The MBA course is so intense that new students have to attend 'pre-term' during the summer, writes Gareth Keane
WHARTON REQUIRES all matriculating students to attend a mandatory pre-term that runs from late July through to the start of classes in September, so school began almost immediately when we arrived in Philadelphia last month.
Pre-term has a mix of academic and social events, and is designed to ease incoming students back into university life.
These four weeks have been a fascinating experience, as our class of more than 800 students starts to build the relationships that are a key feature of a good MBA programme.
The first week was a whirlwind of receptions and introductions.
As an international student, I had to attend from the first day, while my US-based classmates were able to enjoy another couple of days' holiday. Those initial sessions covered topics such as visas and job-related issues encountered by international students. It also gave me a chance to catch up with other incoming international students I had met at Wharton events earlier this year.
One of the most useful pieces of information I learned was just how important a social security number has become in the US.
While it was originally supposed to be for employment purposes, it is now used as an identity check by utilities, cable companies, mobile phone companies and banks.
My wife and I discovered this when we tried to open bank accounts and transfer utilities into our name once we arrived in Philadelphia; everyone we dealt with wanted a social security number.
It was possible to get things done without one, but it required a lot of extra legwork on our part.
The most annoying thing about this was that I have a social security number from a summer spent working in the US on a J1 student visa back in the early 1990s, but rather foolishly I had packed it into a box when we were leaving Vancouver. My wife made a number of pointed references to this as we had to jump through the hoops required. Mea culpa. I have now finally found the card, which should ease matters somewhat.
The entire MBA class of 2010 met for a reception the following evening, and on July 30th we officially started the MBA programme with a breakfast and an address from the director of the Wharton graduate division, followed later in the day by a convocation.
The rest of pre-term has passed by in a blur. Its primary purpose is to prepare everyone for the intense academic environment at Wharton, so the coursework has started already. We have even had our first exam - a maths proficiency test to ensure we can handle the quantitative requirements of Wharton's academic approach. This was a source of early stress for many as it was a pass/fail exam: you had to pass it to continue.
The MBA programme has a core first year covering finance, economics and other fundamental business subjects, with the second year offering the chance to specialise through elective courses.
We have had pre-term lectures in calculus, economics, statistics and accounting, designed to give everyone a basic understanding before term starts in September.
While this is great for someone like me, with little formal exposure to some of these topics, many people in the class already have backgrounds in areas such as finance and accounting. Students can opt out of these core classes if they already have a qualification in a subject, or they can sit a waiver exam. These exams have also been taking place in the past few weeks.
But it's not all work. The social side of things has been a whirlwind. Though participation is entirely up to the individual, it is a key part of the MBA.
Through informal socialising, strong relationships develop, which will facilitate business networking afterwards.
Having two kids makes it difficult to get out to everything, but my wife and I have managed to make it to various events individually. We are starting to develop a great social circle, so all we need now is a reliable babysitter . . .
• Gareth Keane, from Moycullen, Co Galway, will be joining the MBA class of 2010 at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in the US
