7 Business Lessons from "American Idol"

My own review: Okay, now the show is finally over with Taylor Hicks crowned as the new American Idol. I came across this article, 7 Business Lessons from "American Idol" as I find it very interesting (well, I got a Master of Business Administration, or MBA for short, title behind my name). It kinda makes sense how phenomenal this show is, last night votes for the new American Idol casted for over 64 million votes! Even more than votes received by any President in the history of the United States. I guess the movie "American Dreams" starring Hugh Grant, Dennis Quaid and Mandy Moore is a good satire to this phenomenal show. This movie portrays how Americans prefer to vote for a pop idol over their own Presidents! =p

This season show is extremely phenomenal (drawing viewers and voters for over 30 million each week and over 64 million for the finale showdown) that it makes other TV networks in U.S. to reschedule their shows to avoid competition. The numbers here are viewers and voters of the U.S., imagine how much the number will add up (I can't count the voters since voting is only available for U.S. viewers) if we include viewers from around the world! This show is also a marketing tool for established pop stars or musical icons to boost their popularities. Guest stars for this season only have been (in no particular order) Kenny Rogers, Stevie Wonder, Andrea Bocelli, David Foster, Barry Manilow, and Rod Stewart. Last night finale presented Dionne Warwick, Meat Loaf, Prince, Toni Braxton, and Mary J. Blige! It's like watching the Grammy Awards. Anyway, this article was taken from Small Business-MSNBC.com (click these bold words for link to the original article). This, is, "American Idol" (quoting AI host Ryan Seacrest, every time the show starts).

7 Business Lessons from "American Idol"

Business lesson #1: If you're looking for a business idea, remember that everything old is new again.

The reality TV way:

"American Idol" may seem like an original idea, but this American TV series was based on entertainment entrepreneur Simon Fuller's British series "Pop Idol", which basically borrowed elements from musical variety shows from the 1950s and 60s ... which in turn were taking ideas from the radio shows of the 1940s and 1930s ... which took ideas from 1920s vaudeville shows ... which -- well, you get the idea. The only sort of new idea "Pop Idol" presented was to offer a cash prize at the end of the series, but even that had been done recently in series like "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" (another take-off on a British show) and as far back as game shows during the 1950s. Obviously, nobody has to invent the wheel -- you just need to come up with a wheel that looks flashier than the last one.

Your reality:

Whether you want to start a business or already have one, there's always a twist you can bring to your company, no matter how removed from Hollywood entertainment it is. In Washington, D.C., there's a dry cleaning service that -- at least for a while -- was known for playing matchmaker for its single customers. In Silicon Valley, there's an entrepreneur who has a hair salon that's does business in three buses so they can go to their customers' houses and clip and shampoo hair on the premises. In Dallas, the Cafe Izmar has no menu -- when you go, you just find out what's cooking that day. And in California, the multilocation Legal Grind Cafe offers legal advice in a coffeehouse.

It's not hard to be creative. Just think outside the box: Start a maid service that specializes in only cleaning children's messy bedrooms. Or a petsitting service for fish. The key is to be useful and different with a pinch of fun -- everything that "American Idol" arguably is.

Business lesson #2: Spread the wealth. If you can get other companies to give you money and you help them get rich off your product, you're going to be very well off.

The reality TV way:

"American Idol" has this lesson down to an art. Their show has millions of viewers dialing exclusive numbers on the Cingular Wireless network. Exactly what kind of money they're generating from this partnership isn't public knowledge, but Cingular is clearly doing well. For instance, in 2005, the voting system produced 41.5 million Cingular text messages. In the quarter that just ended in March, Cingular reported a 9 percent increase in revenue and a profit of $350 million, attributing that increase partially to "American Idol". And no wonder. They sell ring tones of "Idol" performances as they happen, and they recently produced a service that permits the 70 million MySpace subscribers to sell their own "Idol"-style karaoke performances as ring tones through the MySpace site.

Meanwhile, Ford gives away cars on the show, and Coca-Cola is the official sponsor of the series. They're everywhere on the show, from the Coca-Cola Red Room where the remaining contestants meet after their performances to the cups of Coke placed inconspicuously throughout the program.

And while "American Idol" scratches Coke's back -- like sending their contestants to NASCAR's Cola-Cola 600 -- Coke is also promoting "American Idol". As Coca-Cola spokesperson Susan McDermott says of their relationship with the series, "It's given us a lot of opportunities to involve local markets and take the 'American Idol' experience outside your TV screen."

Your reality:

No matter how big or small your business, you can always find a useful partner, and both of you can benefit from the alliance. Provided you're each serving the same market but offering different solutions for them, it makes sense to have a friend you can count on.

If you have a popular restaurant, for instance, you could offer to sell snacks or foods to a local bed and breakfast or hotel -- at a reasonable discount -- provided they talk up your place and hand out restaurant coupons. Or if you have a tutoring service, you might offer your city's biggest school free in-school tutoring once a week, or free seminars on how to study, provided that the schools are promoting you. If you own a pet store, you might want to team up with a local kennel or doggie day care. They need supplies, like dog bowls and leashes; you need more customers, which you'll get from the free promotion they'll give you. You would obviously promote their service in return.

Business lesson #3: Foster enthusiasm among your customers.

The reality TV way:

It's the viewers, not the judges or producers, who choose the winners of "American Idol".

Your reality:

You can find ways to get your customers involved in your business. If you have an art gallery and willing artisans, you could offer customers the opportunity to pre-pay and have something custom created just for them, which could be as involved and expensive as having the artisan meet one on one with the customer or as fun and whimsical as having the customer fill out a multiple-choice quiz on what they're looking for and then wait to see what the artist creates for them.

Some customers don't want to be involved in your business -- they just want what you have to offer and want it fast or cheap. But a lot of people are creative, and if you can offer people the opportunity to be involved -- and even better, offer an experience -- they'll actually you pay you more. Why do you think people go to farms to pick out their own pumpkins or strawberries? It may be backbreaking work to the laborer who has to do it all day, but for the family who wants to spend a few hours in the sun, it's fun. You may design handbags and see it as work, but your customer might love the chance to help create the look of their own purse.

Business lesson #4: Get your employees to talk reverently about your business.

The reality TV way:

Everyone involved in "American Idol", from the show's host Ryan Seacrest to judges Paula Abdul, Randy Jackson, and Simon Cowell talk about the series whenever they get the chance, even when they're working on other projects.

Your reality:

You can have your employees talking about your business, too, but it obviously needs to be in their best interest to promote your company at all hours of the day. Since that's in your best interest, too, come up with some reason for them to love your business, whether it's offering some form of profit-sharing, or simply having pizza parties once a month or even once a week when sales are up. And keep in mind that what you choose to do for them will really depend on the age of your employees: A fully salaried middle-aged man with a family is going to have different interests than a teenager who waits on customers just a few nights a week.

Business lesson #5: Get the public to talk about you.

The reality TV way:

Paula Abdul's alleged affair with one of the shows contestants, Simon Cowell's withering putdowns, the controversy around the fairness of phone call judging -- the news out of "American Idol" may not always be good, but people are talking about the show, and watching it, and purchasing the products involved with the series.

Your reality:

We're not suggesting you try to become embroiled in a scandal, but publicity is certainly important to spread the word about your business. It often comes when your business can offer a new twist on an old idea (see Business Lesson #1), but there are dozens of other ways to get people talking about your company.

Get involved in community projects. Or get a local celebrity to endorse your business in some way. Offer a free or low-cost seminar or workshop that draws people in. Provide your employees with an unusual perk, like letting them bring their pets to work on Fridays (which could just be the talk of the town, if your company is in a small town). Or paint the outside of your business bright pink or green or orange, or all of the above, depending on the message you want to send. The important thing is to make sure that your business isn't invisible.

Business lesson #6: Brand yourself.

The reality TV way:

"American Idol" owns all the licensing and trademarks associated with the show, and they have every contestant under contract for three months after the series ends. Meanwhile, there are "American Idol" clothes, thermos mugs, watches, iPod carrying cases, clocks, track bags, videos, DVDs -- and numerous other products for sale at the "American Idol" online store. The point is, as much as possible, "American Idol" controls its image and makes sure its name is out there for the public to buy.

Your reality:

You may not be able to get the public to buy T-shirts or thermos mugs featuring your auto supply store on them, but you can still make sure that everyone knows your business is the best. You could have a contest for your customers: Ask them to write about the best experience they've had at your store, and give the winner a free tank of gas, or more, if you can afford it. Then send the winning essay and list of winners and runner-ups to your local newspaper, and use the essays in your ads. Considering how valuable gas is these days, you might get a lot more attention than you've ever dreamt of.

The critical thing to remember is that you need to get your name out there, attached to what your business does, in a creative way. If you can enter competitions or get your name positively mentioned by your peers -- at a trade show, for instance -- that can be even more helpful. You want to be the driving force in branding your business, but if you can have the public or your peers saying you're a great company, your credibility and brand are going to be even stronger.

Business lesson #7: Once you have your idea up and running, keep thinking of new twists to add to the mix.

The reality TV way:

The show's creator, Simon Fuller, could have said, "I'm satisfied with 'Pop Idol'," and just called it a day. Instead, he spun that show off into "American Idol" -- and also created "Indian Idol", "Indonesian Idol", "Malaysian Idol", "Latin American Idol" -- and many, many more. More than 100 versions of "Idol" exist around the world.

Meanwhile, host Simon Cowell started his own production company, creating series that are arguably similar in vein to "American Idol", like ABC's "American Inventor" and the upcoming NBC summer series, "America's Got Talent". Ryan Seacrest is constantly reinventing himself as a host. And Paula Abdul has recovered some of the popularity she once had as a pop star. In fact, many of the people behind "American Idol" are constantly dreaming up new ways to expand their empires. Partnering with Sony, "American Idol" has albums that showcase its contestants talent, and they have a summer concert tour.

Your reality:

Franchising is one of the best and most tried-and-true ways to expand your empire -- and that's just what Idol is doing around the world. If you don't want to franchise, though, there are always new markets to find. If you own a car wash, for instance, you could eventually expand to wash buses and large trucks. You could send crews to individual homes or neighborhoods to personally wash cars. You could develop your own brand of automobile soap and start selling it to other car washes and auto stores. You could write a book about washing antique cars. You could have a car show at your car wash once a year and draw in thousands of people.

Of course, it costs money and time to pursue new ways to bring in income, but if your product or service is the best in town -- and if you have the imagination -- there's no reason the public won't rally to your cause. If you want to have business students at your local high school or university bow before you, you, too, can be an "American idol".

Intermezzo 10: How Will You Die??

You scored as Posion. Your death will be by poison, probably because you are a glutton and are around so many people that it would be easy to get away with it. Several important people in history share your fate. Posion 80% Natural Causes 80% Bomb 67% Suffocated 60% Cut Throat 53% Gunshot 53% Disappear 53% Stabbed 47% Eaten 40% Suicide 40% Disease 40% Accident 27% Drowning 27% How Will You Die?? created with QuizFarm.com

American Idol 5: Elliott Yamin

Source: Wikipedia.org

Elliott Yamin (born Efraym Elliott Yamin on July 20, 1978) is an American singer who is best known for being the third place finalist on the fifth season of American Idol. Elliott (pronounced yah-meen) was born in Los Angeles, California to an Israeli Jewish father, Shaul Yamin (of Iraqi heritage) and a Jewish American mother, Claudette Goldberg. He began singing at the age of five and had no formal training. As a child, he suffered from allergies to grass and pollen. Yamin is 95% deaf in his right ear, which he mentioned in the third round of the semi-finals. When he was eleven years old, he moved to Richmond, Virginia and attended Tuckahoe Middle School. At the age of seventeen, Yamin was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and has to wear an insulin pump. He attended Douglas S. Freeman High School in the West End Richmond neighborhood until he left in his sophomore year. He went to work at Foot Locker and with the help of his employer, he eventually received his GED. He later worked with a jazz band, DJed for a radio station under the name "E-Dub", and worked at Westbury Pharmacy, a job he left to audition for American Idol. Elliott auditioned for American Idol in Boston (he originally considered auditioning in Memphis, Tennessee, but the audition was cancelled due to Hurricane Katrina). Elliott performed "A Song For You" (which he also later sang in the finals) and made it to Hollywood.

Yup, my most favorite contestant has been voted off on last Wednesday's AI elimination show (May 17, 2006). I can't believe how I have become so attached to this show, and particularly to this guy. I have never, ever before favored or idolized someone as much as I did to Michael Jackson when I was a kid. When I just started to watch AI this February 2006, I just thought I would just enjoy this show as it is "just" a talent show packed in a reality show. I've never watched this show before because of my evening classes when I was doing my MBA at the Univ. of Missouri - St. Louis, and I did not recognize this show back when I was in Indonesia. I first caught my eyes on Taylor Hicks (who still remains on the show and is predicted to be this season's American Idol replacing the currently reigning Carrie Underwood), but although he has a lot more charisma, I just thought that his stage act is kinda ridiculous. I still was not interested enough in this show (I even left the TV several times during the show) until I came accross this "ugly" guy who sang Stevie Wonder's "If You Really Love Me". I was completely stunned and amazed. I was like, whoooaaa, where did this guy come from? I don't remember seeing him on the Hollywood Round show. I started rooting for Elliott Yamin ever since. He got more of my attention when the following week, he sang James Moody's "Moody's Mood For Love", which is considered one of his best performances on the show. I really, really love his voice and the genres that he adapts, soul, R&B, and jazz; all of these are the only genres that I choose to listen to over and over again. This guy might have some ups and downs results during the show, but he remained strong until May 17, 2006. Guess the power of AI has finally metled me as I "kneel down on my knees" in front of this guy.

Elliott's story is one of the perfect examples of the realization of the expression "reach for the stars no matter how high they are" or the famous proverb "shoot for the moon, even if you miss, you'll land among the stars". Some have described him a perfect realization story of Cinderella. On a physical term, you should be able to notice his physical transformation on the top picture above, which was taken shortly after the Hollywood round when he made it to the top 24 back in February 2006, to the second picture above, which was taken during his latest performance, Tuesday, May 16, 2006. This shy guy, who only did karaoke performances and couple of gigs with a jazz band, has turned into a major international superstar, thanks to the power of AI. Before the show started, he was just an average high-school dropped out who worked as a pharmacy store clerk in Richmond. He admitted that he was "lost" before he joined the show. But now, look at him. His unfortunate background has contributed to how humble, sincerely nice, and emotionally kind he is. I'm not making this up, if you've been watching the show throughout this season, you would have clearly noticed the golden personality traits of this guy. An average guy who really loves his Mom, his family, and his friends. Even during the episode in which they showed clips of supports from families back in the contestants' respective hometowns, Elliott clearly mentioned that he missed his family and friends the most and emotionally cried after he watched the clips made especially for him (unlike other contestants who said they missed their hometowns' cookings.). But then, as the clock ticked off on May 17, 2006, Cinderella has to go home to Richmond.

Unlike one of the remaining contestants the other night, who said that she doesn't talk that much to her parents, live, on TV. I've been noticing the cocky attitude of Katharine McPhee lately, and this has turned me off as being a McPheever fan. Her body language whenever she receives comments from the AI judges and especially, her too early celebration of her victory over Elliott the other night clearly turn me off. But most importantly, an idol should never say that he or she doesn't talk that much to his or her parents, live on TV. What kind of image is she trying to build up anyway? I am no longer a McPheever fan and now I'm rooting for Taylor Hicks to receive the "idol" crown for this season in an attempt to block Katharine's chance to get the crown (I will vote for Taylor next week, I will!)

But to me, the real idol is still Elliott Yamin. Not only because of his singing talent, but also because of his exceptionally kind nature (you should watch his AI Exit Interview. Really emotional and humble.) This funky white boy (nicknamed by AI judge Paula Abdul) is loved by everyone and if you watched the other night's show when they showed the clips of the contestants' parades in their respective hometowns, you would see how crazy the crowds were on Richmond. You could see how much he is loved by the citizens of Richmond. I was at Richmond on the same day (Friday, May 12, 2006) to take care of my academic matters (class registration and administrative matters) and to get a tour on my future apartment. I was planning to join the parade and watch him throw the first ball on the local baseball game, but the tickets were sold out and I couldn't bare the risk of getting lost in Richmond. At around 3:30 PM, after I went to VCU Graduate School of Business office, couple of the main streets/roads that lead to the downtown of Richmond were blocked, as if a President were planning to visit the city. I figured that I better went home although I kinda regret my decision at that time. But hey, if I move to Richmond this August, there might be a chance to see him, am I right? So why risking myself in a city that is still foreign to me?

Well, for the time being, I will miss his live performances. I just hope that he'll get a recording contract deal so I will be hearing more from him. I hope his story will end just like how Cinderella story ends. Good luck Elliott!

Resigning: A Draft Letter

Dear all,

It's been a great journey to work with you here at the World Bank. I have gained a lot of experience and surely applied the theories I received at school. This August 2006, I will be back to school and become a student once again. However, due to my optional practical training restriction as an international student, I will have to resign earlier than August 2006. Friday, June 9, 2006 will be my last day of work as I will be receiving a new I-20 form, making it not possible for me to continue my work. I cannot mention any of you here one by one but again, my sincere gratitude for your guidance while I am part of the big family of the World Bank. I hope we can still keep in touch. You can contact me by sending e-mail to attar1297@yahoo.com or by cell-phone: (703) 589-4784 . Thank you.

Fari Nasution
Business Analyst
Information Solutions Group - Enterprise Administration
The World Bank
1850 I Street, NW
Washington, D.C. 20006
E-mail: mnasution@worldbank.org
Phone: (202) 458-8703

How did My Blog Change My Life?

Well Mbak Tina (Zeventina), here is the "homework" you assigned me to do =p At first, I completely forgot about this (gomenasai =p) but then I was reading those comments on my shout box (Nosy Section) when I found yours and realized I haven't done this yet =p Uhmm, let's see, why me, making and writing this blog? How this has changed my life? Uhmm, it all started back in October 2004, shortly after the Indonesian Night 2004 event at the UM - St. Louis. I kinda wanted to follow the steps (what a copycat =p) of my other Indonesian friends that I was (am) bonding with because of that event. Most of them at that time had blogs and all of them used blogger as their "trusted" domains =) I read some of their blogs and was inspired of how carefree and intelligent they are to express their ideas and their feelings. Some of them even write intellectual topics in a highly artistic fashion (the topics, the chosen words or language). They trully inspire me (I don't need to mention names here, you know who you are). Through blogs, we can see the owners' personalities and the way they think, the way they view their surroundings and the world. You'll get to know them, what they have been doing, their pasts, etc. This envied me back then =p Then was born, "My Random Journey and Passions" and this blogging thing soon became a trend among the Indonesian community in St. Louis until now.

For me, my blog is a piece of art, my work of art and I treat it as my electronic diary. Although I selectively write what's in my heart and what's in my mind to avoid controversy (I'm not that brave and no offense to others who are having or have been having controversy just because of expressing their feelings), I always try to be as honest as I can. Of course, I couldn't bare to lie to myself. My blog is a medium to communicate with my family and my closest friends, to let them know how I've been doing lately and what my plans are when phone calls, messenger chats, or e-mails are out of reach. Also to introduce them to the other side of me and to share with them my past, my sorrow, and my joy. My blog is my medium to practice my english writing skill. It surely helps me get 5.5 out of 6 on my recent GMAT Analytical Writing section (5.5 is similar to 87 percentile, which is, of course, considered very high). Well, indeed, I discover that I love writing. Some of my non-Indonesian friends (my wushu friends and my co-workers) were amazed of the length of each of my entries. "Jeez, you write so long. I usually write a short entry, a paragraph or two, or even just one sentence", said them. My blog helps me discover my other talent, which is writing poems. I used to hate poems when I was little. I hated seeing those classmates of mine (during the K-12 era), crying out of fake while reading patriotic poems during the Bahasa Indonesia subject. PHOOEEEWWW!!! You don't need to exaggerate with those fake tears just to get an A! That made me hate patriotic poems. But when I read poems by Wulan and Freddy (and recently Budi discovered his talent in writing poems as well =p), I was moved to write poems myself. I treat poems as the media to express my feelings that I feel will greatly cause controversy. I hide them behind many symbols. So, when you find any entry entitled with "Intermezzo bla..bla..bla...", and the content is a poem, expect me being overly happy or overly upset about something or of someone during the time I post that poem =p

My blog is also a medium to introduce readers to my taste of music. Many, many times I state that I'm a music lover and I love to sing. But of course, I'm very selective to the genre that I prefer to listen to. Expect to hear songs or watch music videos by artists in the likes of soul, smooth jazz, funk, groove, R&B, or pop. Yes, I'm very picky and my taste of music is not universal and I'm not affraid to say that =p Recently, I found that blog is also a medium to meet new friends who happen to share similar hobbies, similar favorites. That's how I found people such as Rico, Zeventina, Elisabet, Rahma, Enda, and Nita, whom I have never, ever met physically =p My blog has helped me discover things that I never knew I could do and helped me meet new friends. Conclusion, my blog is my electronic diary, the electronic journal of my life, and so you wanna know me? just sit back, relax, turn your PC's speakers on (turn them louder), and then read my entries. I think that's the new motto of this blog =p Although I will selectively write whatever I feel or think to avoid some people's dissapointment, I will write whatever I like, whatever I want here so forgive me if some of the entries might (will) upset you someday! This is, the journal of "My Random Journey and Passions".

Life as a Ph.D. student?

Well, it's been quite a long time since my last post. I was very busy with a project that I did for my co-worker. Not just that, I've been busy doing small research on apartments in Richmond, VA, cars (I'm planning to buy a car by August 2006 when I come back from Jakarta), and of course, school and courses that I'll be taking for this Fall 2006. All of these were done during my breaks. Besides, I'm also taking care of my new laptop that is getting on my nerve lately. I have to return this thing to the manufacturer, Sager Notebook. This gadget is suffering infinite reboot every time I turn it on. Every time the Windows XP logo appears, the laptop will restart by itself, the same thing goes whenever I load it using Windows Safe Mode. I tried to reinstall it using the Windows Recovery CD, but the system fails to recognize the hard drive. What more can I do besides returning it to the manufacturer? All in all, no time to blog anyway ;-)

As I'm preparing my life as a Ph.D. student for this upcoming Fall 2006 until the next 4 to (probably) 6 years from now, I begin to wonder, am I ready for this? I don't care about the living though cause I don't mind living solitary as I'm not the kind of person who needs constant companions even during my breakdown times (a call to some of my closest friends is enough for me). But what scared me the most, is the rigorous, tough nature of the life of a Ph.D. student that awaits me in 3 months from now. I've been browsing these websites, ISWorld Ph.D. Page and IceWorld. The first one is sort of a portal that contains lots of useful resources for I.S. Ph.D. students and researchers while the second one is a blog written by various I.S. Ph.D. students around the world as a medium to share their experiences. All of the information I read kinda overwhelmed me. Am I really ready for this? The classes are not those typical classes you take even in the graduate (masters) level. I contacted my academic advisor, Dr. Gurpreet Dhillon, a well-known scholar in information security, to ask for the pdf or word file of a doctoral seminar course he'll be teaching this Fall 2006, yet he insisted me to visit him at VCU to talk about this face to face. His reasoning was that I will have to choose courses wisely cause these courses will greatly affect my research expertise and my future dissertation (these are not similar to the typical courses that I took in the past). Wanna know what kind of courses that I will (might) be taking this Fall 2006? Don't ever think that it will be one of those introductory to e-commerce, management information systems, database practical approach and such, these courses are seminars and research method courses such as:

1. MGMT 691 - Advanced Research Method (3 credit hours): Semester course; 1-3 lecture hours. 1, 2 or 3 credits. Study of current topics. Topics may vary from semester to semester.

2. INFO 691 - Doctoral Seminar in Information Systems (1 credit hour): SCHOOL OF BUSINESS STUDENTS ONLY; GRADUATE STUDENTS ONLY; PHD CANDIDACY REQUIRED; Semester course; 1-3 lecture hours. 1, 2 or 3 credits. Study of current topics. Topics may vary from semester to semester.

3. STAT 643 - Applied Linear Regression (3 credit hours): Semester course; 3 lecture hours. 3 credits. Prerequisite: MATH 200-201, STAT 212 and MATH 310 or equivalents. An introduction to the concepts and methods of linear regression analysis. Topics include simple linear regression, multiple linear regression, the impact of model misspecification, model selection criteria, residual analysis, influence diagnostics, diagnostic plots, multicollinearity, transformations and response surface methodology. Applications involve the use of a statistical software package.

4. GRAD 602 - Seminar in College Teaching (1 credit hour): Short course (eight weeks); 1 lecture hour. 1 credit. Prerequisite: GRAD 601. Focuses specifically on the act of teaching. Graduate education in this country has only recently begun to address college teaching issues. While mastery of the discipline and of the research skills necessary to contribute to that discipline have long been a staple of graduate training, mastery of the knowledge and skills necessary for teaching the discipline are often neglected.

Notice that doctoral seminars and research method courses apply less than 3 credit hours and do not have detailed course descriptions. I'm like walking in the dark, I don't know what I will be facing. If it's not seminars or research methods, it will be math or statistic courses. Plus, I will be working for a Professor to pay for my school and earn my money. Being a planner, this sort of freaks me out. During my undergraduate and MBA programs, I could always ask those who had taken the courses that I would be taking. But who am I gonna ask for suggestions this time? Ph.D. program is highly individual, specifically tailored to match with your research interests, plus the size of the class is very, very small, up to 6 students at most. Besides, I've heard creepy stories about those who are facing the comprehensive exam, how some (or even most of the time) time you will feel like throwing up whenever you see a pile or a stack of research journals lying on your desk. I could end up having no life. The thought of me giving up most of my wushu training has already made me sad. I'm also sad thinking that I won't be able to see and train with my wushu friends as often as I do now (I'm planning to visit Fairfax, VA to train at O-Mei every Saturday, starting this August 2006). Am I gonna be able to finish these courses with satisfactory results? (I prefer to get at least a B of course) Am I gonna be able to give huge presentations in major conferences or consortia, in front of hundreds of other I.S. Ph.D. students and scholars? (the thought of these people giving critiques and asking difficult questions after I give my presentation has already freaked me out) Am I gonna be able to produce quality research journals and publish them in top I.S. academic journals? (such as MIS Quarterly or Communications of the AIS) Am I gonna be able to sit for the 6 to 8 hours comprehensive exam and pass the comprehensive exam? Am I gonna be able to teach, to become a good teacher? Am I gonna be able to finish my dissertation in less than 2 years? Am I gonna be able to become a Professor with good rating (such as those listed in RateMyProfessors.com website) or a well respected I.S. scholar just like my academic advisor? Or am I just being over-excited? God, please help me get through this. I must earn the title Ph.D. at the back of my name, 4 to 6 years from now!