MBA

Durdana Achakzai, MBA 2009

7:30 am I look outside the window and debate whether to walk through the tunnel or walk outside. I look at my watch and decide the take the shorter outside route to the Spangler project room where I will meet my learning team for our morning discussion. On my way, I quickly grab tea and a chocolate croissant from the dining hall and rush to the meeting. Today is a three-case day. We compare our quantitative analyses on Finance and then move on to discuss BGIE and LCA. The LCA discussion is about the operations of my former employer in another country, and I am looking forward to adding some ‘insider' perspectives to the case discussion.

8:40 am The Finance case is about the auction of Burger King and the options available to its parent firm. I try to get into the discussion in the first thirty minutes before it gets too complicated for my non-finance background, and I succeed. We have three people in class who have direct experience working on the deal, and they add valuable insights to the case discussion.

10:20 am My Leadership & Corporate Accountability (LCA) class promises to be as interesting as ever. Today we are discussing Shell in Nigeria and I am looking forward to adding my point of view. The discussion turns into a heated debate, and the class is divided in its opinion on who to blame. But that is the whole point of a great discussion; to have opposing views and to defend them with strong arguments, logic, and experience.

12 pm The LCA discussion usually continues after the class among students. I am always intrigued by the diversity of opinions we have on the table. My friend Steph and I continue the discussion over lunch downstairs at the Grille but end on a lighter note hearing Nicki's fascinating plans for her wedding this summer in Ireland. We share pictures from our fantastic section spring break in Mexico and, wishing for a warmer Boston, start walking to our next class.

1:10 pm Today we will discuss Japan in Business, Government and the International Economy (BGIE) and I am looking forward to my Japanese friend Yumi's comments. I have thoroughly enjoyed country-based cases in BGIE and am so glad to have section mates from Singapore, China, Brazil, Russia, India and so many more countries who always bring in their indigenous experiences. I am awed by the success stories of Singapore and Japan and am hoping to do a great Pakistan case some day.

2:30 pm I rush to Baker Library to start reading cases to free up time for an interesting session in the evening. Luckily tomorrow is a two-case day. Despite being distracted by the elegant interiors of the library, I manage to finish reading in time for Shad.

5:30 pm I rush to Shad for the group exercise. I am glad to see many section D fellows in Shad this time of the day.

6:30 pm I attend an inspirational talk by the author of The Monk Who Sold his Ferrari, Robin Sharma. I feel blessed by the frequent opportunities to listen to so many learned and accomplished speakers from various industries and functions who visit HBS.

7:00 pm Dinner promises to be very international today because it is Sections D's international pot luck dinner in OWA common room, and I can't wait to taste food from all over the world. Most of the section is here and some have brought partners as well. I taste food from all over the world but fall in love with the Turkish dessert baklava.

9:30 pm It is difficult to leave such a tempting party, but I force myself to go and finish my Finance online exercise. I go to my room, get my laptop and cases, and tunnel through to Spangler lounge to finish work. I do some final analyses for tomorrow's cases and head back in two hours.

12 am I check my email and update my calendar. Tomorrow will be a full day. Besides two cases, I have a VCO project meeting, a Finance review session, Pakistan's speaker series event, and a learning team dinner with Professor Yoffie in Harvard Square. My phone rings. It's my mother from Pakistan who was thinking of me over breakfast. She reminds me as usual to eat healthy food, and we exchange good morning/good night wishes. I lay in bed reflecting on my journey from Pakistan to HBS. I feel blessed to be here and with that thought fall asleep.

Di Bai, MBA 2009

8:38 am After taking a quick shower, I get to the classroom just in time. It is so convenient to live on campus, a less than five-minute walk from Soldiers Field Park to Aldrich or Spangler. This advantage is more appealing in the winter when it is -10 centigrade and snowing heavily outside.

8:40 am The three-case day starts with LCA (Leadership and Corporate Accountability), which provides the triple lens - legal, economic and ethical - to evaluate each business decision thoroughly. It renews my understanding gained from past experience in which a dominant weight is put on the economic implication of business behaviors. After a short background introduction from the professor, I hear my name called. I am supposed to open the case by evaluating potential consequences of a business action with my rationale as well as supporting facts. I try to cover all the major points in my mind and speak loudly and clearly. Sitting in the middle of the sky deck (the last row in the classroom), I enjoy a panorama of the classroom different from that in the garden deck (the second row in the classroom) in last semester.

10:00 am A twenty-minute break follows the first class, when I grab a croissant from the mini cafeteria in the second floor of Aldrich and catch up with my section mates. It seems that I missed a lot of fun at the section party last night. I make up my mind to definitely join the next section party.

10:20 am The next class is BGIE (Business, Government and the International Economy). Today we talk about China's transition from planned to open-market economy and compare China's transformation model to that of some other countries, such as Russia, with "shock therapy." It is always very nice to share my local knowledge with the class and hear different opinions from people with highly diversified backgrounds and experiences. Discussion continues even after class, and I am so glad to learn that many people in my class are interested in China and have a pretty good understanding of its status quo.

11:55 am I stay in the classroom to join the section lunch meeting for the charity auction. After a one-hour discussion, we reach consensus that education and international development will be our donation focus, and we also align our giving strategy and charity selection process.

1:10 pm Today, TEM (Entrepreneurial Manager) is about the ZipCar business model. After two awesome pitches presented by my section mates, we put ourselves into the shoes of venture capitalists, evaluating the start-up's funding needs and the vitality of its business model. Near the end of class, we watch a video of Chase, co-founder of the business, in which she shares her key takeaway from the experience. A question jumps into my mind: when can this business model work in China, if ever?

3:00 pm I call my career coach to discuss the progress of my summer internship search and get her advice on upcoming interviews with some financial institutions. She has extensive experience in the finance industry, and whenever I am in a challenging situation, she is always there ready to help and encourage me.

4:00 pm I finish reading two cases on the jogging machine at Shad. Thanks to the improved efficiency of my case preparation, now I only need to spend less than thirty minutes reading each case, compared to at least one hour during my pre-MBA program. Later Jessie, an EC student and I, both beginners, play squash. "I envy you so much, since you still have more than one year to enjoy the HBS life." I have heard these words many times from the EC students recently, which encourages me to cherish every single day here at HBS.

5:30 pm I get back to the apartment and continue working on the third case. Tomorrow is a three-case day again and I plan to finish most of the preparation before dinner to leave time for phone interviews at night.

7:00 pm My learning team gathers in front of Morris and heads for Upstairs at the Square to have dinner with a faculty member. Our team has a perfect split regarding both background and gender: three international students from Italy, Mexico and China and three U.S. students; three females and three males. The time with my learning is very pleasant, as always. We share with the professor our thoughts on the course design, our school life and also, fun stories in different sections.

9:00 pm It is time to do housecleaning and I put the Bloomberg channel in the background. Further write downs by some major banks on Wall Street draws my attention. I can't help wondering, in light of the credit crisis, what changes should take place in monetary policy and regulatory mechanisms and what their implications will be to the U.S. and global economies.

9:30 pm Mom invites me to video conference through Skype. As usual, I share my daily life with my parents, from meals at Spangler to new friends I have met, to student club events, etc.

10:00 pm I work on calculations for tomorrow's strategy case and then email my learning team.

11:30 pm An incoming call from an unknown number - bingo, it is an interview from a private equity firm. Thanks to tips Career Services gave me before, the conversation goes pretty well.

12:30 am Another international call - it is recruiting season. This time it is from an investment bank. Again, it is a very positive talk.

1:30 am I send out follow-up emails and thank-you notes to the recruiters and interviewers and some of them reply immediately in between.

2:00 am After updating the calendar and checking emails for a final time, I go to bed and get energized for tomorrow, another new and exciting day.

Rye Barcott, MBA 2009

4:30 am I wake up and my wife rolls to her side, her signal for me to get up and out of bed quietly. In our box-shaped bathroom I turn on the radio and prepare to shave to NPR. This is my daily news feed. Without it there could be days when I was clueless about the happenings of the world, aside from the latest Wall Street deals and Fed rate cuts, which inevitably come up in after-class banter.

4:40 am Three beeps and the BBC news airs. I find the anchor's baritone British accent settling until he introduces a live feed from Iraq, where a reporter is covering a Marine unit in Fallujah as part of a five year "anniversary" retrospective. The reporter announces he's in the Fallujah Police Station in the heart of this embattled city. I return there in my mind. Puddles of mud and rancid green sewage surround the squat, two-story building. One day in 2006 an Iraqi policeman almost accidentally shot my linguist when he fired his pistol at an old Coke bottle lodged in one of the sewage pits. My anger at the cop didn't last long. A week later we found his body in tall reed grass along the banks of the mighty Euphrates. Al Qaeda in Iraq targeted the minority of policemen in Fallujah who actually tried to crack down on insurgent activity. This cop may have been on "our side," whatever that meant. Such is the proverbial fog of war.

For his part, the reporter is trying to cut through this fog. He asks an Iraqi policeman a central question: "Are things better now in Fallujah?"

"Inshallah," the policeman replies, evasively, "God willing."

It has been nearly two years since I was in Fallujah. At times it feels like an eternity. At other moments something triggers a recall that is so vivid and immediate that I feel as if I am reliving a series of events that I no longer have any control over. I break from this memory and put away my shaving kit. I am reminded of just how fortunate I am to be here at Harvard while many of my fellow Marines are back in Iraq and elsewhere on third, fourth, even fifth deployments.

4:45 am I walk out of our bathroom and to our kitchen accompanied by a chorus of meows. It's breakfast time for our two cats. I plop some food in their bowls and push a blue button to make the first magic of the day happen – coffee.

5:00 am I spend the first hour of most of my mornings on a nonprofit that Kenyan colleagues and I founded in 2001 called Carolina For Kibera (CFK). This morning includes a phone call with our executive director in Kenya, Salim Mohamed. We plan for my upcoming trip to Nairobi for spring break. It will include a board meeting and a small retreat for our staff. Our staff has been through a lot lately. In January 2008, they provided emergency relief to thousands of residents uprooted after intense ethnic clashes in Kibera. Salim and I settle on a morning at a go-cart track. None of the staff members have ever been in go-carts, and it should be great fun.

6:00 am Today is a three-case day. I have one more case left to prepare. I spend the hour reading about the World Trade Organization for Business, Government, and the International Economy (BGIE, pronounced "Biggie"). The questions for the class are broad. They include "are you optimistic or pessimistic about the mission of the WTO?" This case is an intriguing read that takes us speeding along the history of international trade up to some of the recent WTO disputes ranging from beef to turtles. It has less data than most BGIE cases and I finish on the hour mark.

7:00 am I spend a half hour reading up on alternative energy news, which mainly consists of Google news updates and a lengthy daily email from my future summer employer, Amyris. Amyris is a biotech start-up in the Bay Area that uses synthetic biology to reproduce hydrocarbons. It also has a non-profit arm that has designed a new anti-malarial for the developing world. This is a new world for me. One of the beauties of business school in general is the opportunity it presents for what one of my professors calls "reinventing yourself."

7:30 am I kiss my wife goodbye as she hustles to leave for work. I ride to HBS on an electric scooter, an Ego, which is the product of a local Cambridge start-up that I am informally advising. It's a pleasant ride that takes me seven minutes if I hit the lights right. I turn down a stretch of Memorial Drive lined by a tunnel of sycamores and pass crews of rowers gliding down the Charles. Two weeks ago there were no rowers. The river was frozen.

7:45 am I walk up to the second floor of Spangler for a meeting with my learning team in whatever project room is open. Not all learning teams survive to this point in the year, but those that do tend to have a strong bond. The six of us have become good friends during these early morning sessions, in part because everyone pulls their weight and does two to three write-ups each week on select cases. Like most teams, ours benefits from a wide diversity: a Lebanese oil trader, a private equity analyst, a Swedish derivatives specialist who worked in Mongolia, an Indian operations manager, and a consultant from Texas who also co-leads the Christian student association.

8:30 am Our learning team breaks and I stroll to the cafeteria to top off my coffee. Neil Wagle, a joint degree with Harvard Medical School and our section president, is also filling up. "Just what the doctor ordered," I comment. He laughs despite the lameness of my line. We chat about racquetball, a game that we are equally bad at, as we walk to our classroom – Aldrich 10 – where we spend every day together with our 88 section mates.

8:40 am First class starts. This one is a strategy case on Cadbury Schweppes, the famous British confectionary. I am reminded that I owe my wife a Cadbury bunny for Easter. Today's class is looking at a major merger Cadbury undertook with a gum company called Adams (think Trident). The class is quite an orchestration. The CEO of Cadbury, Todd Stitzer, is on campus with a bevy of his top executives to sit in on most of the ten first-year sections. Although the merger did not give Cadbury a competitive advantage, we learn that Stitzer used it to restructure Cadbury, breaking down old fiefdoms and shaping a new culture. As one might suspect when a CEO returns to HBS, this case ended up being a success story, at least in the short-term. Cadbury dramatically outperformed market expectations in the first few years after the merger.

10:00 am Daily interlude between morning classes. I join a friend back to Spangler cafeteria for more coffee. I get back to the section for daily announcements at 10:15. Today's announcements include a rally cry for a section basketball game later that afternoon and an update on our section's charity auction. Every section member is compelled to pony up something for bidding. My favorite so far is a section mate who is offering to let the winning bid throw a pie in his face anytime in the next decade. He'll even buy the pie. Minimum bid: $10.

10:20 am Next class is the Entrepreneurial Manager with Professor Joe Lassiter. Professor Lassiter is a virtuoso, a case study conductor who keeps the discussion kicking by cutting off students who are either unprepared or more interested in offering a dissertation than a succinct answer to a clear question. This is my most enjoyable class. Today's is on a start-up cell phone company called Southern Company. The company established a pre-pay service but did not file for a patent because it believed its technology was neither "novel" nor "non-obvious." Nevertheless, another competitor came along and received a patent on a similar technology. The competitor threatens Southern to either agree to a licensing agreement or face a lawsuit. Although the competitor has no revenue and there is a strong legal argument that the patent is illegitimate, the competitor is backed by some powerful investors, including KKR. In the end we find out what actually happened and it drills home some powerful lessons.

11:40 am Hit HBS's gym in Shad for a quick work-out with a friend from another section. The gym is a far cry from the beat-up ones I was used to in the military. It's more like something you'd find at a country club than a grad school.

1:00 pm Grab a very quick bite to eat from The Grille – California roll for $4 and some tap water.

1:10 pm Last class is on the WTO. Highlight is one of our section mates who worked at Goldman but fits none of the stereotypes. Today he talks about protesting WTO environmental policies (or lack thereof) in Seattle. Anarchists soon join the fray and complicate things. Some days you learn more about your section mates than others.

2:30 pm Meet with an Indian entrepreneur in my section who is also a former firefighter and a former merchant marine, among other things. He is now interested in desalinization technologies as a way to bridge the burgeoning fresh water crisis worldwide (and would, of course be very profitable). We talk about a possible field study he is interested in leading in India.

3:00 pm The CEO of Cadbury Schweppes, Todd Stitzer, is holding a question and answer with students. I go to the informal dialogue and learn more about his leadership. He is hard-headed but sets inspirational goals and clearly has the ability to attract people to his vision. After the session I ask him what he views as his responsibilities to his stakeholders. I am encouraged to hear him rebuke Milton Friedman's idea that management must focus solely on serving its shareholders. Stitzer asserts that no CEO can be an effective leader if they don't focus on stakeholder interests, which include a company's employees as well as local communities and the environment. He believes the sub-prime crisis can be explained in part by myopic corporate executives who lost sight of their greater responsibilities to society.

4:10 pm Off to the library to prepare for tomorrow's cases: a strategy case on the De Beers diamond cartel, and an entrepreneurial management class on a venture capital company that incubates start-ups. While the De Beers assignment includes an optional reading of an article about blood diamonds and De Beers' own sanguinary history, the focus of the case is how De Beers created its 100+ year virtual monopoly and a liquidity crisis the company faced in the 1980s.

6:00 pm Head across the river to the Harvard Kennedy School for a weekly dinner and discussion as part of the Reynolds Social Entrepreneur Fellowship at the Center for Public Leadership. Each week we meet with a "social entrepreneur," which generally means someone who is using a cross-sector approach to combat large social problems. Tonight's session is with a fascinating entrepreneur named Stace Lindsay. Stace worked with the legendary HBS Professor Michael Porter providing trade and liberalization advice to Latin American governments. In addition to running a storage company in New England out of his home, he is currently spearheading the Aspen Institute's Central America Leadership program. I found his most insightful comments to be on how he strikes his own work-life balance. Part of this for him includes figuring out ways for his wife and children to accompany him on consulting trips to developing countries. The session ends at 8:00 P.M.

8:10 pm Get back home and talk with my wife about the day. There are generally only one to two days out of the week where we don't eat dinner with each other. In order to maximize our time together, we turn down invitations to a lot of events, from presentations with heads of state to social calls with our section. It's one of the trade-offs anyone at Harvard has to figure out. The convening power of this place and the seemingly limitless number of interesting events happening on any given day is simply astonishing, and at times completely exhausting.

9:00 Jump on emails to blaze through the inbox. Every time I press delete it feels good. The faster the better. A glass of wine aids the flow. Nevertheless, between CFK, my summer job, classes, tax returns, and other life happenings, it takes me an hour and a half to churn through about 80 emails. I feel a scarce sense of satisfaction at the end of this electronic blitzkrieg.

10:30 Hang out some more with my wife. She tells me about a three-year-old client of hers who, when asked about what he wanted to change in his life replied, "my pull-ups."

11:00 Read a few pages of a book called The Monk and the Riddle and pass out.

Jacqueline Beato, MBA 2009

8:00 am I wake my sister up and tell her it's time to drive me to school. We are both in Boston for school (she attends Bunker Hill Community College), so we share a car. Once I get to campus I grab a quick breakfast ‘to go' from Spangler. I run to class and open up my computer to quickly print out any case notes I may need for the discussion ahead.

8:40 am First class of the day, Business, Government and the International Economy (BGIE), starts off with the question ‘is oil helping or hurting Saudi Arabia?' The discussion gets heated as we discuss Saudi Arabia's oil-centric development strategy and its strong religious ties. One student describes his experience working with the Saudi government in one of their city planning projects. There is never a dull moment in BGIE – our most controversial class.

10:00 am During my 20-minute break I check some more email and run to the Aldrich café to buy a snack for the next class. Back in my seat a few of my classmates are still discussing the previous case, so I jump in. As our break winds down I print out my next class's write-up and settle in hoping not to be cold called.

10:20 am Strategy starts, and I dodge the cold call! This was a particularly long case, and I didn't get a full grasp of the concepts the night before. I sit back and listen to my classmates to gain some understanding of what I was confused about. While I am observing I write a few funny anecdotes for our sky deck awards on Friday.

11:40 am Our lunch break starts but instead of lunch I run over to Shad. I hop on the treadmill and sweat through my three-mile run. I still have time so I do some stretches and abdominal work before going back to the locker room to shower and change.

1:00 pm Ten minutes before class starts! I dash to Spangler and grab some sushi to go.

1:10 pm I quickly eat my sushi during the first few minutes of class. Today we have one of the case protagonists visiting our Entrepreneurial Management class. The case is on a golf club company, and the golfers in the room are all jumping into the discussion. Twenty minutes before class ends, we wrap up the discussion so that our guest can speak and answer questions.

2:30 pm I call my sister so she can pick me up from school. I need to get through tomorrow's cases as quickly as I can because tonight is going to be a big night. One of my close friends in the section is getting married over spring break and we have planned a surprise wedding shower for her at a lounge in Harvard Square.

3:00 pm I quickly breeze through my Finance case. I worked on Wall Street before HBS, so this stuff comes a little easier to me than most of the other classes.

4:15 pm I take a nap on my couch before starting my second case. This is a daily event for me. I'm a night owl so I never make it to bed as early as I should, and I have to make up for it somewhere.

6:25 pm I woke up a little later than I wanted to – as usual. I won't have as much time to prepare my second case as I would have liked. I read my Leadership and Corporate Accountability (LCA) case in half an hour and quickly spend a few minutes forming a basic opinion on the case. If I get cold called at least I will have a position from which to state my case.

7:00 pm I have to be at the wedding shower by 8:00 for the surprise! I run through my closet to find an outfit to wear and quickly get ready. Before I step out the door I see an email from one of my learning team members asking the group for help on one of the finance concepts. I quickly draft a response and send it out. We agreed to not meet in the mornings (an extra hour of sleep can be really valuable!) so long as we have open discussions on case concepts via email.

8:15 pm I'm walking to the lounge and stop in at a fast food place to pick up a sandwich. Drinking on an empty stomach is never good. As I'm getting my order my friend's fiancé sends me a text – they are on their way! We live on the same block so they are probably right behind me. I eat my sandwich in less than two seconds, throwing away half of it and run the rest of the way to the lounge.

8:30 pm All my section mates are already here – thank goodness! I quickly usher everyone into the private room and let them know the bride-to-be is arriving any second. A minute later the happy couple walks in to a huge "Surprise!"

8:32 pm I take out my camera and start capturing pictures of Section H in action. We have taken over the entire lounge, and as the section historian I am charged with making sure everyone remembers the night (this will also make for great sky deck material!).

12:15 am It's time for me to head back home; it's only Wednesday and I have another full day of activities tomorrow. I walk out with a few section mates, but before walking home we stop by Pinocchio's Pizza and take a slice for the road.

12:45 am One last sweep of the emails. I also received another Finance question, so I quickly answer it. I upload the pictures from tonight to our section photo site and do the obligatory Facebook browse.

1:50 am Finally in bed! Another six hours before the alarm goes off…

Jeff Bernstein, MBA 2009

6:00 am Wake up, quickly shower, and walk around the block to attend morning services, then hop into my car for the 15-minute ride to campus.

7:30 am Meet with my learning team while grabbing some breakfast in Spangler. We go over the cases for the day and share tidbits about our lives and families. It's always enlightening to hear about other people's experiences and see firsthand the impact of diversity on campus.

8:30 am Learning team ends and I quickly grab a bottle of water from the cafeteria on my way to Business, Government, and the International Economy (BGIE) class.

8:40 am Class begins. This class is focusing on different aspects of the Indian States of Punjab and Kerala. Two members of my section are actually from Punjab and Kerala, and they are called on extensively to add a personal flavor to the case discussion.

10:20 am After a 20-minute break, The Entrepreneurial Manager (TEM) begins. We have a lively 80-minute discussion about the positives and drawbacks of online social networking. We apply our discussion (with the benefit of hindsight) to Monster.com and their potential entry to the online social networking space, and contrast it with sites such as LinkedIn.

11:40 am Lunch time. I usually bring lunch from home and eat in my classroom while shooting off a bunch of e-mails. Today, our Strategy professor is in our section room reviewing the quantitative methodologies we covered in class.

1:10 pm Strategy class. We have an interesting discussion of competitive dynamics as seen through the lens of the Philippine toothpaste market. We debate the competitive dynamics between Colgate and Unilever and a smaller local competitor and analyze how the game theory would play out.

2:30 pm Class is over for the day and preparation begins. With three cases again tomorrow, most of my afternoon will be devoted to reading and analyzing three new unique situations. I find myself an alcove in the library and begin.

3:30 pm I head back to Aldrich to hear a speaker presentation on current events in the credit markets. HBS always has top speakers come in, and every afternoon there are interesting events that I have to balance with my academics.

4:15 pm Back to the library to continue preparing cases.

5:30 pm I need a break. I pray afternoon prayers then head over to Shad to play some basketball and get some exercise in.

6:30 pm Workout complete, I head back to my car and drive home.

7:00 pm I have dinner with my wife Sara and discuss together the events of our respective days. She always has great opinions and perspectives on my cases and I really enjoy hearing her thoughts.

8:00 pm I attend evening prayers, then return home to finish my work for the night. Sara and I spread our work on the dining room table and together we attack the nightly workload.

11:30 pm We finish our respective work for the night and get into bed. It's been a great day, and I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

Kendall Brinker, MBA 2009

6:45 am My sister calls me on her way to work. I remind her once again that I do not start class until 8:40 and fall back asleep.

7:00 am After hitting snooze a couple times, I roll out of bed and sit down at my desk. I check my email to see if there was any further discussion by my learning team about today's cases, then I check CNN to make sure I am not missing any big news. Now that I am reasonably awake, I get ready for the day.

7:50 am I am pleasantly surprised by how warm it is today as I walk to Aldrich from my One Western Avenue apartment. I pass by our campus's friendly wild turkey who is hanging out by the sidewalk.

7:55 am Once again, I'm beaten to the learning team by Humberto (he must sleep at school). My team gets together in the morning for a discussion of the day's cases. We do most of our case discussion through email the night before, but meeting in person is a great time to tackle open issues or questions that any of us has.

8:40 am My classes begin with Strategy today. Our final case for Strategy is Ben & Jerry's, and our professor has decided to treat us with ice cream bars. The class begins with the distribution of treats and the introduction of guests. A section mate has brought her mother to class today and we give her a standing ovation. Now it's time for business, and our professor invites a student to start off the discussion.

10:20 am Negotiation is my next course, and today we are focusing on creating value by identifying your counterpart's interests. These discussions are always interesting, especially because my professor literally wrote the book on the subject. In class, we simulate negotiations. They can be particularly terrifying if you are trying to bargain with our professor; he always seems to have the upper hand.

12:00 pm Much of Section B is heading to Harvard Square today for lunch. Cambridge just opened a new Chipotle and the restaurant is giving our section free burritos – definitely enough motivation to walk into the square.

1:10 pm I am getting my usual nerves at the beginning of The Entrepreneurial Manager (TEM). My professor once asked me to act as the protagonist because I seemed like the "West Coast VC type." I had sensed his sarcasm, since I am very much a "Midwest big biz girl." This class is out of my comfort zone, but I am learning so much. It wasn't until I arrived here that I realized how important this subject is for everyone in business. Plus, my professor has a lot of experience and can get anyone pumped up to start a business.

2:30 pm Class is done for the day, but I cannot dive right into prep for tomorrow. I take a break for awhile to catch up on email, run quick errands around campus, and call my boyfriend in Michigan.

3:30 pm I am proud of myself for actually making it to the gym today. The ice cream bar and burrito were definitely motivation. I change, head upstairs to the treadmills, and put on my headphones. I like to use my running time to catch up on political news.

4:45 pm The weather is amazing today. It is 74 degrees, the warmest since October. As I pass the Spangler lawn on my way home, I see a lot of students soaking up the nice weather. I find it too tempting and decide to lie down on the lawn and read a few pages of my cases for tomorrow.

5:30 pm I check my watch and realize I need to get going. I rush back to my apartment, say a quick hello to my roommate, Elle, and then hop in the shower. I have to hurry so that I will be ready for my club meeting.

6:00 pm I grab some food at The Grille and sit down with the other leaders of The Automotive Club. We spend a lot time prepping events and discussing how to enhance the club. We also spend a good amount of time debating about the auto industry. I love these meetings. We discuss which product lines should be cut, which cars should be improved, and what technology should be focused on. Of course we never agree, but always have great discussions.

7:30 pm I head home to prepare for two cases and a review class tomorrow. To ease into my homework, I begin with my course survey for Strategy. Each class likes to poll students at the end to see which cases we found most helpful.

9:00 pm It's time to take a mental break. I pull up an episode of Lost on ABC's website, grab a snack, and relax for an hour.

10:00 pm After a few emails and a call to my sister/personal cheerleader, I dive back into my cases. I am moving a little slower now, but I am able to wrap things up after a few hours.

1:00 am The day is done. Time for bed.

Zach Clayton, MBA 2009

6:45 am My alarm's awful chirping begins. I shut it off and look out the window from my apartment on One Western Avenue. I glance at the cold, gray Charles River and promise myself I'm doing spring break somewhere warm. I read my email, printing the write-ups from my learning team. There are at least two YouTube videos that classmates have sent out.

7:45 am My learning team starts to trickle in. We have started meeting in my apartment because it has been difficult to find each other in Spangler each morning. Everyone is here except Esther. We catch up for five minutes, Esther finally arrives, and then we start asking questions about cases. There is an adjusted present value model for Finance 2, so we spend the first twenty minutes looking at the numbers. It's nearly impossible to bluff your way through a Finance 2 cold call, so everyone wants to make sure his or her model is correct.

8:25 am We walk to Aldrich. Second year classes begin at 8:30 am, so we're usually fortunate enough to see late ECs (second-year students) running to class, book bags bouncing up and down. Embarrassing for them. Laugh-out-loud funny for us. Once inside, I buy a cup of coffee and head to Aldrich 108—home of Section I.

8:40 am The members of Section I swap stories until Professor Alan Grossman calls us to attention. Leadership and Corporate Accountability (LCA) begins at exactly 8:40. Two classmates have brought visiting parents. We spend the majority of the first five minutes cheering for them. Occasionally there are major life announcements (an engagement, a pregnancy), but nothing today. Today's case is about WorldCom. We engage in a powerful discussion that focuses on ethics, corporate governance, fiduciary duty, and human nature. At various points, we discuss the case from the perspective of management, the directors, the shareholders, and the employees.

10:00 am There is a 20-minute coffee break. Santiago plays Enrique Iglesias over the sound system and Annie is dancing in sky deck. Hilarious.

10:20 am. Finance 2 starts. Not quite as hilarious. Our professor, Carl Kester, is a very senior member of the faculty and deputy dean of the Business School. He opens by reviewing some key takeaways from yesterday's case, then cold calls Chris who does an excellent job laying out today's case. Class discussion centers on the economics of a proposed merger between Mellon and Bank of New York. Twenty-five minutes before the class ends, Professor Kester introduces the vice chairman of Mellon to share his perspective on negotiating the deal.

11:40 pm Lunch. Usually, I would head over to Spangler and brave the sushi line, but since I have a pretty full afternoon today, I will exercise during lunch. I yell across the room to see if Phil wants to play squash. He agrees—saving me from a run! We change, grab racquets, and meet at Shad Hall. It's a great set. Unfortunately, Phil wins. The really bad news is that this his fourth win in a row.

12:58 pm After a quick shower, I grab a smoothie and sandwich from Spangler and head back to Section I.

1:10 pm Business Government and the International Economy begins. We're in the middle of a series of cases that examine the economies of various countries. We assess their policy choices, their political environments, and their macroeconomic stability. A few weeks ago, when we discussed India, Professor Comin dared any of the Indians in class to start us off with a dance. Aarti and Swapnil acquiesced, beginning an amazing tradition of pre-BGIE dances. Today, Arta and Halah kick class off with a native Saudi Arabian dance.

1:12 pm After a wild standing ovation in honor of the performance, we begin discussing Crown Prince Abdullah's efforts to liberalize Saudi Arabia's economy pre-9/11. For the most part, the class focuses on the country's export strategy and its foreign direct investment. But we do touch on some of the cultural and religious implications of Saudi liberalization. It is a fascinating and relevant topic. In the next class, we'll go even deeper on the subject to examine Saudi Aramco's production capacity and the impact of its decisions on world oil markets.

2:30 pm Class ends. I find Mark and push him a little bit on an interesting comment he made at the end of class that I wanted to hear more about. We chat for a while, then Jenny, my business partner, reminds me we have a meeting with our advisor, Professor Gupta.

3:00 pm Jenny and I are exploring the possibility of launching an online tutoring company. We've written a business plan, recruited a chief technology officer, and we're planning on testing the concept this fall. Sunil Gupta, a senior faculty member who specializes in marketing, is pushing us to better define the metrics we will use to see if our tutors are successful. I scribble five pages of notes during the session. Jenny and I leave excited.

3:55 pm We head over to Jenny's apartment to do a conference call with Kris, a Brown PhD candidate in computer science. The call is focused on our IT strategy. We wrap up with a ten-minute discussion about how to handle an upcoming presentation we're making to a potential partner.

5:15 pm I go back to my place, eat some chocolate chips, and start reading tomorrow's cases for The Entrepreneurial Manager (TEM) and Strategy. I have to do the TEM write-up for learning team. I type a memo that is little over a page and attach some figures in Excel, proofread it, then fire it over to Esther, Joe, Adam, Charles and Tiffany.

6:39 pm I look at my watch, realize I'm running late for a dinner, and change into a suit.

6:45 pm I head over to the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS). HKS is hosting a dinner for Andrew Card, President Bush's former chief of staff. I was invited through the HBS Republican Club. After a reception, about forty people crowd around a long conference room table for dinner. As we eat, Secretary Card shares his experiences in public service for about forty-five minutes before taking questions for quite some time. He touches on the frustrations of public life, the challenges of managing the federal bureaucracy, and his role in managing the President's time and staff so that the President could effectively make decisions. He closes by walking us through the President's schedule on 9/14/2001– a day when the President ordered the United States military to prepare for war, refocused the FBI's mission on preventing future attacks, rallied the nation at Ground Zero, visited the families of victims, and consoled the nation at the National Cathedral prayer service.

9:00 pm I walk back across the river, impressed by Card's call to public service. I'm accompanied by Ben, an EC who is preparing to launch a bioengineering start-up.

9:15 pm I spend half an hour chatting with a partner at New Media Campaigns, the software and online marketing company I started in college. Then I briefly check in with Jenny, talk with a friend and former client about North Carolina's gubernatorial race, and read and respond to emails for forty minutes.

10:40 pm I think about going out to meet Drew, our social chair, and some section mates, but it's only Monday and I haven't read Strategy or the Wall Street Journal yet.

12:00 pm Climb into bed and promise myself I'll make it through at least a chapter of Age of Turbulence.

12:03 pm So much for that.

Ann DeWitt, MBA 2009

8:00 pm I meet my Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC) team to begin discussing the business plans we received from the regional organizers at 5 pm. Our team won the HBS VCIC competition and is representing HBS at the regionals.

12:15 am Rajesh drops me at home with Eric and Jordyne chiming "See you today!" from the back seat. My husband, David, is sleeping soundly and I decide that my last case for tomorrow can wait. Before hopping into bed, I quickly review my "list" and realize most items will have to wait until Friday afternoon.

6:00 am The alarm goes off. I take a quick shower and start reading through the last case over breakfast.

8:40 am (exactly) Competitive dynamics is illustrated by the sugar substitute battle between Hollander Sweetener and NutraSweet. HBS class discussions are amazing because a story unfolds over 80 minutes, and this story differs from the stories we each had in our minds at the start of class.

10:00 am Coffee break! The room is buzzing about job searches and interviews.

10:20 am (exactly) The business plan of a start-up in high-end hair products. The professor starts off by asking how much people pay for services in a salon, and the astounding figuring of $400 is eventually divulged by Rachael – Skydeck potential.

12:00 pm Our Business, Government and the International Economy (BGIE) professor (note: Professor Rawi Abdelal is awesome) initiates a discussion of the impact of slavery on the newly formed United States. In the BGIE US Constitution class last week, we did not have a chance to address the topic. Rawi volunteered to facilitate an optional discussion, another example of the amazing commitment of HBS's faculty.

1:10 pm Financial analysis of the hedging practices of an African gold mining company. The soup and ice cream example really explained the concepts!

2:30 pm Head over to my weekly Ed Rep meeting where this week's main topic is attendance (recruiting season = lower attendance, even with all the non-class days). Send two emails: to Yerrie that Dave and I are "in" for the upcoming art trek to NYC; to my Strategy "airline" team with a request to push back game time to accommodate my telephone interview for a summer internship.

3:30 pm Meet with the VCIC team in Warren's apartment in SFP to continue the due diligence for the competition.

6:00 pm Team breaks for dinner. I change into my suit at the apartment and head over to MIT to present biotech awards for the executive summary contest of the MIT $100K business plan competition. The auditorium is packed, but I spot a few HBS classmates who I helped connect with MIT teams.

8:00 pm I am back at SFP working with my VCIC team after a quick phone call to my husband, who is at a Harvard hockey game with his co-workers. Before the long night of preparing our presentation, our VCIC team toasts with the bottles of Sprecher Root Beer in hopes of victory tomorrow.

Dianne Esber, MBA 2009

7:30 am I meet my learning team on the Spangler couches. We run through the study questions for the day. Greg, the economics major, helps us talk through Business, Government and the International Economy (BGIE), and Elena, who has an investment banking background, explains some of the financing concepts in Finance II (FIN II) that the rest of us had never seen before. After the discussion ends, Elena and I stick around for a bit to catch up on our summer internship plans before heading off to class.

8:40-10:00 am The morning starts off with FIN II, where we analyze the United Airlines bankruptcy filing. I was a bit worried about learning finance through the case method, but have found it works extremely well. In addition to the deep class discussions, review sessions and learning teams really help the section stay on track.

10:00-10:20 am I run to the coffee cart in Aldrich to grab a drink and meet up with some friends in other sections. Rachael, Christina and I discuss plans for the evening and decide to meet downtown at a club later that night. There are only two cases tomorrow and they are short – so most sections are headed downtown, and we know it will be a fun night.

10:20-11:40 am Strategy class starts by handing out Cherry Garcia ice cream bars – today in Strategy we are discussing potential strategic options for Ben & Jerry's ice cream. We all enjoy the treat as we critique and evaluate various options for growth and discuss general lessons for strategic renewal.

11:40am-1:10 pm Lunch time. I run to the salad bar at Spangler and head back to the room where Yoshi and Hiro, two Japanese students in my section, lead a presentation on Japan. Our international rep often coordinates cultural presentations over lunch, but I am particularly excited about this one because I am going on the Japan and South Korea treks at the end of the semester. Hiro tells us about history and business norms and Yoshi can't wait to share real sushi with us on the trek. After the presentation, I do a quick scan of my case and check for pressing e-mails before class starts again.

1:10-2:30 pm In BGIE we are discussing Aramco. I am really interested in the topic having gone on the Middle East Immersion over winter break and meeting various leaders and industries in the region. In discussing the merits of the company's foreign policy, Andrew and I engage in an intense debate. The HBS class environment has definitely honed my ability to engage in constructive debates with people of differing opinions.

2:35 pm After class Peri and I head to Baker Library to crack tomorrow's cases. We study here often and (besides our frequent whispers back and forth), we read and analyze Disney for Strategy and ZipCar for The Entrepreneurial Manager (TEM).

5:00 pm With cases out of the way it's time for the gym. I run over to the tennis courts by Shad for lessons. I am taking a beginners' course with three ECs, and today we are learning how to serve. The sun is finally out and it is so nice to be outside! HBS is a great time to try new things. I've always wanted to learn how to play tennis. Now I finally have the time, and the courts are just a five-minute walk away.

6:30 pm I head to The Grille with the tennis crew to grab some dinner. We've all come a long way since the first lesson and are convinced we are ready for doubles. Besides tennis, Julie gives me some advice on EC courses – we will be signing up for classes soon.

8:30 pm After running back to the dorm to shower and change, I head over to Mary Ellen's apartment for a pre-party - wine and cheese with the ladies in my section.

10:00 pm We manage to head out the door and meet up with other RCs downtown – it is always nice to get off campus every once and a while. There is a large turnout and we have a great time dancing and chatting.

1:45 am I run into Lily in the hall of my dorm on my way to bed and she has great news – she just got a summer internship offer in healthcare that afternoon. We decide we will have a celebratory dinner that weekend. After chatting I head off to bed. It was a typically busy HBS day and, as usual, I have no trouble falling asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow.

Amy Flikerski, MBA 2009

10:02 am Break. TEM (The Entrepreneurial Manager), my favorite class, just finished. My thoughts about entrepreneurialism are interrupted by a flurry of announcements: "Drinks tonight at the Cellar!"; "Reminder about Prize4Life fundraiser in support of ALS. Don't forget to contact your friends and family!"; and "Section J Ladies Social at Umaimah's this Sunday!" With so much happening outside of the classroom, it's hard to keep track. Like most students at HBS, I share the constant worry of missing out.

10:18 am Two more classes to go today. Our eccentric BGIE (Business, Government and the International Economy) professor, Noel Maurer, gets so excited during class that he literally sprints around the room while asking for our opinions on China and the WTO. It's quite a fascinating and intense discussion with two native Chinese students in the classroom sharing their unique perspectives.

11:41 am Time for lunch! My stomach has been rumbling quite loudly to my embarrassment. My classroom neighbor, Dom, and I share a laugh. We walk over to Spangler cafeteria with a few friends from our section to pick up a to-go-bite and return to our classroom just in time for a student-led discussion on Islam. Yet another amazing learning opportunity. When again in my life will I have the chance to learn and grow in a safe environment with peers who are so different from me?

2:30 pm Relief! I managed to survive today without a cold-call. With classes finished for the day, everyone streams out of Aldrich in all directions. I head out to speak with André Perold, a legendary finance professor in capital markets and investment management, and seek his advice on my summer internship. His suggestion: "Get out of your comfort zone and do something as different as possible."

3:00 pm Inspired, I head over to Shad for an intense workout and a chance to gather my thoughts. I can't help laughing to myself over a funny moment in class earlier today. Who knew case discussion could be so much fun!

4:30 pm Time to start prepping cases. Luckily, tomorrow is a two-case day: NEG (Negotiations) and LCA (Leadership and Corporate Accountability). After a quick snack, I sit down in a Spangler project room with my classmate Maureen to get some work done. It's nice to bounce ideas off one another as I prepare my write-up for learning team next morning.

7:30 pm One case down, one to go. Dinner is calling. I arrange to meet Jennifer, a friend from another section, to discuss China and her experience working in Hong Kong before business school. I am very interested in working abroad this summer. She leaves me with a few local contacts in the region and some great perspective.

8:30 pm Back at home, I call Tina, my partner. We share our days. It's hard managing a long-distance relationship after living in New York City together for the past six years. But we've gotten the hang of things. Tina says she will be here in Boston this coming weekend. I suggest we host a dinner party with friends. Always good fun!

10:00 pm Weekly section drinks at the Cellar. This is one of the highlights of my week: catching up with section mates, laughing about funny comments in class, looking forward to a group ski trip to Vermont!

11:30 pm I need to spend some more time reading and sending emails before lights out. Despite my exhaustion, I'm already eager to start the next day. Life moves so fast here at HBS that it's sometimes hard to take a step back and reflect. One thing I always keep in mind is how incredibly fortunate I am to be here at HBS. I push myself each day to take advantage of all that the school has to offer, while at the same time giving and sharing myself with the community. The HBS experience truly is about teaching and learning and making a difference in the lives of others. I think of my parents and thank them for the opportunities I have enjoyed.

Akshay Ghulati, MBA 2009

7:30 am The alarm starts ringing urging me to wake up for the start of yet another day. I don't know if it's going to be good or bad, but I know it's definitely going to be exciting. I catch up on email, shower, and in less than an hour am running to make it to class in time.

8:40 – 10:00 am The first class of the day is Leadership and Corporate Accountability (LCA), and I am prepared for an intense discussion around a somewhat controversial topic. The professor is usually great, and it's an ideal first class to wake you up and prepare you for the rest of the day. The discussion turns out to be even more intense than I had anticipated, and towards the end I change my point of view to that espoused by some of my other section mates – further reinforcement of why I love the case method at HBS.

10:20 am I rush to Spangler to get my morning fix of coffee hoping to beat the line. I am in luck; there are only a few people harassing the coffee guy, and I am done in a few minutes. I return to the classroom and take the few minutes before class to catch up with my section mates.

10:20 – 11:40 am Finance is always an interesting class, though I am still surprised that it can be effectively taught using the case method. The case is about financing M&A deals, and I feel a bit out of my depth in the initial parts of the class as the private equity contingent takes over the discussion. I regret that I did not prepare the case more thoroughly but resolve to revisit it over the weekend.

11:40 am Lunch! With only one class left to go I am gunning for the home stretch. I go back to my apartment in Soldiers Field Park to eat with Avantika, my wife, and update her on the events of the day thus far. I return to class a few minutes before it starts and am greeted by loud music playing. I enter to discover that someone has put on Indian music videos on the screen to prepare us for the next case. It's been a while since I saw a Daler Mehndi music video.

1:10 pm I am sure this will be an entertaining class as our BGIE Professor is very energetic. He brings a different point of view to many of the cases and this fosters a passionate discussion (well, as passionate as one can get about BGIE!). The case discusses economic development models adopted by two different states in India. Being from India, I provide the initial background for the case and lead the class discussion. My first cold call this semester! I am glad to get that over with.

2:30 pm I go back to my apartment and get a power nap to recharge my batteries. I really shouldn't have stayed out late last night.

3:30 pm I start reading tomorrow's cases beginning with Strategy, as I am assigned the responsibility of completing the write-up for my learning team. It takes me a couple of hours to power through the case, and I feel that I have done a good job. Feeling a sense of accomplishment, I decide to go to the gym and complete the remaining cases after I return.

7:00 pm Back from the gym, a quick shower and back to cases. I power through the other case in an hour and get ready to go out for dinner with Avantika. We debate going for a movie later or joining some of our friends for drinks. Unable to come to a decision we decide to play it by ear. We head to Harvard Square for dinner and have the usual battle over which restaurant to go to. This time she wins, and we end up at Tavern on the Square.

9:00 pm We meet with some friends for drinks at Daedalus. The time flies by, and it's almost midnight by the time we get back home.

12:00 am I am greeted by 30 odd unread emails flooding my inbox. Most of them are from the section about an event later in the week. There are a couple of emails from a friend who I have been trying to catch up with since the start of the semester, but somehow we have not been able to coordinate our schedules. The phone starts ringing, and I know it's a call from India (either my parents or hers!). Leaving Avantika to talk on the phone, I decide to go to bed.

Andrew Goldin, MBA 2009

7:10 am I'm up. It's a three-case day and my learning team is meeting before class. Within the next twenty minutes, I will have showered, grabbed an orange juice from Spangler and walked to Aldrich, where my learning team meets. Certainly one of the benefits of living in the dorms is a few extra minutes of sleep.

7:30 am My learning team gets down to business right away. We're focused in the mornings, with each of us taking a turn leading the group through a discussion of one of the cases. We ask and answer a lot of questions, and debate about what we see as the key issues facing the protagonist. Having met every day for almost seven months, we've become good at anticipating each other's questions before they're even asked. As often happens, we take opposing sides on a few of these issues and talk through the merits of each perspective before moving on to the next case. We'll be talking about Disney in Strategy this morning so we spend the last few minutes before class sharing our own Disney memories.

8:20 am I'm in our classroom a few minutes before class starts and find that a few section mates have already arrived. I spend some time catching up with one of my neighbors from first semester who now sits across the room.

8:40 am The Entrepreneurial Manager starts and, as usual, there's a special guest. We're talking about some of the legal issues that can confront an entrepreneur, and our guest shares his insights about the case facts at the end of the discussion. We've become used to having visitors in our classes, particularly protagonists from the cases who come to share their reactions to our analysis, what happened after the case was written, and answers to our questions.

10:00 am Break between classes. Back to Spangler for breakfast.

10:20 am Strategy is starting, and I think back to the conversation we had in learning team this morning about the history of Disney's strategic decisions. In no time the boards are filled with varying diagnoses. No matter how much detail I think my learning team has discussed in the morning, I'm always surprised with how many distinct ideas my section mates come up with for the same questions.

11:40 am I stay back after class to respond to a few emails and check my schedule for the afternoon. I then head to lunch with a few friends from the section. We end up sitting at the Grille for a long lunch. The discussion starts with some additional thoughts about Disney and soon shifts to plans for spring break. I stay back after lunch to start reading cases for tomorrow.

3:00 pm I have a meeting with one of my professors this afternoon. As Ed Rep, the liaison between my section and our professors, I'm used to meeting with professors to talk about the class and share feedback. After talking about the class, the professor and I spend a few minutes talking about my ideas for a summer internship. The professor asks me what I hope to get out of a summer experience. Explaining my thoughts out loud is helpful, and I leave his office with at least one new idea.

4:00 pm I'm walking across the bridge into Harvard Square. I try to keep up with the speakers who visit the other graduate schools at Harvard. Already this semester I've been to HGSE, HKS, and HLS for talks. I usually attend presentations and discussions about education. It's been great to be able to attend these sessions with friends from HBS and to discuss the issues that brought me to business school with others who are interested in similar fields. Having spent winter break in New Orleans on the HBS Service Immersion, I've already had one opportunity to apply some of what I've been learning in class to the problems facing an education non-profit. These ongoing conversations with HBS friends back in Boston help me to keep thinking about how I'm going to apply what I'm learning in class this summer and after graduation.

7:00 pm I jump on the T with a few friends from the section to head downtown where we are meeting a larger group for dinner. The section has organized a dinner tonight to try to get everyone together. The group I'm sitting with recently visited me in New York City for a few days. We retell a few stories from that trip and then spend time planning future trips to other hometowns.

9:00 pm We get to take a nice walk downtown after dinner. I haven't spent too much time there this winter so it's nice to look around. I'm used to life in a city and I have enjoyed getting to know Boston better, even if I spend most of my time at HBS and in Cambridge. Soon it's time to get back to campus. There's still some reading to be done before class tomorrow.

10:30 pm Back in my room. A day's worth of email has piled up. Besides reminders about events coming up at school, a group from Analytics wants to have lunch at the end of the week and a friend from home is planning a visit up to Boston. I respond to a few of these and then try to refocus on cases. The Entrepreneurial Manager (TEM) case for tomorrow is open again, and I finish the calculations I started earlier in the day. I'll try to figure this out before heading to bed.

Lauryn Hale, MBA 2009

7:30 am I quickly get ready for class and a long three-case day.

8:20 am I pick up a croissant and cup of coffee in Spangler. On my way to class I discuss summer internship offers and weekend plans with Section C classmates.

8:40 am Entrepreneurial Manager (TEM) is one of my favorite classes, and our discussions always make me more excited about potentially starting my own business one day. Today we're discussing the financing and growth opportunities available for the founder of Honest Tea (one of my favorite drinks!) and debating which option is best. Seth Goldman, the founder & CEO of Honest Tea, is actually sitting in our class today and takes the last 20 minutes of class to talk to us about which financing option he pursued. He also updates us on how the company is doing today and takes questions.

10:00 am Section C begins its 20-minute coffee break. Time for a quick bathroom break, and I catch up with a few friends from other sections in the hallway.

10:20 am Everyone settles in their seats and Strategy begins. We're talking about Apple and trying to identify the best strategy for the company going forward. I am a huge Apple fan and find the conversation really interesting.

11:40 am We're reminded that we're having an international lunch today at noon. A classmate from France has brought in French foods and shares a brief presentation about his home country. Afterwards, I make an announcement reminding the section to donate items for our charity auction. As the volunteer coordinator, I'm responsible for putting together Section C's charity auction and, fortunately, have a great team of classmates helping me.

1:10 pm In my Business, Government, and the International Economy (BGIE) class we discuss the future of the French farming industry. We are discussing the government's role in supporting French farmers and whether their actions are protectionist or simply a necessity to protect the people of France. This discussion is perfectly timed given our lunch presentation. My classmate from France ends our discussion by sharing his perspective on the farming industry.

2:30 pm Class ends for the day, and I run to my room to grab tomorrow's cases before heading to meetings.

3:00 pm I run to the Admissions Office for a meeting with two assistant directors of admissions to discuss how they can best work with the African American Student Union (AASU). I was recently elected the co-president of AASU and am transitioning into the position. The meeting is really productive, and I lose track of time. By the time I realize this, I am running five minutes late to my next meeting.

4:10 pm I meet with Damien, the other AASU co-president, and Earl, one of the 2007-08 AASU co-presidents, to discuss transitioning knowledge and plan for the 2008-09 school year. The weather is gorgeous so we decide to meet outside on Spangler lawn to enjoy the sun while it lasts.

5:00 pm I head to Baker Library with a friend to start preparing tomorrow's cases. I'm thankful tomorrow is only a two-case day. This is my first time studying in the third-floor reading room, and I realize that this place is an underutilized gem.

8:30 pm I grab dinner in The Grille with my boyfriend. As I approach the counter to order my meal, the chef asks if I would like my salmon cooked medium well with Montreal seasoning. I laugh and say yes, while secretly thinking that I need to venture off campus for dinner more often.

9:30 pm I head to Harvard Square for Section C's weekly drinks. I haven't been in awhile and want to take advantage of the nice weather.

11:30 pm I go back to my dorm room to check email and finish preparing tomorrow's cases. I also return a few phone calls from friends who are used to my late-night schedule.

1:00 am I decide to call it a night.

Damien Hooper-Campbell, MBA 2009

5:30 am The alarm goes off for the first time.

6:45 am I finally get tired of pressing snooze and get out of the bed.

6:46 am Pray.

7:00 am Catch up on emails from friends, recruiters and HBS Clubs and take a look at the trusty Outlook Calendar to see what the day holds. And it's clear that like most days, it will be a busy one. How in the world am I going to make it to an Admitted Students' Weekend meeting and a meeting with my Strategy professor, go listen to world-renowned restaurateur Danny Meyer speak, attempt to lift at least one weight, attend a dinner with section mates, and get these cases done? Though I am feeling a bit overwhelmed, I have prayed already and realize that somehow I get through this every day. Next to the coursework, learning to more effectively manage my time has been one of the most challenging and rewarding parts of this personal development journey.

7:30 am Try to read that last case that I didn't have time or energy to read the night before. And it's a good one about Ben and Jerry's ice cream.

8:30 am Dash out of McCulloch Hall (my dorm) and head towards the Spangler Cafeteria (barely missed running into the HBS turkey on the way…I moved, he didn't)

8:33 am Grab a coffee and a blueberry muffin, say hello to Judy (cashier: always go to her line when you are in a rush…she's lightning fast!)

8:35 am Print out write-ups for the day's classes at the Spangler or Aldrich printer (the line is three people deep, and I am getting worried about making it on time).

8:40 am I settle into my seat with a minute to spare, still trying to catch my breath from the 100 yard dash I just completed to beat the buzzer. Professor Ryan Taliaferro greets us with high energy.

9:15 am I "get in" in my Finance 2 class (the late night studying pays off…ahhh) and then listen and learn from all of the real Finance folks in the class.

10:00 am Run to the post office to mail out thank-you letters.

10:10 am Back in class to write Career Rep information on the chalk board for my section mates.

10:20 am The break buzz ceases and my favorite course, Leadership and Corporate Accountability (LCA), begins. Clayton Rose is THE man! Today we are discussing "Us or Me" and how far our moral responsibility as individuals should go. I thought this was light stuff during first semester, but it has proven to provoke some of the most insightful in- and out-of-class discussions.

11:40 am Jennifer (section mate) gives a presentation during lunch on Australia.

12:30 pm I crack my laptop open, check my to-do list, and begin strategizing on how it can all get done. Can someone clone me please?

12:50 pm Call Mom and Grandma to say hello (they keep me grounded). Grandma wants to know if I am going to church and taking vitamins. Mom is much more interested in how the grades are looking. I think she has her eye on a mini-mansion in New England.

1:10 pm Negotiations class begins. It's always the quietest class mates who end up "taking you" in the end of the deal. Remember that.

2:30 pm Classes for the day are through and I have 30 minutes before my first meeting starts. I read three pages for the next day's case.

3:00 pm Meeting for Admitted Students' Weekend with Dana and the rest of the planning team (we are discussing food and Friday night party venues for the admits). Looking forward to meeting my new class mates. At the same time, I realize how quickly this year has whizzed by. Incredible. I feel like I was just struggling to complete that "Optional" essay for the HBS application.

4:00 pm Meet with Professor David Collis to discuss my class participation, career, his interests, and the final exam.

4:30 pm Danny Meyer is on-campus. Unbelievable. THE hospitality icon right there answering our questions (one of the many times I realize how blessed we are to be at HBS).

5:00 pm Hit The Grille to grab a snack and cozy up in one of the Spangler lounge's leather chairs to read The Entrepreneurial Manager (TEM) case for the next day. This class is really making me think about starting my own business much sooner than I had ever imagined.

7:00 pm Oh boy, I totally forgot about HBS Show rehearsal (this event is a must even if you only have .0001% of talent). I'm reminded by a call from Jeremy (show's director). I absolutely cannot invite my Grandma to this play. She'll disown me.

7:05 pm On stage in Burden Auditorium doing vocal warm-ups and getting into the MBA Baracus mode.

9:00 pm Section C (of course) dinner in Harvard Square. Nice opportunity to connect with people on a deeper than "where are you from?" basis.

11:00 pm Back in my room, trading emails with my African American Student Union co-president, Lauryn, about how to move the organization forward for the coming year. Couldn't ask for a better partner. She is razor sharp.

11:30 pm On the phone with friends getting caught up on what's going on in the rest of the world.

12:00 am In the McCulloch Hall study room with Kedra trying to finish up the last case for tomorrow. Unfortunately, we have opposing views on the cause of Turkey's issues and will probably be up for an additional hour debating. One of the greatest ways to learn.

1:15 am Drop a quick entry in the journal to reflect on the day's events. "How does the day get so full? I need to take up residency in Shad. I wouldn't trade this experience for the world."

1:25 am Pray and give thanks for my family, friends, and this amazing opportunity called HBS.

1:30 am Lights out. Five hours until we do it again. Sure am glad I bought this memory foam padding. Good night.

David Kang, MBA 2009

4:00 pm I meet members of the Hospitality & Travel Industry Club on the steps of Baker Library, and we walk through snow-covered streets to the Harvard Square T stop. I've arranged for 20 of us to take a tour and meet the general manager of the newly-opened Liberty Hotel in Beacon Hill.

4:30 pm The tour begins; we ask the GM some tough questions about the challenges of converting a former jail into a hotel, how difficult it is to attract guests to a five-month old property, and how he trained and staffed up for opening. We're taken to see some rooms, and I studiously take note of what our tour guide tells us about the logistical challenges of managing the operation. We finish up with Club-sponsored small plates and cocktails at the hotel's restaurant.

7:00 pm I arrive back on campus, pen a thank-you note to the Liberty Hotel GM, and start preparing tomorrow's three cases: for Leadership and Corporate Accountability (LCA), a discussion about a juice company's responsibility to ensure the integrity of apple juice concentrate from its suppliers; for Strategy, an examination of the different approaches that Merck and Pfizer have taken to succeed in the pharmaceutical industry; and for Business, Government, and the International Economy, a discussion on Nixon's new economic policy of 1971. It's a heavy workload and I better finish quickly if I want to meet my section for our weekly mixer tonight.

10:30 pm After deciding what actions the protagonists in each of my cases should take—and preparing the rationales for my opinions—I take a 10-minute walk to meet my sectionmates at Grafton Street Pub in Harvard Square. We catch up on our summer job searches, and the snowdrifts outside provide a perfect backdrop to our spring break plans to head to Brazil to soak up the beach.

11:45 pm I walk back across the river with some of my friends and call it a night.

7:43 am I'm pushing tardiness for my Learning Team meeting. Fortunately Spangler is only a one-minute walk from where I live.

Dorm life at HBS is not as social as college life, but it has its benefits, not least of which is being on-campus where I'm close to everyone and everything that's going on. Tunnel access to the gym, classes, the library, and the cafeteria is key when it snows and rains; the bathrooms are cleaned and my garbage is emptied every day; my floors vacuumed weekly; and my space, a two-room single, is more than most people get to themselves in an apartment. It's worry-free living.

7:45 am I make it on time to meet my learning team to discuss the day's cases. We talk about our weekend plans and dive into discussion. I'm not surprised that my teammates have different perspectives on the issues: I argue against too much oversight of juice concentrate suppliers, and a couple of others argue for. I find Merck's R&D focus more sustainable than Pfizer's marketing and sales focus; a couple of others argue the opposite. I see Nixon's economic policy as viable; others don't. Class discussions, like always, will inevitably be full of the same kind of debate.

8:40 am After buying a cup of yogurt and granola from the snack bar at Aldrich (our classroom building), I settle into my chair, bid good morning to my section mates, and our Leadership & Corporate Accountability discussion begins.

10:00 am I head home, literally 50 yards from Aldrich, to check e-mails on my laptop. The facilities staff has already come in this morning and emptied my garbage.

10:10 am As my section's Admissions Representative, I walk to the Admissions Office almost every day to pick up prospective student class visitors; today I have three. One of them has come all the way from Russia, and the others are from New York and Virginia. As I show them to the empty seats in our classroom, I answer questions about section life, academics, recruiting, and social life. They're pleased to hear that I find the academic environment much more collaborative than competitive—and, frankly, so am I.

10:20 am After introducing our guests to the class, our Strategy discussion begins. Professor Rivkin has four different colors of chalk in his hand and his usual two bottles of Tropicana apple juice sitting on the table. Referencing our case from this morning, he cracks a joke about the integrity of the concentrate in his juice, and the discussion about Merck and Pfizer begins.

11:40 am Strategy ends and lunch break begins. We're neck-deep in summer job recruiting and I'm helping my friend and section mate Charles with consulting interviews by giving him a mock case interview. He's doing well so I really make sure I push him hard so I can give him meaningful feedback.

12:50 pm I head home to make a couple of phone calls to schedule some interviews. I'm busy looking for internships myself and am looking forward to talking with Directors and VPs of some of the world's largest hotel companies about summer opportunities.

1:10 pm Last class of the day – Business, Government and the International Economy (BGIE). The discussion on Nixon puts a spotlight on exchange rates and inflation, something my learning team talked about briefly; I share the insights from our discussion with my sectionmates and spark a discussion about the timeliness of Nixon's policy changes.

2:33 pm Classes over. I head straight for Shad to beat the crowds and get a workout in: today I'm doing a four-mile run on the treadmill. Now that I'm not putting in 80-hour weeks as a consultant. Now that I have virtual round-the-clock access to HBS's absolutely incredible athletic facilities, I can finally fulfill a long-standing goal to get in real shape. I make it to Shad an hour a day, six days a week for weightlifting and cardio, and I've never felt better.

3:40 pm I loosen up in the steam room and soak in the hot tub of Shad's locker room, then shower and change.

4:00 pm I head back to my dorm, thinking about the two cases I have to prepare before 6pm when I'm attending a wine tasting in Spangler hosted by the Wine & Cuisine Society. We're sampling six wines from Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, and a representative from the winery is coming to describe the selections and their Cabernet Sauvignon's victory in the famous 1973 Judgment of Paris competition. An assortment of cheeses, fruits, and table water crackers awaits—good thing I got those four miles in.

Mariama Keita, MBA 2009

7:30 am I walk in the tunnels to go to Aldrich for my learning team meeting. Tunnels are a definite benefit to living in the dorms in winter. Today, I am leading the BGIE (Business, Government and International Economy) case. I am looking forward to sharing my thoughts with the team. BGIE is my favorite class this semester.

8:25 am Grab breakfast before class.

8:40 am My first class today is BGIE. We are discussing the World Trade Organization. As a dual citizen from Cote d'Ivoire and Canada, I have conflicting opinions on international trade. I hope to bring the perspective of some of the poorest countries on the planet about agriculture subsidies. Other section mates share the European, American (both North and South) and the Asian perspective. We have a lively, respectful and open debate. I love the case method.

10:00 am I dash to Dillon House to get the prospective students who will sit in our next class. I am my section's admissions rep. When I visited HBS a year before applying, I was impressed by the friendliness of the admissions rep in the section I visited and the students who had lunch with us. I am honored to be able to welcome prospective students and share my experience with them.

10:20 am I introduced the prospective students to the Entrepreneurial Manager professor and the class. The case today is about patent protection. One of my section mates, Allan, shares his experience in filling and enforcing patents. I feel bad for the protagonist, Southern States Company. They were a victim of the system. This is a cautionary tale.

12:00 am I am hosting lunch for all prospective students in Aldrich 271. As usual, a group of section mates are volunteering to come, answer questions, and share their experience. This is a no-holds-barred session where anything can be discussed, from the reputation of HBS students to job search. We all really enjoy these lunches and remember a time when we were on the other side of the table. So much has happened since then.

1:10 pm Last class of the day: Strategy. Today we are discussing Cadbury Schweppes as part of the corporate scope module. We spend 80 minutes examining the decision to acquire Adams, the gum company. The professor is full of energy. He is British and has created a vocabulary specific to him and us. For example, the phrase we coined to explain the better-off test in horizontal diversification is, "What is the Mickey Mouse?" created during the Walt Disney case.

12:30 pm I spend some time after class talking with the professor and some section mates. This case had no clear answers. I run to Shad. I have an appointment with Lena, my best friend, to exercise.

13:00 pm Exercising with Lena three times a week is one of the best resolutions I took this year. I even signed a contract with her and will pay $5 for any session missed. Shad is an excellent gym facility.

4:00 pm After a shower, I start working on my cases for tomorrow. One is about De Beers, the diamond giant. I am so excited. As they say, diamonds are a girl's best friend.

6:30 pm I have a meeting of Africa Business Club's officers to discuss the plans for next year.

8:00 pm I have to email the admissions ambassador in charge of getting prospective students tomorrow. Twelve of my amazing section mates volunteer as admissions ambassadors.

8:30 pm Time for dinner with friends at Harvard Square. We may go to the Vietnamese or French restaurant, my two favorites.

10:30 pm Time to go back to campus after a great dinner. I read emails and double-check my schedule for tomorrow. I have lunch with a professor and a few presentations to attend in the afternoon. I finalize any book readings we may have.

12:00 am Time to go to bed. Another great day gone! Looking forward to the next one.

Orkun Kilic, MBA 2009

3:30 am I wake up to an exciting day. I avidly trade FX and am focused on European financial markets so my day tends to start at night! Today is exceptional. The European Central Bank will announce its expectations on the core inflation rate, and I have to see how markets will react. I might restructure my trading strategy, so it will be a long night.

5:00 am Everything is under control, the markets are winding down and although I couldn't exploit fluctuating USD today, I'm done with my research for tomorrow. It's time to get some more sleep.

7:00 am I wake up again. The other part of the day is starting and I should eat something. I am not a fan of coffee like most HBS students, but I am very keen to take healthy nourishment. I finish my protein-rich breakfast and start to walk to Spangler to meet my learning team.

7:30 am I am role playing again with Karl for today's LCA case Royal/Dutch Shell, which is about the company's controversial position in Nigeria during political instability. Karl is one of my learning team friends with pre-MBA military experience. We put ourselves in the shoes of the protagonist to better assess the situation – this is absolutely an invaluable learning experience.

8:40 am First class is Strategy, which is a combination of first-term issues: mostly marketing, operations and finance. The beauty of the case method shows itself when you start to accumulate industry knowledge from many different cases about various companies in a diverse set of industries. So the key point of this course is to be able to compare these companies in changing settings and point out the winning strategy. Believe me, this is much more hands-on than it sounds.

10:20 am After twenty minutes of discussion about who will be the goalkeeper in the HBS World Cup soccer tournament (since everyone is a striker on the team, we couldn't decide who would be the goalkeeper), I take my seat for Finance class. I really enjoy the class when section mates without previous Finance experience challenge the essence of every financial rule I had implemented in work every day. This definitely forces me to establish more robust and in-depth understandings of even simple formulas.

12:00 pm I am eating something at The Grill with Will and talking about a confidential business idea he has and the possibility of expanding the idea to Central Eastern Europe and Turkey. It is a very interesting idea which could be easily implemented in the region. I take my notes and we schedule another lunch for next week to meet after we have developed a market size estimate.

1:10 pm It is time for another China related-case for Business, Government and the International Economy (BGIE) class. We have many people from the region in our class, and I enjoy listening to their perspectives. But I can't stay quiet long (this happens a lot!) and I speak up to compare China to Russia.

2:30 pm Class is over. I should keep my conversation short with Noel, my BGIE professor, about why I think Russia is the most promising BRIC country because Matt is waiting for me; we have to head to the Boston Boating Community. The club just opened the spring season and today is a great day to windsurf.

5:30 pm Surfing was perfect, although cold. Boston Harbor has an incomparable steady wind which is very convenient for windsurfing. I am jealous, however, of Matt; he was home 25 minutes ago because he was cycling. I've lost almost 30 minutes in Boston rush-hour traffic in a cab, but I have learned a lot about Nigeria by talking with the driver about our home countries.

8:00 pm I finished reading cases for tomorrow and I am headed to Harvard Square to eat something with a mixed group of Harvard Business School and Harvard Kennedy School students. I met the group two weeks ago in a conference about liberalization of developing countries' constitutions.

11:00 pm After an enlightening conversation, I am more than ready to drink something with my section. This Wednesday, the section mixer is at Redline!

12:45 am I am home. It was another exhausting day, but I still have energy to do something before I go to bed. I have really started to enjoy American football, so I will watch a pre-recorded game of the Giants against the Patriots before I sleep.

Rakhi Mehra, MBA 2009

7:22 am It's a cold March morning and I'm running late for my learning team meeting. Although I had planned to take the Harvard Shuttle from near my apartment on Concord Avenue to HBS, I've missed it and I rely on my bike to get me to school in seven minutes (plus I figure I'll be more awake from the peddling for my learning team discussion). Marco, my fiancé, is preparing his lunch for work, and hurriedly hands me a flask filled with masala tea as I grab a banana on my way out.

7:30 am Learning teams are truly learning mechanisms and mine in particular values the upside of the morning meeting (downside being the early mornings). There is at least one person who has given the case a decisive read and has a detailed case write-up – it gives everyone a chance to have a sounding board, clarifications, or mini-case discussion in preparation for the actual case! Today we have a fascinating case from the search fund industry. One of the learning team members has done some extensive research in the industry and gives us his personal views on the decisions facing Sharpe.

8:30 am I try to beat the line-up to Aldrich cafeteria – get my daily dose of cereal and run into a first-year friend from another section and manage a little catch-up. I'm glad that we ran into each other today. Otherwise, chances of catching-up at HBS are minimal. You need to schedule for it to take place; and that's why I finally gave in to managing a calendar.

8.40 am It is our last case discussion on our Strategy course with Ben and Jerry's case and we all get a surprise treat: Restaurant Associates brings 93 bars of Ben and Jerry's ice creams to class. Ben and Jerry's is a super-premium ice cream with its milk ingredient sourced directly from milk suppliers in cows in Vermont, MA. Small activities like handing out bars are often undertaken to neutralize the experience disadvantage of students who aren't aware of the product or company. We also have video clips available the night before on the Intranet, commercials shown in class, some in-class experience that talks about specific cases. It's just a great leveler!

9:45 am I'm not sure where the last 65 minutes have flown. Case discussions have this way of grabbing your attention and transporting you to a different world. Comments are made quickly, so you have to think on your feet and listen to your section mates at the same time. I came in extremely impressed that Ben and Jerry's has managed to maintain its social mission while remaining financially stable. I leave with less appreciation for its founders. It's not the first time my initial perceptions have been tested.

10:00 am I have about twenty minutes before the next class. It's time to check on emails – there is one e-mail scheduling a reunion dinner with the folks from our winter immersion trip to Europe. I also receive emails from Martina and Gaia discussing the revised proposal we are required to submit to the Student Association for our project supporting a Burundi orphanage. I make a mental note to talk with Marco in the evening before responding (he's on our project team, too). I also have many emails from various clubs on summer job opportunities.

10.18 am I grab a cup of fruit at the kiosk on my way back to my skydeck seat in the classroom for The Entrepreneurial Manager (TEM). We have a fascinating case discussion on a young HBS graduate's search for a new business. We're going to hear from the protagonist simulcast live from another section. This is the fifth guest in a row. It's so nice to hear that perspective directly from the entrepreneur himself. What was going through his mind as he made one decision over another, his/her regrets, how did he prioritize family, friends? No two cases or personal stories are ever the same.

11.40 am A quick chat with section mates on summer plans and then I'm off to the gym for my four-times-a-week lunch time yoga/aerobic class. There are usually a hundred conflicting priorities and gym becomes the easiest to cancel, but I learned early that this 12-1pm is time for me and is non-negotiable. I either do lunch at 1pm on the two-case day or keep the meetings on Tuesdays, the day there's no yoga class.

1:05 pm Sprint back in time for the last class of the day, Negotiation. It is only our third class and I find it a great final addition to the RC curriculum! This course gives us the opportunity to work one-on-one prior to class, do some team work, some competition, and role play with each other! It's really as lively as it can get.

2.30 pm To be honest, three-case days feel long. I have a 3:15 pm appointment with my Finance professor, Li Jin. I, unfortunately, had to miss class a week ago due to a severe earache and the professor kindly offered his time to help me catch up. Professors lend a helping hand, some are more direct than others, but they are always there if you make the effort to go see them. Over one lunch with Li, he spent time asking each of us about our individual passions and longer-term career interests. He even offered to connect us with faculty working in relevant research areas or that he had come to know.

3.45- 5.00 pm Time to start reading my case for tomorrow. As always you get totally engrossed in the case. This one is on common agricultural policy (CAP) in France for our BGIE (Business, Government, and the International Economy) case tomorrow. I think about case questions: Which of my previous experiences bear on the case? Aha! My research internship at OXFAM on the Multi Fiber Agreement (MFA) and the implications of its dismantling in 2004: there were significant trade-offs, winners and losers. I try to apply what I learned to arguments for this case.

5-6:30 pm It's time to attend the finance review sessions. I had a chance to answer the questions last evening and need some clarifications. These reviews have been great, both in the first semester and now, for getting conceptual clarity and some more practice in addition to the case work.

8:00 pm I'm now at home and finishing the remaining case work while Marco is back home from work. Delighted to see each other again, after what feels like a long day, we cook together, taking time to chat about each other's day, about news from home, plans for the weekend, etc.

9:30 pm-12.00 am I have one more case to read and analyze, and not enough time for the last email check. Before bed I receive a call from my father in Delhi who is on his way to work. Everything at home is well. I make sure to talk my family at least once a week.

Jaime Mendez, MBA 2009

7:45 am I arrive at Spangler to meet my learning team for a lively discussion about last night's cases. While we wait for Andre to arrive, we discuss tomorrow night's dinner at Christine's house. Although they are some of my best friends at HBS, our desire to taste some home cooking reflective of our diverse backgrounds is how the dinners actually started. Between the six of us we are Australian, Austrian, Indian, Italian-American, Mexican-American, and Portuguese!

8:30 am Because I'm feeling a little sluggish today, I take the time to grab a quick coffee to make sure I am on high-alert in case I am cold-called during my morning classes.

8:39 am Pull out my case, my notebook, and get ready for my Finance II professor. He is incredibly excited and visibly passionate about teaching us the nuances of mergers and acquisitions. Today, we are discussing poison pills as a tactic against hostile takeovers. Although the background reading was straightforward, my professor's level of excitement does not disappoint today. Not sure if it's my professor or the coffee, but I'm awake now.

10:20 am In my Business, Government, and International Economics (BGIE) class, we debate the merits of comparative advantage within the context of the NAFTA agreement. Given its relevance to what is being discussed by the current presidential candidates, I am excited by the subject matter. I contribute to the discussion by conveying some context about the effects of NAFTA on Mexican farm workers from what my dad has told me about his hometown.

11:40 am I hurry from my class to the made-to-order sushi line in Spangler. I think HBS has the best sushi value in Cambridge! After talking with a section mate in line about an upcoming section dodge ball tournament, I grab my tuna and salmon rolls and make my way back to the classroom to start reading a case. I have an upcoming concert with Heard on the Street (HOTS), the HBS male a-cappella group, so we have rehearsal tonight that will eat into my case prep time. For the next hour, I alternate between my highlighter and my chop sticks.

1:10 pm Today in my Entrepreneurial Manager (TEM) course we are discussing the founding of Vueling Airlines with the founder and CEO as a guest. Its impressive to me that we have the opportunity to meet so many case protagonists in our classes. Today, however, I become the case protagonist because my professor cold-calls me to pitch the initial business idea to a group of mock private equity investors (other classmates who were also cold-called). My professor, true to his dry sense of humor that the section appreciates, blames the cold-call on my speaking Spanish and my stated "love of travel" on my HBS information card. I immediately make a mental note to review what I wrote on that card as soon as I get home tonight!

2:30 pm I meet Liz for a quick co-presidents meeting in The Grille to discuss the 2008-2009 budget for the Latino Student Organization (LASO). As usual, she and I end up sharing a snack before finalizing the plans for the upcoming alumni dinner in New York.

2:50 pm Take a quick power nap on the most comfortable couch in the Spangler living room. After a three-case day, I'm exhausted!

3:15 pm I'm awake now. I am always better after a quick break. I head to Shad for a quick workout. I groan at the thought of having to do any cardio today, so I choose to do legs. MP3 player in hand, I enjoy some of my favorite songs as a break from the day.

4:45 pm I walk into the Chase Common Room and pull out the copies of the musical arrangement I prepared for HOTS. I'll be reviewing it with the guys tonight, so I look over the parts for a bit before our rehearsal at 5pm.

7:10 pm After arriving at my off-campus apartment, I immediately start cooking myself some dinner. My roommate is already reading cases. I ask her to join me on the couch to enjoy a rerun of The Office. She happily obliges.

8:00 pm Time to go through emails. Sixty-six of them today. I end up responding to a couple dozen from a variety of sources including section mates, clubs on campus, and my summer employer. I also manage to respond to emails from a friend in California, a mentee at Harvard College, and my dad.

9:30 pm After sufficient procrastinating, I continue with the day's cases. I only have two cases for tomorrow, which is great because my section mate is hosting a birthday party at a club in Boston. After I finish reading the second case, I quickly get ready to go out.

12:45 am I am back at home and go through my bedtime checklist: Cases read, check. Outlook Calendar updated, check. Emails skimmed, check. Alarm set, check. Good night.

PJ Meyer, MBA 2009

5:00 am I'm up. I turn on last night's news while I get dressed and pack up my cases and notes. After an afternoon and evening of industry panels and company events, I didn't get to do as much preparation as I'd have liked. I'm pretty productive in the morning, so I should be ready for my learning team meeting at 7:45.

6:00 am I head to Shad to get a workout. The gym is pretty active in the mornings, but not enough to put me behind schedule. A few friends said they're starting to go during the lunch break, and I make a note to try that out one day and see how it goes.

7:00 am I grab breakfast (a big, delicious omelet) in Spangler while finishing up case work and saying hello to the few people that are around this early.

8:30 am It's ten minutes before our first class, Technology and Operations Management (TOM). Our case is about a high-end chocolate company, and I see our professor come in with a huge box of chocolates to help deepen our insight in the product and the case. With two chocolate bars going to each of the ninety people in my section, some in lieu of breakfast, today's discussions are going to be pretty lively.

10:00 am In the 20-minute break between classes, there's a rush to the bulletin boards to make known the many new events that will be taking place this week. Company info sessions, student club meetings, small group dinners, and even skydiving this weekend. I hastily jot them all down onto my calendar, circling skydiving. I've always wanted to try that!

11:40 am I grab some lunch to-go from the grill, and head up to a project room in Spangler to eat and joint a few section mates in a talk with some prospective students. I really enjoy it because not only are we able to help applicants learn more about life here and whether it's a good fit for them, but it also lets us listen to how we think and feel about our own experiences at HBS. The reflection and mutual sharing helps draw some of us closer together.

12:10 I run to the library to try and take advantage of my still-productive mood by reading tomorrow's cases. I'm almost successful. I run into a professor and we get into a discussion about something I didn't get to say in class that day, which later moves into a conversation on possible internship prospects for the summer. By the time I get to the library, I only get through two of tomorrow's three cases.

1:47:34 pm I receive my 33rd email of the day: BEST TREK!! WINTER TREK INTEREST POLL. ACTION REQUIRED. FILL OUT NOW!! I look through the email, which gives a short description of the winter trek and the timeline: In 24 hours, fill out an interest poll. 24 hours after that, potentially receive an email stating that you've won the lottery for a spot. 24 hours after that, a multiple-thousand dollar deposit is due. I heard somewhere that there's a study stating that short deadlines result in increased responsiveness to communications. I'd love to meet the author(s) of that study and...

4:00 pm I walk to Career Services to talk to my coach about my plans for the summer and my career in general. It's a little like dating, and I'm not quite sure whether this coach and I will be a good fit. We have a good discussion though, and I leave with a number of actions to get me on my way to figuring out what I'd be interested in.

5:30 pm Back to the library to research some companies and email some contacts I need to start networking with. I almost forget about the club volleyball game at 6:30. I rush back to Shad to change and I'm only a few minutes late. It's a game against our old section (the ECs), and there's no way we're going to let them win...

7:30 pm Exhausted and arms red after our loss (it wasn't even close!), I'm off to dinner with a few section mates. It's my first experience at a Korean BBQ, and it's a relaxing and exciting change from all the running around. I get a little of my energy back.

10:30 pm I watch a TV show or two to wind down (thankfully Law and Order is on somewhere 24 hours a day), and get a call from an old friend. I get a momentary vacation from the HBS bubble.

11:30 pm Need to get some rest for tomorrow! Maybe if I put that last case next to the bed, it'll find its way into my brain while I'm sleeping.

Limor Moshkovich, MBA 2009

7:30 am The first group of people I see every day is my learning team. We have been meeting every morning, though lately we spend about half of our meetings having great talks about the direction of our lives. This one-hour meeting really helps me wake up, get the day's cases sorted out in my head, and prepare for a new day!

8:40 am Finance II Class – If anyone had told me a year ago that I would be sitting in a finance class, participating, understanding, and actually enjoying it, I would have called them insane (and that's an understatement…). As a non-finance background student I dreaded this class. But I quickly found out that I'm surrounded by a great group of people willing to reach out and help, offer review sessions and hotlines, and just make it easy to get up to speed and acquire the skills you would never have imagined you'd be able to hone.

10:20 am The Entrepreneurial Manager (TEM) Class – I have been waiting for this class! Today's TEM case is about an Israeli startup named "Precise." It is always great to have an opportunity to offer some unique perspective to my section and luckily my professor asked me to be somewhat of a guest speaker in class and share my thoughts about the Israeli high-tech industry. It was a great class, and I also learned a lot from my section mates' point of view on some of the issues mentioned in the case.

11:40 am Lunch – Today I've organized my section to do the first set of country presentations. As the international representative of my section I have some formal duties, but I also get to put together many fun events, such as the flags ceremony and international cuisine nights. Our country presentations are a great way to learn about other countries from section mates who knows best.

1:10 pm Leadership and Corporate Accountability Class – LCA is one of my favorite classes this semester. When I was reading the "Two Tough Calls" case last night I felt as if someone was writing about me. It is a very interesting experience to sit in class and discuss hard situations in a safe environment and gather some thoughts and tools that will help me deal with these type of situations in the future.

3:00 pm TechMedia club officers meeting – School is over but my day just begins… As the co-CTO of the TechMedia club I attend our bi-weekly officers meeting where we catch up on club events, speakers, and other ongoing projects. As a true techie I find it very important to get involved in these activities.

4:00 pm From one meeting to the other; now I meet with the Israel trip leadership team. This summer we are planning to take the biggest group of students ever to Israel: 80 students and partners, on a trip of a lifetime! Trips, treks and immersions are a great part of the HBS experience, and I'm very excited about the opportunity to bring people to my country. It is going to be awesome!

5:00 pm Time to head back to my apartment and start reading tomorrow's cases, as I have more plans tonight. Time management is probably the most important skill to hone here.

7:00 pm I'm meeting my China-Vietnam immersion professor and my group from the China Lab activity for dinner. I was one of the student leaders in this Immersion over winter break, and one of the activities we had in China was to run around in Shanghai and come up with a business opportunity. My team won 1st place in this activity, and our reward was having Professor Regina Abrami treat us for dinner. We have a great evening together as we reflect on some of the highlights of this incredible Immersion experience.

9:30 pm Home sweet home. Since I already had a drink over dinner and had a very packed day, I decide to take it easy tonight, read my last case for tomorrow, and attend to my many emails.

12:00 am It is 7am in Israel and luckily I catch a quick chat online with a good friend who just woke up. She always tells me that after I tell her what's going on in my HBS life she feels like there's nothing she could tell me that would excite me.

1:00 am Time to go to bed. Those ten minutes before I go to sleep are super important – all the stuff I need to do just pops into my head as I always juggle too many balls at the same time, but I love it, and this is what makes life exciting!

Matt Oppenheimer, MBA 2009

7:45 am My day always begins with a wonderful (albeit cold) walk across the Charles River from my apartment to campus. Despite the cold, the beauty of Cambridge centers me as I start another exciting day at HBS.

7:50 am I arrive at my learning team to discuss today's cases. As always, I enjoyed the walk across the river a little too much (and that five extra minutes of sleep) so I am a few minutes late. I quickly jump into the discussion, learning from my classmates' diverse backgrounds. There often isn't a "right" answer to our study questions, so it is interesting to hear their different viewpoints before I try to explain my own logic in class. We wrap up shortly before class starts.

8:30 am I chat with people in my section about their weekends before the professor begins class.

8:40 am Thankfully, learning team woke me up and got my brain going, because we hit the ground running today with a Finance case about hostile takeovers.

10:00 am We have a 20-minute break between classes every day. Thus begins my daily ritual of running to the Spangler cafeteria to get a breakfast sandwich. Everyone in my section laughs at the fact that not a day goes by without my breakfast sandwich run.

10:20 am Next is Negotiation class. I love Negotiation and I didn't know how little I knew about it until I started this course. Today we have our first negotiation simulation. Of course, I know the classmate that I am negotiating with, and we are thankfully able to come to a quick and cordial deal. Once the class resumes, I learn that not all deals were settled this easily. It is fascinating to hear the tactics that worked and those that didn't work among my classmates. Listening and learning, I prepare for the next set of negotiations.

12:00 pm After completing a few errands related to my summer job and the Squash and Tennis Club, I grab my lunch and head back to my section's classroom. Logically, it would seem that I would want a break from Aldrich 7 (where all my classes are), but I am drawn back to the section to chat with classmates over lunch, listen to relaxing music that our tech rep puts on, and quickly go over cases for the afternoon. It is a relaxing break in the middle of the day.

1:10 pm My Leadership and Corporate Accountability class begins and is always particularly interesting. My professor is the former Finance Minister of France and CEO of France Telecom. He brings his unique perspective to the classroom as we discuss everything from workers' unions to being a fiduciary member of a board of directors. The topic for the day is Norway's pension fund divesting from Wal-Mart.

2:30 pm Class is done for the day and it is time for Shad (the gym). It is not quite warm enough to play tennis outside, so I grab a friend who is also interested in entrepreneurship and we play some squash. Getting a workout is great break between classes and studying, and being able to discuss start-up ideas while playing a game of squash is icing on the cake.

3:30 pm Time to meet with my Business, Government, and the International Economy (BGIE) professor. I have met with almost all of my professors over the course of the year, and I have been amazed with their accessibility and eagerness to meet with me. We talk about everything from independent study ideas to class participation.

4:30 pm Simply talking about class preparation with my professor comes to an end and it is time to actually prepare for cases. I decide take a break from campus and walk over to a charming little coffee shop a block from my house. I get my usual green tea and ginger cookie from Paul (the owner), put my headphones on, and start reading the Ben and Jerry's strategy case. I have volunteered to put together an integrated strategic plan that I will be presenting in class, so this case is going to take some extra time.

7:00 pm I finish my two cases and start doing some work for a nonprofit that I am involved with outside of HBS. With the skills that I have learned in classes and resources such as the Board Fellows Program, I am able to easily apply the knowledge that I am learning to help this nonprofit thrive. In this instance, I am looking over the investment performance of the organization's endowment as I prepare for an Investment Committee conference call tomorrow.

7:30 pm Tonight I have unique dinner plans. I am meeting back up with my learning team at a nice restaurant in Harvard Square. We are having dinner with a professor, compliments of HBS. It is extremely valuable to hear about this professor's experience in both academia and at a top consulting firm in an informal setting.

9:30 pm I arrive home and catch up with my roommate, who is an HBS classmate and someone whom I also knew during my time at Dartmouth. We quickly debate about what each case's protagonist should do, and I incorporate these thoughts into my notes. I then get my cases organized for tomorrow.

10:30 pm It is election season, and I have not had time to look at the news all day. After a bit of deliberation with myself, I decide to watch the Daily Show with Jon Stewart instead of CNN and have a quick laugh before heading to bed.

Carter Romansky, MBA 2009

7:24 am One of the great things about being 27 years old and still living in a dorm room is that you can make it from the shower to learning team in under ten minutes. You can also learn to love it. In any case, we get started right on time (one of my learning teammates is a former Marine and likes to keep us honest). It's great to test out a few ideas before class with a group of people who have become some of my closest friends here.

8:40 am Today, we lead things off with (appropriately) LEAD. Today's case is about turnaround efforts at an ailing Scandinavian airline. We spend a substantial portion of the class trying to figure out the gender of the case protagonist and discussing whether or not his (as it turns out) gender is relevant. This is definitely not the discussion I prepared for, but it's a whole lot more interesting than my musings on Jan Carlzon's "bottom-up" leadership style.

10:00 am The end of LEAD and a quick break before our next class starts. I make a halfhearted attempt to answer the pile of emails sitting in my in-box, but instead mostly chat with my neighbors. The topic, as usual, is one of my neighbors' obsession with sugary breakfast cereals.

10:20 am Accounting, it turns out, is one of the funniest subjects you will ever study. Particularly when it is referred to as Financial Reporting and Control (FRC) and taught by Warren McFarlan. McFarlan is brilliant, creative, and hilarious. He directs our class like he's conducting an orchestra. Under his guidance, our discussion of capital leases takes on a rhythm and cadence as engaging as any concert I've been to. When it's over, I have only one wish: I gotta have more cowbell.

11:40 am Time for lunch. I usually use my lunch to brush up on the case we'll discuss in the afternoon or to get prepared for tomorrow. Not so today. I have a meeting with my career coach – a beacon of hope and light in the otherwise dark universe that is my summer job search. Because my focus is in "non-traditional" areas (i.e., education and public health), I'm taking a networked approach. Stephanie (my CC) and I discuss several interesting organizations and potential contacts. We decide that I should get in touch with these contacts sooner rather than later.

1:10 pm My final class of the day is Technology and Operations Management (TOM), and today's topic is the process of innovation at IDEO. Before class I think that having a "process" for innovation is kind of an oxymoron. Turns out I was completely wrong.

2:30 pm I take Stephanie up on her advice and get in touch with a potential summer employer. I never thought I would say this, but networking is really where it's at. Where else can you call up pretty much anyone on earth and say, "I'm a student and I really admire your work; can we chat?" and nine times out of ten, they say yes? Almost nowhere. And, what's more, there are alumni of this school everywhere. Everywhere.

4:00 pm As much as I'd like to settle in and do my homework, afternoons are chock full of opportunities to expand your mind and enrich your education. Today I have to choose between a lecture on the science of early childhood literacy at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and the head of marketing at Procter & Gamble here on campus, among other things. I go with early childhood – it's important to get out and see the rest of the world from time to time.

5:00 pm I head over to Shad for a quick workout. To stay sane, I spend an hour everyday pedaling a bicycle that goes nowhere. You be the judge.

6:00 pm Finally, some time to tackle my homework. Three-case days (like today) are almost always followed by two-case days (like tomorrow). That makes the workload manageable, and I should be able to finish up about half my homework before dinner with a few section mates this evening.

8:30 pm The aforementioned dinner. Meals are a fantastic time to continue discussions from class, to learn about what your classmates want to do when they grow up, or to just talk about how insane all the Red Sox fans in this town are.

10:00 pm Homework time, take two. This time, with a bit of email mixed in.

1:00 am That's all she wrote for today. And, to be honest, if she had written more, I wouldn't be reading it. I'm exhausted.

Abhay Saboo, MBA 2009

2:30 pm Decision time. Class ends and I have to decide whether I should head back to my room or stay around Aldrich for what is sure to be an intense debate on the outsourcing of American jobs. The chief international economist of the AFL-CIO and a senior Vice President from IBM bring two very different views of globalization, which could make for an interesting showdown! Good thing I brought a case with me to read while I wait for the discussion to begin.

4:30 pm Just as I walk out of the debate thinking I can head to Shad for a quick workout, I see a sign from the Auto Club reminding me that Rick Wagoner, CEO of GM, will be speaking in Aldrich in 30 minutes. I'm not really a car buff, but I quickly decide this is a must-see event.

6:00 pm I've already missed the finance review session today; good thing Emily (the PhD student who leads the reviews) will repeat it again tomorrow. My stomach starts to whisper "feed me" sounds, and I cave by heading to The Grille.

6:30 pm Catching up on the news while eating dinner in my room was good, but guilt sinks in as I see the title of a book sitting on my shelf, Never Eat Alone. I send a quick e-mail to a friend from another section to have lunch with me tomorrow since classes will be done by 11:40 (those two-case days are a blessing!).

9:00 pm Whew! I get done with the case write-up that I am leading for my learning team just in time for me to head to Shad before it closes at 10. I'm definitely in the mood for basketball today – a much needed ab workout can wait till tomorrow.

11:30 pm Done with cases! I am trying to get on a "early to bed, early to rise" routine, but won't be able to do it tonight because of a phone interview with a company in India for a summer internship.

6:30 am After making a few phone calls to my family in Indonesia, I take a quick shower and get ready to go to my learning team meeting.

7:30 am Starting off my day by meeting my learning teammates (aka "nexus of giggling," "short fuse," "Mr. Nice Guy," and "Fashionista") is a great way to start off the morning with some of my closest friends. Having the chance to discuss issues before class allows me to collect my thoughts while solidifying key concepts.

11:45 am As soon as class ends, I head over to Spangler. It's time to go grab lunch with someone from another section (thanks to Never Eat Alone). I am amazed by my friend's ability to juggle commitments among his family (he just had a daughter), extracurricular activities, and school – but he does it anyway, and he does it well!

1:00 pm It's time to get cracking on tomorrow's cases, but I take a few moments first to self-reflect. It's easy to get caught up in the 100 mph flow of HBS, but it's important to pull over at regular intervals and internalize what I have learned so that I can make the most of this truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Max Seel, MBA 2009

6:15 am Wake-up to girlfriend, Elena, calling me as she heads out on her surgery rounds (silly med student).

6:16 am Am somewhat thankful I am in business school.

6:20 am I clamber out of my creaking makeshift wooden loft cursing the ridiculous ladder I built (steps way too far apart).

6:25 am Blinkingly read through Finance case and look over valuation of Burger King…mmm…Whopper. Then quickly browse through the other two cases again along with the learning team write-ups.

7:30 am Eat my standard breakfast of cornflakes, oatmeal, raisins and banana. Shave, except for this amazing mustache I'm growing for a charity auction. Shower.

7:55 am Head over to Spangler to meet the greatest learning team ever. On my learning team I have a couple of marketing gurus, a finance guru, and a private equity/consultant guru, and then there's me, the strange scientist. We talk over our cases: the financers and PEers show me how my valuation was wrong (BK is actually worth more than a crispy chicken from their value meal). And the marketers show me that this shampoo business model could have a lot of potential. I show my group the amazing mustache (in case they hadn't noticed it) and get kind comments involving words like "classy" and "hot." Once again LT 74 saves me.

8:40 am First class is Finance. I love numbers classes and enjoy hearing some of the "creative" ways my classmates have come up with different values for BK. Turns out my LT members were right on again.

10:00 am Class is over, I mingle with the rest of the sky deck members as we compare notes on who was caught sleeping, who had spring hands bouncing up and down, and interesting happenings from the weekend.

10:20 am Second class, The Entrepreneurial Manager (TEM). We are talking about a high-end shampoo startup and the development of… "Max…Max!" Oh…curses, the dreaded cold call. "Why don't you, Darryl, and Alyssa, leave the classroom, come back in 15 minutes and give us, the VCs, a pitch on why we should give you more money and what you plan on doing with it." Wow, really? We leave, try and run some quick numbers, and put together our pitch.

10:35 am Geez, 15 minutes really ticks by. We enter the room, take our seats at the front, and begin. We have some fun with the role playing and I think I convinced the VCs to give us some money (could just be my very supportive section).

11:40 am Lunch. Avoiding the lines in Spangler and utilizing my rice cooker. Catch up on news, sports, You Tube, and ski videos.

1:10 pm Last class of the day, Leadership and Corporate Accountability (LCA). We are discussing Malden Mills, a company in a small New England town producing fabrics like Polartec. After a bankruptcy and a terrible fire, the owner vows to stand by the town, rebuild, and pay employees full salary until they can get back to work. Becomes a hero but amasses large risky amounts of debt and…"Max….Max." You have got to be kidding me, not again. "You've been quiet for awhile, and you're from a small blue-collar town; what do you think the responsibility of the corporation is?"

1:10-1:15 pm Geez, I need to start talking more, two cold calls. "Umm.." Actually, this is a topic I am passionate about so I state my extreme views, and there is a nice exchange.

2:30 pm Class is over, and I have a half an hour until my education committee meeting, so I just hang out with section mates who are also loitering around. Most of my best discussions have happened during these times as I continue to learn from these amazing people.

3:00 pm Education committee meeting. In the beginning of the year I ran for a position in my section called education representative. This position entails fostering the best learning environment for the section by serving as a liaison between students and professors. Today we have MBA program leadership coming to speak to us about course registration for next year and how we can make this process best work for our sections.

4:00 pm Rush back to Aldrich to see the head of Microsoft's Gaming division present on Xbox 360 and Halo3. Nice to see some of my fellow gamers Adam Flake, Cody Ebberson, and Bill Heil in the audience. Yes there is an active gaming scene at HBS, and no they aren't newbs, well Flake is a newb. The presentation is about marketing and franchising the Halo brand, the state of Xbox and of Microsoft gaming. Awesome. Unfortunately, I did not win Masterchief's helmet or the collector's edition Xbox360 in the raffle.

5:30 pm Grab dinner at Spangler with gamer and summer business partner Cody as we discuss the state of our proposal and current results. We are looking at starting an R&D lab focusing on artificial intelligence. Things are looking good, just need to find a cooperative broker. Our talk quickly turns to the possibility of doing some of the research in China this summer to "let's get late night Pinocchio's pizza and Felipe's burritos."

6:30 pm I have a couple of quiet hours before my B-School Blades hockey game, so I start reading tomorrow's cases and preparing my Business, Government and the International Economy (BGIE) write-up for my learning team.

8:30 pm Wake up with fossil-like keyboard imprints all over my face. Oh well, good effort.

8:35 pm Walk to random closet door near my dorm's entrance where I secretly stash my hockey gear. Head over to the Harvard hockey rink.

8:45 pm Meet up with the team and exchange HBS-style locker room talk. Greg Blank starts with, "Did you see that kid's DCF, hahaha, so dirty." Brad Mashinter asks the golden question, "Who would make a better prime minister of Malaysia during the '85-'86 financial crisis, Gretzky or Lemieux?"

9:00 pm Game time. Babson takes it to us early.

9:55 pm Craig Lund with his Lecter-like flashing smile snipes a gino top shelf to win the game.

10:30 pm Shower. Hang out in the locker room, and then head into Harvard Square for some drinks with friend Jon "largemouth bass" Blotner from Section D and others. I encourage intersection mingling. Incredible how each section is filled with impressive and fun people.

12:00 am Meet Cody for the best burrito in the Square at Felipe's, and then grab a slice of the best pizza in the Square at Pinocchio's. Wow, do these taste good. We admire and indulge in our dietary choices on the walk home.

12:10 am Need to finish reading my cases, and call Elena.

1:00 am Bedtime, five hours isn't bad. I admire my well-constructed loft and how it opens up my McCulloch dorm room. Clamber up the stairs and fall asleep immediately.

Adil Seetal, MBA 2009

6:30 am I could live on a ridiculously little amount of sleep when I was an investment banker, yet last night's six hours feels deeply unsatisfying. Five minutes later, half asleep, I stagger into the bathroom.

8:00 am I take a peek out of my apartment window and realize that my prayers have been answered – today is a shorts and flip flops day! I grew up in sunny Mauritius off the east coast of Africa and have been looking forward to the Boston spring ever since I arrived. I quickly get dressed and walk to Spangler Center, a couple of minutes away from my on-campus apartment. I grab a large cup of coffee and head to class.

8:40 am I walk into Aldrich 9, Section C's lair, seconds before class begins. Last time this happened, I was rewarded with a cold call. Not this time though. Relieved, I quickly say hello to my neighbor Demaris and get immersed in class discussion. Today we are debriefing a group negotiation that had taken place the previous day. I was slightly skeptical of such a stylized exercise but have been won over – every class is not only a great opportunity to learn about different approaches to negotiation but also about one's own biases, strengths, and limitations. Today is no exception, and I leave class for our 20-minute break incredibly invigorated.

10:00 am In our Entrepreneurial Manager (TEM) class we discuss the expansion strategy of a restaurant chain at a critical juncture in its history. Today is also the first day of Round 2 Admit Weekend and we welcome twenty or so future students, as well as the relatives of a couple of current students, before class begins. The discussion is as usual first-rate, and we finish class by watching a short video of the founder's last visit to HBS.

11:50 am Time for lunch. The sight of the never-ending sushi line forces me to reassess my priorities. I head to Spangler lawn to help a friend who is volunteering with the bone marrow typing drive at HBS. I am done an hour later, finally grab sushi and go back to my section classroom. I will be working at a hedge fund this summer and quickly catch up on financial news while I am having lunch.

1:10 pm Last class of the day is BGIE (Business, Government, and the International Economy) and a case about Argentina. One of our classmates, Augustin, is Argentinean and his firsthand input transforms a good discussion into a great one. BGIE is an amazing potpourri of history, politics, and economics and provides an appreciation for the difficulty of doing business in an international setting, the limitations of the frameworks currently available, and how we, as future business leaders, can make a difference in such a context.

2:30 pm Class is over. I head to Spangler for TGIF but on the way get convinced that my time would be better spent playing poker with section mates. Peer pressure works, and I find myself spending the next few hours pretending that my cards are better than they actually are – I ultimately get found out and end up finishing second in the game. We grab a quick bite and then go to a section pre-party. Today is the last performance of the HBS Show, an annual theatrical production written, produced, and performed by current students, and the whole section is going to cheer the five section mates who are part of the cast. This is going to be awesome!

7:30 pm The HBS Show starts. Three hours later, I am literally speechless as a result of screaming every time a Section C classmate was on stage. The show was exceptional – I had no idea of the breath or depth of the artistic talent at HBS and leave the theatre in awe. Next is a post party at a bar downtown where we are later joined by our amazing part-time actor section mates.

3:30 am Home, finally. It's been a great day. I quickly take advantage of the time difference to call my girlfriend in London and my parents back home in Mauritius. Tomorrow is another packed day – HBS is having its annual Texas Chili cook-off, and I've promised to help classmates with the cooking (not that I am an expert in anything Texan, but I am hoping that enthusiasm will make up for my deficiencies). I am not sure how I am going to wake up in time for this, but I drift off to sleep before I've had the chance to come up with a solution.

Sid Shenai, MBA 2009

6:30 am I wake up to what promises to be another beautiful day in Boston. The weather has finally turned warm (70s) after a long and cold winter. I open up my laptop and catch up on e-mails and the headlines while listening to the news.

7:15 am I shower quickly, get dressed, and grab my cases for the day before heading out of Chase Hall. I stop by the cafe on the 1st floor of Aldrich Hall to grab a yogurt, a granola bar, and a big cup of coffee.

7:30 am One of my favorite parts of the day – I meet up with my learning team in the Hawes Lounge to prepare for class. We chat about what's going on in our lives and in the news…

7:45 am We start talking about the one full case for the day…

8:40 am The first class of the day is Negotiation, and today's class is a simulated six-party negotiation over the potential construction of the Deeport deep sea port. I meet up with the other five members of my group, and we go outside to conduct our negotiation under the sun. Everyone is well-prepared, and the negotiation is tough.

10:00 am Our negotiation (and class) ends, and I head into Spangler to deposit a check at the Bank of America ATM. Along the way, I run into a good friend in town for Admit Weekend and we make plans to meet up over the weekend.

10:20 am The Entrepreneurial Manager (TEM) begins. Today's class examines Linden Lab, the creator of Second Life. Two of my section mates have avatars, so they facilitate a Second Life teleconference with a Linden Lab senior executive. It's an exciting class with lots of guests, jokes, and insights.

11:40 am Class is over for the day.

12:00 pm I change quickly and go for a run along the Charles, taking advantage of the good weather. I run to MIT, across the River and back, then grab some food to-go from Spangler. I see some section mates sitting outside and join them for a quick picnic lunch on Spangler Lawn.

2:30 pm Tomorrow is a three-class day, so it's time to start reading cases: an interesting case on the rights of foreign investors for Business, Government and the International Economy (BGIE) and a TEM case on Noodles & Company (plus a debrief on the Deeport negotiation).

5:00 pm I head across the Charles to meet up with my college roommate and his sister. We catch up over dinner.

6:30 pm I meet up with my section at our President's apartment. People are gathering to head over to Burden Auditorium to support our section mates performing in the HBS Show.

7:30 pm The HBS Show begins. It's incredible how talented everyone is and our section mates do a fantastic job. My section cheers every time a section mate comes onstage and outshouts the other sections with the "Go A" chant.

10:30 pm The HBS Show ends and I head back over the Charles to celebrate with my section. Lots of classmates are out and about.

1:30 am I go back to Chase Hall, finish up reading a case, and go to bed.

Payam Shodjai, MBA 2009

8:05 am I stumble out of bed, grab my phone to check overnight messages, throw two pieces of frozen 12-grain bread into the toaster, fire up the gas stove to start the tea kettle, power up my laptop and then, finally, inhale a ricotta-apricot-marmalade-toast as the aroma of Persian tea slowly rejuvenates me. As I check my favorite online news sources and email accounts, write-ups for the day's cases start trickling in from my learning team and other reliable sources. I send them to printer as I get dressed.

8:20 am I race down the stairs from my fifth-story walkup in Kenmore Square, laptop in one hand, cases and write-ups in the other. I drop the clutch into third, weaving my way through traffic on Storrow Drive. I'm one of two people in my section that lives in Boston, and I absolutely love the city life. The commute is rarely more than seven minutes. I hit a red light on Western Avenue, and grab Agustin's Northrop write-up. He's done a great job estimating the synergies of the TRW deal.

8:27 am I park my car, grab my copy of the Wall Street Journal on my way out of the One Western parking garage and rush to Aldrich Hall. As I stand in line to get my morning coffee fix, cranberry muffin and fruit cup, I catch up with my friend Leshika about last night's latest drama. I make my way to the classroom. As the tech rep of my section, I have the honor and privilege of providing tech support to the professors. This morning, our BGIE (Business, Government, and the International Economy) professor calls me over to the podium as the class settles. I wait for his go-ahead to hit the play button on the YouTube video he's showing on the United States Constitution.

9:50 am My next class is Strategy. Professor Rivkin rushes into the classroom, multicolored pieces of chalk in one hand and two bottles of apple juice in the other. He organizes his notes and meticulously draws diagrams on the board while I chat with my friends about the recent credit crisis. The class starts off with a cold call, as he asks Wisam to "start us off." She responds in her typical nonchalant demeanor providing surprisingly stellar insights on Zara's strategic options. Professor Rivkin then proceeds to connect her insights with comments from previous classes, proving to us that nothing escapes his memory. His teaching style is engaging, his questions are probing, and his enthusiasm is infectious. He then decides to show us a video. To our surprise, it's a video of one of our vacationing professors, Dan Snow, who is in the Bahamas this week. As I watch with amusement, Professor Snow drops to his knees on the beach and draws a process flow in the white sand, explaining the intricacies of Zara's supply chain. When done, the camera pans out, and he runs into the ocean and starts swimming vigorously.

2:45 pm Classes are over, but I feel like the day has just begun. As the captain of our section's soccer team, I brief my team on today's game. We're up against a strong team from another section, and it's going to be a challenging game. As we get ready for kick-off, our accounting professor from last term, Fabrizio Ferri, spots us from the running track above. We gesture that he join us, and to our delight, he clearly can't resist to get in some soccer, adding some much needed Italian prowess to our team.

5:30 pm I drive over to Harvard Square for a recruiting event. My HBS parking permit lets me park in Harvard parking spots all around Cambridge, and there's always space after 5 pm. Every night this week, companies have been hosting informational sessions in The Charles Hotel. With all the recruiting events going on, HBS definitely provides ample opportunities to mingle with future employers and also enjoy some free food every night of the week.

8:03 pm I drive back home and stop at Trader Joe's to get some groceries . The green tea mochis are amazing. My phone rings. It's my good friend from the Bay Area. We talk about his latest startup and some of the challenges he's been having with assembling the right technical team. I get home and start peeling a large grapefruit. My roommate is watching the Lakers game, and we chat for a bit while I finish my grapefruit. Then I put on my headphones and start reading cases for tomorrow. It's only a two-case day, and the Finance class is a continuation of today's case. I wrap my school work in a few hours and submit a few job applications for my summer internship.

11:30 pm Time to hit up Foundation Lounge. I call my buddy Aalap and walk over to the Commonwealth Hotel, just a block away from my apartment. It's Wednesday night and the place is packed with students and young professionals. I get introduced to the founder of one of the leading social networking sites. We end up talking for a while on the latest trends in personalization and online advertising.

12:45 am I get back home, slightly exhausted, and hit the sack.

Fred Smith, MBA 2009

5:30 am I wake up in my Soldiers Field Park one-bedroom apartment to finish preparing my Strategy case. I am a morning person, so I usually prefer to go to bed early and wake up early to finish my work than to stay up late and wake up late. Those undergrad days of staying up until 2am are long gone…

7:40 am I take a two-minute walk to Aldrich to meet with Graham, Hannah, Rosita, and Zach – the other members of my learning team. This week, it's my turn to lead our morning discussions. Sometimes I learn just as much or more from my discussions in learning team than I do in our classroom. We have a very cohesive and supportive group that I often lean on for anything from getting advice on which consulting company I'd be a good fit for to which restaurants in Cambridge are best for a first date.

8:30 am I enter into my classroom in Aldrich. Justin Timberlake's "My Love" is playing. We recently started playing music between classes to liven up the atmosphere. I love it. Six of us have volunteered to supply music on different days. We all have different tastes in genres, etc. Just another example of the diversity at HBS. I signed up for Fridays, so my classmates are always prepared at the end of the week to hear my latest mix of hip-hop and reggae songs.

8:40 am Our first class is Leadership and Corporate Accountability (LCA). I feel pretty prepared for class today. Usually two-case days are easier to prepare for than three-case days. At the very least, I have read the cases and know the key points. You always have to be prepared for the famous cold call. Today's case focuses on worker's rights at the Chinese electronics company, Haier. The most insightful discussion arises when we begin to compare rights of workers in other countries to those in the U.S.

10:00 am Class is over and I walk to Spangler to grab a cup of tea. This is a great time to meet up with friends from other sections. I also frequently use the 20-minute break to catch up on emails, chat with section mates, or prep for the upcoming case. I've so become much more adept at using all the free minutes in my day wisely.

10:20 am Our second class starts, Strategy. I walk into class to find a classmate, Jessica, playing one of my favorite childhood games, Super Mario Brothers – on an original Nintendo! There was a buzz of nostalgia around the classroom as we all reminisced about our video game-playing days. You never know what to expect when you come into an HBS class. From tea to ice cream to cranberries, HBS has a knack for adding a touch of reality to many of the cases we study. We opened class by discussing what Nintendo meant to us growing up – just another example of how we bring our entire set of experiences into the classroom.

11:40 am I meet with Jyoti. We go over the questions we want to ask at our meeting with Jana from Career Services. Jyoti and I are in the middle of the Student Association (SA) co-president campaign, and today is the day of the debate. We've spent the past two weeks trying to get a good sense from the administration about what initiatives are feasible from their perspective. Jana was very engaging and forthcoming, as have been all the other members of the administration we met. Jyoti and I feel pretty prepared for the debate in the afternoon. We compare notes and make plans to meet again before the debate.

12:30-2:30 pm I sneak over to Baker Library for a couple hours of case work. We all have our favorite places to study: the Stamps Reading Room in Baker, the alcoves in Aldrich, or the living room in Spangler. Baker is my spot because I need to study in a quiet area. If I were to study outside or in Spangler, I'd be too tempted to stop and chat with friends. If there's one thing I've learned at HBS, efficiency is key to getting through the cases for the next day.

2:30 pm Jyoti and I go over our last lines for our debate. We're wondering how many people will actually show up and what the other candidates have planned. Debates haven't typically been part of the SA co-president campaign, so we're not sure what to expect. I've also never been in a debate, so I'm a little nervous. Hey, this is just another opportunity to try something new. The moderator begins the debate laying out the instructions and then asks the teams the first question…

3:00 pm The debate went well! There were about 50 people in attendance. The other candidates were well prepared and did an exceptional job expressing their opinions and portraying their personalities. The crowd was very engaged and asked interesting questions. One student even asked us which of the other candidates we'd each vote for. I leave the debate feeling proud to have at least participated in such a new event.

3:00-5:00 pm I go back to Baker Library to work through two more cases for tomorrow.

5:00 pm I rush back to Aldrich for the weekly Finance II review. I find the reviews quite helpful for a hard subject such as Finance. On occasion, I will leave class unsure about a concept and these reviews help reinforce the fundamentals. Emilie, the PhD candidate TA, does a fabulous job being patient in reviewing the material in the Finance II cases from the previous week.

6:30 pm I change quickly in preparation for one of my favorite parts of the day, exercising at Shad. Prior to B-school, I would spend about 1.5 hours per workout at the gym. Now, I'm lucky if I get in 30 minutes three days a week. It's quite an adjustment and one thing I'm still trying to improve. Nevertheless, the time I do spend at Shad is quite valuable, whether I decide to play basketball with some friends or do a quick chest workout.

7:45 pm My mom calls. As busy as I am, I can always make time to speak with Mom. She asks how the debate went and reminds me to check to see if I need to get any immunizations for my spring break trip. In two weeks, I'm going with 50 section mates to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico. We're really excited to take a break from the studies and spend some quality time in the sun! We're counting down the days…

8:00 pm I go home to continue working on my cases. For tonight's supper, I order a grilled chicken dinner through diningin.com. These services have saved me this year because I don't have a car in Boston. Basically, I can order from dozens of restaurants online and they pick up the food and deliver it to my door. I'm not a big cook, so this service is invaluable.

10:00-11:00 pm I go upstairs to the study room in my apartment building and meet up with my friend and learning team partner, Graham. We usually meet to review a case for the next day together. Of course, if the next day is light, we'll chill and catch up with each other.

11:15pm-12:00 am I come home and give Jyoti a call to discuss our plans for finalizing our campaign flyers tomorrow. The election is only two days away, so we want to make sure we do the best we can to share our platform with as many RCs as possible.

12:00 am My head hits the pillow to rest up for another action-filled day.

Maura Sullivan, MBA 2009

5:30 am The alarm goes off on my Blackberry, and I quickly shut it off and stumble across the room to my computer. I slam keys on my computer until it awakens, and I scan news headlines and check the weather before I head outside for a morning run. I love the sight of the Charles in the morning — and the view from the Andersen Bridge is my favorite. Usually, a list of tasks and appointments circles through my head; as I run, I try to remember how happy I am to be here in the first place.

7:03 am Back in my room for a shower, more news, and to finish up a case. I find that I am the most productive in these morning hours, so I often will finish up work during this time. By 8:15, I'm off to Spangler where I say "hi" to Melva at the Spangler cash register before going to meet my learning team for a quick debriefing before class. My learning teammates have become some of my closer friends here, and our discussions in the morning will range from Jay's insights on a company's cost structure and his own job search to my friend Mina's wedding plans and incredible summer opportunity in financial services in Singapore. They truly are a great support group!

8:38 am I walk in to Aldrich 108 where Section I is scurrying in the last few minutes before class. The room is abuzz now, but in less than two minutes all will be still in anticipation of the professor's commencement of the day's discussion and, of course, the daily cold call. I hurry over to my friends Carter and Katie to hear about their weekends, stop by Zach's desk to tell him my latest thoughts on our business idea, and then high-five Max on the HBS hockey team's victory before sliding in to my chair at 8:39:40. Professor Riley is about to begin The Entrepreneurial Manager (TEM) class and is known for multiple cold calls. Time for business (and coffee!).

10:00 am The section applauds at the conclusion of class. In the 20-minute break, there are always errands to run, emails to answer, more coffee to buy, and section mates to catch up with. Today, I shoot a few necessary emails out and talk to my friend Phil about our planned donation to the Section Charity Auction. Each year, members of the section solicit and donate items to a charity auction after selecting a charity benefactor. Phil is a wine connoisseur in his spare time, so our submission involves putting on a dinner for six that includes a lesson on various wines.

10:20 am Professor Grossman begins our Leadership and Corporate Accountability (LCA) class. Today's discussion is focused on a business managers' discovery that one of his suppliers has violated child labor ethics. A memorable discussion ensues as our section of 90 contemplates both the challenges we will face as leaders and the responsibilities that we embrace as graduates of this school.

12:00 noon Lunch time! I dash out of class to beat the crowd to the Spangler food court sandwich line. Today (like every other day) I order the grilled chicken sandwich on ciabatta bread. Yummy. I must say that the food here is fantastic. HBS even has its own sushi chef! I take my sandwich back to Aldrich 108 to hear my section mate, Alex, give a country presentation on Germany. One of my favorite aspects of my experience here is the international community. The learning environment is truly enhanced by the opportunity to hear students' perspectives from around the world. After the presentation, it's back to the Outlook in-box where I attempt to get through more emails before the start of our 1:10 class.

1:10 pm Time for Business and the International Economy (BGIE). Today's case is on India, and our professor, Diego, begins the class by asking two students to demonstrate the Bhangra dance. I've been looking forward to today's class after my experience working in India this past summer. Even across the world, I felt at home in a foreign country as my new HBS classmates reached out and played host to me in their home cities.

2:30 pm I dash across the river to the Harvard Kennedy School (HKS). As a joint degree student, this "commute" is a frequent one that takes five to eight minutes. I typically call my dad for a quick hello as I walk briskly over the Andersen Bridge. Right now, I am the TA for a course at Kennedy titled, "Becoming a Leader" with Professor David Gergen, a former advisor to four different U.S. Presidents. Today's class is on military leadership, which was my background prior to coming to Harvard. I am particularly excited by the opportunity to share this part of my experience with my peers.

4:00 pm Class is finished for the day. I am quite tired by this point and sort through my list of tasks/priorities. There are two cases for tomorrow, a club event at Grafton Street, and Elizabeth Edwards is speaking at the John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum at HKS. I decide to read a case while waiting for the Forum to begin at 6, then email a few business school classmates and try to convince them to cross the river.

6:00 pm I decide to stay at the Forum to hear Elizabeth Edwards speak. She talks about the impact of the media on the 2008 Presidential Election and expresses her frustration with the media's focus on dramatic political stories as opposed to the implications of proposed policies. She concludes her talk with a poignant story about carrying on with her political activism in spite of her battle with cancer in order to set an example for her children. The talk ends with generous applause, and I discuss her remarks with a few of my section mates.

7:45 pm Back across the river to the HBS side for a quick dinner at Spangler with Annie and Andrea in The Grille.

8:30 pm I head back to my apartment on campus. I usually need a break at this point in the day, so I'll call my parents or my best friend Jillian just to chat. After that, it is back to cases, emails, and finding an apartment in New York for the summer. I weigh the pros and cons of meeting some section mates for a quick 10:00 beer. Drew is emailing the listserv, and Gaurav and Vivek are leading the crew to Harvard Square. I guess sleep may wait another day. HBS is a fast-paced place, but I love it!

Curt Willener, MBA 2009

6:30 am I wake up in my Soldiers Field Park apartment and head to the kitchen to start a pot of coffee before hopping in the shower and getting ready for the day. I then enjoy my coffee while checking email and looking at the day's events. The next 24 hours is filled with cases, classes, clubs, social events, sports, speakers, and friends.

7:30 am After leaving my apartment, I take the three-minute walk to Spangler to find my learning team in one of the project rooms. The meeting begins with a brief sharing of the previous day's activities followed by case discussions. With our varied backgrounds we share our diverse perspectives on cases, test the assumptions of our analyses, and help each other fill in the blanks. At the close of our meeting, I make the hike across Spangler lawn to Aldrich, where I'll grab a quick snack before slipping into class with the rest of Section J.

8:40 am First up, The Entrepreneurial Manager (TEM). Emotions run high during the first few moments of class as the ever-looming "cold call" is rolled out. From there, the case method takes over as we discuss the questions of the case, explore different viewpoints, and in the end do our best to make a recommendation. Today's discussion centers on the sources of financing for a new venture and the associated characteristics of each method.

10:00 am The first break between classes begins. Inspired by the previous class discussion, I make my way across the room to my friend Blair to discuss the progress of his new start-up. We lose track of time and are reminded by our section mates that our next class is about to begin.

10:20 am The challenge for the group…ice cream! Class begins with a sample of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, followed by a close look at the problems facing the Vermont ice cream maker. Discussion begins by taking a close look at the dilemmas in front of a new CEO trying to develop an internally and externally consistent strategy within a group containing unorganized operations and a relaxed culture.

11:40 am I quickly rush over to Spangler food court to beat the long lunch lines and grab a sandwich to bring back to the classroom for a diversity presentation put together by classmates John and Amy. After the presentation and dialogue, I open up my laptop to finalize evening plans while looking at assignments for the next day.

1:10 pm The third and final class of the day begins; this time it's Negotiation. The session starts with a review of our previous negotiation exercise followed by an exploration of the strategies used by different team members. The desire to "win" doesn't always lead to success. In other cases, arrogance is the key component of a missed opportunity.

2:30 pm I head to The Grille in the basement of Spangler to meet with my fellow Human Capital Management Club Co-Presidents Ami and Gregg to hash through next year's business plan. We cover topics such as dues, club objectives, events, and goals for the next year.

4:00 pm Next, I'm off to an on-campus speaker discussing "Ten Great Cultural Career Lies." As a former HBS career coach and entrepreneur, the speaker offers his own unique perspective on career paths and the trade-offs often made during a job search.

5:00 pm Rugby practice. I'm just learning the game, but enjoy the camaraderie and feel of playing sports again. The idea of having a healthy body and mind isn't a new one, but attending HBS has given me an opportunity to rediscover my passion for sports and exercise. On different days, I might work out, run, or play IM basketball with our section team.

6:30 pm I head back to my apartment to start dinner preparations for a small group dinner being hosted by me and another member of my section. Tonight's menu: wild spring Chinook salmon and spaghetti with sauce made with elk hamburger. "The Wilderness Retreat," as it's been coined by my section mates, gives other HBS students the chance to enjoy food from the Pacific Northwest. Additionally, I enjoy cooking and benefit greatly by being able to do so for friends.

9:00 pm Case preparation for the next day is in full swing. I read through the cases, make notes, and develop supporting quantitative analyses.

10:00 pm I take a break from cases to call Dad back in Oregon to see if he caught any fish today.

10:20 pm Continue with case preparation, work through the day's email, and plan for tomorrow.

12:30 am The last hour of the day I usually take for myself. I research topics of interest, relax, or just take time to think.

Chris Wilson-Byrne, MBA 2009

Wednesday

9:00 pm Who knew being a model is so much fun? I strut my stuff on the catwalk at the HBS Fashion Show, a fund-raising party put on by the HBS Retail and Apparel Club. It is one of the many mid-week parties organized by HBS clubs and it is, in the words of Christian Siriano, "Fierce!"

10:00 pm Dance and hang out with my section mates. This is a great opportunity to relax and get to know the people who sit next to me in class every day on a more personal level.

12:00 am I call it an early night and head home to finish cases. Thankfully, Thursday is only a two-case day, and I was able to read both during the rehearsal for the HBS Show. When I get back to my room my learning team has already emailed out some ideas on cases analysis, which I look over before starting my own number crunching.

2:00 am It was a very late night for me, but totally worth it.

Thursday

7:30 am These are the mornings when I am glad that I live on campus. I am up, out, and at learning team in less than half an hour.

8 am My learning team quickly goes over the two cases, but the discussion is not all business; we exchange stories about what we did last night. Learning team is a great way to warm up and wake up before class begins.

8:40 am First case of the day is Strategy where we discuss the Cola war between Coke and Pepsi.

10:00 am Twenty-minute break in between cases. I quickly check my email and then run to the dining hall to grab breakfast with Jaime. I ask for some advice on my upcoming interview with Goldman Sachs (Jaime worked at Goldman before HBS), and then we chat about plans for the weekend and run back to class.

10:20 am Second case is Leadership and Corporate Accountability (LCA) where we talk about the Enron scandal. It is another great discussion.

12:40 pm Class is over, and I grab a quick bite for lunch and then head back to my room for a nap.

2:00 pm I check my email, make a to-do list, and text friends about what is going on tonight. I try to get cases done for tomorrow but end up finishing only about one and a half of the three cases.

3:30 pm I take a break and go to Shad to work out.

5:00 pm I head over to a meeting with the LGBT club about diversity initiatives on campus. The administration is amazingly open to student concerns, and I feel empowered by the accepting environment on campus.

8:00 pm The meeting turns into dinner with friends which turns into great conversation about upcoming recruiting/interviews, plans for spring break, and thoughts on what is going on in the capital markets. Unfortunately I have to run home to finish my cases so I can get to bed at a decent hour.