It's All Relative
One thing I guarantee you: it snows in Ohio. Being from the Cleveland area, I don't think it snows much in Columbus. However, I forget how many people aren't used to snow . . . and how many of my classmates have never seen snow before (much less driven in it). This year, the weather turned colder earlier than usual and we've had snow accumulation for at least a week. Right now I'd guess we have only 2-3 inches on the ground... which really translates to nothing major... especially if you're from Minnesota (where they received a couple of feet within a single day last weekend). My roommate is from France: according to him it was a blizzard. What can I say? It's all relative.
Speaking of my roommate, he accompanied me home for Thanksgiving. From my perspective, it was really neat to be able to extend a warm welcome to a friend that has never celebrated such a holiday. Thanksgiving is an American custom that I've taken for granted all my life. When I think of "Americans", I don't consider us to have a culture per se. We all come from different backgrounds and heritages - which means many of us still practice the customs and traditions our ancestors did. It was nice to realize that, as Americans, we share a common bond and tradition that dates back a few hundred years. Nicer was the fact that my father decided to cook the turkey Martha Stewart-style (he covered it with cheesecloth) and it came out beautifully (my roommate took the picture to prove it). Along with preparing a fine meal, my dad set the table and decorated the dining room with harvest-time colors and patterns. I felt quite proud when my roommate first saw it and whispered "It reminds me of home". Being far away from loved ones for an extended amount of time has got to be difficult. I'm glad I was able to share my family with him... surrogate relatives.
Final grades just finished posting = fall quarter is officially in the books. One thing that can throw you for a bit of a loop in b-school is the way you are graded. Grades are distributed on a forced curve with the average at B+. Being the achievers we are, we aren't exactly used to being average . . . much less *below* average. Sadly, the fact of the matter is: someone has to be below average (technically, half of us). What you'll need to figure out, amongst many other things, is how much effort you need to spend on your academic work in order to achieve the standing you want... and then hope all of your cohort teammates share the same goal. Grades aren't everything but they do matter. Realistically, your final grades should come as no major surprise... most of the time. By the reactions I'm reading on Facebook, many of us got surprised by at least one of our grades (class varied by individual). Inherently, your calculated percentage could normally equate to an A- but you get a B+ in the class. Why? Because it depends how the rest of your classmates scored. So, as much as you want to celebrate each others' successes, you also want to stay near the top of the pack. Yes friends, it is all relative.