Halfway Point

It's official - this last day in February marks our halfway point of the MBA program. We are six months in, with six months left to go. Usually, it's times like these where I'd reflect and think, "Wow! Time has flown!" or "It feels like so much longer than that." But in actuality, it feels pretty accurate this time. At this point, I am just looking forward to having March Break, which will be the first time in six months that my mind will be free from school!

As for this year-long program, I just caught an article about one-year MBAs. As the article mentions, one year programs are becoming more prevalent. Personally, my decision to attend HEC Montreal over York University (Schulich) was somewhat made due to the quicker pace of the program. At the time I was making my decision, I was concerned about what employers would think. One alumnus of HEC Montreal assured me that the one-year length had not hindered him during his job search, and in fact, when it was brought up, potential employers thought he had made a smart choice.

I also saw in the news this morning that Canada will have its first Real Housewives. Hopefully, this cast of Vancouver women won't destroy Canada's reputation too badly. Can't we have better female Canadian role models on TV?

Tomorrow, our Littlefield Technologies simulation analysis is due. In the end, my team finished in fourth place. For this particular simulation, it was almost a good thing to make mistakes because we had material to elaborate on for the report.

For anyone who might be interested, I saw that there is an MBA Challenge Video Contest for MBA students and graduates who are changing the world. MBA students are always involved in projects that help to make the world a better place. Here's an opportunity to show the world what you've got!

Rising to the Challenge

Today I read three big career mistakes that 20-somethings make. I feel fortunate to be considered as someone who seeks personal fulfillment and tries to be innovative. My generation is doing something right!

On that note, I hope that Genevieve Grandbois appreciates the time and effort that I put into my team's PowerPoint presentation. My creativity was inspired by the below screen capture I grabbed from her website.

It feels good to focus on this HEC Challenge assignment, rather than simply continuing my finals studying. There is only so much reordering point, net present value, and covariance calculations I can take. Sadly, I will probably have to revisit this material this evening, as I keep fearing that I will forget it all before this weekend's final exams.

Top Rank

There is some very good news from another recent business school ranking. HEC Montreal has been ranked 30th in the North America MBA rankings according to the 2012 QS Global Business School Report. The full list of the top 200 schools in North America can be found here.

I often think about the difference between my BA and my MBA programs. The MBA is generally positively valued and people consider it to be a very worthwhile degree. It contributes to growth in both "hard" skills and "soft" skills. On the other hand, people typically do not have the same view of a BA since it's mainly focused on "soft" skills. I have to say, though, I value both equally. At the very least, my BA has provided me with great fodder for dinner party conversation, but in all seriousness, it has given me analytical and communication tools, while providing me with a different perspective.

Today, I was a student tour guide for prospective HEC Montreal MBA students. I am definitely enjoying these experiences that provide me with insight into my potential future career in university relations and administration.

Now Presenting

HEC Montreal has been featured in an international ranking by Expansion, and it was the only school in Quebec to do so (not to mention only one of two in Canada). It is not surprising that HEC Montreal has been recognized by this Mexican publication, since we have many Latin American students, and the undergraduate program at our school offers a trilingual option - Spanish, French, and English courses.

Below is a picture from yesterday's Q&A section of our HR debate about banning social media. I think it went well, since we did a good job of engaging our classmates and presenting strong points.

Although we don't usually have class on Friday, today was an exception. We had read a case for Strategy about Ohlson Pumps Canada and the general manager at the heart of the case named Sylvain Levesque (who is an HEC Montreal MBA alumnus) was a guest speaker today, to discuss the case. All three full-time MBA classes joined together as part of the presentation. Here's a photo.

Since the Strategy class, I've been working and studying tirelessly. I was preparing the PowerPoint file for Tuesday's HEC Challenge presentation to our client Chocolats Genevieve Grandbois. Mostly, though, I've been studying for Finance with my very patient classmates. This weekend will be my last time studying for finals and I could not be happier!

Doing the Math

Here's a photo from yesterday's MEEX4 event. It's Reagan (my classmate) and me on the right with our new HEC Montreal friends.

This morning, as I tried to concentrate during my Finance class, I couldn't help but think about something strange. In high school, I was always stronger in my Math and Science classes, not English. On standardized tests, I consistently perform better on the Math sections rather than the Verbal sections. Isn't it odd that now, in my MBA program, it's the complete opposite? I wonder why that is.

Tonight, I will be finalizing our PowerPoint slides for tomorrow's HR debate. Today's practice with the debating team went well, and I hope the presentation goes smoothly tomorrow. It would certainly be a nice start to the long weekend of studying for finals!

MEEX4

In Montreal, there is never a shortage of the number of events you can attend. Tonight, I went to a networking event called MEEX4, where I heard guest speaker Eric Sicotte give a presentation about 25 golden rules for business. I have to admit that, in my limited attempt to "network," I happened to introduce myself to two other HEC Montreal students, however I am happy that I heard about Sicotte's inspiring experiences in starting his own businesses. He really introduced some great innovative ideas in his businesses and his passion for his start-ups are infectious. He would be a terrific guest speaker for one of our Marketing or Entrepreneurial classes.

Things are really winding down in classes as we get closer and closer to final exams. Today, I handed in my second Strategy assignment, which means that only the final remains. Also, I sat with my one of my original teammates who was gracious to offer his time to explain Operations to me. I now have a strong basis to begin my studies in that subject. I'm looking forward to having our debate in Thursday's HR class, so we can wrap up that class, too. Only 12 days left in the semester!

Walking Woman

I was inspired by the above video to go on walks, both yesterday and today. Regardless of the fact that I have more readings and work than I can already do in the limited 24-hour days, my physical and mental health are extremely important to me. Although most of the snow and ice has melted outside, it's still freezing, unfortunately. However, it feels good to take breaks from schoolwork to get outside and breathe some fresh air.

Perhaps the cold weather is one of the reasons why Canada tops the list of most-educated countries, with 50 percent of the population holding a postsecondary degree (article here). I guess we all just want to stay warm inside and study, study, study!

This weekend, I accomplished what I had set out to do. I wrote my individual HR paper and Strategy assignment, read for HR, and prepared for our upcoming HR debate. Now that those things are taken care of, I will soon be starting on my exam studies, since finals will begin in only 11 days!