Grad School Stories: Friendship at First Spreadsheet

Meghan and Brittany take us on a hilarious journey through their MBA experiences, from their questionable motivations for attending grad school to the friendships & bizarre encounters that made it all worthwhile.

Whether you're contemplating graduate school, in the midst of your educational journey, or simply enjoy stories of friendship forged in challenging circumstances, this episode offers both laughter & unexpected wisdom. 

What classroom experiences have shaped your life in unexpected ways? We'd love to hear your stories!

🎙️fearlesslyfemaleuncensored@gmail.com

Transcript

Welcome to Fearlessly Female

Meghan 0:01

Welcome to Fearlessly Female, where two blondes make a right. We are Megan and Brittany, the hosts of Fearlessly Female. This podcast was born out of ambition, drive and a lot of wine. We're two powerhouse comedic women having uncensored conversations about topics that affect women. We're airing all the dirty laundry, so grab your favorite drink and give us a listen.

Brittany 0:23

Today's podcast is all about the hilarious and painfully relatable grad school stories. For you, ooh, grad school.

Meghan 0:30

The best, worst decision we've ever made, exactly.

Brittany 0:34

And for those of you that don't know, Meghan and I met in business grad school and we've been causing trouble ever since.

Meghan 0:40

It was friendship at first spreadsheet. It was friendship at first spreadsheet

Brittany 0:43

Precisely.

Why We Went to Grad School

Brittany 0:45

Before we get into our wonderful grad school stories, we're going to have our warning Calm your tits. Offense will not be taken here. So grab your favorite drink burn your bra and let's have a good time. All right, so let's start from the beginning. Meghan, why did you decide to torture yourself? I mean, why did you decide to go to grad school?

Meghan 1:07

All right people. So I never imagined I would go to graduate school. Graduate school, me of all people. I did all right in school, but I was never what I would call an academic.

Brittany 1:18

Well then, why did you decide to go?

Meghan 1:20

Oh my gosh, I love this story. So there are a few reasons. Of course, remove the glass ceiling and all of that but one part of that reason was because there was a manager I worked for at the time and she had an MBA, and I thought she was as dumb as a box of rocks.

Brittany 1:40

So a competitive thing?

Meghan 1:43

You bet, If she could get one hell I could. I have to tell you about a particular management, that particular manager's retirement party. So everyone was doing speeches about her, blah, blah, blah. And you know me, a bit of a smartass.

Brittany 1:57

Better than a dumbass.

Meghan 1:59

Exactly. So I got a wild hair up my butt, looked at my coworker and gave her that visual. Look like hold my beer. So I grab the microphone. I grab the microphone as she sinks into the corner, out of sight. That room has I don't know like a hundred people in it. Anyways, I go Carlita, and I changed her name for nice purposes. I don't know if you know this, but part of the reason I went to grad school was because of you, so I just want to thank you for that.

Brittany 2:31

You did not!

Meghan 2:31

You bet your ass I did.

Meghan 2:32

My coworker, who knew the real story was dying and couldn't believe I did it. Sometimes the extrovert in me comes out. Okay, britt, why did you decide to go to grad school?

Brittany 2:41

My gosh, I love that story.

Brittany 2:48

All right, the real reason I ended up at the fancy MBA with finance focus is probably more less about intellect and more about my epic battle with basic numbers. So it started with the dream of wanting to be an anesthesiologist or a lawyer or something like that.

Meghan 3:02

It's so weird hearing you say those professions when I know how much of a business savvy and entrepreneur you are. Way different than anesthesiologist or a lawyer.

Brittany 3:15

So in undergrad I wasn't too sure, so I tried out a bunch of different classes and one of them being calculus. Now I'm pretty sure my brain just kind of has a natural repellent for anything beyond basic addition and subtraction. So let's just say my performance in calculus was less about solving equations and more about deciphering ancient hieroglyphics. I think I actually failed calculus, or I don't know. Now that I think about it it was probably pre-calculus, which arguably is even more embarrassing. But it's just. It's like feeling the warm up, you know no-transcript.

Brittany 3:52

So, as my dreams went up in smoke, I flipped through our college catalog searching for the holy grail of majors, with one crucial detail no math requirements. So my search narrowed down to two glorious options history or psychology. Now, while I appreciate a good history documentary and I'm definitely a pro at overanalyzing my friends Neither of them seemed like a direct path to, you know, paying rent. So that is how I stumbled into the glorious world of MBA. My logic was simple and probably bordering a little absurd it was the fastest route to make the most amount of money with the least amount of you guessed it actual math. I figured hey, it's business, right, it's all about strategy, leadership and spreadsheets.

GMAT Nightmares and Test Trauma

Meghan 4:40

I do love a good spreadsheet. Let's talk about that stupid test. If you listen to our Giving Gives Back episode. You heard me talk about the forever scars I have from math with my dad growing up, so you know a GMAT test is gonna run me through the ringer the GMAT, I still have nights worth thinking about algebra.

Meghan 5:04

To be fair, I did go into the first test. Spoiler alert, I had to take it twice, just thinking I could take it and pass. I mean, I had a college degree Should be good enough, right? Exactly so I failed the first test, just really bummed about it, and I remember at the time my boyfriend broke up with me. So, as I do in these situations, I get a fire under my ass and I was like I will show you.

Brittany 5:26

Yes, that's the Megan, I know.

Meghan 5:28

So I started really studying for the next test. I remember at one point I was studying with my brother, who is graduating his undergrad at the time, and we were walking through a problem and he's like well, you did the problem wrong, but you came up with the right answer. Good enough for me, was my response.

Brittany 5:45

I mean, how do you get there? Doesn't really matter, as long as you get there right.

Meghan 5:49

Exactly. But I went back and I took the test and increased it by 100 points. I barely scooped by getting in, but I got in. Any horror stories for you in that test?

Brittany 6:01

Oh my gosh. The only thing I calculated correctly was how many glasses of wine I needed after it was all over. All I remember was if I see one more question about trains moving in opposite directions. I'm just going to jump in front of one.

Meghan 6:14

Oh my gosh, ain't that the truth? I hate that scenario. Who gives a shit? Just get on the train.

Brittany 6:22

To be fair, I think I had to take the test twice too. I'm not really good at standardized tests. I've just come to accept the fact that I'm not standard. Luckily, I got an interview, which honestly thank God, because I'm way more charming in person than my stupid GMAT test score.

Meghan 6:42

I agree, you're not standard at all, definitely above average. Cannot be contained by a silly Scantron.

Hardest Moments in the Program

Brittany 6:46

All right, so we talked about why we decided to go and the hard part about getting in. What about while we were actually there? What was the hardest moment for you? What about while we were actually there? What was the hardest moment for you?

Meghan 6:57

So there were like 18 classes you needed to graduate and like 75% of them had every combination of financial accounting, managerial accounting managerial finance it goes on and on.

Brittany 7:10

Accounting accounting.

Meghan 7:13

Accounting accounting. Yeah, accounting accounting. Anyways it goes. I was leaving my first class and I remember leaving in tears all the way to my car, thinking there was no way I was going to get through this program A little bit of an ego check for me in my intro story with Carlita.

Brittany 7:31

Hey, if Carlita did it spoiler alert, you killed it.

Meghan 7:35

That's right. That first teacher was amazing. He really taught me so I understood, versus retaining knowledge to pass a test. I credit that class with being successful board member and elected treasurer of a nonprofit. Again highlighted this in the giving gives back episode. But tell me about your hardest moment.

Brittany 7:55

Boy, I would say probably like advanced statistics. I mean, there was just so many tiny little numbers and weird, weird designs.

Meghan 8:07

Pick a different topic! I blocked that out and I'm getting flashbacks. Change the subject immediately.

Friendship Origin and Professor Firings

Brittany 8:13

Okay, on that note, let's talk about the fun ones.

Meghan 8:17

I mean, there was a lot of fun in grad school. That's, of course, how I met you. So life-changing in the best of ways, I think our origin story is worth a reshare?

Brittany 8:26

What do you think?

Meghan 8:27

do you think, lead the?

Brittany 8:29

So Megan slid me a note across my desk and said do you want to be friends? Check, yes or no? Little George Strait here. But of course there was no, no box and man I'm sure glad there wasn't.

Meghan 8:43

See people I like, I hold them hostage. I mean I make a friend for life, but let me tell you if I don't like you, oh my gosh.

Brittany 8:51

Is this where you're going to tell them about the story about firing a professor?

Meghan 8:56

Which professor? There were two.

Brittany 8:58

Oh my gosh two. Well tell both.

Meghan 9:03

Okay. So the first one was my speech teacher. We had to give a presentation no notes, just straight memorization and while I was giving it, the professor was making a hand gesture that I needed to speak up and it distracted me. So I lost my train of thought and just stood there not speaking for what felt like minutes to me, but was probably 10 seconds or something.

Brittany 9:24

Wait, she said you weren't loud enough? No one has ever accused you of that.

Meghan 9:28

Exactly so. After class I was trying to talk to her to get feedback of how to overcome distractions, not accusing her of anything, but really trying to get tips for me. Instead she said if I didn't tell you to speak up, I wouldn't have heard you and I would have failed you in front of all my classmates. So I was absolutely not loving that.

Brittany 9:51

Holy crap, was her hearing aid like turned down. I mean, what did you do?

Meghan 9:56

Well, I went and talked to the administration and in that conversation found out she was forging feedback forms from the students to turn into them. So she was a goner.

Brittany 10:07

Oh my gosh, all right, wow, okay, one down, one to go. What happened with the second one?

Meghan 10:15

Like a badge of honor at this point. So the second one showed up to the final 30 minutes late, 30 minutes.

Brittany 10:22

Are you serious?

Meghan 10:24

Yep, 30 minutes. So let me set the stage a little. The classroom is in a big U-shape so everyone can see the front of the class and as soon as the professor walks in I say for everyone to hear you know you're 30 minutes late. Right, professor was mumbling about some copier.

Brittany 10:41

Of course, the most hated machine, a printer always screwing it up.

Meghan 10:45

Back with. That's not an excuse and is not acceptable, just as it is in your syllabus for us. You are 30 minutes late to a test, which is a big deal for us, and it is not okay that you came in 30 minutes late and you will extend the time for us taking the test.

Brittany 11:00

That's right. Hold on to the standards, anyways.

Meghan 11:03

Talked to the administration about him and they said he was a a better researcher anyways, so they would take him off of teaching damn two for two.

Brittany 11:11

I'm sure saint mary's was probably glad she graduated yeah, they were like get her out of here.

Meghan 11:18

What about you? Do you have any underground achievements like me?

Pool Sharks and Farewell

Brittany 11:23

um, well, this story is less about the actual school part of grad school, but it is pretty funny. So me and this other girl that was in my class would sometimes go down to the local dive bar to grab a drink and play pool. We were OK, you know, we mostly just played for fun. Nothing I would ever bet on. But this one night after finals, this place was super packed and these two guys came up to us and asked if they could play with us, and so one of them was trying to hit on my friend like hardcore. So we were like okay, girls against guys, whatever, fine, Meghan, we whooped the shit out of them like so bad and they just walked away like didn't even ask for her number.

Meghan 12:01

That is great. I love a good table shark story. Clearly he did not have the balls he needed for that situation.

Brittany 12:11

Well, he definitely left them on the table that night.

Meghan 12:15

Okay, as we wrap up, I have to tell this last story. All the prefixes for our classes were G-M-A-N. G-man. So for years after grad school Britt was in my phone as Britt G-Man. It wasn't until actually this year I changed her name, and it wasn't to her real last name either. So anytime I'm doing actual company documents I have to think about what her real last name is. What is it again?

Brittany 12:41

Pardon, but I don't know, that could just be the wine talking now.

Meghan 12:46

Cheers to that!

Brittany 12:48

Really, oh my gosh. Thanks for hanging out with us today. If you yourself have ambition, drive and booze in your system, we would love to have you have a guest on our show or hear your ideas. Message us at furiouslyfemale_ uncensored or email us at furiouslyfemaleuncensored@gmail. com.