Excel Invaders!

Just in case you need another reason to get your MBA, this is an example of what I've learned to do at work:



Disclaimer: I was just kidding. This is not an accurate picture of what I do at work...

...but did it brighten your day at all? Hope so. Happy Monday!

Turkey Hangover

Just got home from St. Louis...Thanksgiving break was great (it's possibly my favorite holiday - I love family gatherings, and this one is usually the biggest for us), but the Sunday after break is probably my least favorite Sunday all semester. I tend to get "holiday vision" (kinda like tunnel vision, but lined with twinkle lights and snowmen), and coming back to school for a measly two weeks after such a short time at home is icky. My brain does its best to ignore those two weeks and pretends that once I hit Thanksgiving break, I'm done for the semester...I'm not. I got back to Fayetteville and opened my to do file, and this is what I saw:

Yeah...*sigh*

I look at this...and I KNOW I should start working...but I'm overwhelmingly unmotivated. There's Christmas music on the radio, and hot cocoa in the cabinet, and twinkle lights EVERYWHERE, and a Christmas tree in my car just begging me to bring it in and set it up (I'm very VERY motivated to do that...)

So, new plan: I do an assignment, and I get to put up a piece of decor. This will totally work...right?

In other news, the Razorbacks won and are now #7 in the BCS (FINALLY, some recognition!). Also, I got a new camera this weekend! A Cannon SX130. It's beautiful and has 12x optical zoom (and I got it for $150 off!). Expect many photo-ful uploads in the future. Til then. 

UPDATE (10:30 PM): ...the tree is up, I have hot cocoa, and none of those aforementioned assignments has been done...oh well

Hurry up, Thanksgiving!

Life is a little crazy right now - I feel like I'm running out of time to get everything done! Over the next week, we have a paper due, a presentation, another India class, and our first final. Not to mention we need to finish collecting data, start writing our research paper, finish another presentation, another project, another paper, and study for finals (all before December 2nd...eeeek!).

On top of that, I'm throwing a huge dinner party on Thursday (the busiest day I have this week...naturally), and so the house needs to be cleaned, food must be cooked, decor put up, etc. It's a lot and there simply aren't enough hours in each day to do what I need to do (and sleep...which I require...well, the people I interact with require it of me...)

At least work has slowed down. The past few weeks have been INSANE - trying to get this huge report ready for Walmart. We finally turned it in, though, so we can breathe a little (which I need right now).

So, yeah, you might not hear from me for a few days...

But, if you find yourself at a loss for things to do this week, you could always take my survey (in the post below) OR you could go enjoy this open house - I've mentioned Riffraff several times before. Kirsten, the owner, is a U of A grad, and she's brilliant. Her store is precious and if you're looking to find some unique gifts for the holidays, this is the place to go. Yay for supporting local businesses!

Take this survey and I'll give you cookies!

Okay...not really...I can't legally do that considering I have to keep all responses anonymous...but, you'll get a warm, fuzzy feeling 'cause you were helpful...kinda the same as cookies, right?

We're conducting primary research for our Marketing Research class, and we need to know what college students think about "immediate consumption beverage" purchases (i.e. the drinks you buy at a gas station/Walgreens/Club Red/vending machines...you know, the ones you're gonna drink right away? Those). We'd really appreciate your help - we need as many responses as possible.

So, since you're here anyway (and this only takes like ten minutes, tops), would you take it? Please?...pretty please?...pretty please with a cherry on top? Click below.

LINK TO THE SUPER AWESOME SURVEY YOU KNOW YOU WANNA TAKE

If you're still reading, but didn't click above...wrong choice...go back and try again. Thanks y'all!

I earned my white belt today!

In the Lean Six Sigma world, though...so don't worry. We spent all day in a professional development class learning the basics of lean six sigma, and what all is involved in the process. After a brief intro, we were asked to participate in a simulation.

We were all employees at Beltmart, and we each had a job, be it time keeper, customer, supervisor, truck driver, line worker, etc. Our goal was to get orders in from the customer, process them, and deliver them back to the customer, all in two minutes. The first time through, it took an average of 4:40 to deliver a completed project...and not a single one was accurate...obviously a problem.

The next several hours (i.e. the rest of the day) were spent going through the DMAIC (de-may-ic) method in order to solve the problem the six-sigma way. Just in case you are wondering, DMAIC stands for:

• Define the problem
• Measure the baseline
• Analyze the situation
• Improve the system
• Control for changes

After we'd gone through each step, we were asked to implement a new system in order to improve our process. In addition, we were split into two teams. Now, for those of you that don't know, we (well, I) are/am a bit competitive, so the "teams" made it that much more imperative that we do better (we had to win!). Well, it appears we learned SOMETHING because our team's new average time waaaaaas...18.1 seconds! (and ZERO defects in the whole bunch). Impressive, huh? Note, the other team's average time: 21.3 seconds. I believe that calls for a:

MWAHAHA!

(nope, not competitive at all)

So, what does all of this mean? Well, it means that I can put "Lean Six Sigma White Belt" on my resume and that I can now move on to training for the Yellow Belt (if I wanna keep going). But, more importantly, it further differentiates me in the applicant pool and shows that I've taken the initiative to improve my decision making abilities (yay!).

It was possibly the best PD class we've done yet (I really enjoyed it). There were pictures taken...but I don't have them. I'll add them when I find (and subsequently borrow) from those that had cameras.

In other news, it's Friday and tomorrow is the last "home" football game - against UTEP (I use the word "game" lightly). So, since I don't have to be up super early, guess what I'm doing? Blogging and watching Harry Potter while sipping a cup of hot cocoa (with french vanilla, snowman shaped marshmallows). Go ahead, be jealous. It's okay.

So, yeah, that accounting test I was so worried about?

Easiest exam EVER! I'm not kidding. I finished in like 30 minutes (which is unheard of for me...probably 'cause I usually check and re-check my answers somewhere around three times, but whatever). I was actually a little worried I'd missed something, like an essay question or instructions that said "please answer in pig-latin"...it couldn't have been THAT easy, right? Wrong. Everyone else seemed to think the same thing.

So, good news guys! Our exams are occasionally simple and to the point. "Did you pay attention in class, do your homework, and study (even a little)? You did? Well, yay you! You'll do great!"

I spent the rest of my day running around Fayetteville, delivering invitations to a party I'm throwing next week (on November 18th...if you can figure out the theme based on the date alone, we should be friends).

I love planning parties...probably more than most things...and this one has been in the works for about a year, so it should be awesome. There will be an entire update dedicated to it, no worries.

To those of you currently judging me (you know who you are): "Psh." I'm passionate about something...and employers like passion, right? This is a good thing!

After my invite delivery adventures, I spent a few hours at Rick's Bakery (one of the best places in Fayetteville to do homework), updating a survey and finalizing it for distribution. Once it's ready, I'm going to post a link on my blog. If you're a kind hearted individual and want to help out a few MBA students, we'd love to have you take it...please? Check back for the link. 'Til then, readers!

GWIB Meet and Greet

I know it's been a little while, but a) life's been a bit routine (i.e. uneventful & boring) and b) I went to St. Louis last weekend to hang out with Mom & Dad and didn't do ANYTHING productive. It was wonderful! We went to the salon, and shopped, and had lunch at this cute little diner, and drove aimlessly around small towns...yeah, I don't feel bad at all for taking a weekend off.

Now, however, I'm back to reality. We have an accounting test tomorrow that I'm NOT ready for (and that I'm supposed to be studying for right now...) and a presentation due, and another paper next week, and a survey that has to go out, and then more tests/papers/projects/presentations in an endless loop until December 11th...sigh. We do get a couple of days off for Thanksgiving, so that'll be nice.

We do have a fun event coming up this week, though. I'm part of a brand new RSO on campus called Graduate Women in Business and we're hosting a meet and greet this Thursday at PF Chang's (in Rogers). It's a time for the girls to get together and talk about life and what not (with other girls that are going through the same types of things). If you're interested in the program (even a little) and would like to come hang out with us and hear a little more about it (in a fun, half-priced-super-tasty-appetizer-filled atmosphere), you should join us. The invite is attached below. Everyone is welcome (yes, you too, alumni, faculty, and staff!) and we'd love to have you stop by! I mean, think about it, girl time AND lettuce wraps...can you really say no? Didn't think so.

Remember how I'm going to India over Christmas?

Well, I am. And I've started a blog specifically dedicated to that journey. Click HERE to read about our itinerary and be jealous.