As we venture closer to exams (my postings will be sparse in the coming weeks... for which I apologize in advance) I realize how much I have come to think of my classmates as friends/family. Maybe its because we spend 15 hours a day together, either in class, studying or at some club event or other. Turns out we spend some of our 'free' time hanging out too!
My section has been fantastic, lots of laughs and a general good time. Its the old bitter sweet endings. I am thrilled that it is almost Christmas break and we will be done exams in 10 days. But not so thrilled to see my friends in all mix up for the new year. I am sure I will feel differently when January roles around and we all re-group in new sections and have an entirely new experience. However for now, I say don't go! My group mates are fantastic and we work well together, my class mates are wonderful and my study team is killer too. The 'shakeup' or disruptive technology may be more than I can handle.
In the mean time, looking toward the light at the end of the tunnel and the next 10 days to spent in the fishbowl.
Monday, November 30, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
November - Movember
One really cool thing about my classmates, is they don't tend to do things halfway. This is proven by the various gents roaming the halls with fury things growing on their faces even during recruiting season! There are a handful of hard cores who have fully committed and grown the mustache for Movember. A tradition to raise awareness and funds for prostate cancer.
That is definitely something I give my classmates props for. The ladies are kicking in too, and hosting an event on Monday to raise some money for the final draw and do a little slide show of the facial hair, but it is great to see.
School gets busy, recruiting gets crazy, everyone is looking for an edge, and then you have these die-hards who set a goal for themselves at the beginning of the month, to not shave off the 'stache and have stuck to it. Some of our profs have only known these guys with them, and will be shocked to see shining clean faces on Tuesday.
Anyhow - hats off to the Movember crowd and may the tradition continue!
Next on my conversation list is the rescheduling of the core classes. With Rotman experiencing some construction on the new building (to be put up next door) there is expected to be the odd interruption. There was plenty of warning, though apparently next week the type of work is so bad that the expectation is that we won't be able to do much in the building so have had everything completely re-scheduled. Thinking this will make for an interesting study period and exam period, and a bit of a chaotic last week of classes.
All I can say is - three weeks till winter break! Counting down the days, keeping up with the work and trying to post on this blog semi-regularly (which has been somewhat lacking for which I apologize).
That is definitely something I give my classmates props for. The ladies are kicking in too, and hosting an event on Monday to raise some money for the final draw and do a little slide show of the facial hair, but it is great to see.
School gets busy, recruiting gets crazy, everyone is looking for an edge, and then you have these die-hards who set a goal for themselves at the beginning of the month, to not shave off the 'stache and have stuck to it. Some of our profs have only known these guys with them, and will be shocked to see shining clean faces on Tuesday.
Anyhow - hats off to the Movember crowd and may the tradition continue!
Next on my conversation list is the rescheduling of the core classes. With Rotman experiencing some construction on the new building (to be put up next door) there is expected to be the odd interruption. There was plenty of warning, though apparently next week the type of work is so bad that the expectation is that we won't be able to do much in the building so have had everything completely re-scheduled. Thinking this will make for an interesting study period and exam period, and a bit of a chaotic last week of classes.
All I can say is - three weeks till winter break! Counting down the days, keeping up with the work and trying to post on this blog semi-regularly (which has been somewhat lacking for which I apologize).
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
This week at MBA school
Super Saturday was super! There is a lot of ebb and flow around what exactly goes on, but in general, its good times had by all. I think the mock interview went well, we had some tough questions and they put us on the spot in the spotlight, and I NEARLY blew it, but managed to recover.
If you are interested in finance and looking at opportunities like this one, definitely participate. If you are given the chance, it gets your name out there, if forces you to show up and impress, and worst case scenario they teach you what not to do.
Tomorrow night is Industry Night, were we get to go out with and meet and mingle while chatting with Industry people who know the business and can provide some insight.
Tomorrow is also our Strategy quiz - which should be good, after the bonanza of finance assignments and case write ups, a quiz is kind of refreshing. One thing that I have found in terms of Rotman and MBA school in general. Is not to sweat the grades, not because of importance, they are important, but because of how many times they get translated before showing up on a transcript. By getting a 9/10 that doesn't translate to 90% and therefore an A on the old scale, It depends on how many people got 9's or 8's or 9.5's and then there is some weird weighting metrics - and there are mid term feedback opportunities so you can check how you are doing and all that - but it all comes down to effort. Work hard and it will pay off. Work smart, and it will pay off more.
One big learning from the whole Rotman experience, has been that you CANNOT do everything. Not to say your shouldn't try everything that you are really interested in. But there is simply way too much work to be done to get through. While getting 5 + hours of sleep a night and staying on top of networking and school, and extra curricular activities. I highly recommend picking a focus, and understanding that the focus has got to be maintained. BUT not forgetting about other classes. (Example, don't ignore Accounting and Stats just because you have Finance homework).
My two cents for the week - prioritize and listen. Often times a prof will say exactly what they want, but if you aren't listening, its hard to deliver to their expectations.
If you are interested in finance and looking at opportunities like this one, definitely participate. If you are given the chance, it gets your name out there, if forces you to show up and impress, and worst case scenario they teach you what not to do.
Tomorrow night is Industry Night, were we get to go out with and meet and mingle while chatting with Industry people who know the business and can provide some insight.
Tomorrow is also our Strategy quiz - which should be good, after the bonanza of finance assignments and case write ups, a quiz is kind of refreshing. One thing that I have found in terms of Rotman and MBA school in general. Is not to sweat the grades, not because of importance, they are important, but because of how many times they get translated before showing up on a transcript. By getting a 9/10 that doesn't translate to 90% and therefore an A on the old scale, It depends on how many people got 9's or 8's or 9.5's and then there is some weird weighting metrics - and there are mid term feedback opportunities so you can check how you are doing and all that - but it all comes down to effort. Work hard and it will pay off. Work smart, and it will pay off more.
One big learning from the whole Rotman experience, has been that you CANNOT do everything. Not to say your shouldn't try everything that you are really interested in. But there is simply way too much work to be done to get through. While getting 5 + hours of sleep a night and staying on top of networking and school, and extra curricular activities. I highly recommend picking a focus, and understanding that the focus has got to be maintained. BUT not forgetting about other classes. (Example, don't ignore Accounting and Stats just because you have Finance homework).
My two cents for the week - prioritize and listen. Often times a prof will say exactly what they want, but if you aren't listening, its hard to deliver to their expectations.
Friday, November 13, 2009
RFA Super Saturday
Happy to say we are finishing the third week of Q2 and first quarter grades finally came out. Depending on success rate, people are either drinking to celebrate or drinking to ward off the frustration. Either way - its the weekend! Any illusion prospective students have that that means 'free' time needs to be corrected.
Tomorrow is another all day RFA event 'Super Saturday' there should be some interesting speakers, an opportunity to mingle a little with second year students and a few folks on the street. Another fun added bonus is the event includes an on-stage Mock Interview for a role in Investment Banking. A number of my classmates (and myself) applied to take part, and two of us were selected. So wish me luck as I participate in an abridged (10-15 minute) on stage interview! Will be sure to update with some fun stories after the fact & try not to trip on stage!
Tomorrow is another all day RFA event 'Super Saturday' there should be some interesting speakers, an opportunity to mingle a little with second year students and a few folks on the street. Another fun added bonus is the event includes an on-stage Mock Interview for a role in Investment Banking. A number of my classmates (and myself) applied to take part, and two of us were selected. So wish me luck as I participate in an abridged (10-15 minute) on stage interview! Will be sure to update with some fun stories after the fact & try not to trip on stage!
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Time goes on...
Many people come into the MBA program with deep experience in Business, from a consulting or finance background, or have a wicked story - Olympian, Quarterback for Varsity football, life altering experiences while back-packing through Africa and a couple of Doctors to boot.
Then there are the rest of us, mere mortals who are constantly struggling to differentiate ourselves via grades, participation, extra-cirricular events and networking. Every now and then, especially when I feel the struggle to see a light at the end of the tunnel and worry about grades and get concerned about big upcoming events, I stop and gain some perspective.
The thing I have to remember, is that by virtue of being in a top MBA program, your peers are all very smart, very motivated, with great experiences and community involvement. Being 'middle of the pack' among such a strong class is really a great accomplishment. In the spirit of gaining perspective, its great to be in such good company. Every day my classmates amaze me with how to interpret class material that I am not struggling with, and then the next day, I have the opportunity to teach them something.
I was concerned coming into this program that it would be competitive and it would hard develop friendships with my classmates, but generally speaking that hasn't happened. It will be interesting how this plays out in the coming months, as we get our grades back for Q1, and start to get more involved in the recruiting process.
One thing I mentioned earlier, that the class eventually 'divides' into industry groups - has for the most part happened. This is largely by virtue of time. We have such little free time, that our free time is spent attending industry events, and our friends become the people who we spend time with. Many of the people I was friendly with at the start of the year, I still chat with when I see them at class and look forward to catching up with when given the opportunity. But it truly comes down to a split based on chosen industry/career path.
Thats all for tonight, off to study stats and try to ensure I am up to speed by Friday's quiz!
Then there are the rest of us, mere mortals who are constantly struggling to differentiate ourselves via grades, participation, extra-cirricular events and networking. Every now and then, especially when I feel the struggle to see a light at the end of the tunnel and worry about grades and get concerned about big upcoming events, I stop and gain some perspective.
The thing I have to remember, is that by virtue of being in a top MBA program, your peers are all very smart, very motivated, with great experiences and community involvement. Being 'middle of the pack' among such a strong class is really a great accomplishment. In the spirit of gaining perspective, its great to be in such good company. Every day my classmates amaze me with how to interpret class material that I am not struggling with, and then the next day, I have the opportunity to teach them something.
I was concerned coming into this program that it would be competitive and it would hard develop friendships with my classmates, but generally speaking that hasn't happened. It will be interesting how this plays out in the coming months, as we get our grades back for Q1, and start to get more involved in the recruiting process.
One thing I mentioned earlier, that the class eventually 'divides' into industry groups - has for the most part happened. This is largely by virtue of time. We have such little free time, that our free time is spent attending industry events, and our friends become the people who we spend time with. Many of the people I was friendly with at the start of the year, I still chat with when I see them at class and look forward to catching up with when given the opportunity. But it truly comes down to a split based on chosen industry/career path.
Thats all for tonight, off to study stats and try to ensure I am up to speed by Friday's quiz!
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Stock Pitch Competition
I promised I would be writing out about life outside the classroom. Lately I haven't felt like I had a life outside of school, but I am returning to my roots and looking at extra-cirricular activities as entertainment. My position as class rep has been great so far, I have a fantastic section and am really going to miss them when things shake up in January!
But this weekend, I participated in a stock pitch competition for the Rotman Finance Association. Brought together by a deep knowledge of the company Magna, a very interesting week in the news and a lot of smart work (can't say long work because out entire thesis changed on Wednesday when GM announced they were pulling out of the Magna SBerbank Opel deal) so we had to work fast and smart - making work we had done up to that point negligible.
It was an all around fun experience - incredible learning experience and has set me up for the first stage of interview preparation. A huge kudo's has to go out to my team mate who rocked it and the many other teams who worked hard. All the finalists had great presentations, with some interesting investment thesis's and a couple of brilliant decks!
So good job to all my fellow RFA members who participated this weekend. Catered to the mid-night on Thursday - worst day of the quarter -deadline and pulled off some great work!
But this weekend, I participated in a stock pitch competition for the Rotman Finance Association. Brought together by a deep knowledge of the company Magna, a very interesting week in the news and a lot of smart work (can't say long work because out entire thesis changed on Wednesday when GM announced they were pulling out of the Magna SBerbank Opel deal) so we had to work fast and smart - making work we had done up to that point negligible.
It was an all around fun experience - incredible learning experience and has set me up for the first stage of interview preparation. A huge kudo's has to go out to my team mate who rocked it and the many other teams who worked hard. All the finalists had great presentations, with some interesting investment thesis's and a couple of brilliant decks!
So good job to all my fellow RFA members who participated this weekend. Catered to the mid-night on Thursday - worst day of the quarter -deadline and pulled off some great work!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Its time to decide....
So far we have had a rush of experiences in Q1 and Q2 that have lead up to us being able to make "informed" decisions about what we want to be when we grow up. Into November, the Career Center and school has asked to get more specific, focus on an industry and roles within that industry. Its time to stop "flirting" with both sides.
Several students come to business school with an idea of what they want to do, but can easily question that idea in the early weeks of their academic rebirth as the flurry of career path opportunities are presented.
We joke around about the pro's and con's of the various fields, and debate the risk and potential reward as well as competitiveness in the different job sectors.
I have long since committed to capital markets, but I see many of my colleagues come to Finance Association events, and then attend the Consulting Industry events as well. I think the more information we can collect, the better informed a decision we can make, but I also believe that if you have not yet decided what path you want to pursue now is the time.
If for no other reason that time management! Some students (allegedly) apply for jobs of all sectors and industries, and end up empty handed. This is because it is simply impossible to be properly prepared for the rigor of the different types of interviews. The two most commonly pursued career paths for MBA's are consulting and finance. This week alone there was a marketing case competition and a on Saturday, a stock pitch competition. Either of these events, to adequately participate in, let alone succeed, require extensive time commitment. Both are fantastic events that will provide insight into the industry you are interested in as well as demonstrate interest. Some students are participating in both events within 4 days of each other. This would not be as impressive, except that we also have a regular class schedule to tend to, case prep for Strategy, a MCV write up, Finance Homework, Quiz and our group has the added bonus of a presentation.
Trying to balance it all means somethings will suffer, to succeed in either Consulting or Finance, you must participate in the relevant events, but your grades cannot suffer as a result.
My advice (do with it as you please) to incoming students, do as much research coming as possible. Read the recommended literature for the industry you may be interested, start reading the paper today! If you can get your hands on vault guides for your industry, read them. Twice. They will be invaluable in making decisions.
When you get to Rotman, be prepared to flirt a little, sign up for all the clubs if you like, you are buying information and invitations to events, and explore. But by Q1 exams, make a decision, and the already challenging workload will seem almost manageable.
Several students come to business school with an idea of what they want to do, but can easily question that idea in the early weeks of their academic rebirth as the flurry of career path opportunities are presented.
We joke around about the pro's and con's of the various fields, and debate the risk and potential reward as well as competitiveness in the different job sectors.
I have long since committed to capital markets, but I see many of my colleagues come to Finance Association events, and then attend the Consulting Industry events as well. I think the more information we can collect, the better informed a decision we can make, but I also believe that if you have not yet decided what path you want to pursue now is the time.
If for no other reason that time management! Some students (allegedly) apply for jobs of all sectors and industries, and end up empty handed. This is because it is simply impossible to be properly prepared for the rigor of the different types of interviews. The two most commonly pursued career paths for MBA's are consulting and finance. This week alone there was a marketing case competition and a on Saturday, a stock pitch competition. Either of these events, to adequately participate in, let alone succeed, require extensive time commitment. Both are fantastic events that will provide insight into the industry you are interested in as well as demonstrate interest. Some students are participating in both events within 4 days of each other. This would not be as impressive, except that we also have a regular class schedule to tend to, case prep for Strategy, a MCV write up, Finance Homework, Quiz and our group has the added bonus of a presentation.
Trying to balance it all means somethings will suffer, to succeed in either Consulting or Finance, you must participate in the relevant events, but your grades cannot suffer as a result.
My advice (do with it as you please) to incoming students, do as much research coming as possible. Read the recommended literature for the industry you may be interested, start reading the paper today! If you can get your hands on vault guides for your industry, read them. Twice. They will be invaluable in making decisions.
When you get to Rotman, be prepared to flirt a little, sign up for all the clubs if you like, you are buying information and invitations to events, and explore. But by Q1 exams, make a decision, and the already challenging workload will seem almost manageable.
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