By Margaret Wieland, MBA2022
American
I chose LBS for a number of reasons. One of the main ones was that I wanted a truly diverse set of classmates. I had been living abroad for a number of years and had a real appreciation for how differences in cultures could enhance my understanding of the world, and I was eager to continue that during my MBA. I also wanted the time to reflect on my career to date and prepare for the next phase, the flexibility of LBS curriculum appealed to me. Ultimately though, I trusted my gut feeling that LBS was the right place for me, when I met current students, or spoke with alumni I had the feeling that it was the right place to call home for the two years of my MBA.
I learned early in our core curriculum that I am one of my few classmates who has worked in financial accounting. I was able to help the rest of my stream, especially those who came from non-financial backgrounds.
I attended the LBS Women in Business Conference this year. It was a really engaging couple of days, despite taking on the challenge of being virtual. One of my favourite events was a panel of entrepreneurs with unique profiles including a boxing coach, a musician and others. It was interesting to hear from less traditional business backgrounds how the women built successful careers and what advice they had about facing adversity and challenges.
Prior to joining LBS, I was most anxious about the social aspect. I am an outgoing introvert, so while I can socialize and enjoy it, I sometimes find large gatherings a bit overwhelming, and it takes a lot of energy. I need to have time to myself to recharge. All I had heard before joining was that the MBA was non-stop when it came to socialisation, so I was definitely anxious about burning myself out trying to keep up.
I was most excited about living in London. I studied abroad during my undergraduate degree and was really happy to be returning to a city that I loved. Even during the lockdown when most things were shut down I took advantage of the quiet streets and got to know Central London really well by taking daily walks, exploring different neighbourhoods and keeping a list of coffee shops, restaurants that looked good and shops to visit when everything reopened.