Jen's MBA blog: A Year at Cambridge

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.....
:)

posted by Jen @ 2:13 PM