It has been a great break. I haven’t had 3+ weeks completely off in a long time. Even during my undergrad years I was never fully off. As a rower on the lightweight crew team, every free moment was spent training for the racing season. It was no surprise that I was a little unsure how to spend my winter break. To make it easier, I broke up the break into three blocks.
The first block of time off I spent doing nothing… and it was great. I stayed in Columbus and slowly unwound from the hectic life I lived during finals. Each day I read the paper, went to the gym, checked on grades, watched movies, attended ugly sweater parties, etc.
For the second block of winter break, I returned to Cincinnati to spend time with my family. Of course it was great to be home and see everyone, not to mention all the excellent food I ate. Plus I was able to go to the Bengals v. Chiefs game in which the Bengals clinched the AFC North title. Hopefully they can make a good run in the playoffs.
Block three officially began when I returned to Columbus a few days ago. I am currently trying to adjust back to a more realistic life – one with priorities, deadlines, and homework. I’ve already bought most of my books and now I need to start reading course syllabi and preparing for another quarter at Fisher College.
- Joseph Fahrendorf
(This was reposted from Joseph Fahrendorf's blog for Fisher College of Business)
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Winter Break = Freedom
Classes are over, finals are finished, papers are complete… and I’m finally on winter break! For the next three and a half weeks I am off. This will give me plenty of time to reflect on the Q1 and make the necessary adjustments to be more successful in Q2.
Favorite class: Managerial Economics with Professor Campbell.
Least favorite class: Data Analysis.
Overall, this quarter was amazing. I met a lot of great individuals and I really stretched myself by taking subjects in which I had no prior knowledge. Accounting was tough, but I survived. I hear Cost Accounting next quarter is even harder, so that should be fun. My professional speaking class really improved my public speaking skills and I feel much more comfortable speaking in front of large audiences.
I'll reflect more on Q1 a little later. Now it is time to relax. I should also have plenty of time to blog over the next three weeks... although I won't have anything to blog about. Stay tuned, I'm sure something will come to mind.
-Joseph
This post was republished from Joseph Fahrendorf's Fisher College of Business blog.
Favorite class: Managerial Economics with Professor Campbell.
Least favorite class: Data Analysis.
Overall, this quarter was amazing. I met a lot of great individuals and I really stretched myself by taking subjects in which I had no prior knowledge. Accounting was tough, but I survived. I hear Cost Accounting next quarter is even harder, so that should be fun. My professional speaking class really improved my public speaking skills and I feel much more comfortable speaking in front of large audiences.
I'll reflect more on Q1 a little later. Now it is time to relax. I should also have plenty of time to blog over the next three weeks... although I won't have anything to blog about. Stay tuned, I'm sure something will come to mind.
-Joseph
This post was republished from Joseph Fahrendorf's Fisher College of Business blog.
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Projects and Finals
Once again everyone is busy at Fisher College of Business. This is the last week of class so everything is wrapping up. As a result, I had to give a presentation on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of this week.
Monday – (Enhancing Professional Interchange) I gave a speech with three other individuals about the Thanksgiving holiday. We were supposed to talk for 16 minutes and we hit 15:59.3 without any help from the professor. Hopefully we get a few extra points for nailing the time exactly.
Tuesday – (Economics) My team gave a presentation on the compensation difference between the CEO of Aetna and the CEO of UnitedHealth. We discussed CEO pay packages and their financial incentives.
Wednesday – (Organizational Behavior) My team gave a presentation on a leadership model that we developed based on OSU President Gordon Gee. (I might have worn a bow tie for this presentation.)
As you can imagine, I’m definitely glad to have these projects behind me. Now I can start studying for finals. It all begins next Monday with Managerial Econ. Tuesday is the Data Analysis final and Wednesday is the Accounting final. It should be a fun three days.
I can’t wait until Wednesday afternoon…
-Joseph Fahrendorf
(This was reposted from Joseph Fahrendorf's blog for the Max M. Fisher College of Business.)
Monday – (Enhancing Professional Interchange) I gave a speech with three other individuals about the Thanksgiving holiday. We were supposed to talk for 16 minutes and we hit 15:59.3 without any help from the professor. Hopefully we get a few extra points for nailing the time exactly.
Tuesday – (Economics) My team gave a presentation on the compensation difference between the CEO of Aetna and the CEO of UnitedHealth. We discussed CEO pay packages and their financial incentives.
Wednesday – (Organizational Behavior) My team gave a presentation on a leadership model that we developed based on OSU President Gordon Gee. (I might have worn a bow tie for this presentation.)
As you can imagine, I’m definitely glad to have these projects behind me. Now I can start studying for finals. It all begins next Monday with Managerial Econ. Tuesday is the Data Analysis final and Wednesday is the Accounting final. It should be a fun three days.
I can’t wait until Wednesday afternoon…
-Joseph Fahrendorf
(This was reposted from Joseph Fahrendorf's blog for the Max M. Fisher College of Business.)
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
The Game
The Ohio State v. Michigan game was this past weekend. Although I am from Ohio, I had no idea that the name of this rivalry was called “The Game.” This caught me off guard because my undergraduate’s rivalry game is also coined as “The Game.” After learning this, I did my research on Wikipedia and discovered that the OSU v. Michigan and Yale v. Harvard are the only two football games that use the moniker “The Game.”
Since I have been able to take part in the weekend celebrations for both games, I decided it’d be interesting to examine the similarities and differences between the two different rivalries.
Harvard v Yale “The Game”
• Early morning wake-up for tailgating. Themed tailgates.
• Not important to wear school colors. Classic tailgate look: polo shirts, faded jeans, Ray-Ban Wayfarers and a blazer.
• Everyone attends the game whether it is home or away.
• Student ID is free admission. Game rarely sells out. Yale Bowl seats 70,870.
• Recently lopsided series. Yale has won only once since the year 2000… but they hold the all time series record 65-53-8.
• Little animosity between schools. Joint Harvard- Yale tailgates. Students offer to “host” the away team’s fans if people are looking for weekend housing.
• Both sides follow the scores to the other rivalry games while tailgating.
• Alumni from all over the country return for The Game since it is the main Fall reunion.
• Win or lose it is always a good time.
OSU v Michigan “The Game” (note: I have never experienced a home OSU v. Michigan game)
• Early morning tailgate. Real tailgates: burgers, beer, cornhole, football.
• Traditions: Mirror Lake jump - Absolutely insane event on Friday night. Students jump into Mirror Lake despite freezing temperatures and ridiculously high ammonia levels.
• Wear school colors: preferably jerseys – specifically a James Laurinatis jersey.
• Not as many people travel to the away games. No student housing provided by the home team.
• Student IDs are not free admission to the game. Games are always sold out. Tickets actually have a resale value.
• Recently lopsided series. Michigan has won only once since the year 2000… but they hold the all time series record 57-43-6.
• No joint tailgates. The two schools hate each other – don’t wear Scarlet and Gray in Ann Arbor.
• People actually watch the game. The tailgate is simply a buildup to the game.
• You better win to have a good day… or even a good year.
This year’s result: Yale loses, OSU wins... I’ll take it.
Since I have been able to take part in the weekend celebrations for both games, I decided it’d be interesting to examine the similarities and differences between the two different rivalries.
Harvard v Yale “The Game”
• Early morning wake-up for tailgating. Themed tailgates.
• Not important to wear school colors. Classic tailgate look: polo shirts, faded jeans, Ray-Ban Wayfarers and a blazer.
• Everyone attends the game whether it is home or away.
• Student ID is free admission. Game rarely sells out. Yale Bowl seats 70,870.
• Recently lopsided series. Yale has won only once since the year 2000… but they hold the all time series record 65-53-8.
• Little animosity between schools. Joint Harvard- Yale tailgates. Students offer to “host” the away team’s fans if people are looking for weekend housing.
• Both sides follow the scores to the other rivalry games while tailgating.
• Alumni from all over the country return for The Game since it is the main Fall reunion.
• Win or lose it is always a good time.
OSU v Michigan “The Game” (note: I have never experienced a home OSU v. Michigan game)
• Early morning tailgate. Real tailgates: burgers, beer, cornhole, football.
• Traditions: Mirror Lake jump - Absolutely insane event on Friday night. Students jump into Mirror Lake despite freezing temperatures and ridiculously high ammonia levels.
• Wear school colors: preferably jerseys – specifically a James Laurinatis jersey.
• Not as many people travel to the away games. No student housing provided by the home team.
• Student IDs are not free admission to the game. Games are always sold out. Tickets actually have a resale value.
• Recently lopsided series. Michigan has won only once since the year 2000… but they hold the all time series record 57-43-6.
• No joint tailgates. The two schools hate each other – don’t wear Scarlet and Gray in Ann Arbor.
• People actually watch the game. The tailgate is simply a buildup to the game.
• You better win to have a good day… or even a good year.
This year’s result: Yale loses, OSU wins... I’ll take it.
Friday, November 20, 2009
A day at Nestle
Today I traveled to Solon, OH with several Fisher MBA classmates to take a tour of the Nestlé campus and learn more about brand management opportunities at the company. After the tour, it was clear that Nestlé is a unique place with remarkable brands. I thought the most interesting part of the day was when two Marketing Associates spoke to us about their experience in the Toll House Cookie Dough Group during the E. coli recall several months ago. I can’t think of a larger obstacle to overcome than a product recall, but this group never panicked. After several weeks with the product off store shelves, the baking division re-launched the cookie dough in a slightly modified package highlighting that the product was safe. Their initiatives were a major success and the Toll House brand suffered no major brand damage. In fact, their sales this month are slightly higher than they were a year ago.
Tomorrow is the big game against Michigan. I’ll be at the Buckeye Hall of Fame Cafe talking to prospective students about Fisher and all that it has to offer. So if you'll be there, please hold any questions until non-critical moments of the game. Thanks.
(This post was reposted from the Max M. Fisher College of Business Student Blog by Joseph Fahrendorf.)
Tomorrow is the big game against Michigan. I’ll be at the Buckeye Hall of Fame Cafe talking to prospective students about Fisher and all that it has to offer. So if you'll be there, please hold any questions until non-critical moments of the game. Thanks.
(This post was reposted from the Max M. Fisher College of Business Student Blog by Joseph Fahrendorf.)
Thursday, November 12, 2009
The Fahrendorf Revelation
Since Day 1, the Fisher faculty and Career Services department have reminded us that our school work is not our only priority. They have tried to instill in us this notion that internship/job searching is equally important, if not crucial to the overall success of our MBA. I mean, they have a point: if we graduate from Fisher with leadership, business and teamwork skills, but we are unemployed, how can we be the next generation of leaders in corporate America?
Despite this rational logic, their advice has fallen on deaf ears. Grades are measurable; progress in the internship search is not. Although my main objective at Fisher is to graduate with a rewarding job, I have succumbed to the day-to-day attrition of the core curriculum. (This is a major obstacle to finding an internship.) However, I have good news. Today I had a revelation – this is my first ever revelation and will quite possibly be my last – especially if this one burns me in the end.
The Fahrendorf Revelation simply states that life will never slow down or become any easier. Professors will never slow down or give me “time off” to focus on the outside world. If I need to spend more time internship searching, I will need to prioritize my school work and focus only on the important material. I simply don’t have time to do everything. This revelation is analogous to the law of conservation of energy. For example, I can change the form of my energy to focus on school or on the internship search, but I cannot double my energy to do equal work in both categories. Energy is finite; I have to learn to make do with what I have been given. The key is to prioritize, prioritize, and prioritize.
This watershed moment in my MBA career couldn’t have come at a better time. Next Friday I am travelling up to Solon, OH to take a tour of Nestle and speak with individuals at the company about their experience in brand development. I will make sure to get the most out of this opportunity and hopefully my changed philosophy will reward me down the road.
On a different subject, I would like to recognize all the military veterans at Fisher and across the country. Yesterday was Veteran’s Day and the University was closed in their honor. Thank you to all the men and women that have served this country.
-Joe
(this was reposted from https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/gradlife/author/fahrendorf_3/)
Joseph Fahrendorf
Despite this rational logic, their advice has fallen on deaf ears. Grades are measurable; progress in the internship search is not. Although my main objective at Fisher is to graduate with a rewarding job, I have succumbed to the day-to-day attrition of the core curriculum. (This is a major obstacle to finding an internship.) However, I have good news. Today I had a revelation – this is my first ever revelation and will quite possibly be my last – especially if this one burns me in the end.
The Fahrendorf Revelation simply states that life will never slow down or become any easier. Professors will never slow down or give me “time off” to focus on the outside world. If I need to spend more time internship searching, I will need to prioritize my school work and focus only on the important material. I simply don’t have time to do everything. This revelation is analogous to the law of conservation of energy. For example, I can change the form of my energy to focus on school or on the internship search, but I cannot double my energy to do equal work in both categories. Energy is finite; I have to learn to make do with what I have been given. The key is to prioritize, prioritize, and prioritize.
This watershed moment in my MBA career couldn’t have come at a better time. Next Friday I am travelling up to Solon, OH to take a tour of Nestle and speak with individuals at the company about their experience in brand development. I will make sure to get the most out of this opportunity and hopefully my changed philosophy will reward me down the road.
On a different subject, I would like to recognize all the military veterans at Fisher and across the country. Yesterday was Veteran’s Day and the University was closed in their honor. Thank you to all the men and women that have served this country.
-Joe
(this was reposted from https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/gradlife/author/fahrendorf_3/)
Joseph Fahrendorf
Monday, November 9, 2009
Recharging my tank
This weekend I went home to Cincinnati for the first time since orientation. It was awesome to break away from my normal weekend MBA routine (studying/reading) and enjoy the beautiful weather (70 and sunny). Seeing my family and friends was a great way to recharge my tanks for the second half of the first quarter. After midterm week, my energy reserve was depleted. Hopefully this excursion allows me to refocus and close out the quarter with strong results. By the way, did I mention that we crushed Baltimore to improve to 6-2? Did I mention that the Bengals are in first place?
Speaking of football, I was able to go onto the field at the Horseshoe today in order to get my picture taken for some promotional material for Fisher College. Sorry future applicants… I’m not the most photogenic person.
https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/gradlife/author/fahrendorf_3/
Speaking of football, I was able to go onto the field at the Horseshoe today in order to get my picture taken for some promotional material for Fisher College. Sorry future applicants… I’m not the most photogenic person.
https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/gradlife/author/fahrendorf_3/
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Catching up on everything
As you probably assumed from my intermittent blog posts the past two weeks, I have been really busy. In the future, I’ll try not to miss as many entries while preparing for exams, but that will definitely depend on how I am doing in my classes. I am enjoying my Fisher College experience too much to fail out in the first quarter. (Mom & Dad – don’t worry. My grades are fine.)
With that said, I am happy to report that I am back on “regular time.” I consider regular time to be the period of the school year where I don’t have any exams, papers or projects looming over my head. Regular time involves a lot of reading, internship searching, and extracurricular involvement. Regular time does not include last minute cramming, late night paper writing, or guzzling coffee from water bottles in order to stave off my body’s desire for sleep. Needless to say, I am really happy that my schedule is back to normal.
A few quick bullets:
• Fisher Graduate Student Association (FGSA): I had my first meeting for FGSA last Thursday. I have already received some great feedback from classmates regarding areas where Fisher College can improve. Keep the ideas coming to us and make sure to attend our first town hall meeting in two weeks.
• Halloween Bash: Over 200 Fisher students showed up to Mosaic on Friday night. We are currently voting on best costumes, so I don’t know who will officially win, but my vote is going to Joseph Cheng… Joseph went the scary route. He was a hybrid gorilla/skeleton. It looked better than it sounds, believe me.
• Procter & Gamble Case Competition: On Thursday and Friday of this week I will be participating in P&G’s case competition for first year Fisher College students. This will be my first case competition (ever) so I am not really sure what to expect.
• Bengals – Ravens Game: After the case competition wraps-up on Friday, I’m driving to the Cincinnati Airport to pick up a friend coming in town to watch the Bengals v. Ravens game at Paul Brown Stadium. I am a huge Bengals fan (don’t judge me) and my friend is a huge Ravens fan. These two teams will be battling for first place in the AFC North division. I can’t wait for the game.
That's all for now.
Joseph Fahrendorf
(This blog was reposted from Fisher College of Business blog: https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/gradlife/author/fahrendorf_3/)
With that said, I am happy to report that I am back on “regular time.” I consider regular time to be the period of the school year where I don’t have any exams, papers or projects looming over my head. Regular time involves a lot of reading, internship searching, and extracurricular involvement. Regular time does not include last minute cramming, late night paper writing, or guzzling coffee from water bottles in order to stave off my body’s desire for sleep. Needless to say, I am really happy that my schedule is back to normal.
A few quick bullets:
• Fisher Graduate Student Association (FGSA): I had my first meeting for FGSA last Thursday. I have already received some great feedback from classmates regarding areas where Fisher College can improve. Keep the ideas coming to us and make sure to attend our first town hall meeting in two weeks.
• Halloween Bash: Over 200 Fisher students showed up to Mosaic on Friday night. We are currently voting on best costumes, so I don’t know who will officially win, but my vote is going to Joseph Cheng… Joseph went the scary route. He was a hybrid gorilla/skeleton. It looked better than it sounds, believe me.
• Procter & Gamble Case Competition: On Thursday and Friday of this week I will be participating in P&G’s case competition for first year Fisher College students. This will be my first case competition (ever) so I am not really sure what to expect.
• Bengals – Ravens Game: After the case competition wraps-up on Friday, I’m driving to the Cincinnati Airport to pick up a friend coming in town to watch the Bengals v. Ravens game at Paul Brown Stadium. I am a huge Bengals fan (don’t judge me) and my friend is a huge Ravens fan. These two teams will be battling for first place in the AFC North division. I can’t wait for the game.
That's all for now.
Joseph Fahrendorf
(This blog was reposted from Fisher College of Business blog: https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/gradlife/author/fahrendorf_3/)
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Halfway done
Midterms are over…I survived. Grades come back for most classes next week... I’ll be happy until then. Hopefully I’ll be happy afterwards, but I really have no idea how I did on my tests. The Accounting midterm was probably my hardest exam. I knew I was in trouble when the accounting class before me left the exam and a CPA in the class looked pale. It was definitely one of those moments when you realize that an extra five minutes of studying has no utility.
As I mentioned in my last entry, Halloween celebrations are this weekend. The FCOB social chairs are hosting a costume party at Mozaik on Friday night. I bought a camouflage hunting suit at Goodwill for $6. I’m sure I’ll be able to turn that into some sort of costume in the next few hours. I’ll try to post a picture from the party.
Tomorrow is FisherServers Community Service Day. This is an event for all the first year MBA students to work with a local non-profit organization around Columbus. I’ve heard it’s a great class bonding event. I’ll be working with the Boys and Girls Club of Columbus with 25 other classmates. Hopefully the weather holds up.
(This blog was reposted from My Fisher Grad Life Blog... https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/gradlife/author/fahrendorf_3/)
Joseph Fahrendorf
As I mentioned in my last entry, Halloween celebrations are this weekend. The FCOB social chairs are hosting a costume party at Mozaik on Friday night. I bought a camouflage hunting suit at Goodwill for $6. I’m sure I’ll be able to turn that into some sort of costume in the next few hours. I’ll try to post a picture from the party.
Tomorrow is FisherServers Community Service Day. This is an event for all the first year MBA students to work with a local non-profit organization around Columbus. I’ve heard it’s a great class bonding event. I’ll be working with the Boys and Girls Club of Columbus with 25 other classmates. Hopefully the weather holds up.
(This blog was reposted from My Fisher Grad Life Blog... https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/gradlife/author/fahrendorf_3/)
Joseph Fahrendorf
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Chicken curry overload
Tonight I had a great experience at the Indian MBA Association’s first group meeting. I’m really glad I went because it was an excellent opportunity to meet several of my classmates who I did not know… plus it was all you can eat Indian food, which is about as good as it gets. Hopefully I’ll be able to attend more of these cultural association events in the future so that I can continue to broaden my cultural exposure and become a better representative for the FGSA.
Now I am committed to one thing: passing my Accounting midterm on Wednesday. Unfortunately, I have a lot of other things to do before this test. For example, I also need to pass my Economics midterm which is on Tuesday. (This should not be too difficult. I find the material fairly easy to comprehend and retain.) I also need to prepare for a class presentation midterm in EPI and a group project presentation in Organization Behavior. (Both projects are on Monday morning.) Along with this class work, I need to prepare for an interview with Target Corporation on Wednesday morning. (I am hopeful that my interview with Johnson & Johnson last week knocked off my interviewing cobwebs.)
Anyways, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Although this weekend is completely shot, next weekend I will be midterm free just in time for the greatest holiday of the year: All Saints D… I mean, Halloween!
-Joseph Fahrendorf
(this entry was reposted from https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/gradlife/author/fahrendorf_3/)
Now I am committed to one thing: passing my Accounting midterm on Wednesday. Unfortunately, I have a lot of other things to do before this test. For example, I also need to pass my Economics midterm which is on Tuesday. (This should not be too difficult. I find the material fairly easy to comprehend and retain.) I also need to prepare for a class presentation midterm in EPI and a group project presentation in Organization Behavior. (Both projects are on Monday morning.) Along with this class work, I need to prepare for an interview with Target Corporation on Wednesday morning. (I am hopeful that my interview with Johnson & Johnson last week knocked off my interviewing cobwebs.)
Anyways, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Although this weekend is completely shot, next weekend I will be midterm free just in time for the greatest holiday of the year: All Saints D… I mean, Halloween!
-Joseph Fahrendorf
(this entry was reposted from https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/gradlife/author/fahrendorf_3/)
Saturday, October 17, 2009
FGSA Elections
I have good news to report... I recently discovered that I was one of five individuals elected to the Fisher Graduate Student Association (FGSA). I was honored when I heard the news because the competition was steep and the results were close. The other four individuals representing the class of 2011 with me will be Sam Adams, Emily Bae, Nick Fischer (fellow blogger), and Mike Thompson. My involvement with this group will allow me to work closely with the administration and faculty to ensure that my classmates have the best experience possible at Fisher College. If anyone has any ideas on how to make this program even better, please let me know.
Thanks to everyone who voted.
Joe
(this was reposted from https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/gradlife/author/fahrendorf_3/)
Thanks to everyone who voted.
Joe
(this was reposted from https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/gradlife/author/fahrendorf_3/)
72 wings, 5 desserts, a couple beers and MBA 860
My least favorite time of the year has arrived -- no not winter… midterm season! And with midterm season comes the inappropriately timed class projects/group presentations, which are scattered throughout exam week. Fortunately, my Organizational Behavior team is presenting our project before the main wave of midterms which will allow us to spread out the pain as much as possible. (Note: It is not proven that spreading out the pain is any better than just 4 or 5 days of pure misery.)
Our project is straight forward. We need to identify a company that has innovative human capital initiatives and figure out how they use those initiatives to drive their corporate strategy. As you may suspect, we chose a company that serves wings and beer – Buffalo Wild Wings. Unlike many casual dining restaurants, Buffalo Wild Wings does not view their servers as disposable assets. Through their efforts, they have been able to reduce their turn-over rate to half the industry average.
The best part of the project is that we were able to do most of our work on the second floor of the BW-3s on Lane and High. Our waitress brought wings, desserts and beers to our table while we learned more about the company by speaking to people who worked there. Perhaps the most interesting thing we discovered is that school teachers tend to have the best character traits for a server position and that BW-3s is trying to identify what makes them so effective. Go figure.
Joseph
(this was reposted from https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/gradlife/author/fahrendorf_3/)
Joseph Fahrendorf
Our project is straight forward. We need to identify a company that has innovative human capital initiatives and figure out how they use those initiatives to drive their corporate strategy. As you may suspect, we chose a company that serves wings and beer – Buffalo Wild Wings. Unlike many casual dining restaurants, Buffalo Wild Wings does not view their servers as disposable assets. Through their efforts, they have been able to reduce their turn-over rate to half the industry average.
The best part of the project is that we were able to do most of our work on the second floor of the BW-3s on Lane and High. Our waitress brought wings, desserts and beers to our table while we learned more about the company by speaking to people who worked there. Perhaps the most interesting thing we discovered is that school teachers tend to have the best character traits for a server position and that BW-3s is trying to identify what makes them so effective. Go figure.
Joseph
(this was reposted from https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/gradlife/author/fahrendorf_3/)
Joseph Fahrendorf
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Hitting my stride
The most difficult part of business school up to this point has been finding a routine that works. My life for the past three weeks has required fluidity and patience. I am a person that enjoys structure, so this lifestyle has not been easy for me.
I would describe my first two weeks as the typical “freshman haze”: I was inundated with work, unsure what to focus on and inevitably behind the rest of the class. In the subsequent weeks, instead of finding my stride I found more work to manage. It seemed that for every item I crossed off my “To Do List” I added three more. As the stress mounted, I was constantly searching for more hours in the day to complete applications for student organizations and summer internships.
Now midterm season is quietly approaching and I can finally say, “I think I have found my stride.” My conversation with Professor Rucci helped me better understand my career options and has provided some insight as to the ways I can go about achieving my goals. Having a more clear perspective on these issues has made it easier for me to focus on my class work and the tangible portion of the MBA. As my time management frustration ebbs, I am now in a situation to better manage the wide array of responsibilities of a Fisher MBA student.
-Joseph Fahrendorf
(reposted from https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/gradlife/author/fahrendorf_3/)
I would describe my first two weeks as the typical “freshman haze”: I was inundated with work, unsure what to focus on and inevitably behind the rest of the class. In the subsequent weeks, instead of finding my stride I found more work to manage. It seemed that for every item I crossed off my “To Do List” I added three more. As the stress mounted, I was constantly searching for more hours in the day to complete applications for student organizations and summer internships.
Now midterm season is quietly approaching and I can finally say, “I think I have found my stride.” My conversation with Professor Rucci helped me better understand my career options and has provided some insight as to the ways I can go about achieving my goals. Having a more clear perspective on these issues has made it easier for me to focus on my class work and the tangible portion of the MBA. As my time management frustration ebbs, I am now in a situation to better manage the wide array of responsibilities of a Fisher MBA student.
-Joseph Fahrendorf
(reposted from https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/gradlife/author/fahrendorf_3/)
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Super Wednesday
Tomorrow is a big day for me for two reasons.
First, I am meeting with Professor Tony Rucci to discuss my career interests and to learn more about corporate strategy and business development. Dr. Rucci is one of my professors in MBA 860: Organizational Behavior and Leadership Effectiveness, but this is not his only claim to fame. Prior to joining the Fisher faculty, he was the Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy & Business Development at Sears Roebuck & Company. He was also Chairman of the board of directors for Sears de Mexico and served on the boards of Sears Canada, Western Auto, and Grupp Carso’s retail board. Before his Sears days, he was the SVP of Human Resources at Baxter International. Needless to say, I am really excited to sit down with him and discuss my career options.
Second, my first accounting team project is due. We finished the project a few days ago, so for the past two days we have been able to work on other assignments. (Note: Several of the teams I know did not work ahead on this project and will be burning the midnight oil to finish on time. Good luck to them.) I’d also like to take this time to say that I probably have the best team in Fisher -- no joke. My group is hardworking, collaborative, intelligent, efficient, and FUN. Not every group is so lucky. My team members include:
Kevin Lawrence – This week’s Accounting All-Star
Meng-Tse (Joseph) Cheng
Alison Guzman
Ian Menchen
Now back to the books…
Joe
(republished from post https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/gradlife/author/fahrendorf_3/)
First, I am meeting with Professor Tony Rucci to discuss my career interests and to learn more about corporate strategy and business development. Dr. Rucci is one of my professors in MBA 860: Organizational Behavior and Leadership Effectiveness, but this is not his only claim to fame. Prior to joining the Fisher faculty, he was the Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy & Business Development at Sears Roebuck & Company. He was also Chairman of the board of directors for Sears de Mexico and served on the boards of Sears Canada, Western Auto, and Grupp Carso’s retail board. Before his Sears days, he was the SVP of Human Resources at Baxter International. Needless to say, I am really excited to sit down with him and discuss my career options.
Second, my first accounting team project is due. We finished the project a few days ago, so for the past two days we have been able to work on other assignments. (Note: Several of the teams I know did not work ahead on this project and will be burning the midnight oil to finish on time. Good luck to them.) I’d also like to take this time to say that I probably have the best team in Fisher -- no joke. My group is hardworking, collaborative, intelligent, efficient, and FUN. Not every group is so lucky. My team members include:
Kevin Lawrence – This week’s Accounting All-Star
Meng-Tse (Joseph) Cheng
Alison Guzman
Ian Menchen
Now back to the books…
Joe
(republished from post https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/gradlife/author/fahrendorf_3/)
Friday, October 2, 2009
Time for student organizations
Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to eat Papa John’s pizza 4 days in a row? I have – and that’s why I attended every student organization’s information session in 375 Gerlach Hall this past week. By the fourth day, I had succumbed to pouring Papa J’s famous garlic dipping sauce all over my pizza to spice up the monotonous (but free) lunch. Am I alive? Yes. Does it feel like it? Not really.
Actually, the real reason I attended the meetings was not for the free pizza, but for the opportunity to learn more about the student run organizations at Fisher College. What I discovered is that Fisher has a plethora of organizations that span the diverse student body. Since I have a limited amount of time, I am trying to whittle down the number of organizations that are attractive to me. I will probably join only 2 or possibly 3 clubs, so that I will have the time and energy to take an active leadership role within the organizations. I am currently interested in the following groups…
Fisher 5K Association
Fisher Board Fellows
Fisher Graduate Student Association
Fisher Professional Services & ProjectOne
Initiative for Managing Services
Hopefully by the end of next week I'll have made my decisions.
-Joe
(this post was republished from https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/gradlife/author/fahrendorf_3/ )
Actually, the real reason I attended the meetings was not for the free pizza, but for the opportunity to learn more about the student run organizations at Fisher College. What I discovered is that Fisher has a plethora of organizations that span the diverse student body. Since I have a limited amount of time, I am trying to whittle down the number of organizations that are attractive to me. I will probably join only 2 or possibly 3 clubs, so that I will have the time and energy to take an active leadership role within the organizations. I am currently interested in the following groups…
Fisher 5K Association
Fisher Board Fellows
Fisher Graduate Student Association
Fisher Professional Services & ProjectOne
Initiative for Managing Services
Hopefully by the end of next week I'll have made my decisions.
-Joe
(this post was republished from https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/gradlife/author/fahrendorf_3/ )
Maybe a History degree wasn’t a great idea…
On Wednesday of last week, I had my first class as an Ohio State graduate student. I never thought I’d say this about school, but I am really excited about my core curriculum and the skill sets that I’m about to gain. After graduating from Yale University in 2006, I entered corporate America thinking I was prepared for anything that would come my way. As you can probably imagine, it didn’t take long before I realized that I still had much to learn. (Despite this discovery, I have no regrets about earning a BA in History… it just needs to be complemented with an MBA.)
Now that I have a couple classes under my belt, I need to stay on top of my assignments so I don’t fall behind in class. Since I am one of a handful of students who have never taken a business class, I’ll need to work twice as hard as my peers. Fortunately, I have come to this realization before receiving my first round of grades, and I am currently in the process of finding a place where I can study in the most efficient manner.
My first weekend as a student on Ohio State’s campus has been fairly dull from a blogger’s perspective. On Friday, I woke up and started reading the 4 chapters that were assigned in Economics. Around noon, I helped a friend move a futon to his place. (He provided Chipotle for lunch.) Afterwards I started reading again until I could no longer focus due to my excitement for that night’s social activity: 1980’s theme party. As expected, it rocked.
On Saturday, I woke-up to the sound of pouring rain and decided against going to The Horseshoe to root on the Buckeyes. Instead of watching the game on TV, I decided to make it a “reading day” and drove to the Upper Arlington Public Library to get some work done. I stayed in the library for 8 hours and left at the 5pm closing time. After spending the entire day in the library I was completely brain dead when I left and decided to make it an early night rather than going out with my MBA friends.
Sunday was very similar to my Saturday. I woke up early and went to Gerlach Hall to study. I started reading my Accounting chapters, but continuously took mini breaks to watch the Bengals game on TV in Gerlach’s hallway. All I can say is “Who Dey, baby!?”
Joe
(blog republished from https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/gradlife/author/fahrendorf_3/ )
Joseph Fahrendorf
Back to school
It’s the night before my first day of business school and I don’t know how to describe my feelings. Does “reluctant anticipation” make sense to anyone?
Don’t get me wrong... I am definitely excited about the start of classes. This is something I have wanted to do for a long time. Earning my MBA from Fisher College will provide me the business skills necessary to think both critically and strategically about leadership and management. What more could I ask, right?
Well, I am reluctant to begin this journey because for the first time in my life I am behind on schoolwork before classes have officially begun. You might be wondering, “How is it possible to be behind in something that hasn’t actually started?” Don’t worry; this is not some theoretical question. (Remember, my personality is ESTP… theories and conceptual problems bore me.) The answer is really quite simple: three out of my five classes have work due on the first day of class.
*MBA 800: Financial Accounting & Reporting
*MBA 812: Managerial Economics
MBA 825: Enhancing Professional Interchange
MBA 860: Organizational Behavior & Teamwork
*MBA 870: Data Analysis for Managers
The good news is that I am almost finished with my homework and I will be ready to dive into my MBA experience head first. Wish me luck.
Joe Fahrendorf
(this blog entry was republished from https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/gradlife/author/fahrendorf_3/ )
Joseph Fahrendorf
Orientation wrap-up
Hey everyone. My name is Joe Fahrendorf and I’m a 1st year MBA student at the Fisher College of Business (FCOB). As the second week of orientation officially comes to a close, I finally have a moment to reflect on the previous 12 days and write my first blog entry.
The FCOB faculty have kept us incredibly busy throughout orientation. A few of my activities included:
· A case study with Professor Jay Dial.
· Team building activities at Summit Vision. (I was blown away at how well my core team operated as one. Hopefully this is a sign of more good things to come.)
· A Myers-Briggs typology test. (According to the results I am an Extraversion, Sensing, Thinking, Perceiving “ESTP” personality. I was almost an ESTJ.)
· A practice job interview with the career development office.
· Networking events with companies such as AEP, Eli Lilly & Company, Kimberly-Clark, Limited Brands, Nationwide, NetJets, P&G, Target, The Scotts Company, Whirlpool and several others.
· A boot camp focused on careers in consulting. (For a day and a half, we listened to several industry experts discuss the pros and cons of the industry and we were given the opportunity to network with representatives from Accenture, Deloitte, McKinsey and other top consulting firms.)
· Golfing. (This has been a great way to meet classmates. The talent level ranges from scratch golfers to pure novices. Yesterday I shot an 85 on the Grey Course, but still lost to a classmate by several strokes. Hopefully I’ll find the time to play the Scarlet Course before the cold weather arrives.)
Overall, I would say that orientation has been a huge success. I’m excited that classes are about to begin and I look forward to meeting more classmates. Twelve days ago I literally knew 3 people in the area and now I know roughly a hundred.
Keep checking my blog for new posts. My goal is to submit 2 or 3 entries per week. If you have any questions or comments, let me know.
-Joseph Fahrendorf
(this blog entry was reposted from https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/gradlife/author/fahrendorf_3/ )
The FCOB faculty have kept us incredibly busy throughout orientation. A few of my activities included:
· A case study with Professor Jay Dial.
· Team building activities at Summit Vision. (I was blown away at how well my core team operated as one. Hopefully this is a sign of more good things to come.)
· A Myers-Briggs typology test. (According to the results I am an Extraversion, Sensing, Thinking, Perceiving “ESTP” personality. I was almost an ESTJ.)
· A practice job interview with the career development office.
· Networking events with companies such as AEP, Eli Lilly & Company, Kimberly-Clark, Limited Brands, Nationwide, NetJets, P&G, Target, The Scotts Company, Whirlpool and several others.
· A boot camp focused on careers in consulting. (For a day and a half, we listened to several industry experts discuss the pros and cons of the industry and we were given the opportunity to network with representatives from Accenture, Deloitte, McKinsey and other top consulting firms.)
· Golfing. (This has been a great way to meet classmates. The talent level ranges from scratch golfers to pure novices. Yesterday I shot an 85 on the Grey Course, but still lost to a classmate by several strokes. Hopefully I’ll find the time to play the Scarlet Course before the cold weather arrives.)
Overall, I would say that orientation has been a huge success. I’m excited that classes are about to begin and I look forward to meeting more classmates. Twelve days ago I literally knew 3 people in the area and now I know roughly a hundred.
Keep checking my blog for new posts. My goal is to submit 2 or 3 entries per week. If you have any questions or comments, let me know.
-Joseph Fahrendorf
(this blog entry was reposted from https://fisher.osu.edu/blogs/gradlife/author/fahrendorf_3/ )
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