Blog Post by: Jessica Olszyk
When picking a business school, many people are focused on where it will make them happiest and where they can achieve their goals. Of course, these are exceptionally important metrics to consider, but often, there is one important factor that is left out: stress and hardship.
B-school is filled with amazing highs no matter where you go, with Booth being no exception. From Random Walk trips before school starts to our unique spring break trip to Colombia (over 90%+ of the first year class attends), it’s easy to have fun in business school. From a brand new community supporting you, new friends, and new goals to hit, the fun aspect of Booth (and any business school) can’t be overstated. But, these amazing opportunities all have their yang: there will be heartbreak, strife, and stress in business school. You will inevitably (statistically likely) not get all that you want: the exact company, the co-chair position, the fellowship, etc. Times of great change and opportunity cannot exist without loss in the same magnitude. The weight of everyone else around you also being stressed about their futures, the “bubble” you live in where everyone is talking of this stress can sometimes feel inescapable (even with the most well-intentioned, supportive classmates). Business school is a wonderful time but is no doubt difficult at certain points.
Thus, the case for picking your school based (in part) on where you can be sad, upset, and downright miserable is a critically overlooked component. The second half of this statement, of course, is “ where can I refill my cup when I am low?”. What kind of environment do you get your energy from? If you’re a Booth student, you’re most likely someone who values the freedom to decompress in a lot of different modalities. There’s city lovers who love to disappear into Chicago’s 77 diverse neighborhoods. There’s nature-grounded folks who love the 26 miles of lakefront access (with a 15 minute walk directly to the shoreline from MPP/the Loop buildings). We’re also a 45 minute drive from Starved Rock State Park. Some Boothies travel internationally to recharge together and love the ease of access of two international airports accessible by the Chicago “L” (subway system) from the Loop (Chicago central business district). Sometimes this is the same Boothie at different points of the year, month, or even week. We truly are a deeply diverse class with room for everyone. Business school is a great way to push you out of your comfort zone. If being immersed in a city centered around a university is important to you, Hyde Park can offer that and more, though you may miss out on some of what Chicago has to offer.
Booth also takes a holistic approach to wellness as an institution, with our Wellness Fellows program. These fellows focus on 8 dimensions of wellness across physical, emotional, social, spiritual, professional, financial, intellectual, and environmental impacts. They plan and provide programming throughout the year to meet these dimensions and how Booth students can care for themselves during and after Booth.
Taking the time to reflect on the kind of supportive environment where you can recharge, when your cup is low, is a critical step in choosing a business school that will help you grow when you need it the most.
