Marcella Rispo, a 2003 MBA Partner now responsible for helping partners integrate in Lausanne life, shares a few thoughts with us before the 2018 class arrives.
In the excitement of the new year ahead, we often forget that the MBA Partners are faced with some important choices, surprising chances and unfamiliar changes: whether to move to Lausanne or stay behind, learn French or make do with English, look for childcare options in Lausanne and whether there will be opportunities for gainful employment and/or volunteer work.
Although the answers are very personal depending on each partner’s particular situation and circumstances, these are the exactly the kind of issues we look at in the first few weeks of the program. The Partner Integration Program helps partners settle in over the first few months, whether they come to Lausanne or stay behind. We start connecting through our private Facebook group, so that come January a partner community has already formed. After all, building a community is the start to developing a support system that will be there for you throughout the year, and hopefully, into your future as well.
Here a few tips while preparing for an eventful 2018:
- This is your year too. Make your own plan and a list of the things that you would like to do this year. What will be important for you? What would you like this year to be about?
- Change is inevitable: so embrace it from the start.
- Be open, stay open, and above all be flexible. You don’t really know what opportunities can show up unexpectedly.
- An MBA is a transformational experience for both of you, it’s an opportunity to grow, communicate and learn.
- Remember – everyone is also going through ‘things’ – reach out and share your experiences.
- Do not compare yourself to others: it is your own unique experience. Like life, no one else can do it quite like you.
- Be curious. Explore, make friends – you will find so much diversity around you this year.
- You will have some fun times. You will have some intense times. You will have some difficult times. Ups and downs, all in the spirit of Life.
Remember: “All change is hard at first, messy in the middle, and so beautiful at the end” Robin Sharma
Marcella
