After our morning/afternoon tours we got a couple slices of pizza from the original Pepe's Pizza. Then, after consuming large amounts of the thin crusted goodness we met at Yale to go to dinner with the kids from the program. Seeing as we weren't particularly hungry we indulged vastly in the free ice cream that was provided.
However, despite the fact that were infinite amounts of ice cream at dinner, it was the orientation that was the real fun part of the day. We filed into the lecture hall and got introduced as an audience to a series of instructors who were overqualified to say the least. Seriously, it seemed like winning a national debate title was a pre-requisite. After the intimidating intros the professors and student instructors laid out how are week was going to be. They talked for a while but I can sum it up in one word, "intense." One ex-ivy scholar shared about her personal experience a couple years ago when she stayed up for 72 hours straight. This brought the obvious follow up question, "Is that possible?" Anyways, apart from the massive amounts of intimidation we could see that this is going to be a great opportunity and I 'm excited to take the challenge. I feel just as prepared as any of these individuals and am ready to go.
I appreciate the opportunity the Ivy League Connection has given me and I hope I can make the most of it. I can only promise to do my best.
We have a lot to read so I'm going to end it here. However, I'll be back tomorrow to let you know if all the bark has any bite to it. Sorry I didn't get the pictures up. I let Yohanna carry my camera and forgot to get it back (don't worry mom I'll get it tomorrow). Thanks for reading!
Matt,
ReplyDeleteMaking a personal visit to these schools and having your own tour guide is much like computer dating. You can read all of the profiles and you can peruse through the photos but it’s nothing compared to a personal face to face visit where you can see those things that don’t show up on the Internet.
This the second blog I’ve read where you talk about grabbing a bite to eat before your important dinner. Grabbing a snack is one thing but having a dinner before your dinner is a horse of a different color. One of the purposes for these dinners is to put you in a social setting where you can get to know the other participants. Breaking bread with them is a great equalizer and when you show up having already eaten, it sends a message that can be interpreted as that you’re too good to eat with your classmates. I hope that you’ll all be able to take advantage of these social affairs as they pop up over the next two weeks. The last thing you want is for 25 years from now as you go into negotiations with that other Fortune 500 company for the CEO to recall back that you were the guy who wouldn’t sit down and eat with him. The next thing you know the merger is off, Wall Street gets the message all wrong and we’re smack in the middle of the next Great Depression—all because you wanted one of Pepe’s original slices.
I’m glad that your level of confidence is high—it can make a world of difference.
Have some fun on your first day of class and try not to start any fights.