MBlog07

[Josh] Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is near, so I thought I would reflect on all that I am thankful for.

• I am thankful that I finished my database homework early - that is an indirect thanks to Hari and Brian:)
• I am thankful for the great thesis project that allows me to apply what I am learning in Chris Caplice's class
• I am thankful for a supporting family
• I am very very  - the most - thankful for an understanding fiance
• I am thankful for the great companies that Chris and Heather are bringing in to talk with us during January and recruit from our program
• I am thankful for the great weather in Boston this fall (seriously)
• I am thankful for Debbie's MBlogging enthusiasm
• I am thankful for the accessibility of professors here at MIT and the genuine desire for the students to succeed
• I am thankful for the diverse backgrounds of my MLog classmates and the camradery
• I am thankful for the great gym facilities here at MIT
• I am thankful for Sam Adams, the patriot and brewer
• I am thankful that I am getting paid to do my thesis work (booyaaa!)
• I am thankful for beautiful neighborhood of Beacon Hill where I live
• I am thankful for the variety of bars and restaurants in Boston and Cambridge
• I am thankful that the semester is halfway over
• I am thankful for the trip to Spain in January. Ole!
• I am thankful that we get Thanksgiving vacation off and for my mother's cooking

[Mike] Cross-Registering at Harvard

I am not sure how many MIT students cross-register at Harvard, but I have gained quite a bit from the experience.  I am taking "Organization Leadership and Governance" at the Kennedy School of Government (K-School) and have found it intellectually invigorating. 

We have had corporate CEOs, non-profit directors, and leaders in public service present their views on challenges and rewards of leading their respective organizations.  Bottom line: what one tastes at a Harvard school is distinctly different fromwhat he does at MIT.  Not better or worse, just different. 

The reading assignements can be daunting at times, but I have really learned to compose my thoughts and present them (my course is a Socratic, case based course).  The stellar body of students includes a future British Ambassador to a South American country, a former cabinet-level minister from a Central African country, a NYPD major, and other outstanding professionals from a diverse set of backgrounds.  They share their experiences often and well.

Cross-registering is relatively easy.  I emailed my professor and asked to attend his class.  He told me to come to class prepared.  Harvard has a 6-day window during which it allows students to shop around, with priority given to those enrolled in the particular school.  So I had the same chance getting a seat in this course as did a Harvard law student.  At the end of the shopping period, I had my cross-registering form signed by MIT people and Harvard people, and I was good to go. 

I highly recommend at least taking a look at some of the courses offered by different schools at Harvard (or any other participating schools in the area).

[Debbie] still on tour

I dedicate this poem to MLOG's fantastic travel agent, Susan:  A plane to a train: I am visiting Spain! It may rain on the plain.  I will refrain from applying to Bain, to avoid pain and drain.  This post is lame!

It's been a busy week for scheduling.  Anyone who has researched plane tickets to Barcelona knows how difficult scheduling can be.  It's like driving in Boston: "you can't get there from here."  (Pronounced: "you can't get they-ya from heay-ya.")

Judy and I will have three days to get used to siestas in Barcelona before meeting up with our other classmates for ceremonial sangria in Zaragoza (Pronounced: "Tharagotha").  Here we will find ever more shipping containers, of all sizes and the colors of la arco iris.  We will also have three days to explore Madrid before heading home.  The hoards of Lisbon will have to wait before our shining faces grace their presence - there just ain't enough time to bum around Europe after classes.

My thesis project will be taking me into Antarctica.  Just kidding.  But I hear that penguins migrate to Minneapolis for the winter.  Which is where my sponsor company needs me to be for a couple of meetings in January.

The port tour was a mild success - our presenter was fantastic, but the turnout was quite poor.  I learned I need to be better at setting limits and communicating expectations.

Other random things I learned at MLOG:  Don't take a rule out of context. Prayer can be a useful business tool.  There is such a thing as too much pizza.  A good poker face can be a liability.  If SQL Server doesn't work, reboot.  Use blunt spurs when riding wild boars.

[Gautam Kapur] Life outside of MLOG

As promised, I have tried to cover some aspects of life outside of classes. Below are some of the places where we MLOGgers usually hang out.

Boston has a great nightlife scene, which we get a chance to explore every now and then. It’s only a few stops away from Cambridge on the “T” and we still keep wondering why we always default to the Asgard (a local Cambridge bar). I guess its got the “Cheers” effect.

Harvard Square is also a train stop away and offers numerous restaurants and coffee shops. It’s a great place to get a nice meal or watch some talented street performances on the weekends. If you are into Chess, I would highly recommend playing the Chessmaster, who is usually at Au Bon Pain on the weekends.

Central Square in my opinion offers a limited but fairly diverse set of options with cuisines ranging from Indian to Ethiopian. It is also the closest option to the graduate dorms (Warehouse, Sidney Pacific, Edgerton) and hence we land up there pretty often. And of course then there is the “Warehouse” dorm which is a great place to test your pool and ping pong skills. It has also been a great way to meet other students at MIT.

[Chris] November 13th

Read, read, read, and read a few more pages. I've never read so much in my life. Fortunatly, the articles, chapters and lessons I have to read everyday are interesting.

It was another long weekend here at MIT, and I think everyone enjoyed it. I used the time to take in the Boston nightlife a little, and to catch up on some of the homework I've been putting off. Other people went home for the weekend and spent it with there friends. I didn't have the luxury of doing that, but in two weeks I'll be back in Michigan for Thansgiving. before we know it, we'll all be in Spain. I can't wait.

So....I'm running out of things to write. Any prespective candidates have any questions? Housing, classes, job opportunities...anything? Feel free to post a comment!!!

[Debbie] On Tour

Just thinking about today's session with a consulting recruiter has me rolling on the floor laughing.  Sean did an incredible job in the hot seat, answering insanely tough questions in front of 20 people for 20 minutes.  I would have gotten up and walked out.  The rest of us were too chickenshit to follow his great performance.  So what did we do?  We put the presenter on the hot seat.  The guys in my class are amazingly smart - but also loyal to one another.

I'm lucky to go home and see my family over Thanksgiving, but some of my international classmates can't afford that luxury.  I was bowled over by my classmate's hospitality - inviting everybody to his place in California for the long weekend.  Some of us are also planning to vacation together in December.  In the running are skiing in Switzerland, lounging in Greece, or visiting Ali's villa in Morocco - even though he swears there is no villa. 

Somehow the semester's half over.  I got to tour UPS and General Mills distribution centers and a Yoplait plant.  I got to climb in the back of a UPS truck and startle a plant manager by mis-reading the expiration date on his product.  Fun times, including choking on sweet fumes in a warehouse full of ten-foot-tall cubes of powdered milk.  I'm organizing a Supply Chain Club tour of the Port of Boston.  We'll get to see containers full of calculators and socks on thursday.  On Friday I'm flying to JFK to take a look at Jet Blue's operations, and then root around in the back rooms of MOMA.  I've taken time out of my schedule to interview with a few companies but I haven't found the perfect match yet.  I have started a sponsored thesis project, found a great study partner, and met with a really responsive corporate advisor - I have high hopes for my future as a researcher. 

I just started two new half-semester courses: Strategic Market Management and Negotiation Strategy.  Before Christmas, I will be designing surveys and talking about game theory with ease.  I love all these little courses that I can fit into my schedule - they keep life interesting.

[Josh] Supply Chain Celebrities

Now that you are wondering who the celebrities are, I'd like to blog a while about the people we as MLog students are exposed to throughout the year at MIT. As you may guess, MIT attracts the best and brightest from around the world, and as a student you are welcome to practically all of them. CTL (The Center for Transportation and Logistics) brings in supply chain professionals on a regular basis, such as the President of the Council of Supply Chain Management Professionals, Rick Blasgen, who will be speaking to students on November 17th. The Supply Chain Management Club, founded and run by MLoggers, also brings in supply chain speakers throughout the year. These are often top executives, from companies like I2 (supply chain software), British Petroleum, and Genentech (pharma). Besides the supply chain spectaculars, MIT Sloan School regularly brings great business leaders to campus, such as Carly Fiorina (HP) and the CEO of Ben and Jerry's - who was speaking today. Of course, you also have professionals that speak in class throughout the semester.

And if you are interested in something besides supply chains and business (in the obscure chance), the campus  has everything from artists  to authors and engineers hosting events almost every week. So you actually have a good excuse to stop doing your homework for a few hours;)