Lessons from Before the First Day of Class

Well, we haven't had our first day of class yet and I already feel like I'm learning - about myself and what the MBA experience will be like.  One of my favorite sayings is, "You don't know what you don't know."  Thanks to student orientation, I've become aware of some of the things I didn't know I didn't know.  The biggest is that as often as the letters "MBA" get thrown around, there is no singular MBA "thing" that exists out there.  Every person's MBA experience is entirely unique to them.  Academics are important, yes - but there's a lot more to it.  There are more tools and experiences available in a top tier program than any one person could or should try to leverage.  What matters most is leveraging the right tools and experiences for your unique situation.  Between your professional and personal goals, be they tangible or intangible, you'll get out what you put in. To use a phrase from business, I've got to start out with my exit strategy (or as close as I can get to one) in mind and gravitate to the activities, people and opportunities that make sense for me.  It was weird to hear from multiple people that grades don't really matter - between my primary education and work life, it's always been about performance.  In this case, however, it seems to be about learning by leveraging resources both in- and outside of the curriculum.