I took the weekend to re-energize mentally. Last week was rough. Finance reached what is said to be the pinnacle of frustration. Accounting is moving forward at rocket speed (and I feel like I’ve been left at the launch pad). Strategy is a lot of fun, but I’m still not sure what framework I should follow when attacking these cases and Statistics seems to be on chapter 9 already – how on earth did that happen?
After having a mini-breakdown on Friday, culminating with bad news about my dog’s health (a cancer diagnosis), I really needed to spend the weekend away from 105 St. George Street. Friday I went to a concert in Barrie, April Wine & Collective Soul. Saturday morning I spent the day fretting over Daisy after her veterinary visit and the afternoon fretting over the emptiness I was feeling in the wallet region thanks to the $400 bucks spent on Daisy that morning. Sunday I basked in the sun thanks to an unseasonably warm fall. It’s on weekends like this that I’m glad that I live a bit further away from campus in an area of Toronto known as the Beaches. It really is like getting away from it all.
Don’t think I was 100% lazy, I did work on my accounting project and skimmed readings for this morning, but I certainly didn’t put in the hours that I have over the past few weeks. Now it’s time to buckle down again because Q2 finals (and my next mini-mental breakdown) will be here before I know it!
Monday, November 9, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Tears for Fears
The highs and lows of the MBA.
This morning we had a FANTASTIC discussion in our marketing class. I was right in it, my mind was whirling with ideas and considerations. It was a fast pace discussion but in the end, my recommendation from the homework was right on pace with the prof and the rest of the class.
... and then Finance started.
As usual, the class started with 'by now everyone in the class should be finding this easy.' Crap - this is NOT easy for me. At break I thought I'd better ask for help, additional reading material, ANYTHING that might make sense. And the answer, there isn't something. 'Hang in there, it gets better from here.' Well frankly, it can't get any worse. I literally can't put any more time into this course without further jeopardizing my other courses.
I broke.
At break I snuck away and cried in the bathroom. Super embarassing, but I don't take well to feeling stupid. While I do trust my prof when he says it'll get better, I can't help but be reminded about Grade 12 when Mr. Graham (my OAC math teacher) told me that based on what he'd seen so far, I didn't have any home of passing the course.
Mr Graham made me mad, and I did end up passing the class. This situation is SO much worse than that because Kent is really nice and encouraging and I still really don't 'get it'. His niceness literally reduced me to tears.
Clearly it's time for fries, chips and chocolate - with textbook mixed in.
Apparently next week will be easier to understand and not understanding at this point is not unusual. I will TRUST in the process, but can't promise there won't be any more tears along the way.
This morning we had a FANTASTIC discussion in our marketing class. I was right in it, my mind was whirling with ideas and considerations. It was a fast pace discussion but in the end, my recommendation from the homework was right on pace with the prof and the rest of the class.
... and then Finance started.
As usual, the class started with 'by now everyone in the class should be finding this easy.' Crap - this is NOT easy for me. At break I thought I'd better ask for help, additional reading material, ANYTHING that might make sense. And the answer, there isn't something. 'Hang in there, it gets better from here.' Well frankly, it can't get any worse. I literally can't put any more time into this course without further jeopardizing my other courses.
I broke.
At break I snuck away and cried in the bathroom. Super embarassing, but I don't take well to feeling stupid. While I do trust my prof when he says it'll get better, I can't help but be reminded about Grade 12 when Mr. Graham (my OAC math teacher) told me that based on what he'd seen so far, I didn't have any home of passing the course.
Mr Graham made me mad, and I did end up passing the class. This situation is SO much worse than that because Kent is really nice and encouraging and I still really don't 'get it'. His niceness literally reduced me to tears.
Clearly it's time for fries, chips and chocolate - with textbook mixed in.
Apparently next week will be easier to understand and not understanding at this point is not unusual. I will TRUST in the process, but can't promise there won't be any more tears along the way.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Too much math
My attempt at Finance homework goes a little something like this.
Sit down, open laptop. Download reading material. Wonder why I purchased the expensive 'required' textbook.
Look at first paragraph. The paragraph begins with something like this 'to determine the approximate change in price for a small change in yield, the first derivative...'
*YIKES* derivatives mean calculus!!
Look again 'blah blah blah blah, rearranging equation we obtain, blah blah blah, blah, blah.'
Hmmmmm. Lick fingers to thumb through the next 4 pages of similar calculus speak.
Looks at first homework question wondering whether calculus is required - not sure. Better skip to question #2... Hurray, question #2 suggests using Excel. Am an excel genius! Finish question 2.
Go back to the reading - blah blah blah - look at spreadsheet. Look back at reading. Look at clock. Put some numbers in spreadsheet.
Open Bond Builder to look for hints. Still math.
Panic a little bit. Eye starts to twitch.
Make a cup of coffee.
Look at notes - more numbers, no English.
Look at homework questions.
Clock.
Spreadsheet.
Clock.
Spreadsheet.
Clock.
Update Blog.
Look at clock. Yay, more than 3 hours has past! Submit homework. Curse Finance for being too much for my Arts focused brain.
Sit down, open laptop. Download reading material. Wonder why I purchased the expensive 'required' textbook.
Look at first paragraph. The paragraph begins with something like this 'to determine the approximate change in price for a small change in yield, the first derivative...'
*YIKES* derivatives mean calculus!!
Look again 'blah blah blah blah, rearranging equation we obtain, blah blah blah, blah, blah.'
Hmmmmm. Lick fingers to thumb through the next 4 pages of similar calculus speak.
Looks at first homework question wondering whether calculus is required - not sure. Better skip to question #2... Hurray, question #2 suggests using Excel. Am an excel genius! Finish question 2.
Go back to the reading - blah blah blah - look at spreadsheet. Look back at reading. Look at clock. Put some numbers in spreadsheet.
Open Bond Builder to look for hints. Still math.
Panic a little bit. Eye starts to twitch.
Make a cup of coffee.
Look at notes - more numbers, no English.
Look at homework questions.
Clock.
Spreadsheet.
Clock.
Spreadsheet.
Clock.
Update Blog.
Look at clock. Yay, more than 3 hours has past! Submit homework. Curse Finance for being too much for my Arts focused brain.
Profoundly Confused
The more time I spend learning in he MBA the less confident I am in what I know. Prof. Anita McGahan would describe this feeling as being 'profoundly confused.'
I'm trying to get a head start on my Accounting project (Due early December) and I've discovered that I have no idea where to start. I feel bad for our Q2 accounting prof because I am about to become his shadow - I am determined to learn this subject as much as it might pain me!
Finance is no roaring hell either. Plus, for some reason I can't download the homework question sheet from RWorld. How annoying!
I'm trying to get a head start on my Accounting project (Due early December) and I've discovered that I have no idea where to start. I feel bad for our Q2 accounting prof because I am about to become his shadow - I am determined to learn this subject as much as it might pain me!
Finance is no roaring hell either. Plus, for some reason I can't download the homework question sheet from RWorld. How annoying!
Case Studies
I am so glad that Rotman is not 100% case based. We do use cases in class, but for the most part, there is a mixture of learning via cases and learning via lecture. Considering how long it has been takin me to get through these cases (think 3 hours to digest 25 pages), I'm look forward to classes that are largely lecture based.
That being said, the case studies are really interesting. Last night I was working on Biopure, a pharma company that specializes in blood substitutes. We were tasked with writing a POV on whether they should concentrate on the animal market (veterninary) or human market. When working on a case, I literally have to restrain from googling the company - I worry that if I know where they are now, I might get caught using the hindsight bias rather than the tools tha I've been learning in class.
I can't wait to chat more about Biopure with my classmates - I'm curious to hear their take on the situation.
That being said, the case studies are really interesting. Last night I was working on Biopure, a pharma company that specializes in blood substitutes. We were tasked with writing a POV on whether they should concentrate on the animal market (veterninary) or human market. When working on a case, I literally have to restrain from googling the company - I worry that if I know where they are now, I might get caught using the hindsight bias rather than the tools tha I've been learning in class.
I can't wait to chat more about Biopure with my classmates - I'm curious to hear their take on the situation.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Show me the cash flows
Today we learned that Jerry McGuire had it wrong.
Learning business is a lot more difficult than I had anticipated. I had expected to have trouble learning all of the math and ratios, but I failed to consider the different language. I literally use a dictionary to read my Accounting text book - and English is my first language!
I actually hate when people use business jargon - it makes the person speaking sound overly superior and I question whether they actually know what they are talking about. That being said, I'd like to be able to understand the words so that I can tell for sure.
For now I'll stick with my dictionary.
Learning business is a lot more difficult than I had anticipated. I had expected to have trouble learning all of the math and ratios, but I failed to consider the different language. I literally use a dictionary to read my Accounting text book - and English is my first language!
I actually hate when people use business jargon - it makes the person speaking sound overly superior and I question whether they actually know what they are talking about. That being said, I'd like to be able to understand the words so that I can tell for sure.
For now I'll stick with my dictionary.
Monday, November 2, 2009
Accounting - nothing that chocolate can't cure...
We picked up our Statistics and Accounting mid-terms today and I have to say, I'm both horrified and embarassed by my overall performance. I've never been great at test taking and after more than 4 years out of school, I'm REALLY out of practice. Time to buckle down and be more efficient with this whole studying thing.
I'm going to go back to updating my timesheet so that I can track how much time I'm dedicating to each class. Hopefully this will help me balance out my studies. It's getting out of control!
I'm going to go back to updating my timesheet so that I can track how much time I'm dedicating to each class. Hopefully this will help me balance out my studies. It's getting out of control!
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