it, it IS personal!
16) There is only one Matriculation, one Halloween and one Christmas a year. Celebrate it at your college....and bribe colleagues to take you to theirs.
17) Join the student union. It's often quite relaxing to hear other people argue...I mean debate.
18) Go out after class and get drinks. Loads of drinks. Make Browns your second home!
19) If you go out to a bar and an attractive person becomes "friendly" with you, ask for their age immediately. Chances are he/she is WAY too young!
20) Lastly, no matter how cute they look, stay away from any ducks, geese, pigeons or bunnies. Animals in Cambridge do not like humans!

Please do add to this list if you remember anything else that can be relevant. I hope to make a guide for next year's class out of this.
And happy exam taking!
AJ


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Easter Term Events...

9 June, 6:00-7:00PM
Marie Taylor, Personality Coach and Founder, Living Right Now

About Us

We are the women of the 2008-2009 MBA class at Judge Business School, University of Cambridge. We have descended upon Cambridge from all corners of the globe for one crazy year. Join us as we navigate a twelve-month MBA program with a 4:1 male to female ratio at an 800-year-old university. We are in for quite an adventure!

Questions? Comments? Email us at jbswomen08{at}gmail.com!

Our home for the next year...

Our home for the next year...
Judge Business School, University of Cambridge

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