Wharton students are well-versed in the tools needed to navigate the business world.
Braving the freezing temperatures and harsh elements of the Antarctic landscape, however, requires a whole new set of gear.
It's not surprising that Wharton MBA student Andras Forgacs brought the wrong pair of boots.
"When I fantasized about the trip beforehand, I never realized how uncomfortable it would be -- cold, hungry, tired of no bathrooms and no shower," Forgacs says.
But, Forgacs, among other Wharton students, was more prepared for the challenge than most would have been, as he chose to be part of Wharton Leadership Ventures.
The recent trip to Antarctica is just one of the many trips offered by Wharton Leadership Ventures throughout the year. The organization plans programs that give students an opportunity to implement leadership skills learned in the classroom in a high-intensity environment.
The program "focuses on taking students out of their comfort zone ... to explore different messages of leadership," says Penny Bamber, coordinator of Wharton Leadership Ventures.
Participants have traveled to Mount Kilimanjaro, the Himalayas and even to a Marine base to further their leadership skills. Wharton Leadership Ventures also runs small weekend retreats that focus on interpersonal interaction.
The program "has become a distinguishing feature of the Wharton School," says Evan Wittenberg, director of the Wharton Leadership Program. "Most people who apply to Wharton have heard of it."
The programs are directed toward MBA students, but due to their popularity, have expanded to include the Executive Education Program and Wharton's undergraduate school.
The recent trip to Antarctica consisted of 18 MBA students and eight leaders. The leaders included Arthur Sulzberger, chairman of The New York Times Company.
Forgacs called the experience "invaluable," adding that the main thing that he learned was that "to be a good leader, you need to be concerned with other people."
The students were divided into groups of three, which became their team for the duration of the trip. Each day, a different team would lead the whole group in completing a task. At the end of the day, there was a peer discussion to evaluate the effectiveness of that day's leaders.
"The challenge came in getting 18 [people] working together as one," says MBA student Raghav Sharma, another participant.
Sharma added that he wanted the opportunity to apply things learned in class to real life.
People "learn best by not sitting around in a classroom," says Wittenberg, explaining the purpose of the program.
Other participants also praised the program.
"There were so many positives about this trip," Forgacs continues, "the way we were doing it, the people I was going with and the amazing professors coming along."
The people who sign up for the trips tend to be outdoor aficionados. "I've always been a travel buff ... so when this opportunity presented itself, it was a no-brainer," Forgacs says.
Wharton Leadership Ventures would like to increase the trips to accommodate the large number of applicants. However, according to Wittenberg, the problem is finding qualified faculty who are willing to participate in programs with such extreme conditions.
Both Sharma and Forgacs said that by the end of the trip, all of the participants were mentally and physically exhausted. Yet, in retrospect, both would jump at the chance to return.
Sharma adds, "I would do it again in a heartbeat just for the natural beauty of the continent and the leadership experience."
