My alarm goes off at 8:00 a.m. I can tell it is a beautiful day in Berkeley since my room is already filled with sunlight and I can hear the kids playing on the swings at the nursery school across the street. I’m a little slow moving today after helping the Haas soccer team to yet another victory last night, so I take my time making my way to school.

As a “newbie” to the Bay Area, the walk is one of my favorite times of the day. You can feel the energy in the Berkeley air – students are hurrying to class, artists are setting up their craft displays, and athletes are getting in their morning workout. My first four months have been a fantastic blend of academics, culture, and outdoor adventures.

Prior to business school, I was a biochemist turned pharmaceutical consultant from Canada. Since I lacked the business knowledge necessary to get to the next level in my career, I decided to obtain my MBA. When choosing a school, Haas was an easy choice for me – it is a well renowned program in the heart of one of the biggest biotech communities in the world. And it offered perks such gorgeous weather, spectacular scenery, and the excitement of San Francisco.

When I arrive at school, I chat with fellow students before finance class begins. Most of the discussion is around the upcoming Cal vs. Stanford “Big Game” this weekend. As a season ticket holder, I am not about to miss what I have told is the best football game of the year.

In class, our professor leads us through a discussion on options and derivatives with his fantastic British accent and his laid-back approach. He easily engages the students by involving us in a discussion about the case we have prepared for class, and then calls one “lucky” student to the front to present their individual analysis. I sigh in relief when I realize that I am not the “lucky” one today.

When class ends, I join a group of students from the BioBusiness Club, who are strategizing for the upcoming BioEntrepreneurship event. We have managed to attract over 190 attendees, including 30 venture capitalists, 50 entrepreneurs, and an incredible variety of students from other UC Berkeley graduate programs. Haas events always attract incredible community support.

After the club meeting, I join my study group to complete a finance assignment. My group is an amazing collection of individuals – an investment banker from New York, an engineer from India, and an entrepreneur from Chile. While we are diverse in background, experience, and personality, we all have similar qualities – we enjoy collaborating, learning, and socializing. These qualities hold true for all Haas students. The assignment asks us to invest someone’s retirement savings. As the online simulation provides us with outstanding returns, our cheers and high-fives can be heard throughout the Bank of America forum.

With my finance assignment complete, I join in the Berkeley Entrepreneurs Forum. This month’s topic: Trends in Venture Capital. The event attracts an incredible array of alumni, community leaders, and students. It is an engaging discussion and has a group of us sharing our views as we walk to the Bar of the Week (BOW). I can’t help but think how lucky I am to attend such a fantastic program with so many remarkable individuals.

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Do not be fooled. Just because classes start at 10:30 a.m., it is not a good idea to wake up at 9:45, with just enough time to shower and make it to class. If I didn’t get a good amount of work done in the morning, I don’t know when I’d ever fit it in. My day usually starts around 8:00 a.m., when I jump on the internet, check emails, and set myself for the day. After a career working 4:30 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. as an equity research associate, the extra sleep is much appreciated!

I have lived in San Francisco for the past five years, so it took a little while to get used to the 45-minute commute, when I was accustomed to 10. I ride my bike from North Beach to BART, take my bike onboard, and then use it to ride to class. I read on BART to make the most of my time commuting.

Once classes start, it is pretty difficult to steal any downtime. At lunch, between classes, and after class are the best times to squeeze in group meetings, workshops, and socializing, all of which are extremely necessary. I try to get in more studying before I leave Haas for the day since I don’t particularly like to bring work home in the evening. Try as I might, I almost always have some form of organizing or catching up to do once I arrive home, which usually isn’t until about 8:00 or 9:00 p.m. You’d be surprised how fast the day goes when you’re quickly moving from one thing to the next.

I don’t want to give the impression that life at Haas is all work, no play. For instance, I always block out Tuesday evenings to play roller hockey in a league in Alameda. I make sure to get out of Berkeley by 5:00 p.m. on those days, so I can eat and make my game.

I want to change careers and get into technology product management, and so far, I’ve had exposure to plenty of people and information that will help me reach my goals. I want to stay in the Bay Area, so Haas suited my goal to not uproot my entire life, and Berkeley’s proximity to many of the tech companies I am interested in made the decision to come to Haas a no-brainer.

There are some adjustments I hope to make to my schedule this upcoming semester. Now that I have more control over my schedule, I am going to make a concerted effort to work out in the morning. I neglected my fitness during the first semester once I got caught up in everything, and it will do me good to build working out into my routine. As you have probably heard before, business school is what you make of it. It is a unique opportunity to dabble into different subjects and experiment with varying interests. Haas has been an excellent foundation from which I will propel myself into the next phase of my career.

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I roll out of bed after teasing myself with the snooze button a few times. It’s Thursday. I only have one class today and can taste the coming weekend. I’ll finally spend some time with my wife, who is now used to seeing very little of me. A smile crosses my face and I relax.

Not so fast.

I’ve got to hustle to school for a 9:00 a.m. study group meeting to review the case for finance class. Since I have a background in industrial engineering and consulting, this subject is new to me. I spent a few hours last night pulling a case solution together, but I need to verify my numbers. The professor usually picks a student to present, and I want to make sure I’m prepared.

I optimistically pick up my Wall Street Journal as I leave my Rockridge apartment. After I grab a cup of coffee and a croissant at my favorite local bakery, I glance over the front page while I wait for the 51 bus to campus. I see a few Haas-mates on the bus, and soon we’re discussing yesterday’s marketing lecture, always an interesting topic. Like most days, the paper will have to wait.

On my way to class after my meeting, I see some friends from the Haas Soccer Club in the courtyard. We recall the fun we had at the UCLA tournament last weekend and discuss tomorrow’s practice. I will not be there. Instead, I’ll be playing in a different “football” match – a friendly flag football contest against the ’06 class.

I’m not called to present in class. Phew! I pack up, remembering to grab my nametag, and walk over with some friends to the neighboring Law School café for lunch. We are regulars, as there is plenty of outside seating - a must in California! I soak up the sun as we strategize for our impending internship search. A native of Chicago, I plan to fully enjoy the climate while I’m here.

It’s 1:20 p.m., and I’ve got to run back to Haas for a 1:30 meeting with a local real estate developer who is starting a new mentor program with the Berkeley Real Estate Club (BREC). I’m a career switcher, and this is a huge opportunity for me to start building the all-important network. I’m told I’ll be meeting with professionals in the Bay Area doing exactly the type of urban development work that interests me. I’m thrilled!

I next hit the library for a few hours and try to get a start on Monday’s accounting assignment. I start my way back to my apartment at about 5:30, and as usual, the bus in nowhere in sight. With little patience, I make it on foot. I’ve got to get back, grab a bite, change, and make it to a BREC happy hour at Raleigh’s by 6:30.

The happy hour is a perfect pre-BOW (Bar of the Week) event. Several of us head over to BOW at about 8:30. This week, the gathering is at Shattuck Down Low. The “Down Low” is a favorite BOW spot. The BOW offers us all a chance to blow off some steam after another busy week.

Before I know it, it’s getting late. I sneak out and am home shortly after to share my hectic day with my wife. In bed, I reach over and set my alarm for a bit later.

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