In July of 2023, I was working at a great company, in a great role, with the future ahead of me. I had just finished my MBA from the University of Illinois in June. While I had a great experience at the University of Illinois, something was missing. An MBA specializes in breadth, exposing one to every aspect of a business’s functioning, but lacks the depth one would expect from a more specialized program, especially in the supply chain space. I had decided to apply to MIT’s SCM program after taking Supply Chain Analytics on MITx and being blown away- this was the challenging, in depth material I was looking for, material I used daily in my previous role. I decided to apply for the program at the start of 2023, with the thought that “you miss every shot you don’t take”.

            I think my reaction was the same as everyone else’s when I heard I was accepted – a mixture of disbelief and elation. Leaving my former company was tough, but I knew that I could not miss a once in a lifetime opportunity like this. Within a month, my wife and I had moved to Boston, a far cry away from Austin, TX. In retrospect, I really didn’t know what to expect at the start of the program, other than it would be intense and the experience of a lifetime. This post is for those in the future who have been accepted into the program, or for those who are considering applying to have a better idea on what to expect than I did!

You’ll encounter amazing people during your time at MIT. First, the SCM staff responsible for recruiting and administration are the best I have seen in my career. These are the people that you will encounter first in your MIT SCM journey, and will help orient yourself throughout the whirlwind of classes, events, career coaching, and company coffee chats. The people you will spend most of your time with, your classmates, are equally capable. MIT’s SCM program has a wide diversity of students from all over the world (16 countries for the 2024 residential program), all with their own unique perspectives and talents. You’ll learn about them, grow with them, and above all have fun with them! Study sessions, cultural gatherings, celebrations, and sports events are just some of the few extracurricular outings we enjoy together. Many of our cohort have families, and some have commitments that make going to all of the social events available more difficult. This is not only 100% ok, but respected; you’re working with top class professionals who know their priorities (but also love to have fun when they can)!

The caliber of the instructors here are also out of this world. You’ll be working with cutting edge research scientists at the top of their field from day one, people who are exceptionally curious, capable, and kind. They will push you farther than you thought you could go, but provide every resource imaginable to get you to the finish line. The adage “Going to MIT is like drinking from a firehose” is 100 percent true, in that there is a breathtaking width and depth to the opportunities for learning available. For example, within just a month of being on campus, both myself and a number of my classmates have been trained to use MIT SuperCloud, a high performance supercomputer for intensive modeling and optimization for our research capstones. Using this powerful tool is only possible via the time and effort of instruction the researchers we are working with provide. If you had asked me a year ago the likelihood of using tools like this, I would have responded with a solid 0%. The professors and research staff you’ll work alongside are there to push you beyond your pre-defined limits.

Most importantly though, you’ll be humbled. When first getting to know my classmates, I remember talking about how crazy it felt to move across the country in such a short amount of time for the program. After hearing the stories of my classmates, where they were from, what they had seen, and what they had to overcome to get to MIT, I quickly realized what I went through was nothing compared to their experiences. Countries at war, humanitarian disasters,  and unstable political regimes are just a few of the obstacles overcome by members of the Class of 2024, and hearing their stories showed me how privileged I was. There was no room for failure for many of them, and I am humbled to sit alongside them.

   Moreover, Dr. Steven Levitt, co-author of the book “Freakonomics” and host of the popular podcast “People I Mostly Admire” has described his first year experience at MIT as one where he felt he was the “dumbest person at the table”. Instead of feeling disheartened by this however, he felt joy in the fact that he could learn so much from everyone around him. He felt as though he was receiving the highest % return on education, measuring from where he started to where he would finish. He had more to learn from everyone else than vice versa, and he relished in this. Another lesson in humility; seeing just how talented your peers truly are.

I think this is the secret of what makes MIT’s SCM program so special. Everyone in the class has a completely different subject matter expertise and experience, and everyone is bringing in a new, novel perspective on cutting edge supply chain problems. One day you may be advancing your existing skill set even further, the next day you are a complete novice leaning on your classmates. You’ll be exposed to advanced statistical analysis, forecasting, logistics systems, programming languages, all in rapid fire succession. You’ll work alongside people in Tech, Operations, Military Fellows, literally every end of global supply chains. There are going to be plenty of times where you’ll feel humbled by the coursework, and that is 100% by design. If that doesn’t scare you, if you are capable, earnest, and determined, you’ll grow tremendously at MIT.

Life as a student in the Master’s program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is often an exhilarating journey filled with challenges and surprises. Recently, I had a day that was nothing short of an adventure. From missed shuttles to getting caught in the rain, here’s a glimpse into an unfortunate day in my life at MIT.

To truly understand MIT, one needs to truly understand Cambridge, Massachusetts. The town is renowned for its swiftly changing weather, which often keeps its residents on their toes. The city’s climate is characterized by its unpredictability, with rapid shifts in temperature, precipitation, and cloud cover occurring throughout the year. In the span of a single day, you might experience sunny skies, sudden rain showers, gusty winds, and even a dramatic drop in temperature. This meteorological unpredictability is a testament to New England’s diverse climate patterns. The ever-changing weather, while keeping residents guessing, also adds a unique and dynamic dimension to the city’s atmosphere. It is essential for locals and visitors alike to be prepared for anything when stepping out in Cambridge. In hindsight, although I was prepared to take on challenges at MIT, I was certainly unprepared for Cambridge!

My very second day at MIT started with a hiccup. I was supposed to catch the shuttle that takes us to the Muckley building, but as I was trying to find the shuttle stop, the shuttle passed right before my eyes and, I missed it. With my initial transportation plan foiled, I decided to rely on the MIT’s EZ Ride service (another convenient shuttle service for students). However, it seemed luck was not on my side that day because as I ran towards the shuttle stop it passed right in front of me! This might have been a stressful start, but as I quickly learned at MIT, adaptability is key. Frustration began to creep in, but I reminded myself that challenges are just opportunities in disguise. I decided to take matters into my own hands and make my way to class using a Blue Bike (rental bike that are docked across campus). It was a bit of a gamble given the cloudy skies, but I was determined to get to class on time. As I pedaled along, the weather suddenly took a turn for the worse, and before I knew it, I was caught in a downpour. Raindrops drenched me from head to toe, and I couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of the situation. MIT promised me that studying at MIT is like drinking from the firehose, but here I was getting drenched by it!

Arriving at my first class, completely soaked, I felt a mixture of embarrassment and amusement. But as soon as the lecture began, I was instantly captivated by the subject at hand. MIT’s professors have a remarkable ability to make even the most complex topics engaging. I was so absorbed in the class that I momentarily forgot about being wet. The passion of the instructor and the enthusiasm of my fellow students were infectious.

My day at MIT may have started with transportation mishaps and an unexpected rain shower, but it ended on a high note. MIT’s dynamic learning environment and the incredible dedication of its faculty and students have a way of turning challenges into opportunities for growth. Each day here is an adventure, and I can’t wait to see what the next one holds. MIT has taught me that in the face of adversity, the pursuit of knowledge and the thrill of discovery are worth every soggy moment.

Since starting the SCMr program at MIT in August, I’ve been asked the same question in a hundred different ways – “What are you learning, Maria?”

The easy way to answer this would be to share that I now feel confident breaking down 10-K reports, coding demand forecasting models, or that I finally understand Machine Learning beyond just the buzz word! 

My real answer, though, is this: It is the people I’ve met through the program that have taught me the most over the last 8 weeks. I’ve learned so much about how I want to spend my time while in the program as well as outside of it after graduation. Pictured below is one of my favorite things to do in the Kendall/MIT Open Space in between classes with my cohort!

Like Veeries (and many of our SCM classmates) about 300 species of North American birds spend much of each year in Central and South America. In fact, the biannual voyage between these distant lands may be more difficult than obtaining a US visa during a pandemic. Like logistics providers following strict hours of service guidelines, these often-diminutive creatures need to plan meticulous routes with stopovers for rest and refueling. While there is still much to be studied about how these networks are chosen, we know the selected ‘nodes’ must be safe and resource-rich. Places like Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula and Colombia’s Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains are known refuges for birds you might see this summer around New England – Red-eyed Vireo, Blackburnian Warblers, and Purple Martins. And the stops are far from haphazard. Recent studies show that birds take extended breaks at only a few key points during their migrations. No routing software required!

Everyone (at least everyone in the MIT SCM master’s program) knows how the newsvendor problem works. The problem itself is pretty straight forward: you must choose your inventory level before you know that day’s demand. If you don’t produce enough newspapers to meet demand, you sacrifice profits to lost sales. If you produce too many newspapers, you sacrifice profits to the cost of unsellable supply. Even though the problem is straight forward, it is not relatable to most people. Let me give you a slightly different perspective on this common supply chain conundrum.

What if you weren’t concerned with maximizing profits for the local newspaper publisher? What if you were more worried about standing out in the cold with no newspapers to sell? Some of you may have to take my word for this, but back in the day, people used to buy and read physical newspapers. This was in the time before Google and cable TV was only for big city folk. Many people even bought both a morning and afternoon paper. It could be delivered by a boy on a bicycle, or a reader could go down to the street and buy a newspaper while they ran an errand.

Here’s where it gets wild: children used to actually stand on street corners or in front of the local grocery store selling newspapers. Unlike the noble activity of selling Girl Scout cookies, this was a job for making money and the work was tough. In the summer it was hot. In the winter it was cold. On Sunday you to started working at dawn. Why? Because that is when people bought newspapers on Sunday mornings. As an industrious 12-year-old, you made $0.25 for each newspaper you could sell plus any tips. You had no costs other than your time (which as you have surely noted was not highly valued). The publisher produced all of the newspapers and bore all of the costs. They also received all of the proceeds of the sales minus the $0.25 that was paid to the industrious 12-year-old. Now here is the dilemma: the publishers also decided how many newspapers each industrious 12-year-old would have available to sell.

The goal of each motivated 12-year-old newsvendor is to sell all his papers. And even a 12-year-old knows you cannot sell newspapers you don’t have. You also can’t make tips on newspapers you don’t sell. In case you were wondering, it’s not a lot of fun to stand around with no newspapers when it is hot/cold/early. So how does a 12-year-old solve the newsvendor problem? The answer is obvious: increase supply!

In this particular case, said 12-year-old did not have a direct line to management at the newspaper and his input on demand forecasting was mysteriously not solicited. Having yet to complete his MIT SCx courses in Supply Chain, his input might not have been very good anyways. However, said 12-year-old did have time and a pocketful of quarters. If the newspaper would not provide the appropriate supply, it would be procured from secondary sources. After a review of his options and recognizing that he had not signed a non-compete agreement, the 12-year-old procured the necessary supply from the near-by machines which held competing newspapers. It turns out that people don’t pay attention to which paper they are buying anyways. Perhaps not a textbook solution, but the 12-year-old thought it worked pretty well, marking just the first in a lifelong career of imaginative and inventive supply chain solutions!