ONE-YEAR AT GOIZUETA: AMANDA LINTELMAN – Questions that you’ve been wondering but don’t know who to ask
As I entered my summer session at Goizueta, there were a lot of questions that I wanted to ask someone but didn’t know who to go to. I’ve assembled a list of Q&As and hope that they help!
1. Can I pack a lunch and eat it at school or will I have to buy my lunch every day?
Breathe a sigh of relief! You can 100% pack a lunch and bring it to school with you. There are two huge refrigerators and a few microwave ovens in the Commons of Goizueta. A lot of students pack their lunch. One of my concerns as a full time MBA student was the stark adjustment from a fairly substantial amount of disposable income, to zero income. I hoped that by packing my lunch, I would be able to cushion my budget a bit more.
2. What if I haven’t taken a core class before coming back for my MBA?
Before coming back to school I had taken one accounting class (probably six or seven years ago) and zero finance classes. I was scared! But, to be honest, taking these classes for the first time as an MBA is not terrible. I was surrounded by classmates who are experts in these fields and were more than willing to share their knowledge with me. Something that you will come to appreciate as a Goizueta MBA is the high level of collaboration amongst colleagues. I learn from my peers on a daily basis and have relied heavily on them to help me through these types of classes, as have many of my classmates.
3. How do I work that parking gate?
Believe it or not, this was one of the things I was most nervous about the morning of classes. Everyone is pulling up, and I didn’t want to be ‘that girl’ who couldn’t figure out how to use the parking gate. So, allow me to explain. Physically remove your parking pass from your rear view mirror, swipe it through the device when you pull up to the gate, and-voila-after a few seconds wait you will be granted entry to Fishburne. Enjoy it while it lasts during the summer session!
4. Am I going to be able to survive taking classes from 8:30-5:30 every day?
I came back to school actually thinking we were going to be in class from 8 am – 6 pm every day. So 8:30 – 5:30 already sounded like heaven to me. Then, I found out that most days class only runs until 3:45. And, on top of that you usually have at least a one hour and fifteen minute break to eat lunch. Some days during the second block that stretches to one hour and forty-five glorious minutes! So, while the days are long, there are breaks built in. Oh, and professors usually give at least one 15 minute break each class. You will survive!
5. Where do I get my books from?
I have only needed a book for 3 of my classes during the summer session. I chose to rent all of my textbooks because it is significantly cheaper. Check out Amazon.com, textbookrush.com, or abebooks.com for cheap alternatives to expensive textbooks. In addition to the minimal number of textbooks, Goizueta is heavily case/article based. Most professors will use Study.net for all of their course material. Sign up for an account, and purchase the material online. You can use the e-copies or pay to have the material printed, hole punched, or spiral bound. I suggest buying all of these materials at least one week before classes start so that you allow adequate time for them to be delivered if you choose to purchase the printed copies.
6. When should I buy my school supplies and what should I use?
Not going to lie. Buying school supplies was one of the things I was most looking forward to about coming back to grad school. I was happy to find that they’ve drastically improved over the past 6 years as well! I used a combination of spiral bound notebooks and binders. This is really a personal decision, but I would advise against a lack of organization. Pick one method and stick to it. It will make your life much easier.
7. How does the grading system work?
Forget about the days of letter grades. Goizueta uses a tiered system to evaluate a student’s performance. Grades are delivered in the format of: DS (distinction), HP (high performance), PS (performance standard), LP (low performance), and NC (no credit-only assigned if a student does not complete a course).