The MBA program was such an important chapter in my life story, but it came at a time when other compelling chapters were also being written. I was married in January 1978, started at HBS Section F the following September, had a miscarriage right around the time of the Finance final in December '78. I remember that Finance professor Julian Lange was hugely supportive. In April 1979, we discovered I was pregnant again. Clearly, I felt I was up to the multi-tasking that was going to be involved, although today I think I should have had my head examined! I remember approaching Jim Heskett with several alternative proposals for how to manage baby and courses (e.g. take some summer courses elsewhere orstudy part-time, ortake time off). In the end, the idea of breaking from my section (which had Michael Porter's Strategy course in the fall) was more than I could bear, so the decision was to have a baby and study full-time. How hard could that be, I thought. After all, I had survived the First Year! Christopher was due to arrive on December 1, but he was tardy and I was grateful to have a little time to take some exams but eager to get this baby business underway. Walking to Ben Shapiro's Industrial Engineering final around December 11, I recall Ben sidling up to me to confide that the case was "not too hard - certainly not hard enough to put you into labor!" Thanks, Ben. Chris came along on December 13, before the finals for Fred Foulkes and Al Chandler. Fred let me wait until I was home from the hospital for a few days, and then arranged to courier the case to me and have me write the exam at home in the usual four hours. I recall a blur of feeding the baby, handing himoff to grandma and writing something about some HR situation that at the time seemed completely surreal! Professor Chandler insisted that I wait until January to take his exam. Well, I guess babies and business have worked out okay, because I have managed to graduate with honors, have another baby and return to HBS for more intensive time management (DBA, 1988). But that is another chapter!
