I need to get on the productivity train. I'm been having a hard time keeping motivated lately and have managed to spend too much time moping, hanging out with friends, and strategizing as opposed to getting down to work. I spent most of my waking hours this weekend procrastinating and vacillating between being totally stressed out and completely relaxed. But really, that's pretty normal around these parts.
I'm having a serious case of writer's block with regards to our group marketing plan and it doesn't help that the rest of my team seems pretty unmotivated and unconcerned with how the final paper is going to turn out. I know I'm working with smart guys, but being the only female in the group and still needing to study A LOT for finance, I'm a bit worried that it's going to get down to the wire. I think I've made a valiant effort at trying to get everyone on the same page, but I can't honestly get on my teammates when I'm having a hard time putting the words on paper. I can blog, but I'm coming up short for marketing. Of course.
They say that group/team work is a really important part of business school but I never believed it. If given the choice, I tend to do things by myself. I have a hard time with teamwork because I like to be in control and do things in my own way and according to my own schedule. I don't write in a linear fashion and I find that I'm best under pressure; I conquer projects one bit at a time, rarely in order. But in almost every class there has been some form of teamwork. This marketing class and my quantitative analysis class, however, have been the most team intensive. Quant was my first class at Pepperdine and meeting with my group almost every weekend became incredibly draining. It did, however, teach me how to work with different personalities. I found myself taking on more than my share of responsibilities, but it was a learning experience. This marketing group has been different in that I'm working with four guys so there's that whole dynamic. But besides teaching me how to work cooperatively, I've made great friends. I never thought I'd say this, but part of me is sad to see the end of this semester.
We had a review session Friday night for our finance final exam and I finally feel like I'm putting the pieces together. I've become more comfortable with the concepts from the earlier chapters and have been able to spend more time on these last chapters. I'm definitely not going to ace this exam, but if I manage to put my nose to the grind here, I might be able to pull off a respectable grade. I have to.
I also went out to dinner and drinks with some of the guys from my class afterward. And that, in fact, is what business school is all about. In the end, its about the connections we make. As Tony would say, "networking" sounds so trite. It connotes that we're using each other for something, rather than making new friends and learning about one another. It ended up being a group of people whom I don't know really well, and some of their friends. It was a lot of fun, the company was great, and we bonded in a way we can't in a classroom. Considering I don't get along so well with some of the people from my the earlier semesters, it felt good to make new business school friends. Or any friends, really.
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