June 28, 2005
academia
i would never have guessed how much i would be enjoying the academic rigor here at stanford. after senior year at vassar, i was a little concerned that i would be tired, disinterested, not motivated to work etc etc. but how far from the truth! i am so excited every day to go to class and learn more... my interest is two-fold, which also excites me. the professors here are just brilliant. we were told at the beginning that they selected the best profs from the GSB to teach at our institute, and i think i believe them. the professors have basically taken their normal syllabus and shrunk it down into about a week's worth of classes, and still manage to give us an amazing introduction to their subject. and then there's their ability to make a class of 75 feel like a class of 5. amazing.
and then there's the subject matter. i think i am particularly overwhelmed by the intensely practical nature of our classes because it is such a striking contrast to vassar. don't get me wrong, i am not bashing the liberal arts way of teaching, it is just at the opposite end of the spectrum. everything we are taught here is with an eye for direct practical applicability in the business world - most of our classes are actually structured around case studies.
so... while i haven't really found any best buddies among the other participants, i am really enjoying the diversity of this crowd. my hallmates go out partying and drinking every night which makes me feel like i'm back in freshman year, but there are plenty of other interesting people to talk to and hang out with. sadly, my best frisbee ally just broke his toe yesterday in a pick-up game, but i'm even getting to play some frisbee here!
all told: stanford is just rockin... and i really love the challenge and stimulation of academia. we'll see how long i can stay away... i'm giving myself tops 5 years.
Posted by lara at June 28, 2005 12:19 PM
