For FCCP, groups of students are paired with a corporate client and over the course of the two spring terms, engage in a real-life consulting project. The projects run the gamut of what a real consulting engagement would be like. The big perk of FCCP is location. Opportunities are available both locally and internationally. This year, international projects included clients in South Africa, Brazil, and China. Students with an international project traveled abroad for spring break to work with their client in person. Fuqua offered dozens of potential projects, and I searched for one that aligned with my own passions, international travel and the non-profit space. I opted to work with a client in Shanghai, China, which provided the opportunity to explore a new city on a continent I have only visited once before. I worked with a team to improve a business plan for a fledgling non-profit client.

The Prep — Spring 1 Classes

My team at the Forbidden City.

Unlike some other spring break opportunities, FCCP isn’t all fun and games (all the time), and it takes a lot more preparation. Spring Term 1 is very busy for FCCP teams. Over several months, my team scoped our project, agreed on deliverables to our client, conducted copious amounts of research and outlined our 2-week trip to China. Our goal was to maximize our time on the ground during spring break in order to deliver the most value possible to our client. The FCCP classes provided the skills critical to success. In particular, classes showcased Fuqua’s strong relationship with Deloitte’s strategy consulting practice. Three classes were taught by practicing consultants who provided us with some of the foundational skills we would need to navigate the client relationship, including effective engagement management and international research techniques.

The Trip — China for Spring Break

My team of 5 and I left for Shanghai the day after our Spring 1 final exams. Eighteen hours of travel later, we hit the ground running. Here’s a brief outline of our trip:

Days 1-4 Working Days: Client meetings in Shanghai

Days 5-7 Pleasure Days: Flight to Beijing for cultural/historical tour and much needed R&R

Days 8-12 Working Days: Client meetings in Shanghai with final presentation to client on day 12

Day 13 Pleasure Day: Free time in Shanghai to explore

Day 14 Return Home

As you can tell, we were pretty busy. Week one consisted of heavy working days, typically including rounds of interviews with stakeholders followed by several hours of synthesizing and discussing data collected. During this time, we made sure to enjoy Shanghai through its food, after all, even busy students need to eat! And Shanghai is a city where a student can eat! The highlights of our days included stops at 5-star restaurants and incredible street food vendors.

Halfway through the trip, we took time to enjoy our break and traveled to Beijing for some sightseeing. Highlights included a trip to the Forbidden City, the Temple of Heaven and the Great Wall — all breathtaking spots that I highly recommend visiting. The trip also provided critical team building time, when we were able to step back and reflect on what we had accomplished thus far and determine a path forward.

The Results – Life as a Consultant

Week two culminated in a final project presentation. We wrapped up loose ends and final interviews, created our final presentation and delivered our final product. I wish I could elaborate more on the process, but as with all consulting projects, much of our work was confidential. However, this piece I can share with you — the experience of FCCP is a true Fuqua experience and a global experience. While working during spring break may not sound like fun to you — FCCP is certainly something I would recommend. It’s a chance to gain some real-life work experience and simultaneously travel internationally with a group of your amazing peers.

This summer I am heading off to an internship at The Boston Consulting Group to try my hand at consulting full-time. FCCP and Fuqua provided me with a safe environment to explore the profession prior to my internship. I left China feeling like I had really learned about what life could be like as a consultant; I am now better prepared to handle the rigors and stress of the job. I also left China grateful for the chance to experience two of the world’s most amazing cities and their vibrant cultures. There aren’t many places outside of school where one can easily find such an experience.

Six-Week Term Experience

I am now one term down and more than halfway through term two at Fuqua. The pace and academic rigor serve as a constant reminder that in choosing the Duke MBA, I made the right choice. Over the past three months, I already took 7 of Fuqua’s 8 core classes: Financial Accounting, Global Financial Management, Marketing Management, Managerial Economics, Foundations of Strategy, Probability and Statistics, and Management Communication. That list may seem long and it is. At Fuqua, students experience dramatic curricular breadth in a rapid period of time. There are few other schools on 6-week terms that allow students to build business acumen so quickly.

The pace is matched by heightened academic rigor. Team based and individual assignments move quickly in order to capitalize on the condensed schedule. Professors’ expectations are exceptionally high; they demand the highest quality of work and we must be prepared for in-class discussions. Professors in turn share the workload, constantly providing feedback to us and providing a dynamic classroom environment where learning is paramount. It is true that every class requires reading and preparation — students can fall behind quite easily. The pace, however, benefits the students who put in the time. The reward: a rapidly developed analytical skill set that sets the foundation for the rest of the MBA program.

Accelerated Learning Curve

I came to Fuqua from a public sector background, specifically I was a teacher. To say my business acumen was limited may be an understatement. However, I am an incredibly curious individual, driven by environments of high academic rigor and expectations. I knew that I needed a school where I would be pushed outside of my comfort zone. After all, my experience as a teacher taught me that students rarely learn when they are comfortable, learning happens when students are forced to take risks and then push themselves to achieve new academic heights. Fuqua’s 6-week terms force me to work rapidly and with purpose. The pace brings new academic challenges on a daily basis. Professors reward hard work by providing an environment where risk taking is rewarded and effort results in academic achievement. If you, as a prospective student, are looking for a school where you will be pushed and challenged and an environment of swift learning, Fuqua may be right for you, too.