My Life as a (Pretend) Wharton Student

Kayleigh Smoot,C’13

Even though I am happily studying psychology in the College, I sometimes wish I were studying business at Wharton. The aura of Wharton is very strong at Penn and something about being a business student seems glamorous to me (although my disgruntled Wharton friends would definitely disagree).

Maybe it’s the beauty of Huntsman Hall, home to some of the nicest classrooms on campus. Or, it could be the fact that a majority of Wharton undergrads go on to become incredibly successful leaders of society. So, since my sophomore year, I have made a point of taking at least one Wharton class a semester.

Wharton classes are genuinely different from College classes. Professors cold call on students, name tags are required, and group projects are usually a given. This semester in particular I am taking MKTG 211: Consumer Behavior. The main purpose of the class is to get into small groups and come up with a strategic marketing plan for Microsoft’s Window Phone. Our final presentations will be made in front of some of Microsoft’s high level executives; I find this to be both exhilarating and terrifying.

But, I believe this blend of classroom and real life is probably the best way to learn. So, in my last few semesters at Penn, I will probably continue to take an occasional Wharton class, if only to have an excuse to keep up the illusion of being a (pretend) Wharton student.