By now, you probably know that the life of an MBA student revolves around readings, lectures, papers, and lots of them. So do MBA students even have a social life? Of course! The MBA experience isn’t the same without the people that are a part of it. This isn’t to minimize the importance of the academics but rather to emphasize a secondary, if not equally important, aspect that is often overlooked. I can’t speak for every cohort because the group of people will always be different, but in our class there is definitely no lack of social and fun-seeking people .
To highlight a few events put on by the Graduate Business Students Association:
-Halloween Party: attendees were decked out in very creative costumes; entertainment and dancing ensued!
-Holiday Party at the Yacht Club in Point Grey: the dress was much more formal than the Halloween party, everyone looked impeccable and enjoyed dining in style with Beedie staff and faculty members. We laughed, ate, and took many pictures with a panoramic view of the water and yachts.
-Cocktail Party: at the Donnelly Group head office where we were served hot hors d’oeuvres all night long as we mingled.
However, the biggest party took place in Brazil on the MBA Study Tour. This is where we realized that the Brazilian drink of choice is caprihanas.! The trip was full of intensive learning and rich cross-cultural experiences but we made time to let loose a little as well. We all ended up at a neighborhood in Rio called Lapa, and took over the entire dance floor. Yes—that is correct—Beedie MBA’s took over the dance floor! And best of all, it was only a Thursday. In other words, a warm up for Friday and Saturday that followed, which you can only imagine were just as fun.
In addition to more formalized events, we regularly visit Malone’s due to proximity and convenience as a place to unwind, or gather for meetings. Sometimes spontaneous events are the best kind!
A few more social activities that we’ve experienced include: attending shows, concerts, beach days, fundraising relays, traveling to Whitehorse, Yukon (a group of girls in the program went over the Christmas break for some dogsledding), and going to Whistler for a couple days.
There always seems like there are events and things happening. And if you are like me, plagued with a combination of severe FOMO (fear of missing out) and a shameless voice reminding me YOLO (you only live once), it is important to learn to balance academics with your social life. Moreover, to make time for family and those friends you’ll most likely neglect because of the intense MBA schedule. However, I guarantee there will be an extensive social life at Beedie.
Diana is a full-time SFU Beedie MBA Student with a BA. Her background is in hospitality. During her free time she enjoys traveling and drinking wine. She is currently the VP Finance for the Graduate Business Student Association. She is also a Student Ambassador at Beedie. If you have any questions or comments, feel free to connect with Diana at dliang@sfu.ca or on LinkedIn.