The Kid Returns to Seattle

When limited to the confines of Balmer Hall for an average of four consecutive hours, four days of the week, it isn't surprising to approach the world in terms of how a typical business school class is conducted. We are all functions of Microsoft Office- from determining the most cost effective balance between manufacturing products to creating a five minute presentation covering the SWOT analysis of a given company and further exploring some suggestions for better operating practices. Parties are not just social functions but constituency building, networking or even leadership workshops. Business casual is not just sensible shoes and a practical pant suit but a way of life- every moment is an opportunity to sell yourself. 

As we all know, I am not a perfect extension of the business school but that does not exempt me from occasionally dissecting events into bulletin points or net present value. In the dualities of life and the business school, my specialization exists in "balancing the books". For those of you unfamiliar with the basics of accounting (in which I am a remedial learner), the essence of the books lie in assets and liabilities and how you want both sides to equal -or balance- out. While in daily business practices, assets are defined as material goods, equipment or cash, assets in my case are reasons or accomplishments that I can redeem to my parents which, in turn, provide me with material goods or $$$ in hopes for a future return, which is a liability on my part. My livelihood is dependent on these pieces of information. I need good news to sell myself to parents. 

My business practices are not independent of the financial crisis. The prospect of being unable to repay my financiers is looming, my assets are quickly disappearing and with the current landscape of an depressing 18 credit quarter, interning, and having a boyfriend, I'm concerned with the falling value of my remaining (and not highly rated) assets. I don't want to think that my parents/investors have placed bad loans on me but having no absolute plans for after college is enough for them to be skeptical of their investment. They will just have to watch the market I guess.

In the mean time, all I can do is to get my people(me) going -get those innovative juices flowing- to appreciate my value.