Ch 17: The Official Cambridge Tour

After our day of speaking to current students and professors we headed out in the afternoon for a Judge sponsored tour of Cambridge. Cambridge does not have a main "campus". There are 31 distinct colleges each with 200-1000 students. The University buildings are dispersed throughout the town of Cambridge in a cluster close to the colleges. It's quite unique.
Our tour guide was a nice British lady who knew here way around the place. Some fun facts about students at Cambridge:
1. They use to climb the chapels (which are huge) for fun (used to as this is now outlawed)
2. They like practical jokes (there are too many to write up)
3. They have a good sense of humor (although it's British humor which can come across as dry for most Americans)
At the end of the tour a few of us stopped off at the Eagle a pub famous for being a stomping ground for US and British service men during the 2nd world war. More great room temperature British Beer and my first Guiness from the UK. Good stuff. Had a chat with the lot, Yeo Whee Jim, Adrian Cander, Neil Ghosh, Svetlana Novoseltseva, and Hideko Sugimoto (see pretty diverse right?). They are all good people and I will email them to link everyone together electronically. You never know where everyone will end up but good people you keep in touch with.

Ch 16: Judge Business School (JBS) Second Impressions

My day started with a traditional english breakfast (sausage,bacon,eggs,toast, with optional beans). Pretty good, very American. I was over by the Judge building by 8:45am. There were 20 or so other potential students from all over the world. I'm impressed by the Diversity. After talking to a few I felt that they would be good people to go to school with as well. Very nice with different professional backgrounds. The school also rebranded itself from an Institute to the Judge Business School in Q4 2005. A good move on the marketing front. And doesn't JBS just sound nice?
The building itself is quite nice on the inside, it's got a lot of open space, lighting, and room for students to work/hang out.



The lecture halls have good outside lighting as well which is rare. Their are currently 106 students with plans for about 120 students in the upcoming class. We also learned more about Cambridge and the program and the city. Cambridge has 120,000 full time residents including students. The town is small enough where most things are never more then 10 minutes bike ride away. And people do bike, everyone actually. Probably more then Oxford where both bikes and buses are common. Judge also incorporates close to 70 undergraduates and 100 PHD candidates (almost as much as the MBA program) all under one roof. Classes however are separate. The building itself is 24 hours which is a bonus over SBS which closes at 11pm. The building is mostly wifi enabled (hey my house in VA and my apartment in NY are, any BSchool better damn well be). There is a two week orientation as well which is good to get to know your fellow classmates.
The alumni base is world wide and I am told that it does help to get your foot in the door. This is logical to me as any good brand name school should. I just wouldn't rely (or want to) on any more then that but isn't that what most people ask for? Just a chance? An opportunity?

Ch 15: Who has 6 Toes?

I walked by the Graduate pub last night 3/12/06 along Chesterton Street to see if I could grab some of that famous British Pub food along with a few beers (at room temperature of course). To my dismay they didn't serve food after 8pm. To satisfy my curiosity for British food I went by a nearby quicky mart and bought everything that looked foreign to me.< insert pic > Hm.. Ostrich jerky is good.
It was a slow Sunday night so I turned on the tub to take in the British Culture. There was a whole show similar to a tabloid only focused on "exposing" celebrities without their "swap". What is swap you might ask? Good question, its defined as the make up, digital effects, and perfect photo opts that Celebs depend on to look great. This show was horrendously revealing in their exposure of celebrities. It made everyone look horrible (mostly women without their make up). They also showed before and after digital photo effects. Why do this? I think that people don't want their celebrities to be perfect or at least to be perfect for too long. The cycle is like this:
1. Build Up
2. Worship - then feel bad about yourself to the point of jealousy
3. Tear Down
4. Ridicule - to make yourself feel better



Rinse and repeat. That seems to be the pattern. I wonder if it's just a western culture thing (in UK and America) or if it's like this in Asia as well now? Anyhow, the shocker of the evening- Halle Berry has 6 left toes... Count 'em.

Ch 15: Judge Business School First Impressions

As I walked down Trumpington Street I came upon a building that really stuck out. I read the name on the building and it looked to be a Nursing School of some sort. There was a tree planted outside in 1998 commemorating the 50th year anniversary of the building. This couldn't be the Business School I thought. Other things that stuck out included the large submarine style windows and the colors. Oh the colors- if the palace of Caesar were in modern day Miami I would imagine the color scheme to be not one bit different .

I kept walking down the street in search for the school. I could have sworn it was in this area. As I was passing by the front of the strange building I noticed a gated entrance and a sign above me that read "The Judge Institute of Management". Cool, I thought, can't wait for the official tour in the morning.

Ch 14: Cambridge by Foot

The first thing I took note of upon leaving the Hamilton Hotel was how far I was from the Judge Business School. Over 1 mile to be more exact. But it was a good walk. I walked along Chesterton Road and took a southern route on Victoria Avenue cutting west through Jesus Green, yes THAT Jesus. There's a lot of christian religious references in the colleges and grounds of both Oxford and Cambridge. I was told however that there is a rule against forcing anyone to practice something they were not comfortable with. Does this really need a law?
Anyhow I decided to keep walking through Jesus green instead of taking the main road next to it (Jesus Lane- which is also connected to Christ's pieces and "Butt Green"). My journey led me north across another Magdalene street and corresponding Magdalene street bridge.



Which brings up a good point. Cambridge was founded by scholars and monks who were driven out by the townies in Oxford over 700 years ago. They apparently set up a mirror university with corresponding colleges and streets. Cambridge IS the town here so I suppose they found their home.
A walk up Castle Hill (the site of a very important ancient military stronghold from 2000 years ago I'm told) gave me a fantastic view of the University.
The architecture in Cambridge is strikingly diverse with a mix of ancient and modern. I really like that. Contrast is good in my book.

Ch 12: Shipwrecked

I arrived in Cambridge this morning 3/12/06 after a 3 hour bus ride from Oxford.



After checking into the Hamilton Hotel I unpacked and turned on the tube to relax. As it happened to be the show that was on was called "Shipwrecked: Battle of the Islands". I thought it to be nothing more then another Survivor type show. A few minutes into it I got the point. Two teams on nearby islands compete for "castaways" to join their tribes.
Both are tropical sunny islands in the same vicinity. Each tribe would try to convince the castaways to stay by showing him/her the merits of their island (which were almost identical) but more importantly the merits of the tribes themselves- their personalities and overall likability.

Additional factors the castaways would consider included how organized the tribes were, how they got along with one another, and what roles the castaway would have if he/she were to join them. I thought this was very interesting. Two islands in the sea, almost identical. How is a castaway to choose the right one?

Ch 11: Warm Beer & Midnight Chicken

I had dinner with Roy during my final evening in Oxford. It was actually at a place across the street from where I was staying- the White House. The food was quite good, or maybe it was my expectations from what I had heard before about British Food. But quite good. The Beer was much better. The beer I had was London's Finest. It was served at room temperature, which in my opinion really brings out the taste. It made me wonder how my American beers would taste at home (or what the freezing temperatures they are served at is hiding)?
Afterwards we stopped by Mike's pad which is rather nice and very good accommodations for any student.
After some beers and "crisps" Roy and I walked back to the other side of the tracks. We stopped by the Kebob stand in front of my hotel. I ordered a chicken kebob as I did not want to risk the digestive wrath of the lamb. While waiting we started chatting with two Oxford residents who lived and worked in the area. Two conclusions were reached from our discussion.
1.) The English Empire will not exist in 100 years. Instead they will go down in history as the inventors of the universal language who explored every corner of the world in order to add "better" words (and more words) into their vocabulary. They said it not me.
2.) Brits have a very high opinion of American Business and American MBA programs as a result. They asked why I would choose to go to school in the UK and not the U.S. I have my reasons as I have stated before so I gave them REASON #1: Diversity. But my definition of diversity may be different then others. To me getting the most out of diversity is not bringing 35 nationalities together so that everyone can learn the American Way (which works quite well, and I do love living there I have to say). To me it's about learning what the other 34 nationalities have to say, gaining an understanding of their cultures, and working to find the "best" way. I believe that in ten years the largest software companies in the world will be Indian and the largest manufacturing companies will be Chinese. The world is getting flatter by the day. Plus I feel that a foreign environment will get me out of my comfort zone and into a more open state for learning from others. That's just me. I want an MBA experience and corresponding student body mix that best prepares me for the world of today and tomorrow.

Ch 10: Signs- Of the Times and The Biggest Mystery

Of the Times:
Check out these signs.





I like to think that they are advice or rather warnings for Oxford University Students.

The Biggest Mystery:
I don't get the names of British pubs. The formula seems to be "Noun & Noun". And anything goes.







The Eagle and Child however I've read was frequented often by both CS Lewis (Narnia) and JRR Tolkien.
Pretty cool.

"A" Lee out.

Ch 9: Oxford by foot

I decided to skip the official tour groups and buses and give myself a tour of the University on foot. I've never liked organized tour groups. Except when they give you access to other wise unopen areas I much prefer to read about places, find which ones interest me, and chart my own course. Walking through Oxford was no different.
I noticed something this morning. The color of the SBS building is very similar to the older university buildings. I don't think this is a mistake. You can be the newest branch of the English world's oldest university but fitting in is still important.
I started my day off with good English food. That would be the Chinese restaurant across from SBS. My stroll took me in a figure eight loop starting with the north side of the main university streets. The sights of the older colleges reminded me very much of the University of Chicago. The difference is that Chicago tries to look old(with much success in my opinion), Oxford IS old.
I skipped the Oxford Story which is a Disneyland type ride that explains Oxford's founding. Have I mentioned how crowded the main streets are today (Saturday)? Oxford is also very much a haven for Tourists . History and a Strong Brand can do that for you I suppose.
Walking through the place gave me a good sense of how easy it was to navigate through the town. I kept walking. From the Bridge of Sighs, down New College Lane, through the courtyard of Magdalen , across the fields of Merton , and across the gates of Christ Church College I walked, and walked some more. Taking it all in.

Ch 8: The Morning After

I did it. After 36 hours of no winks I went to bed. Sleep came quick and hard. 12 hours worth actually. That's enough for two days. My body has a way of catching up with me. I hope it's this cooperative in the future.

Ch 7: Diversity and Drinking (do mix)

I met up with Mike and a few other SBS students (many actually) for their weekly MBA friday night happy hours. Free wine and beer. Makes for a good start for any MBAs weekend. I also met up with Roy Kuo an SBS 2005 grad who was working in the area part time for a Hedge Fund while studying for his CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) level 3s. Roy is a friend of Eric Wang, a buddy of mine from my days at the University of Chicago. This meeting was expected however as Roy had been answering my MBA questions over email the last couple of days. Roy was cool guy and you could tell he enjoyed spending time with current MBA class. It's always good to have happy alumni regardless of where your coming from.
The event itself was great as I got to witness how truly diverse the student body was. I met students from over a dozen countries (the school claims 40+ nationalities on their 2006 roster) all pursuing their MBA dreams. I think diversity is important and not just for sake of differences. It's important to truly gain an undertanding and appreciation of cultures outside of your own.
As I mentioned before it's a small world and it's flat. The business world is same way. Businesses are created and run by people. Businesses now draw talent from every area of the globe. Teams will always outperform individuals and most work is now done in teams. These teams are more diverse then ever. In my opinion you need to get along with others and understand them as people to get the most out of your personal and professional relationships. With rosters that read off like a meeting at the U.N., Business Schools are a great place to do this. You may not work with 40 nationalities when you come out but its always good to know where people are coming from. It's a personal effort really but if the karaoke and "team drinking" are any indication, the students here really get along just fine.

P.S. Had dinner and more drinks afterwards. Still zero winks in over 30 hours. When will this catch up to me?

Ch 6: An Unexpected Meeting

The world is small and flat. You never know who you'll run into on any given day really and today 3/10/06 was one of them. As I was walking out of the SBS building and reading a paper posted on one of the walls I heard a voice that sounded familiar. I turned around and saw the back of a head. Now there's something about some people's heads that you can tell who they are just by their silhouette. Think Alfred Hitcock or Batman. This head and associated voice could only belong to one man. I turned and walked over see no other then my friend Michael Lee chatting with a few other students.
Wow, I thought this was the last place I expected to see anyone I knew, especially anyone I had not seen or kept in touch with for a while. Mike was probably just as surprised to see me walking around. We chatted for a while about his experience. It was good to hear straight talk from someone I knew on the "inside".

Ch 5: The Said Business School & Marketing 101

After checking into the West Gate Bed and Breakfast I laid down to catch some Zs. Half an hour later the Z meter was still at zero. I had a meeting coming up at 1pm with Sally a representative from the school. Off I went, hoping to myself that I did not appear too tired or uninterested. My mind was not in a good state and my goal for the next couple of hours was to stay awake.
Sally gave me a pleasant tour of the building which was located on the West end of the school right across from the train tracks. The building itself was built in 2001 and the newness of it stilled showed. The rooms and lecture halls had an "Ikea" feel of efficient simplicity. In the current year there are at any time up to 225 MBA hopefuls roaming the halls.
In the afternoon at 1:30pm I attended a two hour lecture on Marketing by professor Holt a notable Prof I was told from the US with connections to both Harvard and Chicago. I didn't have to remind myself at all to stay awake, the class was great. We started with a review of the materials from the previous week followed up by case study on BioPure a supplier of donor blood for accident victims. I did not read the case study, knew nothing of the subject but halfway through the discussion decided to open my mouth anyway. Fortunately my comments were not too far out of the park. When I'm engaged I'm awake so that was a big benefit for me as well. I had not introduced myself at this point. One of the students next to me commented that maybe I was a student who was enrolled but decided to skip all the first 15 classes and attend the very last class to get notes before the final exams. "Hm..." I thought. If only I were that cool.

Ch 4: Polite to a Fault?

I've never stepped foot onto England as an adult. I didn't really know what to expect. They speak English (you might even say they had a hand in inventing it), but it ain't American English ya'll know what I'm say'n?

I caught the "coach" from Heathrow to Oxford, a 1 1/4 hour ride for 17 Pounds! 1 Pound is roughly 1.8 dollars. That's quite a sum for a bus ride where I'm from.

On the bus there was a lady speaking in a regular "NY lady on the bus on her cell phone voice and volume". Nothing I'm not used to and I didn't particularly notice. Apparently the bus driver took offence to her volume. At first he was visibly annoyed looking back with fierce glances. After a while he took up the mike on board and announced "To the Lady on her mobile, please lower your voice a bit, no need to shout!". After which the entire back of the bus even clapped! I thought it was rather strange to call someone out like that. Mental note, the Brits take their manners (and those of others) seriously =)

Ch 3: Virgin

What a better way to get to the UK then flying there on a UK original Virgin Atlantic? I booked a red eye overnight from New York to the UK Wed night to arrive the morning of 3/10/06. Virgin differentiates themselves from other airlines through a number of tactics which include 1.) being cool and trending 2.) using up to date tech (you can txt message other passengers from any seat, and there is a huge library of videos/movies on demand) 3.)great/friendly service. I would say that they delivered on the above for the most part. Even the passengers were nice (I had a good chat with my seat neighbor Barbara who was the casting Director from Sex in the City). The only part that really bothered me was the actual flight itself.
I've taken overnight flights before and I've always been able to catch a few winks. This time the wink meter read "0" upon my arrival in London the next morning. Why? Was I caught up in the coolness of the flight attendants? Did I stay up watching a few of the over 40 on demand movies? Was I too stuffed from the two meals they served us within 4 hours? Nope, absolutely none of the above. For some reason my seat was too warm (hot I would say). I like sleeping in cool places. Needless to say I was not in a great physical state. So how long would I last until I keeled over in slumber? Read on!

Ch 2: Let's Go: England

This weekend from March 10th Friday to March 13 Tuesday I will be visiting two prospective MBA programs. The University of Oxford Said Business School (SBS) and the University of Cambridge Judge School of Business. Why am I looking at the UK when the U.S. is flush with Big Money Business Schools? Well I have my reasons and I will go into them later =). I want to capture my experiences now as I am reflecting on my last two days from an Internet Cafe on the campus of Oxford.

Ch 1: Decisions (Part 1)

Hi, my name is Ashton Lee and I am about to embark on a journey that will ultimately lead to decisions being made that will ultimately lead to major changes my life.

It is a decision that has required me to thoroughly think about my past experiences, my present endeavors and the dreams I have for my future.

I am going for my MBA.