The blogger of SDA Bocconi

MBA student Andi Caruso keeps a diary of her experience at SDA Bocconi School of Management, in Milan, on the Financial Times website. There are lots of things to write about, between organizing a ski tournament and keeping up with the intense course itself.

“You’ll sleep when the MBA is over,” director Gianmario Verona laughingly said, maybe only half joking, in welcoming the new alumni of SDA Bocconi’s MBA program and student Andi Caruso has found out it to be too true. But her enthusiasm for the new adventure hasn’t stopped Andi from adding to the many commitments of the program by keeping a diary/blog of her experience for the Financial Times website.

After five years working experience in marketing in the entertainment and hospitality sector, the 28- year old Canadian decided last year that it was time to change sector and her choice fell on an MBA program. “In choosing I was attracted to SDA Bocconi’s MBA program because it lasts 1 year, compared to two in North America, and the opportunities for an internship and an exchange period during the program,” says Andi. “And my grandparents were born in Italy, so coming here to study seemed like a good opportunity to explore my cultural heritage.”

In searching for information on SDA Bocconi on the Internet, Andi came upon the blog that MBA student Seda Saracer had kept for the FT while in Milan two years ago. Through Facebook, she contacted Seda, who provided her with useful info about the School, and became also curious about her experience of the blog. Andi thus contacted the FT directly to put herself in and was delighted to be chosen to become one of the 24 MBA students around the world keeping a blog on the website’s business school section.

“Having studied journalism, I have always loved writing, and blogging also expands my social media experience,” explains Andi who also has an active Twitter account and a Linkedin profile. “It’s fascinating how social media connects everyone. It opens up the world and opens doors, especially if you are looking for a job.” Through the blog, Andi’s intention is to provide a real portrait of the MBA experience, and of SDA Bocconi in particular, and help those who search for information about the School and the programs. Updating constantly posts is not easy with the hard schedule of her program, from classes to project work in team and from interviews for internships and participating in the AT Kearney case competition, and her active participation in some of the MBA clubs. Andi is involved in the marketing activities of the Sailing Club and the Ski Club, for which she recently helped organize the successful MBA Ski Cup in Bormio, and also participates in the Marketing Club, which is busy working on devising a new case competition for business schools for the autumn.

“The MBA has proven to be really intense and useful, more than I thought, and in these first few months I have already learnt so much,” tells Andi , “but I think it’s the extra curricular activities that really complete the experience. For instance, in organizing the MBA Ski Cup, we brought together nine different business schools for a weekend of networking and skiing. And while I was born in the snow, it was very neat to see some of my classmates experiencing their first snowfall. It's these types of experiences that will stay with me long after the MBA is over.” SDA Bocconi School of Management is the leading Business School in Italy and also stands among the top-ranked European Institutions. Founded in 1971, with its 40-year experience, SDA Bocconi School of Management is a pioneer in business education in Italy: its hallmark is innovation and far-reaching modelling that manifest themselves through a wide array of executive programs and master courses.


More articles...