HBS 3rd semester done! Hello Vacation!

Hello MBA Podcaster.com community!

I hope everyone is doing great and enjoying the Holiday Season! I can't believe I just finished my 3rd semester at HBS. Only one more semester stands between me and graduation, and I can't tell you how SAD I am. The past 3 semesters have been amazing. Truly life altering. I am absolutely not the person I was when I entered business school at the age of 25. It feels like only yesterday I was scrambling to put together my application for Harvard. I was a wreck, and I only wish that when I was applying to B-School I had access to the resources we try to provide you at MBApodcaster.com and specifically on MBA Pod TV.

HBS is a place where I have the opportunity to chase my passions, engage in debates with smart and opinionated people, and socialize with some of the best professors in the world. I am truly blessed. Okay, enough of the mushy stuff though! I thought it would be fun to share with you, my top 10 fun moments from HBS 2009 (in no specific order).


Mia's 2009 Top 10 B-School Moments
1.)HBS Show
Every year HBS puts on a student-run theatrical production. The actors are HBS students who work tirelessly to showcase their singing and dancing abilities. This year my best friend, Kristen, was the lead actress. It was amazing to watch her dedicate her 2nd semester to an HBS activity that meant a lot to her, and it was even more amazing to watch the show!

2.) Traveling to Morocco
During spring break, instead of tanning on the beach, I joined 35 or so other HBS students to the northern tip of Africa. One of my favorite movies is Casablanca, and I always wanted to visit Morocco. Truly an amazing country.

3.) Ekta!
I participated in the school-wide Ekta South Asian Culture Show. I walked the catwalk in the Indian Fashion Show with my little sister (who is a 1st year at HBS) and danced in bhangra (for the first time)! Dancing bhangra was a blast because my mother was in the crowd and we won the bhangra dance-off against the 1st year HBS students.

4.) Section dinners
Having dinner with some of the coolest people in my section and having people over my apartment for Mia's Pizza Night!

5.) Having Jack Welch just sitting like a student in Skydeck.

6.) Investment Management! I took this class last semester and loved every guest that came to speak to us (at HBS we learn through cases, and each case protagonist usually came to class). I had the opportunity to listen to the master of value investing, Seth Klarman. Seth is the President of the Cambridge-based Baupost Group, which he formed 24 years ago upon graduation from HBS. He is a genius! I also had the opportunity to hear from the CEO of Dimensional Fund Advisors, Partners from Maverick Capital, Eric Rosenfeld--founding employee of Long Term Capital Management, and many others!

7.) Interviewing the CEO of BlackRock, Robert Kapito, for my column in the Harbus, Money with Mia. Asking him about the current state of the economy, and talking to him about how BGI has been so successful at growing its iShares business.

8.) Meeting my boyfriend in Oktoberfest in Munich.

9.) Serving as Board Trustee for Harbus Foundation, the U.S.'s only MBA-student run endowment. I help to oversee $1.1 mm that goes to non-profit organizations in the Boston area focused on education, literacy, and journalism. I love working with these organizations and helping them with their strategic planning and also providing grants to make their growth initiatives come true.

10.)THE PEOPLE! I always thought you go to college to find your bridesmaids. While that is true, I am very lucky that I found a few here in B-School. The people are truly what made my 3 semesters here amazing. I am thankful for each and every person I have met through a social event, case discussion, or Spangler lounge session.

As you can see, I had a great 2009 at HBS. While each MBA student experiences different events and encounters, one thing is for sure--we will never forget them!

I wish everyone best of luck with HBS Round 2 applications. If you have any questions, please send them to me via Facebook or through the comments section.

Take care,
Mia Saini
MBA PodTV Video Host