ISTP

Today we went over the results of our Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Assesment (Test). It spits out four letters that indicate your personality type. My results were: ISTP (Introversion, Sensing, Thinking, Perceiving).

Then we got sheets describing our personality types. Here are some of my favorites, with a decoded message of what they’re really saying -

“Value acheiving results with the least effort possible” – I’m Lazy.

“May ignore or minimize external feedback that opposes their self-assesment” – I think your opinion of what I’m doing wrong is total crap. (That one is dedicated to Wheeler – and you know why!)

“Dislike close supervision and prefer to work outside of rules and conventions” – If you don’t get off my back about this project, I’m going postal.

“Not focused on developing rapport, but will adapt to meet social norms” – I have no social skills. (I actually disagree with this one, but it was funny) =)

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Finally, in our image and presence seminar we had one question I’ll never forget -

“Are clip-on ties ok to wear?”

And yes, they were serious. I didn’t think they even made clip-on ties for people over the age of six, but we actually called Wal-Mart and found out they are available, and they even come in various styles!

Dirty Laundry

Mark and I still don’t have a washer and dryer in our apartment. We were going to try and buy one instead of renting one for $30 a month, but we can’t find a stackable unit for anywhere near $350, and the closet is too small for side by sides…

While I haven’t washed clothes since I moved to Athens, my plan was to bring everything home to Atlanta over the weekend and wash them. That is until I got to Atlanta and realized I didn’t actually bring my dirty clothes. The unfortunate thing is I was planning on wearing what I washed, so I don’t really have any extra clothes in Atlanta either….

Brilliant…..

Dominating the GMAT – Test Preparation

I’ve had a lot of friends ask me about taking the GMAT recently, so I’ve decided to make an entry outlining the best battle plan for dominating the GMAT. Then I can just point them here! =)

The best GMAT adivce I have is to give yourself plenty of time to re-learn the math. There is *a lot*, and you just can’t cram it all in. Give yourself 3 months to study minimum, otherwise you will eat, sleep, and breathe the GMAT. When you do start studying, buy two books – The Princeton Review’s book, and “The Official Guide For GMAT Review”. The former is for GMAT test taking skills and prepatation, the latter is for practice questions. The latter is published by the people who make the GMAT and is comprised of old actual test questions. You’ll probably have to order it off Amazon – I looked in every bookstore in Atlanta, and never found it. All the other books are crap. Take the GMAT this fall, and register for it as early as you can. After registering, they send you a CD that has two computer adaptive practice tests – exactly like the actual test. After you understand the concpets for each of the types of questions, start doing them for time. Do practice questions until you can’t take it anymore, and then do even more. Take as many *full length* practice tests as you can. I’m sure you’ll be good at grammar, but after answering two essays, and ~40 math questions, things will start to get fuzzy in hour #3 if you’re not prepared. Build your endurance as much as you can.

If you need help remembering how to do any of the math or verbal, contact Appelrouth Tutoring – http://www.appelrouthtutoring.com. They’ll be able to give you one on one help with problem areas at an hourly rate. They were amazing for me. Don’t take any other test prep course – it’s just a VERY expensive way to keep weak willed people on track.

Had I done the above, I would have done better on the GMAT, gaurenteed. Turned out I was one of those who ate, slept, and breathed the GMAT for 6 weeks. But at the end of the day I still was accepted to my number one choice, and top 50 program – The University of Georgia.

Good Luck!

Back To School

You know you’re back in college when you go to a party and see multiple keg stands, beer pong, and flip cup…. all performed by graduate students. lol.

Quote of the night – Umesh Varma. Straight off the airplane from India, and not terribly long after completeing his first ever keg stand –

“Tonight everything is legal as long as it does not affect the status of my Visa!”

Opportunity Knocks

I’m pretty sure I’ve tackled this topic or line of thought before, but I repeat it only because it keeps kocking at the door of my thoughts… and that is one simple question:

Why me?

There are billions of people in this world, and we are all born under certain circumstances that we have no control over. Why was I born to a middle class white family in Atlanta? Why were other people born to families living in New York housing projects dependant upon food stamps, or to rural farmers in China? I have been given many extrodinary opportunities that were only possible because of my starting place in life. A starting place which I did nothing to earn, and makes me no better than anyone else. So I ask the question – “Why me?” Why do I receive some opportunity that others could only dream of?

I’ve thought a lot about this recently as I’ve started business school – and I know there is no satisfying answer. Even though I can’t answer this question it keeps me humble thinking about it. It also makes me want to try even harder to excel at what I’m doing because I feel I owe other people my best. The biggest shame would be to squander away the things I’ve been given while others never even have the chance.

MBA Orientation Started Today!

I guess I’m officially a student again today. Pretty scary. Our first day consisted of mostly getting to know you games and activites with people in my incomming class. There are about 45 of us, so it’s small enough that we’ll really get to know people.

Everything seems great so far… I guess I don’t know enough to be totally scared out of my mind yet – but don’t worry – that’ll probably come soon too. If I did learn anything today, it’s that the summer sessions are going to SUCK. Badly. I guess that’s the price you pay to be able to get an MBA in one year!

On other fronts, the apartment that Mark and I moved into looked fantastic. They were renovated not too long ago, and I swear the one we got had not been lived in since the renovations – I can’t even find a hole in the wall where someone might have hung a picture frame. The longer I’m in Athens, the more I like it. I can definitely see how this town grows on people. The first night Mark and I were here we ate at “Clocked”. It was one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. Any other resturaunt suggestions?

The March Of Dimes

Did anyone really think things through when the organization “March of Dimes” was formed? I mean really… If you’re creating a non-profit that raises money for something – don’t you think they should have inspired people with a denomination of money larger than a dime? If only they would have gone with “March of Quarters” … It could have been a whole new ballgame…

Heck, I’d at least have called it “March of Twenty Dollar Bills”…

New Chapters

Friday was my last day at Carat. It was pretty sad leaving, as I had been there three years, and it was my first job out of college. I am really excited about the opportunities that are in front of me, but after three years, Carat was really apart of my identity. I wasn’t completely defined by my job, but it did have a big place in my life. I guess it feels weird now that it’s no longer there.

I’ve met a lot of people over the last three years, and I always had the canned response to the same question – What do you do? …I work in advertising. If someone were to ask me that now, I’d have to stop and think about it for fear that I would just say the same thing I’ve always said. I’d actually love to meet a really attracive girl and have her ask me that question. Then I’d say I didn’t have a job – just to see her reaction. Is it weird that I enjoy putting people in awkward situations just to see how they’ll react….? Probably =) I’ll call it “interactive people watching”.

I move to Athens in less than a week, and Mark and I still don’t have a place to live. That’s kinda scary. I’m going up tomorrow to look and sign a lease for us. Wish me luck!

I did a Statistics pre-test yesterday that was scary as crap. The test is to see if you can pass out of a statistics boot camp review course during orientation. Even if I pass out of it, I might take the boot camp anyways…. I haven’t been a student in over three years, and Statistics was the only class at Auburn I had to re-take… Granted I did really well the second time….. but I’m still a bit aprehensive about it….

Today is Mother’s Day. Call your Mom. =)

New Laptop!

My new laptop was shipped yesterday! It’s only coming from Nashville, so I know I’ll get it soon…. I’m so excited I can barely contain myself!

This will be my first new computer since the summer of 1998. My desktop at home is sooo slow….. my work computer is so much nicer…. and my laptop will be twice as fast as my work computer!

(Tomorrow is my last day at Carat! wOOwOO!)

BTW…

The new Peal Jam album is amazing. Easily their best album since the mid 90’s.

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