By Charley Adams T'18
Charley is a T’18 originally from southwest Virginia but moved to Hanover from Denver, CO. Charley is still settling in at Tuck, but he is already involved in a variety of activities—from being a member of the beer aficionados club the John Barleycorn Society to helping organize the Business and Society Conference to sourcing his own First Year Project with a local ski company. Charley worked at Deloitte Consulting prior to coming to Tuck. He is actively recruiting for positions in the technology industry and outdoor retail industry. He looks forward to sharing his Tuck adventures all of you.
It’s a tad difficult to write a post on a “typical” day in the life of a Tuckie, since no two days ever include the same arrangement of activities. Given that caveat, here is a view into my life on a recent Monday.
Wake up for the long day in front of me in Sachem Village. Sachem is a townhome community owned by Dartmouth where a lot of Tuck students live with their partners and families. My family is relatively small (fiancée and dog), but we have enjoyed living in the pet-friendly Sachem located about 2 miles from campus.
Arrive at Tuck and grab a coffee and breakfast at Joe’s and Byrne. Joe’s is a coffee shop on campus that offers everything from Chai Tea Lattes to Smoothies, and it was born at out of a student-led business idea a few years ago. Byrne is our beloved dining hall that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner five days a week.
Head to my first class of the day. As a first year, you will generally only have two classes a day. For the fall and winter, these are all core classes that are required. They range from traditional courses such as Financial Accounting for Managers to less-formal courses such Leading Organizations and Decision Science. I’m heading to Decision Science, taught by Professor Santiago Gallino, where I learn about building financial models and interpreting the results.
After a 1.5 hr Decision Science class and a short break, I head to Financial Accounting for Managers. This course is taught by Professor Dirk Black and teaches the fundamentals of financial statement analysis and accounting.
Head to office hours with Microsoft to learn about their Business Marketing positions with a Tuck alum, who currently holds this position. Several companies that recruit on campus will host information sessions and office hours. During these you get a chance to learn about internship and full-time opportunities. Most of the sessions are led by Tuck alum, so the setting is often rather informal, which I appreciate because you can ask questions and get candid answers. I love even more that they often include free lunch!
Meet with my study group to prepare our work for the following day. I meet with my randomly assigned study group three to four days a week to go over homework and discuss cases for classes the next day. My group has 6 members, including myself. Within our study group we have three international students, four males, two females, three distinct ethnicities, six different previous occupations and industries, and we all have differing future goals. However, we work really well together and they have become some of my best friends at Tuck. Unfortunately, I will be assigned to a new study group beginning in the winter.
I normally have a break now, but today I’m meeting with a T’17 (second year student) to discuss feedback on an emotional intelligence survey we conducted earlier in the year. It is a great way to learn about myself and the way others perceive me.
Head home for dinner and to do some work. Since the days are so jammed packed, I often have to squeeze in work wherever I can.
Head back to Tuck to practice a presentation with two teammates for the Microsoft Case Competition. Case competitions are led by companies across industries and give students a chance to solve real world business challenges by applying their knowledge from classes and prior experience to find a solution. We present at 7:00 pm to a panel of Microsoft employees that are also Tuck Alumni.
Head home and hang out with my fiancée and dog before doing a bit more work.
Before hitting the sack, I head to Campion Ice Rink to play hockey in the Tuck Men’s Tripod Hockey League. As someone who had extremely minimal ice skating experience, this has been one of my favorite experiences at Tuck so far. My team is made up of first years and second years, international students, married students, single students, and Tuck partners.
(Main photo above: Copyright Dartmouth College)