Since beginning the MMS program a few months ago, I have spent quite a bit of time in Fuqua’s Ford Library. Most of my time in the library is spent studying, and I have found that there are a lot of practical resources that people often overlook, which I am taking advantage of.

The library has several periodicals to keep up-to-date on what’s going on in the financial world, as well as on general news. The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, USA Today, and Financial Times are all there for the reading. These newspapers can be expensive for students, so it’s nice to take a break in the library and catch up with the world. Also, interviewers often ask about current financial events during the hiring process, so it can be beneficial during the job search to know what’s going on. Aside from newspapers, there are tons of magazines and journals like Bloomberg Businessweek and Forbes that are just good reading material and helpful in and out of class:

• The articles and stories in these periodicals are great sources of ideas for essays or class projects, and always contain insights from business leaders.
• If a distinguished speaker is coming to Fuqua, it’s a good idea to do a bit of research so that you can ask him/her questions about specific quotes or themes they’ve mentioned in a business journal or paper!

The Ford Library also includes Bloomberg terminals, where students who fancy themselves as traders can keep up with what’s going on in the financial markets. So far this year, the library has held two Bloomberg training sessions, which are an excellent opportunity to get a closer look at what life might be like as a day trader, or just to see how market prices change. There are thousands of traders around the world watching the same information on the same screens, so it’s really pretty interesting to know that you are seeing the same thing that traders on Wall Street are seeing.

Textbooks are also available for temporary checkout, and there are several copies of any given book, so more than one student can use a textbook at once. This is great to remember in case you need to do some studying or homework, but don’t have the book with you.

The library carries Vault guides on careers and industries. These guides are essential for career research, and are extremely helpful in presenting the pros and cons of any career or industry without a bias. If you don’t really know how you want to begin your career search (like me), then using a Vault guide is a good place to start.

The Ford Library is a rich resource for students, and has a wealth of information waiting to be applied. When you arrive at Fuqua, get to know the library well, and take advantage of the materials it has to offer, while you can. You won’t regret it.