Sunday, September 25, 2011
Lists!
I've come so close to crossing off everything on my to-do list for this quarter!!!! :) I know you guys are super jealous. But don't worry, there will be another one of these next quarter - so if you want to share in the fun, you know where to find me!
Checking In....
... or Procrasinating. Either way...
Tomorrow starts the last week of my first quarter of classes. Then come finals. Then it all starts over again on October 10th. Seriously, where did the first half 1st term go? As I was explaining my plans for the upcoming week, my mom commented "I didn't realize this MBA thing was going to take over your life." Hahahaha.... I did!
So, before I take my finals and skew my thoughts on the past 1.5 months of school, I want to say a few things.
1) I am SO HAPPY that I decided to get my MBA. While I often wonder what took me so long, I also appreciate my past experiences when trying to relate what I've learned and understand why it is important. I'm also SO HAPPY I am getting my MBA at Texas. It is 100% where I need to be.
2) I do not like tests. Not one bit.They send me into a massive downward hate spiral of doom.
3) Before I thought I wanted to be a consultant, I was living easy street because most marketing positions don't require GPAs. But not consultants - they want to know everything. UGH. That being said, I will try my hardest to get a consulting internship (especially with a few of my favorite firms), but if it doesn't work out, then I also know that I LOVE LOVE LOVE marketing too, and I would be equally happy working in a marketing position again.
4) I am meeting some ridiculously cool people. My facebook friend list has grown by nearly 200 people. I sadly don't get to see my old friends hardly at all, but at least the people I do see every day are great. (Old friends... I shall be free after 2nd quarter finals mid December!)
5) I often think "I could never go back to my previous job." It's strange to think that something so natural for me is not even an option anymore. I miss the people, but I certainly don't miss the job.
6) Joe is insanely patient with me. I've been the lamest girlfriend ever, but he never says a thing. Well he does say "E better be nice to E" a lot, but that's another story...
7) There isn't enough time in the day. I was feeling like there was all the time in the world on Friday, but now that it's Sunday night I'm starting to mildly panic again.
8) My favorite events so far are the networking events. If only they gave out grades for networking - I'd be a 4.0 student.
9) Speaking of networking. At a career fair last week, I met someone who is married to a girl who knew me... because she was a freshman in BBYO when I was a senior, and I planned her intake convention. I felt really old when I heard that. To think he may have a say in whether I get a job, too.
10) Even though I'm stressed out a lot, and I am harder on myself than I have been in a long time, I'm still having the best time of my life. When I actually stop and realize that, I can't help but realize that everything is going to be okay.
So... with that, I am going to do a few more housekeeping things and get back to studying.
Tomorrow starts the last week of my first quarter of classes. Then come finals. Then it all starts over again on October 10th. Seriously, where did the first half 1st term go? As I was explaining my plans for the upcoming week, my mom commented "I didn't realize this MBA thing was going to take over your life." Hahahaha.... I did!
So, before I take my finals and skew my thoughts on the past 1.5 months of school, I want to say a few things.
1) I am SO HAPPY that I decided to get my MBA. While I often wonder what took me so long, I also appreciate my past experiences when trying to relate what I've learned and understand why it is important. I'm also SO HAPPY I am getting my MBA at Texas. It is 100% where I need to be.
2) I do not like tests. Not one bit.They send me into a massive downward hate spiral of doom.
3) Before I thought I wanted to be a consultant, I was living easy street because most marketing positions don't require GPAs. But not consultants - they want to know everything. UGH. That being said, I will try my hardest to get a consulting internship (especially with a few of my favorite firms), but if it doesn't work out, then I also know that I LOVE LOVE LOVE marketing too, and I would be equally happy working in a marketing position again.
4) I am meeting some ridiculously cool people. My facebook friend list has grown by nearly 200 people. I sadly don't get to see my old friends hardly at all, but at least the people I do see every day are great. (Old friends... I shall be free after 2nd quarter finals mid December!)
5) I often think "I could never go back to my previous job." It's strange to think that something so natural for me is not even an option anymore. I miss the people, but I certainly don't miss the job.
6) Joe is insanely patient with me. I've been the lamest girlfriend ever, but he never says a thing. Well he does say "E better be nice to E" a lot, but that's another story...
7) There isn't enough time in the day. I was feeling like there was all the time in the world on Friday, but now that it's Sunday night I'm starting to mildly panic again.
8) My favorite events so far are the networking events. If only they gave out grades for networking - I'd be a 4.0 student.
9) Speaking of networking. At a career fair last week, I met someone who is married to a girl who knew me... because she was a freshman in BBYO when I was a senior, and I planned her intake convention. I felt really old when I heard that. To think he may have a say in whether I get a job, too.
10) Even though I'm stressed out a lot, and I am harder on myself than I have been in a long time, I'm still having the best time of my life. When I actually stop and realize that, I can't help but realize that everything is going to be okay.
So... with that, I am going to do a few more housekeeping things and get back to studying.
Saturday, September 24, 2011
MBA Update....
*Borrowing from the MBA Student Blog*
Last week I had the opportunity to attend the “Dallas Consulting Trek” put on by Career Management. (I was lucky since I was the last one off the waitlist who got to attend – this was a popular choice trek!)
The details:
The timing was great for another reason, because on Saturday I received my MBA+ project offers. I decided to go with a marketing strategy project for Booz & Company – which was made even more exciting since I had just met my project contacts the previous day.
I’m constantly impressed with the opportunities that Career Management provides. In addition to our one hour weekly class where we are taught everything from research to resume writing to networking… They put on events like this so we can see first-hand what it’s like to work in a particular industry and at a particular company.
Last week I had the opportunity to attend the “Dallas Consulting Trek” put on by Career Management. (I was lucky since I was the last one off the waitlist who got to attend – this was a popular choice trek!)
The details:
- 40 first-year MBAs make their way to Dallas to visit with 5 of the country’s top consulting companies
- Thursday night: Welcoming reception with the consulting team of PwC
- Friday: Wheels down (via a giant bus) at 7:15, where we headed to Bain & Company for breakfast, a presentation, and an office tour. Next stop: Booz & Company for a presentation and office tour, complete with soaring views of downtown Dallas. Next stop: Boston Consulting Group for lunch, a presentation, and rotating roundtable discussions with their team. Last stop: Deloitte Consulting for happy hour and an energetic group discussion. Final bus unload at 6:30pm.
The timing was great for another reason, because on Saturday I received my MBA+ project offers. I decided to go with a marketing strategy project for Booz & Company – which was made even more exciting since I had just met my project contacts the previous day.
I’m constantly impressed with the opportunities that Career Management provides. In addition to our one hour weekly class where we are taught everything from research to resume writing to networking… They put on events like this so we can see first-hand what it’s like to work in a particular industry and at a particular company.
Laura, Sarah & me at Booz & Company
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Back up for air...
I made it through midterms. By "made it" I mean, I took them. Without going in to too much detail, I will offer up that one for question for my finance midterm, I answered with a drawn out sad face. Think I'll get partial credit for humor? (i.e. desperation?)
Luckily midterms are behind me, and I won't have to think about tests for another, oh, three weeks! Just projects, papers, studying, homework, interviewing, resumes, clubs, etc... I'm not complaining, I promise. I'm getting my money's worth!! I just have to keep this in perspective... My former career was not based in finance, accounting, statistics, or economics. Bring on 2nd term courses! Marketing, my eye is on you!!
I was hoping to have something more interesting to say when I started this, but I think my brain is still fried. Carry on!
Luckily midterms are behind me, and I won't have to think about tests for another, oh, three weeks! Just projects, papers, studying, homework, interviewing, resumes, clubs, etc... I'm not complaining, I promise. I'm getting my money's worth!! I just have to keep this in perspective... My former career was not based in finance, accounting, statistics, or economics. Bring on 2nd term courses! Marketing, my eye is on you!!
I was hoping to have something more interesting to say when I started this, but I think my brain is still fried. Carry on!
Wednesday, September 07, 2011
Midterms
As much as I love school & learning... I really hate tests. Why do I have to validate how much (or exactly what) I have learned.
UGH. No likey. Not one bit. :(
UGH. No likey. Not one bit. :(
Monday, September 05, 2011
Study-A-Saurus-Rex!
Studying is FUN!!! (Exams... not so much. But that's Future E's problem...)
Midterm Epiphany
I am ridiculously excited about the epiphany I just had while studying finance.
In capital budgeting, you determine the discount cash flows at cost of capital using the expected return of the project, which equals the Risk-free Interest Rate + Systematic Risk of the Project (Beta) x Risk Premium of Market Portfolio. You can analyze Beta to determine the risk, knowing that at 0 = the project is risk free, and at 1 = the company's risk equals the market's risk.
Beta is also known as the slope in the regression equation... which I just learned about in statistics! Beta is a coefficient which can be analyzed through statistical methods!
What else goes in to capital budgeting? Things like depreciation, cost of goods sold, etc. Where do you determine how to account for these things? In accounting!!! Then you have to determine things like interest rates and tax rates. Where do those come from? Economics!!!
In case you haven't figured it out, my epiphany is that everything fits together!!!
For the first time in my schooling history, I feel like all of my classes are aligning. In theory, I knew an MBA would teach me the various aspects of business - but I didn't realize HOW MUCH everything ties together. Remember in high school, when we learned calculus and wondered, "why on earth will I ever need this?" I am happy to say that I have yet to say that about anything I've learned this semester. And with a 95% confidence interval (at Z=1.96), I should accept the null hypothesis that I will not say "why on earth will I ever need this" for the rest of my MBA. (Hahaha, I crack myself up.)
Business school is awesome!!!!!
In capital budgeting, you determine the discount cash flows at cost of capital using the expected return of the project, which equals the Risk-free Interest Rate + Systematic Risk of the Project (Beta) x Risk Premium of Market Portfolio. You can analyze Beta to determine the risk, knowing that at 0 = the project is risk free, and at 1 = the company's risk equals the market's risk.
Beta is also known as the slope in the regression equation... which I just learned about in statistics! Beta is a coefficient which can be analyzed through statistical methods!
What else goes in to capital budgeting? Things like depreciation, cost of goods sold, etc. Where do you determine how to account for these things? In accounting!!! Then you have to determine things like interest rates and tax rates. Where do those come from? Economics!!!
In case you haven't figured it out, my epiphany is that everything fits together!!!
For the first time in my schooling history, I feel like all of my classes are aligning. In theory, I knew an MBA would teach me the various aspects of business - but I didn't realize HOW MUCH everything ties together. Remember in high school, when we learned calculus and wondered, "why on earth will I ever need this?" I am happy to say that I have yet to say that about anything I've learned this semester. And with a 95% confidence interval (at Z=1.96), I should accept the null hypothesis that I will not say "why on earth will I ever need this" for the rest of my MBA. (Hahaha, I crack myself up.)
Business school is awesome!!!!!
Thursday, September 01, 2011
You win points if...
You win points if you are one of my professors and you make Seinfeld references.
In finance, we've talked about Kramer and the bottle caps.
In accounting this morning, we talked about muffin bottoms.
Humor + Math = far more bearable classes. :)
In finance, we've talked about Kramer and the bottle caps.
In accounting this morning, we talked about muffin bottoms.
Humor + Math = far more bearable classes. :)
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