When you receive that wonderful call from Admissions on your admittance, the last thing on your mind is how you can make the best of your experience. But, the more you’re aware of what Fuqua has in store for you, the better prepared you’ll be.

1. Ensure you know what areas are important to you

This will pay huge dividends when you’re in the thick of things, especially in the fall, when events are aplenty. The ranking of your priorities, including but not limited to recruiting, classes, social gatherings, family, and personal time, will vary from your classmates’ priorities. Recognizing which of those will contribute to the goals you have at Fuqua will help with the time management decisions you’ll have to make.

2. Trust what current Fuquans and alums have to say

They’ve been through it before, and chances are, whatever you’re going through, someone’s probably gone through it themselves at some point too. So, don’t think that you’re the only one.

3. Think about how you can exemplify Team Fuqua during your time in the program

Team Fuqua is the singular thing that sets itself apart from other top business schools. Understanding how you contribute to that will give you appreciation for the community you’ve become a part of.

4. Take changes that come your way in stride

What you imagined your business school experience being like may not be exactly how it plays out. But, that’s okay. It’s what the whole MBA journey is all about. You may be dead set on recruiting for a career path, only to realize that it wouldn’t have been a compatible match after all.

5. Embrace your learning team members

Get to know your consequential leadership team (C-LEAD) as early and as much as possible. Your C-LEAD members are going to be your lifelines throughout your first year, and, your first year will fly by quicker than you realize.

I hope this list is a good primer for preparing for your time at Fuqua. From what I’ve learned in the program, I’ll always be thinking about how I can be a better leader and what that means for various stakeholders.

Giving back is something that fills my cup. Providing insights for others to learn from is helping me prepare for leadership opportunities in the future and allowing me to exercise my desire to serve others.