On the first day of Fullbridge, two other students and I met up at Scripps to carpool with Vicki Klopsch, Executive Director of Scripps’ CP&R. After arriving at Occidental, we settled into one of the on-campus residence halls, where we took turns lugging our suitcases up three flights of stairs (there was no elevator). I was really glad I hadn’t packed too much!

After a quick tour of Oxy’s campus, we convened at the school’s main dining hall for lunch. I enjoyed the food, and got the chance to try out a different kind of dining hall experience. Unlike Scripps, Oxy charges per item or dish. I only spent about $10 a day, on average. It was fun living on another campus for a short while, to notice the differences and similarities over the next two weeks.

After lunch, we moved to the work room and found out who our teammates would be for the remainder of the course. There were about 20 students total, six from Scripps. We were divided up into four teams of five in order to ensure diversity– that is, co-ed, multi-ethnic/racial students of varying grade levels and majors. My group, Team Podemos, included Arikai, Jon, Tsering, Bianca, and myself. Here’s a pic of us below:

We worked on various activities that day, both individually and within our groups. The most memorable was a group activity called the Marshmallow Challenge. Our goal was to build the tallest standing structure, using 20 sticks of spaghetti, one yard of masking tape, one marshmallow, and one yard of string. The catch? The marshmallow has to be balanced on top of the entire structure. Of the five of us, only Arikai had prior experience with this challenge. It’s funny to think about how much time we spent planning, given that Arikai told us the point was to take action right away and experiment with test trials. This was shown to yield the most success. In other words, try, try, and try again. We ended up coming in at third place, at somewhere around 11-15 inches tall. It was a pretty fun game, even if we didn’t win. And if anything– I realize now how heavy one marshmallow weighs! Looks can be deceiving:

The first day’s introduction affirmed my expectations for the program’s goals, in terms of structure and learning material. I was glad to be working with other people my age, because I think it’s pretty likely I’ll have to do so in whatever field I choose. Yet Fullbridge offers the unique opportunity to receive feedback from experienced business professionals, without the pressure that would accompany a real job.

That being said, the first day was not without its surprises. After eight hours of work, I found myself surprised at how glad I was to change into casual clothes. I actually quite enjoy dressing up, and had not realized until then how stiff and uncomfortable business attire can be. And this is coming from someone who wore flats, not heels. This experience, over the course of the program, made me realize the importance of considering the attire when it comes to different career paths. It’s unexpected occurrences like these that make one pause and think about the future.

So, what kind of job are you pursuing, and how important is attire to you? Are you someone who enjoys formal business wear or are you more on the casual side? Comment away. I’d love to hear your questions, so I can answer them in my next post.