FEMBA Council President Katie Kroeger-Davis (’16) remembers what it felt like when she embarked on her Anderson graduate degree. She was eager to welcome the Class of 2018 this week as they arrive for orientation.
To the Class of 2018:
Welcome to the FEMBA family! As part of your welcome, I would like to offer you three pieces of advice for your first year here at Anderson:
- Consider the journey, not just the destination: FEMBAs are busy. Arguably too busy. It can be easy to focus all your energy on trying to get the degree as quickly and painlessly as possible. There will definitely be times when you will have to focus on one deadline at a time to get through the week. But try not to take the whole year this way. Stop and revel in the process. Appreciate your growth, your efficiencies, and the fact that this will be over before you know it. There are too many opportunities to rush through your first year.
- Make friends to last a lifetime: You need to network. That’s a given. We are all here to further our careers. My suggestion is that you also make time to develop friendships at Anderson. Make friends with people that may never directly enhance your career but will enhance the quality of your life.
- Be liberal about checking in with your loved ones: Being the family and friend to a FEMBA student can be extremely challenging. All of a sudden, your FEMBA, who used to hang out with you, relax with you, maybe cook, clean and tuck you in at night is now too busy studying, or always at school. As a FEMBA, make it a habit to check in with your loved ones frequently and ask them how the FEMBA life is working for them. Our family and friends want to be supportive, but three years is a long time (even one year is a long time) so keep your finger on the pulse of your “real life.”
I hope this advice will help you, even a little, in the coming year. I am so excited to have each of you here at Anderson and I look forward to welcoming you in person. Make sure to participate in the FEMBA mentorship program and take advantage of your mentor’s experience and network. Feel free to reach out to me if you have any questions or just want to say hello.
Katie Kroeger-Davis
[email protected]
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