It’s been a serious couple of weeks here at Sauder – finals season is upon us. And while the upside of the Integrated Core program is taking twelve subjects simultaneously and seeing how they inform each other…the downside is that you are tested on all of them! The way it works is a series of subject-specific exams — accounting, finance, marketing, strategy, organizational behavior, etc. — followed by an overall case analysis exam.
At this point, we’ve finished with the subject-specific tests and are preparing for the integrated Core case exam. And I have to say, what is unnerving me is how great I feel about it. Now I’m not saying I’m going to set the curve here, but sitting down in my study group today I really felt the cumulative effects of all the work we’ve been doing.
As we discussed the case in my study group, it was clear how many analytical tools we brought to the table that we did not have before: how to compare financial performance from one era to another, how to build a cash flow statement, how to assess different leadership styles, how to develop a marketing calendar, how to determine the strategic fit of different activities, etc. The list went on. It struck me that in addition to all the soccer games, karaoke, dinners, and discussions with new friends, I might actually be learning something here.
