Please click on the archive links to your right to read the posts in chronological order by day.
Today kinda felt like a first day of grade school--and I mean that in a very positive way. You're probably wondering how an "intensive" summer business program could feel like 3rd grade... Well, let me try to explain.
First of all, after spending three years as a tiny person in a huge university, it was such a great feeling to be in a (small) class of 53 students--many of whom I've already gotten to know during breaks, lunch and group activities. But most of the nostalgia came about because we were so well taken care of by the program staff. As you probably know from your own experiences, being a college student means that you're on your own. You gotta figure out what you need and how to get it for yourself. Well today, for the first time in three years, I didn't have to go through the painstaking process of figuring out what books I need and then waiting in ridiculously long lines to buy them. I just walked into the program office, showed my ID, and was given a "Haas Base Program" backpack neatly filled with all the books I need! As my new friend Stephan (an Oxford University student from Germany) and I unwrapped our books, he exclaimed, "It feels like Christmas!" Aside from the pre-packaged books, we also got a snack during break time and a beautifully catered welcome lunch at the Bancroft Hotel.
After experiencing way too many dry lectures where the professor just reads off his notes word for word, today's classes assured me that great professors do exist. By mixing in humor, activities, and various media of communication, all three professors made their two-hour classes fly by. What's most important about these professors, though, is that they really seem to love the subject they teach, they care about their BASE students, and they're truly happy to be teaching us. To me, that's really refreshing, because so many professors these days seem like they would rather be sitting in their offices doing research all day!
When my cousin (a BASE alum) told me about the program, she said it's a great experience and is totally worth the cost (which burned a hole in my tiny pocket). So far, it looks like she's right!
