Living in Ann Arbor - S10 E03

[MUSIC PLAYING] Welcome back to Business Beyond Usual. My name is Jasmine Lopez, and my name is a gogisawabinoeca. And we're recording live from the Ross School of Business. Today's episode is going to be a little bit different. We're not talking about recruiting timelines or cases or career outcomes. Instead, we're talking about something that shapes the Ross experience just as much, what it's actually like being business students living in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Because business school isn't just about what happens in the classroom. It's about where you live, how you build community, how you decompress, and how you grow as a person alongside your professional development. I'm really excited for this conversation, because we're joined by three incredible guests who bring different perspectives to the Ross experience. Amida, Cameron, and Eva, welcome to the show. Thanks for having me. I'm proud to be here. So glad to be here. Thank you. So before we get started, we wanted to remind you that we love learning from our listeners. So send us a message at [email protected]. Follow us on Instagram @Ross_BBU or DM us with questions, episode ideas, or just to say hi. All right, so let's start off with some introductions. For all of our guests today, actually, a gogisawabinoeca.com can do this too. Tell us who you are, what year you are at Ross, where you were located prior to business school, and one word that you'd use to describe your experience so far. I'm Amida. I'm a second year at Dual Masters Canada at Ross in the School for Environment and Sustainability. And I described my experience as fulfilling. Prior to business school, I was in Atlanta by way of the DMV, working in operations and strategy at an industrial e-commerce company. I'm Cameron. I'm a first year MBA student. I'd say dynamic. Prior to Ross, I was basically-- I was in New York City by way of Atlanta, and I was working in consulting and marketing. Hi, I'm Eva. I'm a second year MBA student. I'm originally from Nigeria. So one word to talk about my experience would be multi-dimensional. So prior to Ross, I was in Lagos, Nigeria. I was working in CPG and post-Ross and hoping to go into tech. Hi, everyone again, a gogisaw. So I am a second year MBA student. I was like one word I would use to describe my business school experience so far has been reflective. It's been a lot of times thinking about where I've been and where I want to go. So super excited to see what's next. And then where I was prior to business school was consulting and tech. And I guess I should introduce myself as well. My name is Jasmine. Prior to business school, I was in Central New Jersey. And I'm headed back there after graduation. I'm a second year MBA here at Ross. And I was working in health care prior to coming here. And one word that I think I would use to describe the experience would be energizing. You get to meet so many amazing people here and do so many cool things. And so we'll dive into a little bit of that today. Yeah, I love all the words and adjectives everyone has used to describe the experience. But before we really get into the day to day, let's just rewind a bit. When you were deciding to come to Ross, what did you really think life in Ann Arbor would be like? Yeah. Well, I knew it would be a college town with lots of energy. It's a huge sports culture here. So I knew it would be a lot of fans and really camaraderie around that. I love the proximity to being in a major city, Detroit, and the airport, which curved the trade off between not living in a large city. Ann Arbor is rightfully its own bubble, but it also has many gems when you allow yourself to explore. I found my apartment because it was actually where an alum hosted me during a prospective student weekend. She and other classmates helped me tour a couple of the places that are walkable to Ross. And I chose mine because it allowed me to live alone. So I've been here ever since. Yeah, and for me, I talked to a few alums that I knew. And they described it as a quote unquote Q-call town. And I actually visited Ann Arbor on a win back in February 2024. My best friend was having an engagement in Parking Grand Rapids. And his now wife was a resident in University of Michigan. So we were going to carpool together to their engagement. And so I connected with the current student who took me to class, walked me around Ross. And then I was able to kind of explore it in the dead of February with my under guy, Cousin. Also dead of February, it is cold. I really got to go into what my life would be like here. So it felt more to me than just like, quote unquote Q-call town. And it had a really great community to isolate. So for me, I had no idea. I'd never heard of Ann Arbor before. [LAUGHTER] So it knew to me. And the reason I had no idea was because I was thinking of a lot of things. I got my visa pretty late. So before that, I was thinking, I needed to get my visa and I needed to prepare. So I didn't really think about what life would be in Ann Arbor had looked like. But I did go online to search. And I realized it was a small town. It's cold. But I had no idea what it was supposed to be like. So I was just looking forward to living in Ann Arbor. I spoke to a few current students to understand their experience. And but nothing really prepares you for the actual experience. So-- Yeah, no. That's a good point that you made just now about nothing could actually prepare you. So I guess shifting now to current state, once you actually got here, how did that compare to the reality? I mean, it's been good so far. I think I love comparing Ann Arbor to living in a Disney Channel episode. [LAUGHTER] I'm running a joke. But it's truly a whole some place. Downtown is really cute. It has a lot of local markets. And during the summer, which I really got to enjoy and appreciate because of my remote internship, there's a lot of weekly music concerts. And festivals, the locals are very approachable. Everyone's kind of approachable, willing to talk about things and sharing more hidden gems throughout the Southeast Michigan region. And also about some of the road trips that you can do from Ann Arbor. During my first week, I was honestly surprised by two things. First, how good the Facebook marketplace was here. This is a very transient city. So there's a lot of nice things coming and going. And then also how willing my classmates were in helping me move in. I moved here alone. I drove and fit. Whatever fit in my Honda Civic is what can't do. And so just really grateful to have classmates being like, OK, whenever you arrive, I hope you unload or somebody else have built my bed for me. So that was a strong sense of community here that I felt from day one from complete strangers. I love that. I wasn't safe from me like, and mash it and then some. So I was coming here from New York. And New York is very different. I was walking around going to cafes, working out of cafes, or just going to work and taking a subway. There's no subway here. There's a bus. But that being said, I came here. And I kind of felt this sense of calm, especially compared to the true hostile and hostile of New York city, because it's just how truly differently things move here. It's not slow, but there's a sense of chill. And it's coupled with this thriving community with some just very cool hidden gems. And while I still miss the hostile and hostile of New York, I really appreciate how everyone is just here for each other and really trying to lean into this new experience. Yeah. I think for me, on the way from the airports, it felt very calm, quiet. And I was like, what's going on here? Yeah. And so as we got into an abor, getting to Central Campos, then it got very vibrant. So I started seeing people walking around in the Michigan wares, and that made sense to me. But as I started living here as the days went by, it started to feel like a community. So all the community sense of communities that we keep hearing, I started to feel that way. So when I came, I didn't have accommodation. And so I had to lean on to the African business students affinity group and they supported me. So for about two weeks, I was living with two different people, which for me just reminded me of how supportive they can be. And so that gave me enough time to look for the accommodation that really worked for me. So that was really great. It's not something I would ever forget. Yeah. I have that. And I think a lot of people can relate to that. You all already spoke about the sense of community. And I think that that is one of the things that brings a lot of people to Ross, University of Michigan, and Ann Arbor overall. And I know that especially within business school, it can feel a bit transactional when you have classes recruiting and all of those things that are more on the professional side of things. But it's nice to be reminded that a place like Ann Arbor exists where you can really rely on your neighbors and your community members. But overall, we can see that everyone's experience and this city itself definitely shapes how it is at business school. Yeah. I think that that's a great point that you made, too, because we do have obviously the Ross community, but also the broader University of Michigan ecosystem. You're getting on the bus. And the people are saying, hello to you. And you're going to stores. And then people start recognizing you at the local coffee shops you go to. So I love that it really does feel like a small home away from home. To your point, Cameron, I'm from New Jersey. So this is a little bit of slow moving life. But I think that with the hustle and bustle of business school and everything we have going on, it's nice to leave Ross and know that you're kind of slowing down a little bit and that everything's not moving as quickly as it may in New Jersey or the places we all came from. But now let's talk about day to day life. What does a normal weekday look like for you as a Ross student living in Ann Arbor? I currently live 15 minutes from campus. So that would mean a normal weekday is like, I'm going to go to the gym. I'm probably going to walk the class with someone from my building. Or if I'm really running late, which does happen, I'm going to take a scooter. And then there's also the group where club means I have and really just all this or so. So I may zig or zi, though, especially if I really want to go check out a new cafe or explore downtown Ann Arbor, or even just check out. the surrounding parts of the Southeast Michigan area. Yeah, personally, I'm a morning gym girlie, so I try to go to the I am or I recently also decided to get a gym membership not too far driving distance away. And when I get back, I try to have a slow morning routine to ease into the day when I can, because as Shazam mentioned, it gets pretty busy around here. I usually also walk to class and have a full day of classes and club meetings across both of my schools. And then to be intentional with connection, I try to grab one lunch with a classmate and and my evenings at home to catch up with friends and family over the phone. Yeah, so I am not a morning person. And I did not gym. My body was trying to adapt to the new environment. So definitely, but in my first year, I lived 15 minutes from Ross and I walked most days. So I guess that was my gym except in the winter, because I hit winter. So staying close to Ross really helped me feel connected. The ease into the reading of the school was very easy. I got to attend most events. So now in my second year, I've moved a bit further because now I think I have my community and I know the people that I already gravitate towards. So leaving a little bit far. So sometimes I, "Ubao, I take the bus." Either way, my weekdays are pretty structured around classes, meetings, group work, and with pockets of time for coffee chats, workouts. Now I work out. Now I work out or just like the conference in the evenings. But I do tend to sit on my couch and just watch TV or just hang out with a couple of friends. Yeah. Now I like that. So it's interesting, because as like Hammer mentioned, I'm also from New York City. In New York City, I can walk 30 minutes and it not feel like anything, because New York City is very much a walkable city. But what do you guys think about in our being a walkable city? Like how does that really change your mindset? Do you think it's a walkable city? So I mean, it's more walkable than Atlanta, which is a driving city where I came from. So for me, I love it. I love that I get to have my steps in. And I think during my walk, two and from school, I'm like slowly separating those two lives. I can decompress a bit on my walk back home. But during the winter, you start to notice the hills a little bit more. And so that could be a little tough. I was just saying like coming from New York, I'm super used to walking. So it's fine. Then again, though, I thought like a 20 minute walk in New York is very different compared to a 20 minute walk in Ann Arbor. I thought 20 minutes like I'd be totally fine. And I'm like, well, I could just Uber. Yeah. Just Uber. It's fine. But I was like one of the cool things that I feel like I appreciate about being here is that sometimes you're just constantly writing to people whenever you're walking. So like if I'm walking home, I remember like last month in Deja J. where I see my friend from Emtrek. We have a 30 minute conversation. I mean, it's like ginormous Parker. And he's just talking to me and it's like very light, somewhat heated jacket. And I'm just like, this is how those things are here. But I really enjoy it. It's fun. Even though it's super duper duper cold. Yeah. You guys can tell we're clearly recording this episode in the middle of this. What is it? The polar vortex or whatever. It's cold. So I didn't have to be when I'm here. So for me coming from a city like Lagos in Nigeria, I usually drive a cab everywhere. I don't think I understood the concept of a walking town. It was a big shift for me. Walking change I experienced my day. I got to reflect a lot. I felt more present during first year recruiting. I had this way. I was always talking to myself, practicing my behavior hours and my odyssey. People saw me and felt this guest running mad. But I think it was very different. The fact that walking just gave me a lot of time to reflect and think to myself. I also know that a lot of my friends I was actually back home, they now recognize like an avalan Max just around me whenever I face time then. And they've never been yet. So that just tells you how much I've done reflection and walking has actually changed the way I see things. I just want to add in here that you know I love walking when it's fall maybe you know end of summer. But I've been taking the bus for me. I live like maybe a seven minute drive and so the bus is very convenient. It's free with your Michigan card. And so especially right now I you know I'm looking at the exact minute that that bus is going to come and I'll leave my apartment like two minutes before so that makes me perfectly on time. And it drops you off like right in front of the law school which is steps away from Ross. So I just wanted to point that out too because one thing that I was nervous about was not having a car and an arbor and speaking towards everything you guys said about this being a walkable city. I haven't felt like I needed a car unless I'm going somewhere that's like pretty far away. All right so we're going to shift things to another topic here. You guys talked a little bit about community earlier but Ross is obviously known for being collaborative and that can look different for everyone. So what are some spaces or moments that made you feel most connected here in Ann Arbor? Well at Ross I definitely know the Winter Garden has always been a place where I can guarantee you running into classmates or catching up with folks. A people are going to or from classes or eating their lunch or we find a table and try to work quietly beside each other. Also when I'm having a really rough week or busy week whether or not I'm taking mostly Ross or mostly C's classes and during the football season the bus tailgate has always been like reprieve for me. I know from having a busy week I know that at the end of the week I'll see people at the bus like that's when I know I'll get to see everyone everyone's going to be happy we're just we're everyone's happy you can be sad on game day so they'll both spaces for me. I was like I go what I mean to say with the Winter Garden and just busing game days is so fun and I also really I had seen classmates while out and about in downtown personally what I really appreciate is just hanging out with people in my building or just people in my section and so like watching movies doing public dinners and just game day people on a deeper level. I even did this like a for the bit but a foray I'm solid corn mask with a couple of my friends in my building never will do that again never but great experience fun time with good people and it's kind of while like looking back from when I started how in a span of like for me it's been six months I already have those really great connections that I hope will last me a long time after this. Yeah so mine is actually the study room. It's really blue. B3564. You were just sitting. Yeah. What's so nice about that. So the moment I figured out the the trick to book in a study room it was over. So I'll book I'll send my friend to book and then finally like six hours I just speak to everyone to book it I take a picture of the QR code and keep so that if they're not able to you know be at Ross at the time to check in I can send it to them. So everyone knows me to be the one who has like a study room book and so when I'm there my friends come around we eat we talk we you know do personal stuff so it's just like for me I look forward to those times like anytime we have class and there's a break I look forward to going to that B3564. Yeah context what she means with getting her friends to reserve the room you can only reserve a study room for two hours at a time. Yeah. If you want to be in there for four six eight hours you have to get some friends to also book the times right after you but we know where to find you now. I can't believe it none of us mentioned bills. Oh yeah. Yeah. Because we're in the dead of winter. I clearly like if it was summer it's totally different my bills beard garden is like a legendary place where like so many people to send you see so many people from like all different times of schools it's a great place. That's awesome. Well how does Ann Arbor itself so not just Ross but how does Ann Arbor as a city or not a city of town contribute to that sense of belonging that you guys all have felt here. Yeah I think I appreciate how Ann Arbor is very local forward so going to a lot of the cafes because they're locally owned they feel a lot more intentional and intimate and then you mentioned that to mention like kind of the school but the university is a huge part of Ann Arbor's identity and because of that there's a lot of people who come here from so many different backgrounds and identities so there's a lot of voices and flavors everywhere so I feel like everyone can find somebody with a similar identity or interest to them so for me I'm Muslim but Michigan actually has like one of the largest Muslim populations and that's something I didn't know coming in so finding halal food is really easy it's also probably the norm you'll find a lot more places with beef bacon as the first option and so something like that was something that made me feel like welcomed them like belong that I can share with my identity. I was gonna say to Costco has a whole lamb in the frozen section like a whole wall section I never saw that in Georgia I was like oh it's new. Yeah so I think mine is my sense of belonging is based on my affinity groups because I can't take that out from my experience in Ann Arbor so particular groups like the African Business Club and the Black Business Student Association they really helped me feel at home and then my section shout a section for yeah so I think the events that I get invited to has you know made me explore an abamore my favorite grocery store would be trade of jose I just found out that's my favorite now because they have almost everything I need yeah and so that's it for me. I was gonna say like Ann Arbor completely different vibe than anything I've really ever experienced is someone that's lived in like this different major cities and I feel like Ann Arbor just has a bunch of different cultures and flavors all around as Amino is saying and I just really appreciate having to like be in this space with people who are also coming from different backgrounds is me being able to get to know them better and the local locals here have been really kind and welcoming because they know that it's a town for students, like undergrad grad students, anything in between or after. And I feel like it's just a town that's not annoyed by its students. It feels like a place that really includes them. And you can see it in like all the different businesses that are here. You can see it during game days, especially during game days. So I love it. - Yeah, I think that that's such an important distinction that you just made about a town that's not annoyed by students because personally, I went to a small liberal arts college in like a very small town. And so I went to school in a town, not a college town. And so you could tell that the locals would, not always be appreciative of what we brought to the community, but I think at Ross, it's just the norm, right? And so even like your Uber drivers or the bus drivers, like I mentioned earlier, are very willing to just chat with you about, what are you doing at Michigan? What degree are you pursuing? I've been driving Uber for this amount of time. And I love driving an Ann Arbor because I meet so many different people that's been great for me to kind of observe too. But I feel like there's something here for everyone from the sports you all mentioned, to the arts, to coffee shops. We even have a museum on campus. So students just have to be willing to look for, what's of interest to them. And there's literally always something going on. - Yeah, I love that. And you guys talked about some really great and awesome things about Ann Arbor. But we have to keep it real for our listeners. What is the hardest thing about living in Ann Arbor? - Would you? (laughing) - Literally no question, Windsor. But that's okay, we love it. - Do me the. (laughing) - Debianable. - Yeah. - Definitely winter, 'cause like December through February, I think is core winter time. So you definitely gonna need a good jacket, waterproof snow boots, and your vitamin D supplements. I think it's also really important to prioritize moving your body, avoiding isolation and laughing, 'cause the winter blues are very real. It's so funny, one of my doctors, she would always be like, "Yeah, bear's hyping a, "and somehow humans miss the memo." And I totally agree. So you have to be gentle with yourself, as your body is trying to slow down during the season, but the demand's kinda stay the same. So there's a balance you have to have. - Yeah, same here, winter, winter, winter. (laughing) The daily struggle to convince myself to leave my apartment for class or event is real. I wake up, look outside, and immediately I start negotiating with myself. So the winter actually tested my commitment. But once you've lived it, she can survive it. So. - Yeah, I think I also wanna add here that, although we're all saying winter, we as raw students do a really good job of making sure that there's events in the winter. So even though we're all kind of like in our apartment's cold, we still get out there, we still do things. Maybe it's not a bus tailgate for a football game, right? Because football season is over, but we make sure that we still interact. And so like Amita said, just avoiding isolation and just doing things to fill your cup, especially because winter time is also peak recruiting season here at Ross and I mean in business school in general. So just making sure that you're enjoying yourself and trying to do as much as you can to avoid those winter blues, that's very real. So how have you learned to set boundaries with everything that you guys have going on? You talked about where you live, you talked about an arbor, but how do you make sure that you kind of like set boundaries for yourself and really enjoy your time here? - Always getting that reality check. And even if that means calling a friend from back home who can kind of put things into perspective for you because they're not in it with you, that's been really helpful. So reminding myself why I came here in the first place. And also I'm trying to slow down from my body forces me to. I think that's a much harder thing to come out of. So yeah, just finding balance. - For me, it's a matter of like understanding that I should be saying no more often and just prioritize myself and just realizing that rest is truly a productive thing that I do in my life. - Yeah, I think for me, it's really just remembering what's real and what's not real. And then also remembering the sacrifices have made to come here. It took me a while to make the decision. So eventually making the decision meant I had to make some sacrifices. So having that at the back of my mind meant that I had to know what really matters, what I love to do and what's just noise. Yeah. - That was a real thing. - Yeah, that's such a good point. I think in Cameron, you're a first year, but I think in my first year, I was also saying yes to everything. And you finally hit a point where again, like Amita said, like she doesn't want her body to force her down, right? Or stop her from doing things and actually funny enough over winter break. The minute I landed in New Jersey, which is where I spent my month away, I got sick. And I was like, this is my body telling me to lay in the bed and just watch TV and relax. But yeah, just reminding, I mean, we all remind ourselves constantly to just pick ourselves first because like I already mentioned, there's always something going on here. - Yeah, so switching gears a bit, Ross talks a lot about leadership development. How has living in Ann Arbor contributed to your growth outside of the classroom? - For me, it gave me a lot of space to reflect and experiment with who I wanted to be. So because we work on a semi-quarter system, every six weeks you have an opportunity to trial a different persona and any of the group projects you're working in or just in a new class. So I'm really have gotten a chance to try something new and challenge myself and kind of see what fits. One of the leadership experiences I really enjoyed here recently I actually did the Stinger Leadership Crisis Challenge where you are for 24 hours, you're essentially navigating a simulated crisis and you and your team members are members of the C-suite trying to respond to that crisis. Wow, that experience really tested me in a lot of different ways and in some unexpected ways and really thinking about not only how my handling the crisis directly but how am I handling myself and my own self-care as a leader as I navigate the responsibility of leading others, leading myself and dealing with stressful moments. So it's been a really safe space to explore my leadership style as well. - I was just like fine tuning my approach, I think it was really helps because I think sometimes I would always want to be the type a person that's gonna plan everything but no, I can relax, take a step back and let others do it. But it's still prioritizing the things that I really want to do at this school and what I came here to do. For me, that's taking out leadership roles that I really wanted to come in to do that I wasn't sure if I would be able to do so. I'm gonna be the incoming president, or co-president, excuse me, for the Michigan Marketing Club. Yeah. - Ooh. - So that's what we mean, like thank you. That's a, it's exciting for me 'cause it's like I'm passionate about marketing but I'm really passionate about like cultivating that marketing community here and having it thrive for years on end and making it even stronger for like everyone else. - So I think for me, my leadership development has been very different from what I'm used to. One, I had to learn how to lead myself, how to lead unmotivated people because with group work and with club activities, so vice president for a couple of clubs, these people are not motivated, they're not paid. (laughing) It's not like I work where you know, you're a leader and then everyone has to do it because you're gonna be rated or be evaluated but people decide if they wanna do it or not. So how do you navigate leading people like that? So that was really real for me. And including group projects where some people just go stuff, and then group I know one response. So you have to figure out how to like, you know, got nice people to really get to do what you need them to do. And that's been real for me. And then leading myself in that aspect, that's T. (laughing) I know how but I think I figured it out eventually. Yeah. - Yeah, I'll add to like some of the experiences that I've had where I've been able to use an order of my advantage is like being on part of the nonprofit board fellowship. So I sit on the board of a nonprofit that's actually based out of Detroit but getting to meet so many different people, networking and making an impact in this region by sitting on the board has been really rewarding and has taught me a lot about myself. And so there's so many opportunities for you to learn about what kind of leader do you wanna be? What kind of classes do you wanna take? Who do you wanna engage with? Where do you wanna go out and explore? So I think that that's great as well. And also of course the leadership roles here to Eva's point, not everybody's gonna go. Just obviously not so don't think of it that way but there's definitely a lot of room to kind of like learn how to motivate people and learn how to understand where other people are coming from. And you know maybe what are the things that others are prioritizing or where others getting involved where maybe you're not aware and there's an opportunity for you to also check out whatever other people are doing because everyone comes from such diverse backgrounds that it's really cool to see everything that people get involved with here. So you guys mentioned a lot of positive things about and are we talked about a little bit of the winter being somewhat of a negative aspect. But at the end of the day we have our podcast listeners here. There's probably someone listening that's wondering whether Ross or Ann Arbor's really the right place for them. What would you say to them to help them decide? - Come with an open mind and do the thing that scares you. Your experience might look a lot different from what you expect. Definitely consider what your values are, how you want to grow. Growing your network isn't just about the quantity of people you're meeting, but the quality of those connections. And I think Ann Arbor has been a really great for being a place where people intentionally come to grow and connect with new people, not just the existing bits sitting networks. I'd also say like be confident in sharing like your big scary dream because there are a lot of people here who have so many different experiences and resources that might just be the next person who can help you out. So I can't say how many times I've been really valuable for me here. I would say for me, like it's all about leading into the community and trying to develop the community that you want to be a part of. That entails like being a part of section leadership. So for those who don't have sections or like who you take your core classes with. And so leading to that community getting to know people better, getting to know people at various different backgrounds and understand where they're coming from, recruiting with them, casing with them all this or stuff. And just saying yes way more often than you probably would even think you should. But still doing that. And I think that changes everything, especially if you're coming from a very different place. Which I think you said say yes to as many things and then we're saying say no to things. So it's I just want to clarify. It's a very, very, very tough balance. Yeah, I'll say just do it unless you leave it in an apple before, but if not just do it. And then it's going to meet that. It's going to meet that coming down open minds. There will always be something to lend the experiences amazing is great. I had no idea what I was here to experience. And honestly, I have so many highlights. And I think you can never get it wrong. As long as you know yourself and your claim on what you want to achieve by the time you're done with the program. Yeah, I really love that. Definitely come with an open mind. And really, I mean, depending how long you'll be here, if you're going to do a dual degree, maybe you'll be here more than two years. But most people are just here for two years. You know, so two years goes by super fast, especially in business school. Like just take this as an experience. And like everyone has said, there's always something, you know, wonderful to experience at the end of it all. I would also say that when you're deciding on Ross being the right place for you, again, we've all mentioned living in an arbor. You're in a small town, small community. Yes, we're all Wolverines, but you're coming to a small place, right? And you don't know who's here and you don't know who you can meet like Amida mentioned. So just lean in, I think I would say and be curious to what you can learn. I think it's okay if you want to go to a school in a big city, but we don't have a big city. So, you know, you have to kind of start making those decisions as you kind of go through the application process to really understand where you thrive. I learned that a small city or a small town, I keep calling this place a city for whatever reason. A small town would be best for me to really engage with the people in my program as opposed to having everybody in like New York, for example, just running out to their old friends or, you know, the lives they came from before. But we all really are very intentional about engaging with each other, which has been really great for me as a student. Yeah, I know Jasmine just said like she keeps calling it a city, but it's the town. But honestly, I think Ann Arbor does sometimes feel like a city in terms of their access to things. So, you know, Cameron mentioned there's a Costco, I mean, there's Target, there you have multiple grocery stores, all the different types of gym you want to go to their solid core. Like honestly, the things that you would probably do in a major city in walking distance, you will find an Ann Arbor. So it does actually have a lot of activities and things to experience. So it can't feel like a city, but it is the size of a town, just pretty well who's curious. And we're like 25 minutes from the airport, which I think has already been mentioned to, which is nice because if you need to go home or you want to go visit a friend or you have, I don't know, other commitment that you have to get to, it's very easy to go so you don't feel like you're stuck. But if you are, quote unquote, stuck, there's so much to do. Yeah. And there's an Ann Arbor Amtrak train station. So for it to be a town, like not every single town has an Amtrak train station stop. So something to think about as well if you want to take a nice ride up to Chicago. So what would you do differently now? I know, Cameron, you're almost done with your first year. Some of us are almost done with our second year. What would you do differently if you were to kind of go back to the beginning? I would, I mean, truly no regrets. I feel like it was my year of yes. And shout out to Ron who are like making me do more than I thought. But maybe engaging with more people even outside of my section. I would agree with that. And obviously, like I would say say no more often. But there are some things that like I wish that I even like considered or sign up for that. I was like like being a board fellow, for example, as Jasmine's talking about, I think it's a really cool unique opportunity that most schools don't have that I would have loved to do. But I think it's just like lean to things, explore, do things like go outside your comfort zone. And I think for me, I just would have done even more than I did. But no regrets, fun time. It's already like an e-commerce, talk about some costs. It's already happening. Like, can't take it back. It is what it is. Yeah. No regrets too. But I think I did a lot of things in my first year. I attended almost every event. And that was intentional. And I was tired most times. But I think what I decided that I'm going to do before graduation would be to at least go for launch dates or dinner with people I've never spoken to before. What are they like me or not? I'm just going to ask them. But if they say no, then that's great. But I want to be able to take that box to say I did reach out to people I've never spoken to before. This is across Rose. And it's not just the MBA. Everyone, including the cost classes we've taken, the people who are not in our call program. Yeah. I like that too. Actually, someone in the masters of accounting or maybe masters of business analytics, she reached out to me and was like, you were in one of my classes. And I was like, who are you? But we ended up getting on a call and talking. And after conversing with her, I was like, oh my gosh, I wish I would have known you sooner. And it also encourages, that's a really great idea. It encourages you to connect with people outside of just the MBA, which has been said already. It can sometimes feel like a little bit of a bubble. So. Yeah. No, I would say the same for me as well, just continuing to get large dinner with people, but also pairing that with checking out new restaurants. They're not new to Ann or what. They're new to me because I don't go out to eat as much. And Ann or were just mostly because I'm trying to save money and I'm cooking at home and doing that. But there are a lot of great restaurants here in Ann or so, using as an opportunity to both try out new restaurants, coffee shops, and then also engage with people that I haven't had an opportunity to chat with. So you guys had a lot of great takeaways, a lot of things that I'm excited to see you guys all pursue in the next coming months. Yeah. Now that we've talked a little bit about Ann Arbor, Ross, community, all of those things, we're going to wrap up with a little bit of a rapid fire series of questions. So I'm going to ask you a question and then I'm going to have all of you answer a go to say you can feel free to answer as well. And that way we can give our listeners a little bit of a taste of the variety of things that are to do here and also things that they can check out if they ever find their way to Ann Arbor. So let's start off with telling me your favorite Ann Arbor spot. New York. Dozer coffee for the honey chicken biscuit. So I've been to a tourist around. This is a Japanese tourist around. I love it. I think I'm a stakeholder today. I do love slurping turtle too. I actually haven't tried Dozer Bot. Great. I'm learning new things too. All right. Next question. Favorite place to decompress. My cow? I would also say my cow, but also the kitchen and also my bed. Oh, nice. So you're a whole apart. Yes. My bed. I'll say a period of. Oh, yeah. Can you tell our listeners what? So it's like a wine bar, small eats because the meals are not that big. But you know what's that phrase? But most of the go for the wine, especially wine Wednesdays. But yeah, nice. And the lighting, it's the lighting that ambiance definitely gives decompression. Yeah, that's really good. That's period of. Okay, one word to describe life as a raw student in Ann Arbor. Busy. Energizing. Exciting. I was going with busy too. I was going to say chaotic. Very chaotic. Roller coaster. Up and down. I don't know. Roller coaster is a good one. I love all these answers. Is there anything else that you want to tell our listeners about Ann Arbor, Ross or yourselves or anything that you just want to share that has to do with the topic that we've discussed today? Ann Arbor is what you make it. Like go to the library. It's free. They have a lot of cool events, especially arten crafts. So yeah, like if you want to find something to deal, I'm sure there's something here. Yeah. I would say it's very, you make a fit what you want it to be for you. Yes, there's so much activities to do here. There's something for everyone. So you really have to be intentional and just do the things that actually I'll value to you. I someone that was listening to this podcast before coming here and also as I was applying, I feel like, hey, it's to be here. But also like for me, I was very energized by the idea like I'm going to do something different and be this sort of fun little reprieve away from like what my typical life would be in New York. So it's just mad at like leading in more to the experience of doing more, saying yes, maybe even saying no one you need to and having a good time with it and just really enjoying the experience. Yeah, I would say pretty much echoing with everyone has already said, but I kind of think of it like treating it as a vacation, coming from a really big city where it's the hustle and bustles at like an all time high. I think Ann Arbor has been that opportunity for me to really slow down and just do the things that I want casually and not feel, you know, super pressured. So enjoy it and you won't regret it at all. My last thing would be just read your emails because I think that there are so many things that come from just the broader U of M email accounts with concerts or comedians. Actually one of my favorite authors was randomly in Ann Arbor on her book tour and I got to go for like cheaper than what she was charging in like New York City for example. And so had I not checked my email or like followed local restaurants and local bookstores on Instagram and social media accounts, I would have never known of some of the things that I have been able to take advantage of here. But yeah, I love all these responses. I want to thank all of you for joining me in a gogasa today for the folks listening. If this episode resonated with you, share it with a classmate or maybe someone who's considering Ross or your family members or I don't know your cousin's cousin's cousin. But thanks to everyone who participated today, I really appreciate it. to share your insights. Business Beyond Usual is brought to you by the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. Today's episode was produced by Agoagusa, Ibn Uweka, and Jasmine Lopez. Many thanks to our audio engineer, Jonah Brockman. Thanks for listening. Until next time, go blue and this is Business Beyond Usual. This episode is sponsored by the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan. Through our podcast, we can connect with the people and experiences that define their off-s way. Check out our other podcasts, such as Working for the Weekend, an exploration of the part-time MBA experience, Business and Society, a business podcast with award-winning Michigan Ross faculty, and down to business, an interview series with Ross alum in the C-suite, hosted by Dean Sharon Matusik. All podcasts can be found on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.