We're Not in College Anymore, Toto!

You'll walk into any IMC class and see the following scene:

Students of all ethnicities and backgrounds sitting behind laptop computers, ferociously typing away notes from class, responding to emails, and filling their online calendars with numerous "save the dates" that come their way -- everything from guest speakers, to company presentations, to group meetings to lunching with the Dean of Medill. At the front of the class, a professor is lecturing - teaching sampling methods, segmentation, discussing famous marketing cases, and other marketing concepts from the basic 4 P's to complex statistics formulas.

But as IMC students, we only sit in each of our classes for about 4 hours a week! What else do we spend all our time doing? Why don't we get more naps in? Are we spending all the rest of our waking hours partying and socializing?

Oh no. We're not in college anymore, Toto.

IMC is a full time job!

IMC students' calendars are filled to the rim. Our schedules are jam packed - the educational opportunities here are endless, and we have a world of knowledge at our fingertips. Through professors, classmates and guest speakers, we're constantly being introduced to new marketing concepts, or hearing a different perspectives on old concepts. We're learning how companies work from those who run them. We're learning about job functions from our classmates who have performed them. And we're learning about recent research projects from the professors that have done the research. It's exciting... and it's overwhelming!

Aside from classes, here are some other activities that might fill our schedules:

Speakers: Through the IMC Professional Speakers Series (a student-run group) we invite professionals from marketing-related fields to come speak to IMC students. These are lectures not to be missed - and lunch is usually served. Also, the Medill Career Center brings in potential employers to give company presentations. For students anxious about their residencies and future employment, these presentations are a MUST to attend!!

Group Projects: In each class we take, we have a number of group projects and presentations to work on. IMC students are a group of "type A" personalities -- group projects are fun, and challenging, as you're working with a number of different people, trying to come to a final solution! Group project meetings can last for hours -- my last group met for 5 hours, for 6 days in a row!!! Needless to say, these are fun and educational, but very time consuming.

Committees: Through the Medill Student Life office, IMC students can become involved in a number of committee groups, depending on their interests. These committees include the Branding Committee, Orientation committee, MASA (Medill Asian Students Association),Professional Speaker's Series, Medill Networking Committee, Toast Masters (speach-making), INNuvation(for entrepreneurs) and even a law-review type publication, called the Journal for Integrated Marketing Communications.

Homework: an old concept, reintroduced! Between readings, projects, statistics problems, studying and review of concepts taught in class, students might spend up to 6 hours (or more) doing homework each night!!

Sleep: Optional.

It's a grueling 15-month program, but the hard work pays off, as IMC graduates are placed in marketing positions for some of the world's top companies.

All for now!
Shari