Michael Ramey's MBA Experience

The Baylor MBA Program and everything it has to offer!

Tag: Baylor MBA (page 3 of 5)

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!

Viteks BBQ

April 20, 2016 / / 0 Comments

When family and friends come to town and want some of the best food in Waco, one of my favorite places to take them is Vitek’s BBQ.  A Waco staple for many years now, Viteks still serves up some of the best BBQ in town.  Having recently gutpak-apr13expanded their footprint, the store now has plenty of seating inside and a huge outdoor patio.  Located at the corner of 16th and Speight, Vitek’s is only a short distance from campus.

One item that really captures the spirit of Vitek’s is the GutPak.  Offered in two sizes, the GutPak consists of Fritos, cheese, beans, sausage, chopped beef, jalapenos, onions, pickles and two slices of bread.  Aside from the GutPak, Vitek’s offers many other meat options, sides and desserts.  There is also a small store adjacent to the line which has glass bottle Dr. Pepper, loaves of bread, and bags of chips for purchase.  5503554261ff5.image

Recently, students at Baylor have created the GutPak Run.  In my opinion those two words should never be in the same sentence, but the Freshman Class Council thinks differently.  The GutPak Run starts at Vitek’s where contenders eat a whole GutPak before embarking on a two mile run back to Waco Hall.  gutpak run

I, like most people, prefer to keep my food down so I visit the store and eat there before driving home.   I can’t recommend this place enough.  The food is consistently good and it is so nice to have a local option close to campus.

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!

 

The Hustle

April 8, 2016 / / 0 Comments

One of the most precious resources you have in grad school is time.   The Baylor program is only 3 semesters and while that may seem like a long time, let me tell you firsthand…it is not!  I feel like I just started a few weeks ago and in reality just registered for my last semester’s classes.  With this realization of how little time I have left in the program, I wanted to provide some advice to those of you thinking about the program or even those of you already in it.

Make the most of your time!!  You are only in this program once and have the choice to take advantage of the opportunity or let it go to waste. Below are a few ways I found that will enhance your experience and embrace the hustle.

  • If you want to challenge yourself with classes, you could take 18 hours every semester and/or take classes that push you out of your comfort zone.
  • If you want to add leadership or work experience to your resume(while in school), you could join GBA or be a graduate assistant.
  • If you want to get a head start on your job search, you could network with alumni and classmates to help your chances of landing that dream job.
  • If you want to learn more than what is taught in the classroom, spend whatever time you can talking with professors about their experience in the real world.

There are many other example, but I want you to realize that this program is what YOU make of it.  The more you squeeze out of it, the more beneficial it becomes.

Sic ‘Em Bears!

The Waco Suspension Bridge

March 26, 2016 / / 0 Comments

One of the most iconic locations is the Waco Suspension Bridge.  Built in 1869, the bridge was meant to help people traveling the Chisholm Trail cross the Brazos.  Costing $141,000 at the time, the bridge was a huge undertaking since materials had to be brought in from around the country.  To recoup the cost, the toll to cross the bridge was $.05 until 1889 when McClennan County took control of the bridge.  Then in 1971, the bridge was retired from vehicular traffic a4220551953_c100f271e2_bnd converted to only a pedestrian bridge.  And boy are we happy they did that!!

The bridge is a great place to take pictures.  Many artists spend hours photographing the bridge at all times of day.  Couples taking selfies and wedding pictures are common place around the bridge.  Also the bridge is a great place for an event.  City of Waco and other groups hosts events on the bridge which include everything from dinners to marathons.

But one of the best activities you can do while on the bridge is tortilla tossing.  Wait!  What??  Yes, you read that right.  Tortilla tossing.  Go to HEB, get a fat stack of tortillas and head to the bridge.  Enter the bridge 3827930662_69571cc7e3_bfrom the south side and face Cameron Park.  About 30-40 feet from the bridge is an old pylon from an adjacent bridge.  The goal is to land your tortilla on the pylon.  If you make it, instant gratification and some duck gets dinner.  Otherwise, some fish gets dinner.  Pretty simple, but incredibly fun.

Sic ‘Em Bears!

Need Repairs??

March 22, 2016 / / 0 Comments

Unless you have brand new car, while you are at school here in Waco, your car will need an oil change or repairs. Also you will probably need a state inspection and a few car washes as well. You are in luck here in Waco!  The city has many options for maintenance or car repair so that you do not have to go back to Dallas or Austin.

Maintenance:
I will start off with the most used category.  We have plenty car washes around town and if you check the Lariat, there Pure-Automotive-Performance-Synthetic-Oil-Change-800x400_care always some coupons near the back.  I frequent the Champion Car wash on the north side of Valley Mills.  It is $5 to get in and then you have all access pass to vacuums, sprays, and a drive through car wash.  For oil changes there are roughly 70 places in town to get that done.  For state inspections, be careful where your car is registered.  If you are registered out of McClennan County, you will probably have to leave Waco to get this done.  McClennan County has different standards that do not require all of the testing of big city like Dallas.

Repair:
Waco has plenty of places to get your car fixed if something broke or you didn’t quite make it around the Circle.  fifteen
There are dealerships for most cars including: Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ford, Mazda, Kia, Toyota, Scion, Nissan,  Chevy, Honda, Subaru and Mitsibishi.   There are also places like Christian Brothers and Complete Car Care Center (provides coupons to students) if you prefer to stay out of the dealership.

Waco has a lot to offer and is a great place to be!

Sic ‘Em Bears

Tonkawa Falls

March 18, 2016 / / 0 Comments

A long time ago in a city far, far away….well 30 miles to be exact, there is a magical place called Tonkawa Falls. Located in the city of Crawford, Tonkawa Falls is a city park where you can camp, cook out, swim, and explore.falls 3

This gem may look like any park driving up, but what you cannot see from your car is the river and waterfall below the road level.  As you walk further into the park, you can begin to hear the rushing water splashing over the rocks and people jumping from the rock ledge into the pool below.

You can walk around above the waterfall in the clear water.  The stream can be high after a recent rain, so go a few days after the weather clears up.  Under the bridge, you can walk across the stone dam and climb up to where you can jump into the water.  The water is about 8 feet deep so it is deep enough for feet-first falling if you can handle the 15-20 fall.  falls

During your time in Waco, I encourage you to take  a group of friends and enjoy the afternoon exploring this park.  It is worth the drive and hearing all your friends scream as they jump.

Sic ‘Em Bears!

CampusTown Waco Initiative

March 15, 2016 / / 0 Comments

We have three great educational institutes (Baylor, MCC, and TSTC) as well as many great employers (SpaceX, Dwyer Group, L-3, Sanderson Farms, Hillcrest, Providence, Allergan, and M&M Mars).  These resources combined with how awesome Waco is growing to be begs the question, why are all the students leaving for other cities after graduation?  prosperwaco-logoProsper Waco in conjunction with Mayor Malcom Duncan, Jr. and representatives from each school have formed the CampusTown Initiative.

The initiative’s goal is to help retain the student talent being produced by the three schools in Waco.  A secondary goal is to increase the median income of full-time workers and households in Waco.

One very visible way the initiative is already working is the InternInWaco website.  This site, created by the Waco indexChamber of Commerce, allows students to connect with Waco companies that are offering internships for the summer.  The site is really easy to use and allows you to select the internships you wish to apply for and simply attach a resume.

Prosper Waco and the schools are doing great work here in Waco and you are able to truly benefit from this.  So when looking for jobs and internships, think Waco and stay in Waco!city-of-waco-logoSic ‘Em Bears!

Spring Break

March 12, 2016 / / 0 Comments

This most glorious week that every student looks forward to is finally here.  Yes, it is Spring Break.  Stuck between two 8-week periods of time where homework and tests devour 99% of your time, this week allows you a chance to catch your breath and hopefully some fresh air.

Whether you are hitting the beach in Mexico or hitting the slopes in Colorado, I hope you enjoy this precious time we get to relax with little to do.   Use the time to reconnect with family and friends that have been wondering what you have been doing in all those study sessions.skiingatsolvistabasin_PR

Regardless of how you spend your week off, the rest of the semester is going to be challenging with all of the projects coming due.  But the light at the end of the tunnel is that you only have 8 weeks left in the semester before you head off to a summer internship or Africa!

Sic ‘Em Bears!

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