An Adventurous and Rewarding Trip
My Experience at the Duke MBA Games
Kathy Yue Wang
Issue date: 5/27/04 Section: Perspectives
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With the business suit on, I jumped right into the swimming pool along with my competitors! My biggest concern at that time was not speed but reaching the other end of the pool without being drowned. But I made it to the finish line like a gust of wind. Cheers for my success marked a good start for my whole day. My confidence was up in the sky.
What was I doing? I was in the Duke MBA Games, an annual event held in Duke University where MBA students from top b-schools compete with each other in various games to raise fund for Special Olympics. I received an invitation for this event at the end of Winter Quarter this year, and I was immediately attracted by it for several reasons. First, this is a good opportunity to network with students from the other top b-schools and to mingle with company representatives from sponsoring firms. Second, this event gives us a chance to make social contributions and broaden our network to non-business communities. Third, I would like to have a break away from the cold weather in Chicago and enjoy the sunny spring in North Carolina. Finally, this event takes just 2 to 3 days from my Spring Break and the only cost is an air ticket. Duke covers all the living and food expenses. They also provide the service for airport pick-up and drop-off. Therefore, I decided to join this event and bought the air ticket right away.
But I got a problem after finishing my finals. Eight students who signed up for this event decided to drop out because they couldn't find any air ticket at a reasonable price. The price was only $172 when I bought, but it jumped to $497 after our finals. To make things even worse, the other three who have already bought their tickets had to drop out because of family emergencies and unexpected schedule changes. Suddenly I became the only person from Chicago GSB if I still wanted to attend this event. I hesitated. How can I alone compete with the other b-school teams with 12 members in it? Duke people gave me some support at this time, indicating that NYU would couraged, but was still concerned. After careful consideration, I finally decided to go to Duke. Challenges often mean opportunities, and my loneliness may improve my efficiency in making new friends. More importantly, I believed that representing GSB, I should at least show up to support this great event as I promised.
I headed to Duke on March 25 with a mixed feeling of excitement and uncertainty. I was very lucky to have a good start since my networking actually began on the plane. An IBM senior manager was sitting besides me, and she was very impressed when she learnt that I was going to attend Duke MBA Games to raise fund for Special Olympics. We had a nice talk on the plane, and she guided me in the Durham Airport until I found Duke students who came to pick me up. She even suggested getting together when she has another trip to Chicago in the future.
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What was I doing? I was in the Duke MBA Games, an annual event held in Duke University where MBA students from top b-schools compete with each other in various games to raise fund for Special Olympics. I received an invitation for this event at the end of Winter Quarter this year, and I was immediately attracted by it for several reasons. First, this is a good opportunity to network with students from the other top b-schools and to mingle with company representatives from sponsoring firms. Second, this event gives us a chance to make social contributions and broaden our network to non-business communities. Third, I would like to have a break away from the cold weather in Chicago and enjoy the sunny spring in North Carolina. Finally, this event takes just 2 to 3 days from my Spring Break and the only cost is an air ticket. Duke covers all the living and food expenses. They also provide the service for airport pick-up and drop-off. Therefore, I decided to join this event and bought the air ticket right away.
But I got a problem after finishing my finals. Eight students who signed up for this event decided to drop out because they couldn't find any air ticket at a reasonable price. The price was only $172 when I bought, but it jumped to $497 after our finals. To make things even worse, the other three who have already bought their tickets had to drop out because of family emergencies and unexpected schedule changes. Suddenly I became the only person from Chicago GSB if I still wanted to attend this event. I hesitated. How can I alone compete with the other b-school teams with 12 members in it? Duke people gave me some support at this time, indicating that NYU would couraged, but was still concerned. After careful consideration, I finally decided to go to Duke. Challenges often mean opportunities, and my loneliness may improve my efficiency in making new friends. More importantly, I believed that representing GSB, I should at least show up to support this great event as I promised.
I headed to Duke on March 25 with a mixed feeling of excitement and uncertainty. I was very lucky to have a good start since my networking actually began on the plane. An IBM senior manager was sitting besides me, and she was very impressed when she learnt that I was going to attend Duke MBA Games to raise fund for Special Olympics. We had a nice talk on the plane, and she guided me in the Durham Airport until I found Duke students who came to pick me up. She even suggested getting together when she has another trip to Chicago in the future.