Congratulations to all of those who were admitted to Darden in 2nd round decisions today! As I sit here in the Darden library, I can still remember when I got word of my admission, and the excitement, relief and happiness I felt at that moment. Cherish this accomplishment.
I’m not being fully truthful, though. I am not in the Darden library. Unlike most weeks during first year, the workload this week is such that first years don’t need to be spending all their waking hours in class, reading cases, preparing cases, or in Learning Team talking about cases. We are in the midst of our experiential learning week, a week that marks a significant turning point in the first year at Darden. Last week, the core curriculum officially ended. Prior to spring break, we had our last Learning Team meetings. I would say that of the things to look forward to, as new admits, learning team ranks among the top.
In a toast to the first year class marking the end of the core last week, Senior Associate Dean Peter Rodriguez emphasized the long way we had all come in just six months, in particular the bonds we had formed with new friends. Strongest, for many, of those bonds, are among Learning Teammates. While my LT may not always have been in the “high performance” category, we were lucky to be in the “high satisfaction” one. The challenges faced during the first year core are much more surmountable because of LT. You learn to be a better teacher, partner, listener, teammate and friend as a result of LT. Maybe you learn how to shift IS and LM curves – maybe you save that for second year.
I’ve included a few glimpses into LT 41’s last “official” night together. I know that despite the core curriculum ending, many more will follow. Prospective students: take some time to reward yourself, and start looking forward to Learning Teams and Darden.
The Darden Journey 