Sleepless in Seattle

I got my sleep! All that late night partying and trivial pursuit plus a 6am flight to Seattle from New York was definitely tiring- so I took the whole of Sunday just to sleep.

I am just impressed with what Microsoft have provided so far... Firstly, I must thank them for relocating me from New York which allowed to me to take a break to visit some new and old friends as well as my sister.
But then to arrive to some amazing accommodation right in the centre of Seattle is just plain spoiling me! Yes, the Harbor steps Apartment complex, scores top marks in my books. Amazing view of the harbor, great location, all the amenities one could ask for- a nice touch. It may sound trivial, but I know lots of my classmates who were struggling to sort out accommodation for their internships, particularly those in New York. I arrive in Seattle and everything is taken care of- just had to simply unpack my stuff (after sleeping of course!) and I'm ready to take in the sights and prepare for my role at Redmond. Only downside is the 40 minute or so trek to Redmond I'll have to put in every morning- although I plan to carpool with my room-mate and use the public transport when schedules don't align- sounds familiar to my UK days...

Haven't hooked up with the hordes of other MBAs who are on the complex, including those working at Amazon, but it should be fun to be in another community of like minded people during the next 10 weeks. Also looking to hike on Mt. Rainier and Mt. Hood over the summer with a bunch of the interns.

So at this point in time, the value of the MBA has come into focus a little more, I had a furious argument with a friend in the UK on MSN messenger about the value of the MBA- she dared call me a "manufactured leader"- what? Of course she had no idea what she was talking about, and after a a series of fast and furious arguments attacking her, she backed off... But I have to say, it has got me thinking, can I really add value to a mega-corporation of over 70,000 people in 10 weeks? I pondered this with my room-mate who is also interning at Microsoft. Working at a Start-up one can clearly make an impact on a variety of levels, but what about an established company who in effect know everything they need to know about their own business?
Then I remember speaking to one of my new friends who used to work as a gallery director for a niche area of the art industry and being able to apply the MBA thinking and getting a clear sense of how attractive an industry it was. Question is can anyone else also see that? Is having MBA really worth it when one could come to the same conclusion without one?
I learnt a lot- but most of it I could have got reading management texts. Then again, some skills just need to be practiced- one can't simply read up and learn regression to really understand its value. Then there are all the Organizational Behavior classes such as the infamous "touchy feely", "paths to power" and "organizational change", the quality of these classes are highly dependent on the quality of students and their experiences. Some of these are invaluable classes with lessons and concepts that I can certainly apply in my next 10 weeks here at Microsoft.