“Few-qualify. Fu-qua”. That’s how 145 Master of Management Studies (MMS) students learned to pronounce the name of The Fuqua School of Business during our orientation week in July. It feels amazing now that we have completed the first months at Fuqua and have gone through all of the initial events. At the fast pace of the MMS program, it might be hard to look back and realize how far we have come in this time. But the easiest way for me is to ask “what did I learn about Fuqua in those first 4 weeks?”

1. Full of Diversity

Currently, there are about 70 international students out of 145 total, when you combine MMS: FOB and MMS: DKU. We came from China, Thailand, Nigeria, Germany and many other places. Yet, all MMS students are open and eager to learn from each other.

I personally experience Fuqua’s diversity every day through my roommates. While I come from Indonesia, my three roommates are from Nigeria, South Carolina and China, respectively. We have different backgrounds in civil engineering, economics, and music. This is just a small-scale example of how diversity exists in our daily lives.

2. A Fast-Paced Program

During our Summer Term schedule, MMS students attended accounting, quantitative analysis, and business communication courses, along with Career Management Center (CMC) workshops and industry panels. Class meets for 2 hours, twice a week for each course. In accounting, cases were given for each class. Students then solved the case within their team of 5 or 6 that frequently meets to work on group assignments like these. The same workload applies to the other 2 courses during the term. These routines lasted for 6 weeks until the next term begins.

Why does it sound so busy? Why the rush? Here’s the idea. In MMS, you have the opportunity to understand business through different areas: marketing, finance, consulting, and general management. Over the entire program 15 courses are condensed into 5 terms. The MMS program raises the bar for you to become a more experienced candidate when it’s time for recruiting.

3. Various Networking Opportunities

By the end of the first month, our MMS class had already bonded through different gatherings. We met to watch the World Cup, to celebrate the end of the school week at Fuqua Friday, and have had countless other social opportunities on school days and weekends. These networking events provide a great opportunity to introduce ourselves to one another and learn from others who have different backgrounds.

4. TEAM FUQUA

We learned about the “Team Fuqua” spirit of the school during the program launch on day one. We were assigned to 2 big sections of students: Section Blue and Section White. These sections are made up of smaller teams of 5 or 6 members—the same teams that work together on assignments that I mentioned earlier. For example, I’m in Team 8 of Section White.

One of the most memorable team-building exercises from the first month is Triangle Training. It is the day when we wall climb, walk on high ropes courses, and participate in other activities where team coordination is essential to complete the task. We depend on each other to succeed at these activities, and it is truly a time when you learn about yourself and others. I was cheering on classmates on the high ropes while fearing that I would fail when my turn came. But when it did, my teammates became my supporters. They were the ones who encouraged me to finish. They were the one who told me that it is possible to trust the others who were guiding me through the course. This supportive spirit embodies Team Fuqua.

Diverse community, fast-paced learning style, networking events, and team-building skills—these are the 4 things I learned about Fuqua in a mere 6 weeks! Now, Fall Term 1 has begun and we’re flooded with student club events, career fairs, job applications, and basketball campout. More excitement is coming!