Wow. September Orientation flew by.

So what did I learn during the first month of my MBA?  The key takeaways from Orientation are that...

• LBS does not just play lip service to diversity.  Where else would you find a study group comprised of a Brazilian, a Brit, an Indian, a Singaporean, a Bulgarian, a Swiss, and an American that all get along, and choose to not just spend their days working on assignments together, but also socializing and cementing friendships on personal time?
• If you want to do something, someone else probably does to. No matter what crazy activity you conjure up, you will find company.  Want to watch an American football game at 3am? You are not alone.  
• It's okay to fail (not in classes, mind you).  LBS is a safe environment - our study group encourages each other to take risks - take on a finance role when all you know is marketing. We're all here to expand our horizons; if we knew everything already, we wouldn't be here in the first place.
• Going out three nights in a row spells trouble.  Whatever you thought you could do in University is much harder to sustain and much more painful now - especially when you have 815am class the next day.  You have been forewarned.
• Time management and prioritization are key.  There are not enough hours in the day for classes, case reading, working out, attending club kickoffs, friend's birthday parties, and sleep.  Something's got to give and it's up to you to decide what.
• You will change your point of view. Cynics (and I count myself among them) are challenged at every level - whether it be on a particular academic subject  or a particular management style.  Can you teach someone Ethics? I thought not, but I now believe that you definitely can increase moral awareness by teaching the subject.  Go figure.
• Networking = MBA.  If you learn nothing else (which you would be hard pressed not to), you will learn to be a superb networker.  And there are plenty of opportunities to practice - at the Windsor (the pub next door), at club kickoff events, in the quad at lunch, with EMBAs in the evening...

So what's the moral of my first month's learnings?  Essentially, that it's not impossible to learn and have fun at the same time, especially when you are doing so with friends from all over the world.