Still Living the Dream!

Hello everyone!  I wanted to give a quick update as to some important events that have occurred these last 7 days.

First - Last Wednesday I stayed late at work to take a class at General Assembly called Deconstructing iOS.  It was a class about Apple's iOS software and how best to create mobile applications that adhere to the Apple UI guidelines.  The reason that I decided to take the class after work is because I'm trying to develop an idea that I have.  Who knows, maybe this blog will turn into how I created a start-up after business school and became a billionaire!

Second - After the class, I went to meet two of my friends from MLT.  I say from MLT but in reality,  I know one of them from 2009 when we attended an NYU Starn Marketing Weekend as prospective students!  We've come a long way since then!  In any event, I met them down by Union Square as they were finishing up dinner.  We sat and chatted for about 20 minutes.  She now goes to Duke and here is the post from when she got in.  My other friend goes to Columbia.  He was actually my roommate at CTLS last year around this time.  I think I wrote a blog post about CTLS.

Third - After meeting them for a quick chat, I went to the West Village to meet up with one of my best friends from school and one of his friends who also went to Columbia.  I sat with them for drinks and just talked about everything under the sun.  He was very interested in learning about my experience at General Assembly.

Fourth - On my way back from NYC to my house in New Jersey, I was on the bus wearing my CORNELL hat!  I find myself always wearing Cornell apparel because I always seem to run into someone who went to Cornell either as an undergrad or graduate.  There's an immediate sense of camaraderie when this happens that I wonder if it's unique to Cornellians.    So yes, I was sitting on the bus with my hat and I turned my hear to look out the window.  As I did this, I see someone notice my hat and then say "Did you go to Cornell?"  I said that I am currently a student at Johnson and he replied excitedly with, "I'm in Dyson now!"  For those of you who don't know, Dyson is the name of the undergraduate business school at Cornell.

We started talking about how we missed Ithaca and what not.  He then asked if I knew someone by the name of XXXXXX.  It was funny because he prefaced it with, "You probably don't know this person but do you know....."  I said, "I probably do know them because it's a small school."  So he said the person's name and to no avail I did know the person. The person is/was a 2nd year.  Apparently they had a class together in the business school.  After chatting for a couple of minutes, I told the student that he should give me his email address so we could keep in touch.  He was happy to do so, so I emailed him last night.

Fifth - The weekend was an interesting one because it was one filled with me introducing my business school friends to my non-business school friends.  On Friday, I was in Morristown, New Jersey because I have a classmate who is interning and living there.  I also have an undergraduate roommate who lives and works in Morristown.  I wanted to introduce them so that m b-school friend would at least have someone to go out to the bars with this summer when he isn't in the city.  When we got to my Undergraduate classmate's house my b-school friend said "I want to know everything there is to know about Richard from undergrad."  So the night had a lot of reminiscing going on!

Sixth - On Saturday, I was back in the city for a friends birthday.  We were staying in a hotel in Soho and were partaking in some libations before we went out.  As we were getting ready, I was inviting my business school friends to come out with us.  It was interesting to see things come full circle.  There were about 20 of us in the hotel room and there was at MOST 1 degree of separation between everyone.

- So some of my friends who came had met my business school friends when they came up to Ithaca for my 30th birthday.
- Some of my business school friends had met my other friends from other business schools during the Reaching Out MBA conference back in May.
- Some of my business school friends had met the brother of one of my Sternie (NYU STern) friends when said brother stayed with me in Ithaca for his interview.

It was all very surreal.  Everyone got along especially well!  <3 them all!

Okay it's 6:50am and I have to catch the bus and head to the city.  Adios!

To My MLT Family

To my frequent blog readers this blog post may seem foreign and out of place, but it's dedicated to my new MLT family that you've read so much about on my blog.  If you remember back a couple of weeks I was nominated to be a part of MLT and after spending five days with these folks at the culmination of the year they've day, I need to write an open letter thanking them.

To My MLT Family,

I honestly don't even know where to start this letter.  I'm sure I should write an introduction and then add some supporting paragraphs and then sum everything up with a conclusion, but in all honesty it probably will not happen that way.  But at the end of this letter to all of you I hope you get a sense for what MLT has meant to me throughout this hectic process as an initial NYC outsider looking in.

When I started this whole business school process I didn't know ANYONE who had an MBA, so I started blindly and had no idea what I was really embarking upon.  It's interesting because I have felt a part of the MLT family this whole time because I've become close with so many of you this year.

The words that were spoken about the program and the newly found friends on Saturday definitely hit home for me!  The support that I have received from MLT tertiarily (yes I made that word up) has been invaluable and I can remember each day that I met all of you and can speak to how much you've helped me throughout this process.  You have all been my support network and I do not think I would have been able to be gearing up to go off to business school without your help.  

Two years ago I was not even thinking about an MBA and did not know how many people who looked like me were actually successful in getting acceptance.  I did not know that I was capable of doing it, but I was constantly reminded that by my MLT friends that yes... you can do it, but more importantly.... YES, YOU ARE WORTHY.  I needed to hear that at every moment that someone told me that because I was beaten down time and time again.

The constant reminder that I could do it and that I was worthy of doing it was not taken lightly.  I cannot stress the help that I've received from everyone in MLT prior to being a nominee.  We all know that the application process is the most grueling thing ever.  GMAT prep what? yeah never again thankfully... 3am essay edits and mock interviews?  Thank god that's over in the context of b-school applications.  I remember talking to Jessica online on January 5th, the day that the Consortium application was due, and when I hit submit I told her that I was crying.  I did not cry a month after when I got the acceptance call, but yes, I did cry when I hit submit sitting at my desk because I, like everyone else, poured my heart an soul into getting to that juncture.

Many of you have been a source of therapeutic relief for me and I definitely would not have been able to feel the sheer joy of getting through the application process without many of you, even if you don't know who you are.  Hearing about amazing things that were being achieved and R1 school acceptances gave me confidence that I too could do it.

This past weekend gave me much needed confidence as I prepare to head off to Johnson. I'm glad that I was able to make new friends and nurture relationships with old ones because  you guys are truly an amazing group of people.  I keep saying that I'm humbled and honored to be a part of MLT now.  After meeting so many of you at various information sessions and diversity weekends I'm amazed at how my life has been affected by all of you.

The friends I've made throughout this process are, without a doubt, lifelong friends.  Even prior to this week I have been welcomed with open arms by everyone I've met in MLT.  The qualities that have been displayed by you guys are a testament to the type of organization that MLT is.  To give yourselves to me without asking for anything in return is incredible.  A couple of days after my acceptance I emailed my contact at Johnson to ask "How do I get nominated for MLT?"  I'm not sure how many other people did that but I knew that I needed to be a part of this great organization.  So I thank you all for being an amazing group of folks.  I know that you've been an inspiration to me and other people with whom you've come in contact with over the year.

I know I'll see a lot of you in a couple of weeks at OP.  So with that I'll say... HERE'S TO BEING SCRAPPY

Busy as a Bee before B-School

I'm not going to sugarcoat this and just apologize upfront for being mia for quite some time now!  I'm wondering if I need to reintroduce myself... I mean.. I'm not going too... but the thought crossed my mind.

So phew... I found 10 minutes to myself where I can write this blog post - at friggen 2:30am.  Ok let me just start by telling you why I've been so busy.  This post will be all over the place because I think I've forgotten how to blog haha...

Well for starters...my new job, while less stressful, is more time consuming.  I'm freelancing at an agency now and am working on a big restructure of an account so I've been putting in 11/12 hours days.  I know some of you are going to say "So what? 11/12 hours who cares?"  Well... that's just AT work.  You have to keep in mind that I commute 1.5 hours to and from work everyday.  So that's potentially 14/15 hours of the day that I'm busy.  I'm not complaining about the hours because I enjoy what I'm doing... but in terms of being able to find time to write a blog post... it's been slim.

So aside from work what else has been keeping me busy?  Well.. there is a lot of preparation that I have to do for CTLS.  I explained what CTLS is in my last post here about MLT.  The CTLS conference is next week from the 7th - 11th.  To prepare for it we have to read some cases... attend some webinars... get our resumes in line... etc etc.

In addition to the preparation for CTLS, I've been working with my Career Coach at Johnson to get ready for OP (consortium event in Minneapolis).  This includes more "assignments" ... mock interviews... webinars... et. al.  This is at the end of the month from the 24th - 30th.  So there's another week of June that's essentially taken up by pre-mba activities.  I will say that it IS  a TON of work but it WILL pay off come may!

I just finished updating my LinkedIn profile.  It was recommended that we do that before these two conferences.  So if anyone would like to link to me on LinkedIn - here is my profile url.

http://www.linkedin.com/in/richardbattlebaxter

IF YOU DO LINK TO ME... JUST TYPE A MESSAGE LIKE "I READ YOUR BLOG" or something of that nature just so I know before I accept you.  Otherwise you'l sit in my Friend Request Box for months..

I've also been trying to square away my housing situation.  I have the roommate... did the whole credit check thing.... got approved... now just need to send the deposit check to the management office and then sign the lease.  So I'm trying to track down the person who sends out the leasing agreements.  I'm also on the look out for furniture!  My roommate and I are renting most of our furniture but we need the little things... plus I want to buy a Keurig Machine!

Now I have to run around trying to get my doctor to sign off on these health forms.  That one was my fault because I totally let that slip my mind!

Yesterday (well on June 1st) I submitted my 2nd deposit!  So at the very least that knocks like 2% off of my tuition since your deposits go towards tuition.  Gotta look on the bright side right?  So no less than 48 hours after I submitted the deposit, did I get the email for Math Camp.  Now I knew that I'd be going to Math Camp so that wasn't a surprise.  But the cost for it was an initial shock.  So today I shelled out another $600 in total for math camp and some orientation week activities.  But at least now I know that there is only 1 more thing that I'm going to have to pay for and that's only $150.  I think that's for the background check.  I'm going to look into what I need to do for that tomorrow.  Actually, I'll shoot off an email to someone right when I'm done with this blog post.

That's all I'm going to write for now.  I have a lot to catch you guys up on but I need to take my body to bed.  The morning comes very quickly!

A word to the wise, and I'll elaborate on this another time, for those of you who are in my position... as soon as you get emails that you may need to respond too.  RESPOND TO THEM!  I try to do that so that I don't forget about them because a lot of information is time sensitive.  K thanks g'night!