MINDSALAD

150811. the end of an era.

Dear Windsor,

Thanks for giving me the opportunity to explore. To grow. To fully understand what it means to be carefree. To drink.

Can’t say I’m not ecstatic to leave. Because I am. I’m glad that I have officially completed my MBA. I’m beyond excited to begin medical school next week.

But you have taught me so much about what it means to be independent. To be faced with new challenges and know that no matter what, I will be able to overcome them.

I grew up shy. And although I thought outgrew those roots over the years, you have taught me what it means to be able to be truly convivial. You have provided me with the confidence to walk up to anyone from any walk of life and believe I have the capacity to socialize about anything. Because of you, I am now able to get up in front of a stage, no matter how large, and have absolutely no fear about delivering a presentation, even if I don’t know anything about the topic.

You have taught me how to carry myself in a manner that people will take me professionally. To walk the walk and talk the talk.

For everything that this year was, I am grateful.

Thank you.

220611. From the words of Dr. Cheung, “it’s all boh-shit.”

You know when you’re fighting that feeling as your eyelids begin to close, your face starts to go numb and your vision begins to cross and blur? That’s been me all week. A few of us in the MBA who are fast-tracking have been partaking in the Windsor Summer Institute of Clinical Health Research to fulfill our last course credit. It’s basically a one-week lecture series about epidemiology and research methods.  The content’s pretty dry. I often struggle to stay awake even with 2 cups of coffee and 8 hours of sleep. Nonetheless, it somehow is still more enjoyable than some of my Consumer Behaviour and Business Communication classes.

Why? I’m sick and tired of learning about common sense. haha. No offense to business majors, but seriously, as I now near the end of my MBA program, with the exception of a couple finance, accounting and strategy courses, I really feel that a lot of this stuff is bullshit. Business is about your ability to express a concept eloquently and elaborately. It’s about stretching a 3 page concept, into a 10 page paper. It’s about making up hypothetical situations and proposing outlandish recommendations that would materialize in a perfect world. It’s about filling in the gaps that should be obvious to everyone, but apparently are not.

But do I regret it? No. It’s kind of been a nice change of pace. Challenging myself to work that other side of the brain and finally understanding what my family always talks about. Besides, if there’s anything that the MBA taught me how to do, it’s how to write fast, and write in abundant quantities. Last year, I struggled to pump out a 8-page, double-spaced paper in a week. This year, I can pump out an 8-page, single-spaced paper in a night. 

This discrepancy in the standards of written communication between science and business was reiterated today:

• Course assignment for this health course: a 5-6 page, double-spaced paper, between a group of 3 individuals. AKA a 2.5-3 page single-spaced paper. That’s laughable.