A new term begins....
Well I survived my finance exam!! Ok i haven't exactly gotten the grade back yet, but I felt capable of passing (=50% here). No more late-nights spent shared between me and my finance book! Sad. ;)
New Classes:
No less than 2 days after that stressful exam experience, we began our next term. 'Lent' term it is called. Last term was called 'Michaelmas' or something....pardon my ignorance of UK education systems, but I still have no idea what that is all about! So this term so far we are taking
International Business (taught by an enthusiastic Greek professor prone to exclaiming 'I LOVE you....tell me more!' in his thick Greek accent, quite entertaining), where we discussed ways in which Starbucks has been sucessful becoming a global company, and the benefits and drawbacks of foriegn direct investment as opposed to just licensing/franchising.
Strategy (another enthusiastic professor, and very good) which has been interesting so far (discussion of Pepsi/7-Up strategies, UK television and Channel 4, Matra automobile's alliance with Renault, and next Intel).
Operations & Management Accounting, with discussions about just in time manufacturing, supply chain management and ways in which operations and systems theory can be applied to just about any business process. I am taking an elective in
Global Marketing, and our case presentation today was about the export strategy for a Chilean winery. Of course we decided to bring samples of the product in for our presentation! ;)
New Study Group:
Last term we were divided into 2 streams of about 62 each, and study groups of 5 each. This term we knew we were getting new study groups, but found out last minute that the streams were being re-done as well. In a way, these 2 streams were almost separate classes, even though we are getting to know everyone by this point. Now the streams have been mixed (anyone else having a Ghostbusters flashback..."Don't cross the streams!!! That's the worst thing you can do") for a new overall lecture dynamic. And my new study group includes Japanese, Chinese, Russian and American representation. So far the group has worked well together. Especially over amazing home-made Japanese food (including sushi, yum) at one group member's house on Saturday!
MCP:
At the Cambridge MBA, we undertake a one-month consulting project in the spring (MCP= major consulting project). It was a stressful and long process to allocate projects; we had to decide amongst ourselves: what projects we were interested in and where, and what people we would like to work with, form ourselves in groups and select the projects. What to do...go for a company you may want to work for? choose something that has international travel? Do you work with your friends, or not with your friends? It was quite complicated. In the end I narrowed my choices down to a project for Kodak in the UK and a project for ABB in Switzerland. It was difficult but I chose ABB for the chance to do some work in another country, since I've worked in the UK a while. It will be based in Zurich late March/early April.
Ok back to reading...right now reading about pros/cons of free trade and offshoring jobs, hot topic in the US right now so relevant reading.....
:)
My Finance book is encouraging me to drink!
Ok I am not delirious....despite the long hours of studying, I am not making this up...the chapter summary, Chapter 20, Principles of Corporate Finance by Brealey & Myers, has encouraged late night options-reading drinking!
I quote Brealey and Myers:
"If you have managed to reach this point, you are probably in need of a rest and a stiff gin and tonic.....
We will summarize...in the next chapter when you are rested (or drunk)." Pg 582.
No joke.
:) hmmm, never got that in my undergrad nursing or biology texts, I must admit! what is it about finance that drives people to drink....
Never a dull moment at the MBA.
F & A nightmares....5 days to go
The latest upcoming event unfortunately is not another party. It is our Finance and Accounting exam, in my mind the biggest exam of the program. Less than one week to go, as I learn the differences between WACC and APV and pros and cons of each. Since I don’t have ANY finance background at all, this is a challenge. Luckily the class is very collaborative and everyone helps each other to study. In fact one of our investment banker classmates is volunteering to hold a 3-hour review session on Monday, which is a life-saving gift to many of us! I prefer this sort of class culture to a more cutthroat competitive one. Anyway I do like learning about stocks and dividends and trends in investing, and how investors react to management decisions such as issuing stock or debt for instance. Let’s just see how much I remember after the program! ;) Especially if I go back into for-profit education or something medical like pharmaceuticals.
So back to the books to learn about options…any advice anyone? Will let you know how exams go. Oh yeah, we do have one other exam, Organisational Behaviour (yes I am into British spellings these days), but no one is too worried about that, hope to cram a bit the last couple of days for that one.
At least I have my standard-issue all-important Cambridge study desk situated perfectly in my room, in front of the window overlooking the garden...perfect for daydreaming that is....watch the little birds fly around, notice the difference in views in winter with many bare trees...geez has anyone realized how WINDY it gets in Cambridge??? Ok better stop procrastinating now.
King's College Chapel, Cambridge
Close the Door on '04....Herne Lodge Party Time again
Happy New Year! This should be a memorable year, complete with finishing the MBA in September and (hopefully!) starting a great new job at the end of the year….
After my first ski trip, to Meribel, France for Christmas, my flatmate and I decided to stay around Cambridge for New Year’s Eve. Cambridge you say?? How potentially boring??? But wait….it is never quite boring with MBA classmates around, particularly at Herne Lodge (yes, my house really has a 'title', there is actually a sign that says ‘Herne Lodge’ outside).
Ryan and I decided to try to arrange a potluck dinner party for New Years, though we were a bit worried it would end up being just us, since many of our classmates were travelling for New Years. After sending out an Evite, slowly the replies started to come in, and I went into party-planning mood, picking out appetizers and desserts to make, ordering helium balloons and party poppers, buying champagne…and the numbers grew and grew! A few days before New Year’s we had about 25 replies. By champagne toast time, we counted 38 people!
Having an international class brings great culinary benefits as well. Each attendee brought a food dish from their home country. We had a spread that could have fed an army, and it came from Thailand, China, India, Jordan, Canada, America, Japan, and more. You should have seen the people hoarding over the food table with plates in hand, greedy looks all around! Of course there was more than enough to go around. Anyway the party was great, lots of fun, one of the best New Year’s Eves I’ve had, and a great chance for all the classmates who were around to get together and welcome the coming year.
You really can’t beat the MBA for the interaction with classmates alone. Cambridge does a great job selecting each class, so that it is very diverse, culturally and in terms of work background, and also that they are down-to-earth, level-headed people. Everyone in the class has done amazing things in life, but you can talk to them without feeling intimidated. And everyone is up for a laugh and a good time as well, hence the weekly pub nights, always at a different pub in Cambridge.
