Jen's MBA blog: A Year at Cambridge

MBAT adventures

Recovering from shin splints and a mild sunburn after an adventurous weekend at the MBA Olympics, 'MBAT', which is hosted at HEC every year.

What was the MBAT all about then? My memories are swirls of school colors and chants, sunshine and sweat, hikes across (and up and down) HEC campus, good French cheese, different music at all hours, and views out the chateau over to the rugby fields. It was a chance for 14 MBA programs to both collaborate and compete, a mixture of bonding closer to your own school in showing of spirit, and curiosity and eagerness to talk to people of other programs and make new contacts and friends.

Cambridge was awarded the 'Fair Play' trophy overall, which suits our collaborative and highly-spirited class nature. I think over 70 out of 104 students came along to MBAT, most on a long crowded bus ride from Cambridge (ok yeah I opted for the slightly more expensive Eurostar transportation to avoid mixing feeling bus-sick with playing sports and drinking all in 3 days time!). We had a great time overall and were very excited to be participating in MBAT for the first time. We would gladly recommend that future classes participate and keep up the tradition! Hey maybe they can even invite alumni who are around...might need some extra voices for any attempt to out-chant LBS...

The majority of the class was assigned accomodation at a Chateau on campus, the CRC, which was difficult to get to but very nice. One classmate had the 'best' room according to reception, with fireplaces, a desk, and enough space for our whole class to fit if you ask me....not to mention massive ceilings. And huge windows looking out over the green campus. Overall I thought HEC's campus was quite nice to visit, but I must say a little isolated and probably too dull for me personally to live at. The food in the dining hall was remarkably good for dining hall though. Anyway food and drink was all included in the set fee for MBAT. Many of us are still getting over the fact that all you can drink was actually free....

And how did the rugby girls do in the end? We played hard, we hit hard (oops apparently you arent supposed to be so rough in touch rugby! ;) ), we managed to score one try. We lost one and tied one, respectable enough for our brand new team. Many of us really like the sport now though and want to play some more this summer!

Overall I highly recommend any European MBA-ers in future attend the MBAT, great fun...

posted by Jen @ 12:13 PM