by K. Russell

Created on: February 03, 2009   Last Updated: June 17, 2010

The business school acceptance letter arrives and everyone celebrates. A fancy dinner with friends or family is peppered with an excited litany of goals, dreams and intentions. There is so much to do, so many arrangements to be made. Travel plans, housing and text books all clamor for attention. And you can't help wonder if you can pull this off.

The initial decision to attend business school was probably based on the belief that vocational school was only for blue collar workers and that the ivory towers of education wouldn't provide the real world knowledge necessary for a business career. Instead of taking calculus, finance math is more relevant. International business classes, with their humorous collection of miscommunicated ad campaigns, will provide more useful career tools than the History of Hannibal. So, you pack up your car and hit the road, headed for your future.

Family is left behind, but connections will be maintained using a cell phone or the phone in the dorm hallway, and there are always trips home for the holidays. Somehow, you believe family will always be there, and they usually can be counted on to listen to your stories of accomplishment and woe as you consume yet another $5 pizza.

Of course, most business students have to earn a living while attending school. On campus jobs are great. Manage the cafe in your dorm, run a cash register in the book store or head to the human resources office for a campus position. Regardless of the job, you can't help applying all your new classroom knowledge. Suddenly, theories and ideals are brought to life, challenged and proven wrong, often on the same day. It can be difficult to keep your mouth shut when you can so clearly see how things could be done better.

The campus is neatly landscaped. The dorm rooms for business majors are better than most. Stacks of papers and books cover your desk as you work your way through your education. Never, in your life, have you read or written so much. You laughingly complain about the cafeteria food along with your peers. You consume gallons of coffee and rarely sleep. Enthusiastic idealism is a powerful drug.

Free time? There really isn't any but, somehow, you manage to learn how to play Quarters and Beer Pong. You dorm-mate may take pride in their wall of cans or you may contribute your shoes to the Sneaker Tree outside your dorm. These are rites of passage and must not be missed. Of course, there are study groups, sports teams, fraternities and sororities and campus events. You really need to keep a calendar. Finding time to do laundry, now THAT'S tricky.

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