Journey Map of a Bentley Graduate Student

Maura Robinson

Responsible Parties:

Admissions

Admissions, Students

OL’s, Admissions, Students

Pre Program

Steps:

Description:

1

Students Receive Acceptance

Teachers Students

Teachers Students

Semester 1

2

Attend Accepted Students Day

Students

Teachers Students

Winter Break

Teachers Students

Semester 2

Students

Summer Break

3

4

5

6

7

8

Orientation Begins

Classes Begin

Classes End

Winter Break

Classes Term 2 Begin

Classes Term 2 End

9

Summer Break

“So happy to be back at school!”

“Extremely excited and proud to be accepted to Bentley”

“Can’t wait to meet my cohort” “Lots of work to do, settling into a routine”

“At home spending time with non-Bentley friends and family”

“Working and hanging out with old friends+ family + some Bentley friends”

Maura Robinson

Responsible Parties:

OL’s, Admissions, Students

Teachers Students

Teachers Students

Students

Semester Three

Steps:

Description:

10

Classes Begin

Teachers Students

Winter Break

11

Orientation for Year 2

GBE Leaders Students

12

Classes End

13

Winter Break

Teachers Students

Semester Four

14

Global Business Experience

15

Classes Begin Term 2

Teachers Students Program Ends

16

Classes End

17

Graduation

“Yay ! Year 2 Begins” “Classes are over! Let’s celebrate”

“10 days traveling with Bentley Friends! Wahoo!”

“Extremely busy, but settling into a new routine”

“It’s Crunch time. Classes+ job hunting= little free time” “ At home far from Bentley friends”

“Class of 2015 PRIDE”

Maura Robinson

UNMET NEEDS: • • • • •

Lack of mandatory events to facilitate relationship creation Lack of a cohort feeling- students taking a variety of different classes on different schedules Lack of communication during breaks Lack of avenues to create connections between mutual friends Lack of activities that appeal to the likes and behaviors of the student ie, Making dinner, and enjoying a cocktail

OTHERS NOTES: • • • • • • • •

Usually students will only interact and partake in a social activity if they are already on campus Comradery is largely associated with maintaining a relationship of trust, support, and acceptance Comradery is considered important in the perception of some students because it makes them feel supported, valued and accepted Comradery was defined as “A deeper form of friendship” by Kelly The primary ways Kelly found her group of friends was at orientation, the people she initially connected the most with, and through her classes, as she developed relationships with those she was most often Personality and respect for others can either create, or destroy comradery Out of the classroom activities such as GA help to create relationships between students Convenience or necessity, Frequency seen, and Compatibility are all major factors in developing comradery

Maura Robinson Interview with Kelly Foley

1. Tell me about your social experience at Bentley: My social exp at Bentley started with orientation, when i met my first friend Maura sitting at the round table. Within that week I developed friendships and I didn’t know where they would go it depended on classes and how much I would really see of those people. Fortunately there were two minions (buttheads) that i met on the first day that I had nearly all of my classes with! So my social experience at Bentley kind of revolves around those two :) And there are other people that I shared all of the same classes with but I didn’t develop as strong of a connection with them.

2.What do you value in the MBA program beyond academics?

I value the relationships built outside of the classroom with students as well as in my GA because I work with students in the second year of the MBA or in the masters program so I can learn different things from them and get a perspective outside of our small cluster of people. I guess i do value the relationships with a couple to professors that have taken time to get to know me outside of the classroom, even if I’m not in their class because I know i can go to them with any professional question I have 3.How have you met people in the MBA program?

Primarily through orientation but also from having multiple class with them. because I feel like if you only have one class with someone and it’s not a group class you don’t really take time to get to know them. because its just like adding friendships that you are not necessarily seeking out, but also not hiding from either

4.What do you find as the easiest way to meet people?

Probably through friends you already have because you have an immediate common connection and then socially outside of school when all mutual friends are together it fosters a more comfortable environment to form bonds and find things in common besides your friend.

Describe a time you have experienced this: On Thursdays when we used to go to Margaritas quite frequently. We sat outside in the warmer weather that’s where we became friends with our good friends within the program. I this example is where I found the next outer circle of my inner friends, not who I talk to every day, but who I feel comfortable asking how was your weekend, etc etc.

5. What do you do with your friends for fun and entertainment?

Maura Robinson My school friends or my non-school friends? Lets start with school friends: Often times for fun after class we will go out to lunch together and maybe have an adult beverage, but not always. However, it’s an excellent opportunity to just talk about school informally and sort of rant about our feelings and thoughts for the week. Usually we will only go out socially if it is after class, or we are on campus for some other reason.

Non School friends: My non school friends and I all do different types of jobs but we are all concentrated in the city so it’s easier to plan things without inconvenience but primarily what we will do is either cook a big dinner at someone’s apartment and drink wine or beer together just to talk and catch up about life and daily happenings followed by a bar we usually go to depending on if we want to be chill, or if we want to dance, but this can change if it is a special event or someone’s birthday. We also go out to dinner before such shenanigans How did you meet these non-school friends- These are primarily college friends that were in my sorority and friends of friends (guys too) that we hung out allot with in school. There is a big population of Dartmouth people in Boston so we all hang out a lot

6.Describe a time when you have felt a sense of comradery?

Obviously in college playing on a team forces comradery, in a good way but also in my sorority at school because it was a social space where you could feel comfortable going any night you wanted and you can bring whoever you want too and everyone was welcome. We also had meetings every Wednesday night which were fun, and goofy which allowed for a release of tension during a very stressful curriculum and school schedule

7.Do you think comradery is important?

Yes I do think comradery is important. Why? Because it’s a natural human connection that allows you to get to know people in many different ways and situations. Because if you are just friends on a surface level, I wouldn’t refer to that person as your comrade because they probably don’t know very much about you or your emotions and personality reactions.

8.How would you define comradery?

I would define it as a deeper level of friendship because when I think of comrade, i think of someone that is on my team will support me and have my back or be there for me in however I need that without necessarily asking for it.

9. Is comradery something that happens naturally or can it be encouraged?

I think a combination of the two. I think there are some situations where personality gets in the way and comradery really isn’t attainable.

However, I think if there are many opportunities where you can really get to know people that comradery will happen naturally between people as they get to know each other on their own accord because not every relationship will be a comradery if they can’t find that motivation or interest in each other to care enough to get to know each other, which all a personality thing I think.

Maura Robinson 10.In a perfect world how would you increase comradery at Bentley?

In a perfect world during an MBA it won’t take up too much of your time outside of your classroom schedule. But for example in this class I feel like I’ve gotten to know people within my group there are one or two that i am interested in learning more about, but then there are others that i am apathetic about, and i think that is the natural yearning for comradery or interest in comradery.

11. What would you consider a few key aspects of comradery?

-Trust, transparency, genuine interest in each other's wellbeing, curiosity (caring in emotions) intrigue (big part of comradery) and if I’m not intrigued, and logistically just seeing each other, especially in a school sense, develop interest in seeing over breaks, time together is an important aspect because you also figure out if you get sick of people too because i think that comradery just doesn’t get built over night its more of someone who you are potentially going to be lifelong friends with, a comrade is someone you are interested in

12. Does anything prevent you personally from achieving comradery?

Yes- I think because I already have an established different groups of friends, I am not necessarily looking to always to making best friends and I don’t ever force that so I think that for me when I really get to know people, I usually go with my gut, and decide if it’s someone that I would want to go down the road towards comradery with and that’s usually based on how interested or intrigued I am with their personality and who they are as a person. Usually the better the person, the more intrigued I am about them! And want to be friends with them, but that can also go by someone who is unique or smart, or extraordinarily funny or any that attracts me to them personality wise. And if I get to know them and that’s not the case, I kind of lose interest in comradery which isn’t a good trait for me to have , but I am a very straight forward and not very subtle person so people I am close with know me very well and I know them very well otherwise we wouldn’t have gotten to that point because I would have lost interest beforehand, and it’s usually mutual- there is a natural connection that is either there or it’s not and you can’t force it.