Sixteenth Week of Class
(April 23- 29)
Monday morning I head to campus to *gulp* buy my books for Summer I (I really can't stand to face it yet!), then plug along at my final presentation for Brand & Advertising Management that my team is giving to our client: Henniker Brewing Company. After working independently for the morning, I meet several of my group mates at 2:00 pm to practice, finalize the paper, and edit our PowerPoint presentation. We work right up until the presentation at 7:30 pm. In fact, I have to break away for a minute to grab our guests from the parking structure while the rest of my team keeps editing our slides (talk about cutting it close!).
Fortunately, I think our presentation goes quite well and we are the only team whose company actually attended the presentations. Our client loved our ideas and even gave us some sweet Henniker Brewing branded clocks!
Tuesday I head to Lakeville for the fourth week of work. On my 'To Do' list for today: writing a promotional piece for our Ocean Spray intranet in support of our National Craisins® Day celebration! It was actually super fun to write (even if it was just a couple of paragraphs) and reminded me of the the good ol' days of reporting for newspapers.
I also get trained on our financial management system as pretty soon I'll be taking over tracking of the foods budget (Yikes!). Fortunately, I get a one-on-one session with our resident expert and I'm starting to feel a little more confident.
The rest of the day is spent knee-deep in Nielsen data pulls and meetings for a new foods product.
After work I head to campus for my final Entrepreneurial Finance class! Tonight, we get our hefty business plans back. After much nervous anticipation, I am thrilled to see an A- scrawled across the back page. I'm actually quite proud of the assignment because I did it completely on my own (well, with the help of some tutors, but still!).
When class lets out at 8:30 pm, a group of students heads across the street to Conor Larkin's for celebratory drinks! Several of the part-time students in our little gathering completed their last class as soon as we stepped out of Entrepreneurial Finance. Many of them have been juggling full-time work, a part-time MBA and family for the past 4+ years! Wow...and I thought I was busy!
Wednesday I get up to run some errands (including some indulgent personal beautification in the form of a manicure) before dragging myself to the library to complete my last deliverable of the semester: a new product development process audit. Let me just say, you know it's been a crazy semester when you and your teammate can't even fit in starting a final paper, 15-pages long, worth 35% of your grade, until three days before it's due. My teammate and I can't even be mad at ourselves because we literally have been running around like mad women since day one. I spend the next 5+ hours locked in Snell Library plugging away at my portion of the paper. I am happy to say that just two days after starting our new product audit, we somehow manage to hit submit on it tonight! I can't believe I'm done! What a semester. Honestly, how did I survive?
Thursday is a glorious day. I sleep in way later than I will admit, run some errands, meet my friend for celebratory and good-bye cupcakes at Crumbs in the Financial District, buy a graduation dress (shouldn't have but I love it!) and work on the blog, all before my last 'class' of the semester. I say 'class' sarcastically because my last New Product Development class is held at Conor Larkins (apparently my new haunt). My friend and I drop by for half an hour and enjoy a plate of nachos with our professor and classmates over beer to wrap up the semester.
After the last class of spring what else is there to do but celebrate with delicious BBQ at Sweet Cheeks! I take my classmate (a Sweet Cheeks virgin) and we indulge in more BBQ pork belly, pulled chicken, broccoli cheddar casserole, baked beans and biscuits than anyone could ask for. What a way to end the semester.
Friday I'm up early to head to work. My day is busy helping to wrap up final touches for Monday's Craisins® celebration (including finalizing oatmeal Craisins® chocolate chunk cookies and milk!). I also spend considerable time trying to perfect my large Nielsen data pull to analyze Craisins® trends. I update the data to incorporate the newest time period available. I also try to analyze trends across more than a dozen different stores that sell our product. It's great practice for me!
I also get my first training at how to code invoices to track against our marketing budgets. I can't believe I'll be in charge of tracking the Craisins® and sauce budget once I start full time. I, of course, take copious notes and probably ask way too many questions.
With all these numbers, data pulls and more, I don't leave the office until most everyone is already gone.
Saturday morning I get up not for a homework session at the library, but for brunch with a friend (did I mention how happy I am that the semester is over?). Our restaurant of choice is Towne Stove and Spirits. I order up some of the most amazing blackberry scones ever with devonshire cream. Other items for our brunch include the most delectable lemon chiffon pancakes (I'm in love) and some requisite brunch mimosas. Funny how much I enjoyed this restaurant considering I thought it was a sporting goods store for the majority of my MBA program (whoops!).
After brunch my friend and I go window shopping (when was the last time that happened!?). I then follow up a morning of food with coffee with another friend (a former MBA classmate who graduated last year). I haven't seen her in ages so we decide to meet at Trident Booksellers and Cafe. This bookstore actually has a pretty stellar cafe menu, but today iced coffee, coffee cake and catching up are what are on the table for me.
After a couple of hours, I bid my coffee compatriot adieu and meet up with my friend from this morning. Thus commences an evening of On Demand movies, New York Pizza delivery and celebratory vino. Man, I could get used to this whole 'weekends free' thing.
Sunday is down to business - errands wise. I start out by picking up the last of my Summer I textbooks (ugh!), along with some Northeastern University apparel (I'm getting all nostalgic as graduation approaches). I then go grocery shopping, do some laundry and wrap up my evening by cooking a legitimate meal and working on the blog. What a lovely weekend!
*The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Northeastern University, Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., either entity's staff, subsidiaries or affiliates.
(April 23- 29)
Monday morning I head to campus to *gulp* buy my books for Summer I (I really can't stand to face it yet!), then plug along at my final presentation for Brand & Advertising Management that my team is giving to our client: Henniker Brewing Company. After working independently for the morning, I meet several of my group mates at 2:00 pm to practice, finalize the paper, and edit our PowerPoint presentation. We work right up until the presentation at 7:30 pm. In fact, I have to break away for a minute to grab our guests from the parking structure while the rest of my team keeps editing our slides (talk about cutting it close!).
Fortunately, I think our presentation goes quite well and we are the only team whose company actually attended the presentations. Our client loved our ideas and even gave us some sweet Henniker Brewing branded clocks!
Tuesday I head to Lakeville for the fourth week of work. On my 'To Do' list for today: writing a promotional piece for our Ocean Spray intranet in support of our National Craisins® Day celebration! It was actually super fun to write (even if it was just a couple of paragraphs) and reminded me of the the good ol' days of reporting for newspapers.
I also get trained on our financial management system as pretty soon I'll be taking over tracking of the foods budget (Yikes!). Fortunately, I get a one-on-one session with our resident expert and I'm starting to feel a little more confident.
The rest of the day is spent knee-deep in Nielsen data pulls and meetings for a new foods product.
After work I head to campus for my final Entrepreneurial Finance class! Tonight, we get our hefty business plans back. After much nervous anticipation, I am thrilled to see an A- scrawled across the back page. I'm actually quite proud of the assignment because I did it completely on my own (well, with the help of some tutors, but still!).
When class lets out at 8:30 pm, a group of students heads across the street to Conor Larkin's for celebratory drinks! Several of the part-time students in our little gathering completed their last class as soon as we stepped out of Entrepreneurial Finance. Many of them have been juggling full-time work, a part-time MBA and family for the past 4+ years! Wow...and I thought I was busy!
Wednesday I get up to run some errands (including some indulgent personal beautification in the form of a manicure) before dragging myself to the library to complete my last deliverable of the semester: a new product development process audit. Let me just say, you know it's been a crazy semester when you and your teammate can't even fit in starting a final paper, 15-pages long, worth 35% of your grade, until three days before it's due. My teammate and I can't even be mad at ourselves because we literally have been running around like mad women since day one. I spend the next 5+ hours locked in Snell Library plugging away at my portion of the paper. I am happy to say that just two days after starting our new product audit, we somehow manage to hit submit on it tonight! I can't believe I'm done! What a semester. Honestly, how did I survive?
Thursday is a glorious day. I sleep in way later than I will admit, run some errands, meet my friend for celebratory and good-bye cupcakes at Crumbs in the Financial District, buy a graduation dress (shouldn't have but I love it!) and work on the blog, all before my last 'class' of the semester. I say 'class' sarcastically because my last New Product Development class is held at Conor Larkins (apparently my new haunt). My friend and I drop by for half an hour and enjoy a plate of nachos with our professor and classmates over beer to wrap up the semester.
 |
| Sweet Cheeks BBQ! |
Friday I'm up early to head to work. My day is busy helping to wrap up final touches for Monday's Craisins® celebration (including finalizing oatmeal Craisins® chocolate chunk cookies and milk!). I also spend considerable time trying to perfect my large Nielsen data pull to analyze Craisins® trends. I update the data to incorporate the newest time period available. I also try to analyze trends across more than a dozen different stores that sell our product. It's great practice for me!
I also get my first training at how to code invoices to track against our marketing budgets. I can't believe I'll be in charge of tracking the Craisins® and sauce budget once I start full time. I, of course, take copious notes and probably ask way too many questions.
With all these numbers, data pulls and more, I don't leave the office until most everyone is already gone.
 |
| Extremely necessary... |
After brunch my friend and I go window shopping (when was the last time that happened!?). I then follow up a morning of food with coffee with another friend (a former MBA classmate who graduated last year). I haven't seen her in ages so we decide to meet at Trident Booksellers and Cafe. This bookstore actually has a pretty stellar cafe menu, but today iced coffee, coffee cake and catching up are what are on the table for me.
After a couple of hours, I bid my coffee compatriot adieu and meet up with my friend from this morning. Thus commences an evening of On Demand movies, New York Pizza delivery and celebratory vino. Man, I could get used to this whole 'weekends free' thing.
Sunday is down to business - errands wise. I start out by picking up the last of my Summer I textbooks (ugh!), along with some Northeastern University apparel (I'm getting all nostalgic as graduation approaches). I then go grocery shopping, do some laundry and wrap up my evening by cooking a legitimate meal and working on the blog. What a lovely weekend!
*The views expressed in this blog are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Northeastern University, Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc., either entity's staff, subsidiaries or affiliates.
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