Welcome back to the guide. If you haven’t read Part 1, go check that out first. This part covers START Week, academics, the club fair, and the I-Lab.

START Week:

Chaos from the get go. The week starts with a full practice version of taking cases. You are simultaneously trying to meet everyone in your section and in the class broadly, and you have to read 30-40 pages of dense case material each night to prepare for class the next day.

On top of the academic prep, there are coffee chats, small group dinners, and a million other social events crammed into the schedule. Small group dinners are one of the most fun ways to meet people and have an extended conversation. I’d recommend saying yes to as many of these as you can stomach. They’re way more valuable than the large group events where you’re just exchanging the same small talk over and over again.

One thing that surprised me is that everything is punctual. Classes start on time, events start on time, and people show up on time. Get used to it quickly.

There’s also a ton of good restaurants around campus. Some of the ones that I recommend are Maharaja.

Academics:

Grades are scored on a scale of 1, 2, and 3. It’s technically possible to get a 4 if you really try to fail. All of the scores correspond to a passing grade, but it’s on a forced curve, so only a limited percentage of the class can get a 1 and a limited percentage can get a 3. Don’t stress too much about grades — almost everyone ends up in the middle.

Getting your hand raised in class is a battle for the first two months. Everyone is eager to participate, the cold calls are intimidating, and it feels like you can never get airtime. After midterms, it gets way easier. People settle into their rhythms and the competition to get called on dies down. This term, it’s been waaayyy easier.

In order to do well in classes, there are two strategies for case prep:

  1. Broad: You read the whole case lightly and are prepared to say a minor take on whatever topic comes up. Safe, reliable, but you won’t blow anyone away.
  2. Deep: You develop a really carefully thought-out perspective on one aspect of the case, and you have to make sure to get in when that topic comes up in class discussion.

I always prefer the deep method, but it’s a bit of a gamble in case that topic doesn’t come up. When it does land though, it’s way more impactful.

Club Fair:

The club fair is only a 3 hour affair. It’s a lot of clubs crammed into a small amount of time, so go in with a plan but also be open to things you didn’t expect. Sign up for a bunch — the average dues are around $20, so it’s low risk to explore.

The real tip here is to get on the mailing lists for any club that even remotely interests you. The mailing lists are where you’ll hear about the best events, speaker series, and treks. You can always unsubscribe later.

I-Lab:

The I-Lab (Innovation Lab) is primarily a co-working space with meeting rooms for people interested in starting a business. There’s always free coffee and some light snacks, which is a nice perk.

After a few months of being in the I-Lab, it’s clear which people in your class are really dedicated to startups. You can almost always find me there after class. If you’re even a little bit interested in entrepreneurship, make it a habit to hang out there. The people you’ll meet and the energy of the space are worth it.