Michael Ramey's MBA Experience

The Baylor MBA Program and everything it has to offer!

Category: MBA Insider (page 2 of 4)

Everything to love about Fall

September 23, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Fall is officially here (woohoo) and while it is still 95 degrees outside, here are some of the things I am looking forward to. sweaty

  • Not getting drenched in sweat just walking to class.  Seriously this has to stop.
    • Cooler weather should be here soon.  Both me and my A/C are happy about this.
  • Time
    • Fall Back – that means grad students actually might sleep for at least an hour.
  • TV Shows are back
    • Fire up the Netflix and Hulu.  There are some marathons in my future, and I am not talking about running.
  • Pumpkin spice everything…. Lines at Starbucks just got longer people.  Plan accordingly.  pumpkin-spice-everything
  • Fashion Changes
    • Ugg boots….I never understood why Crocs didn’t catch on.  Are Ugg’s even edible?
    • Scarvesboots
    • Sweaters
    • Boots…Star Wars called, they want Hans Solo back
    • Turtlenecks? Ok, just me I guess.
  • Halloween
    • Costumes – Just another way to spend your graduate assistant money!
  • Leaves changing on campus
    • Even though this is Texas, Baylor’s campus transforms into a technicolor landscape.
  • Football
    • Baylor is on a roll so far and we are getting into the crucial Big 12 games!
  • Fall Holidays
    • Thanksgiving – a culmination of all the fall training exercises…TV, Food and Football
    • Fall Break – October 21st and it can’t come soon enough…

Sic ‘Em Bears

It’s FINALS time! Stressed?

September 21, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Short answer — yes, this is grad school.

The great news is that even though you are stressed, Baylor has lots of tools to help you combat that stress.

Baylor Wellnessgetting-rid-of-stress

Baylor Relaxation Techniques

Baylor Counseling – Stress Management

Baylor Counseling – Guided Relaxation Podcast

Baylor Counseling – Sleep Deprivation

Besides these awesome links, there are some physical spots on campus that can help with all that stress.marina

The Bear Trail

The SLC

The SUB Bowling

The Marina

 

Now that you know how to get rid of that stress, take a break and explore everything Baylor has to offer!

Sic ‘Em Bears!

Pets in Grad School!

September 15, 2016 / / 0 Comments

So I feel pretty fortunate to come home each day to a fuzzy Goldendoodle named Teddy.  Initially I was worried about having Teddy at school with me since I was going to be doing homework and having team meetings, but it has turned out to be a blessing.  20160723_192401

Teddy can make a hard day that much better.  Stressed about an assignment or upcoming test?  Walking in to the apartment to a wagging tail and a wet nose will immediately melt the stress.

Yes, I do have break from studying to walk him and have to find someone to watch him if I leave town for a day, but it is completely worth it.

If you are considering having a pet while at school, I would highly recommend it!

Sic ‘Em Bears!

Job Search?!?!

September 13, 2016 / / 0 Comments

You have only a short 17 months in the MBA program and it will seem like you are searching for a job/internship a majority of that time.  To help you get through the struggle of job searching on top of all the school work, I have included some tips and tricks just for you!

#1 – Work with family, friends, and Career Management to customize your resume for the specific roles you are looking for.  Having a tailored resume and cover letter will help you with the ATS and provide a higher chance of landing that interview.  Plus having a updated and reviewed resume helps you feel confident in what you are sending out.

#2 – Schedule a set time every week to devote to job search activities.  Vitally important.  With all the homework and outside activities we seem to get involved in, it can be hard to set aside time for job searching.  Make this a priority at least once a week and stick to it.

#3 – Track it! Maybe I am a nerd, but I have an Excel spreadsheet of all the places I applied, what the job role is, where is the job located, when I applied, when I sent a follow up email and a few other key data points.  This will help you keep it all straight as you start to get emails back from the various companies.

#4 – Use your resources.  Baylor provides Handshake, CareerShift, and access to NBMBAA.  You have access to LinkedIn, your contacts(network), and the internet.  Use as many avenues as you can to increase the chances of landing that dream job.

#5 – Follow Up.  Be persistent in your efforts to reach a real person and build that relationship.  Let people know you are interested and be genuine.  Someone will take notice and hopefully hire you!

Best wishes!

Sic ‘Em Bears!

Focusing on what is important

September 11, 2016 / / 0 Comments

So many times, we are bombarded by influx of tasks and duties that we rarely step back to focus on why we are here. For most, it is the hope for a better job and for others a chance to change their way of life.

I beg to differ.

We are here to build lasting friendships that will carry us into the future. We are here to learn how to think and be open to new ideas so that we may share those same contributions with others. Take this opportunity while you are in school to hone in on your priorities, because when the work starts it can become even more slanted away from what really matters, God and Family.

Short and sweet, but thought it was important.

Sic ‘Em Bears

Graduate Housing – Where to Live?

September 1, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Waco is home to 3 higher education campuses so there is plenty of housing options to choose from. This post will review a few options and hopefully point you in the right direction.

Background:
If you are coming to Baylor for the MBA program alone, you will be here for 3 semesters.

If you are doing a dual degree program like MBA/MSIS, it will be at 2 years. MBA/JD will be 3-4 years.

If you are going to do MBA/MDiv, it may be worth finding more permanent housing options as the hour requirement is high.

Baylor Options:browning square

Baylor does offer graduate living in two of its own apartment complexes. The Quadrangle and Browning Square.  These are usually in high demand as they are close to campus and very reasonable in terms of rent and bills.  quadrangle-022

Other Options:

There are tons of places, so a few places to start your search include: Bear Cribs, Brothers Management, Carbajal Realty.

Location, Location, Location:

By campus, downtown, by the lake, off LaSalle, by the river????  To my knowledge most of the current students live fairly close to campus.  There are pros and cons to consider.  The closer to campus may mean you do not need a parking sticker.  The farther from campus may be more family friendly and quieter, but you would need to find a parking spot each day(not always easy).  One thing to consider: Waco is not that big and you can get around fairly quickly.

I hope the search goes well!

Sic ‘Em Bears!

North Bay – Part 3

May 3, 2016 / / 0 Comments

It is our final day in Canada and we had a full schedule, but lucky for us it was all play.  We had accomplished our goal of the presentation and today, we were going to be taken to all of the North Bay area’s attractions.  We started a little later today and drove south towards Powassan.   This small town in Northern Ontario was bustling with people and parking was hard to come by.

We were scheduled to have a pancake breakfast with the mayor, but little did we know it was their annual Maple Syrup Festival. DSC_0294 Sitting down at breakfast I reached for some sweet tea, but soon realized this is how Canada does maple syrup.  After a filling breakfast, we were placed at the front a parade that was led by firefighters playing the bagpipes.  Ending up at the center stage, we were invited to watch the ceremonies begin with pancake tossing.  Our very own, Ryan Hodges led Team America to a international co-champion victory by successfully making two pancakes in the basket.

We perused the rest of the festival in time to tour the actual maple syrupDSC_0309 farm.  At the farm, we were able to participate in a hay ride, syrup pops, and a factory tour.  After a quick stop to get some poutine, we drove up the hill to the airport.

At the airport we were met with one of the members of the Invest North Bay board and his helicopter.  We eager waited while he got it started.  Once started, four at a time jumped in ready to see North Bay from the air.  Everyone DSC_0359came off the helicopter smiling and thanked the pilot once more.

We ended the night eating wings at a local restaurant and taking group pictures.  Everyone said their goodbyes and we were on our way back to Texas!

Sic ‘Em Bears!

Staying Organized in Grad School

April 22, 2016 / / 0 Comments

I do not think anyone that has even been school grad school will deny that it is hard. Tests, quizzes, papers, and group meetings all make life busy and sometimes overwhelming.  In order to cope with the craziness, one of the best methods I have found to deal with it is to be very, very organized.

Organization is different for each and every person, but below I will go over the tips and tools I use to stay on top of my MBA game.

Tips:
• Weekends – The weekends in grad school are precious time away from class and you can choose to spend them in many ways.  But there are some weekends where it is worth spending time on the next week’s homework or projects.  Giving yourself some breathing room for the rest of the week can be the difference in a good or bad week.
• Location – Find that special place to study and complete your work.  For me it is a chair in the living room, but for team roomothers it is the library or an empty team room.  Either way, being consistent here will help you get into to your grove faster.
• Class Schedule – Take the time before the semester starts or in the first few days to enter your class schedule and notes for each day into Outlook. This will help you on days when you are running a little behind.
• Study Teams/Groups – There is almost no way you can handle all of the work alone or understand every topic as you should. Find friends and colleagues that you trust to help you study and get through your respective program.

Tools:
• Microsoft OneNote – This great product may go unnoticed in many circles, but has great potential to be not only a class tool, but also a life tool.One Note
• Microsoft Outlook – Baylor recently moved to Office 365 and having Outlook on my laptop has help transition over
• An old school 3 ring binder – No kidding.  I learned this one from a great friend and has helped tremendously.  I have all the handouts and syllabi in one easy to access (offline) location.
• Smartphone – There are so many times where you may need to look something up in between classes or away from your laptop. A smartphone (choose your favorite here) with OneNote and Outlook is a double bonus that can really keep everything up to date without duplication.

May these tips help you along your MBA journey!

Sic ‘Em Bears!

North Bay – Part 1

April 22, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Oh Canada!  Baylor MBA’s Focus Firm class is headed to Canada for a presentation to the Invest North Bay board and the residents of North Bay.  Our class has worked tirelessly since January on finding solutions to foster growth in North Bay. bears-for-north-bay-square-heart

Originally divided in to 4 teams, we focused on communication, strategy, selling and retaining.  The communication team researched how the power of great websites and transparent dialogue builds trust between municipalities and residents.  The strategy team put their efforts into building a framework of ideas that would push North Bay’s growth by focusing on creating and nurturing small businesses.  The sell team focused on how to restructure the development corporation in relation to the city’s economic development office.  Also the Sell team provided a tourism strategy for the Chamber of Commerce in an effort to drive tax revenue for the city.  The Retain team created a structure for students to see North Bay as a place to stay and a forum for businesses to stay connected.

We all presented our individual group findings to the faculty and have since combined our PowerPoints for a cohesive presentation in North Bay. DSC_0288

Once we hit the ground in Toronto, we have a full schedule which includes two public presentations on Friday afternoon.  I will post updates as the trip progresses!

Sic ‘Em Bears!

Lady and Joy Bears inside their habitat

The Baylor Mascot

April 8, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Baylor is one of the few universities with a live mascot and two cool ones at that.  Some schools try to pretend the family pet can be a mascot while others parade around their next steak, but Baylor has two live bears right on campus.  Located right across from the SUB(Student Union Building), the Bill and Eva Williams Habitat holds Lady and Joy year round.

168307_640The bears are out in the habitat about 12 hours a day where everyone can see them.  While in the habitat, the bears enjoy a water fall, dig pit, trees to climb, 3 pools, and 2 caves.  Most of the time, the bears can be caught napping in the sunlight or playing with each other.

The Baylor Chamber of Commerce is the student-run organization that takes care ofCC these animals day in and day out.  Student spend countless hours feeding the bears, cleaning the habitat and educating groups about the mascots.  Find a time to go listen to the Bear team talk about the bears.  You will learn a lot about the mascots and bears in general!

During your time on campus, make an effort to go by and see the bears a few times.  They are incredible animals and we are lucky to have them on campus!

Sic ‘Em Bears!

 

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