Firstly, my most sincere apologies for not keeping up to date on this blog. During the CORE I had every intention of writing weekly entries; however, as you will come to learn, the CORE cannibalizes much of one’s time. In fact, when I was in your position (searching for a suitable MBA program), I often read the blogs at Sauder while asking myself why there were such few posts during the fall term. Well, now I know why. With everything said and done (Nine Final Exams, Two Large Scale Projects and More), the CORE exceeded all expectations while challenging my strengths and weaknesses. And yes, I passed.
Looking back on the past five months in the MBA program I’ve learned an incredible amount of material on a diverse range of subjects – I often compare life in the CORE to drinking water straight from a fire hose. The sheer amount of information coming at us seemed insurmountable, yet the faculty and staff were always there to help us get through it, all the while trying to have a little fun in the process. Just wait… Karaoke Night is a CORE Classic.
Along the way I was fortunate enough to meet a great group of people, becoming close friends with several of my colleagues who inspired me during our Project One and Project Two (P2) meetings. Working with Canadian engineers, an insurance and finance specialist from South Korea, a corporate accountant from Saudi Arabia and many more, I not only grew academically, but culturally too; though I still haven’t grown accustomed to Kimchi!
Our P2 Business Plan, which was created for the Vancouver’ Children’s Choir, a non-profit arts organization, came to us from President Toope’s Office. As President of the University of British Columbia, President Toope is involved with many organizations, including this one. Our mission: to create a sustainable business plan for the choir’s 25th Anniversary. After presenting our report to the students and faculty, our P2 team also had the opportunity to present the business plan to the President, as well as the VCC Board of Directors. Being taken to task on several key issues is not for the faint of heart, but it was a true test of preparedness and teamwork.
Now that our Post-Core modules have begun, much of the class is dispersed among different specializations including: Finance, Strategy, Marketing, Supply Chain Management, Sustainability and General Management, to name a few. Not being one to miss out, I’ve decided to go the General route, as I see the future of management requiring a well-rounded and diverse range of skills. In the first module I’m taking Managerial Economics, Corporate Finance, Investments and Statistics. True, the course load is difficult, but I am in it for the long haul – homework, late nights and all. This being said, I promise to be more up to date with my future blogging activities (If you see me slipping, send me an email – please.)
For now, I have a massive assignment due for Statistics; Chi-Squares and T-Tests… here I come!
Best wishes and Happy New Year,
Joel
