michaelmas [week 6]: group-work assignments

Most people know that the hardest part about getting an MBA is getting in. I agree that statistically this is true, however, at Oxford they really make you earn that degree! Just in case you don't believe me, I've included a copy of our Study Group's workflow chart below:

You can see that in addition to taking 6 courses during Michaelmas term (e.g. Accounting, Finance, Marketing, Microeconomics, Statistics, and Strategy), we also have 8 group-work assignments due. These assignments range from 1,500 to 3,000 words each with another few pages of charts and Excel calculations included in the appendices. These are huge undertakings that would not be possible without the combined efforts of our Study Group members: Babacar, Christoph, Emily, Mosima, and Keerti Prasad. Some other MBAs aren't so fortunate.

With all of this work, of course, it is important that you keep it together lest you suffer a nervous breakdown like John Nash. The work can feel quite overwhelming when you are also spending your weekends applying for jobs, or waking up at 6am each morning for rowing practice. The demands are great, yet, the Oxford MBA is only one year long so you want to fit as many experiences in as possible. Since group-work assignments typically count for 40% of your grade it is important to try and maintain internal harmony within a Study Group that you had no say in, and which was specifically comprised of people with different work backgrounds and cultures.

Our group has now submitted 5 out of 8 group-work assignments. There is no refuge, however. One assignment is due at 11pm, and before you have a chance to celebrate another one is due just 22-hours later...the onslaught continues. My advice to incoming MBAs would be to stand back and take a healthy perspective. For example, our iconic Accounting professor Tomo Suzuki said, "while it may be discouraging if a teammate is not pulling their weight, that is okay, provided they reciprocate later in other ways, such as with a job". Tomo is a very practical man!

michaelmas [week 5]: isis in winter

Last year when I was first considering B-school, I remember leafing through the latest Oxford brochure and reading how they were different because MBA students were fully integrated into the University. Over the past five weeks I have come to realize what this really means. For example, during matriculation, our College 'Freshers' photo included both incoming undergraduate and graduate students, which is uncommon in the States. And of course there are also the University wide public lecture series, and recruiting fairs that MBA are also able to attend.

But perhaps most enjoyable has been my time spent rowing for the Exeter College Novice B team. Along with my fellow 'boaties', we row three times a week on the Isis, sometimes as early as 6am in pitch blackness. Rowing at Oxford is a big deal, in fact, 1 out of 3 students row at some point during their Oxford studies! And although the penultimate manifestation of rowing revelry is the annual 'Boat Race' that has been taking place between Oxford and Cambridge since 1859, students of all ages and abilities participate.

New students take warning. When you are invited to a BBQ at the College boat house during 'Nought Week' you will be put on an erg machine and tested for 1-minute to see how fast you can row. After wolfing down my hamburger I managed to get on the erg machine and row about 38 strokes per/minute. Later I found out that this was good enough to put me on the Novice B team. Exeter had four boats this Fall: A, B, C, and D. It works similar for women's rowing, as well. Most of the graduate students rowed on the C boat.

For those of you already familiar with Oxford you may remember that the school year is broken up into Michaelmas (Oct-Dec), Hilary (Jan-Mar), and Trinity (Apr-Jun) terms. Michaelmas terms is dedicated to Novice rowers; those who have never rowed before. You train all term for the 'Christ Church Regatta', which is a 800 meter sprint where you row side-by-side with another boat trying to overtake them. The event takes place over four days (Thu-Sun) - weather permitting - beginning around November 27th. The more ambitious rowers can participate in the warm-up event, called 'Isis in Winter', which our crew participated in on Sunday, November 14th. The big difference between the two events is that Isis in Winter is 1400 meters long, and you are only racing against the clock.

If you have rowed in the Christ Church Regatta, then congratulations - you are no longer considered a novice! Now you can go on and compete in 'Torpids' during Hilary, and finally 'Eights' during Trinity term to complete the Oxford rowing trifecta. But it's an incredible commitment of time and energy, so maybe I'll see how my job search pans out before the end of Michaelmas before I decide whether or not to continue on. Although I have lost 10lbs so far rowing, so maybe I'll stick with it a little longer to get into shape for my wedding next October.

michaelmas [week 4]: guy fawkes day

England is a land of many unique, and sometimes perplexing traditions. Back in America, we usually celebrate Election Day during the first Tuesday of November, but here in Oxford we celebrated "Guy Fawkes Night" to commemorate a foiled plot by disgruntled Catholics to blow-up Parliament on November 5, 1605. Things didn't work out too well for the poor "Guy" who was subsequently hanged, drawn, and quartered. Now every year people light fireworks and burn effigies of Guy Fawke as they recite the poem:

Remember, remember the Fifth of November,
The Gunpowder Treason and Plot,
I know of no reason
Why the Gunpowder Treason
Should ever be forgot.

I was much more interested, however, in enjoying a nice Saturday lunch with my friends at the famous Eagle & Child pub (commonly referred to as the "Bird & Baby") on St. Giles Street. Founded in 1650, the pub is currently owned by nearby St. John's College, which seems to own just about everything, including the "Lamb & Flag" pub across the street - nice way to build a monopoly! The pub is perhaps most famously known as the meeting place for writers JRR Tolkien and CS Lewis. We also had a reason to celebrate. Election results for student government were announced the night before. In the picture below, both Bo and I won a VP position - it always helps when you run unopposed. And Tushar won a week earlier as Chairman of the Private Equity club. I had also won an election the previous week for Chairman of the Finance club. No club funds, however, were used to finance our lunch.

One of the best parts of being an Oxford MBA is the chance to meet new and interesting people. Only time will tell what these relationships lead to, what new businesses are launched, and who is running for President of which country (over 50 world leaders were Oxford students). Who knows what the future will bring for us all? All I can be sure of for now, is that Tommy will continue to keep me on my toes with his consistent tennis serve, Mike will protect my identity with RFID technology, and Bo will inspire me to go to an election party, an Oxford Union bop, and the Bridge nightclub all within a 12-hour period and still make lunch at the Eagle & Child the next day!

michaelmas [week 3]: job applications

There are several things that I hope to accomplish through this blog. And one of them is to find my 'dream job during the worst recession since the 1930s.' Although I have only been living in Oxford for one month, I have already begun my job search. If you want to work in finance, then you better be prepared to hand in your applications by the end of November - at the latest. Even some consulting firms, such as McKinsey and Bain, have a deadline of November 1st. So, come to Oxford prepared with a polished CV, and a good idea of what job you want to target.

I'd like to give you an idea of what it is like to balance looking for a career while taking classes. On October 5th, in-between classes, I rushed up the stairs to check my email in the Sainsbury Library. At around 11:47AM I hear my email 'ping,' and I read about an opportunity to interview with a top European bank. Sounds good so far. Then, I read the disclaimer, "Please email your CV by 8am the following morning." Okay, no problem, this is why I already have my CV ready to go at a moment's notice.

A few days later I get an email back from the bank confirming that I had made the 'first-cut,' and was invited to interview. I was very excited, and then I read that the interview would be over two-days (during class) and in London! Again no problem, this is why I came to B-school...to get a job.

The following day I used my '16-25 Student Railcard' (cost: £26) to buy my 'return-ticket' from Oxford to London Paddington for just £9 (normally £20+). I skipped out on my Thursday Decision Science (Statistics) class, and headed for Canary Wharf - London's financial district. After this group-interview/workshop, I returned home so that I could attend my Friday morning Finance I class before leaving for my one-on-one interview at 3pm with an AVP and Director of the bank. If I had an earlier interview, then I probably would have just stayed overnight in London. By the way, this bank reimburses up to £100 for travel expenses.

Now a week has passed since my First Round interview. Although I think it went well, I now have to 'officially' submit my application online, and reference a specific job code to be considered for the Final Round. If the last sentence sounded confusing, then you would be correct to think that it is unusual to be interviewed before you submit an application. But, interestingly, I found that this was a great way to have a candid conversation with recruiting on which role best fits your profile. It will still be a few weeks before I learn my fate with this bank. I am hoping for the best, and expecting the worst. But it sure would be nice to come home during Christmas break with a job offer!

michaelmas [week 2]: diwali 'festival of lights'

Some of you reading this blog post might be considering applying to an MBA program. Depending on your unique set of circumstances, some things may be more important to you than others when choosing a school. As a now thirty-two year old New Yorker about to get married in a year, my priorities might be very different from someone else’s. For example, when I was considering which schools to apply to I was very concerned with brand recognition, course length, cost of course, and the internationalism of the student body.

While the Oxford brand is undeniable, there are plenty of schools in the US that are equally well-known. Similarly, Oxford does not hold a monopoly on the one-year MBA scheme; although paying half the tuition of a comparable two-year American program is pretty nice! But one thing that really sets Oxford apart from all the rest is its diversity.

When I was studying for the CFA they talked about technology and globalization as the two biggest forces shaping the 21st century. Back home in New York, most MBA programs are split 75% American and 25% international. Here in Oxford that number is reversed. How can you succeed in an increasingly global world without an international degree? This year’s class of 244 Oxford MBA students comes from 48 countries with an average of six years work experience. Surprisingly, British students represent less than 5% of the class. Roughly speaking, one-third of the class comes each from North America & Europe, India, and Asia. This makes for a wonderful mix of cultures.

It was pretty clear to me that I wasn’t in New York anymore as I walked down the street past the ‘Honey Pot’ pub toward the b-school to celebrate Diwali, dressed from head-to-toe in a kurta that my friend Pavan had graciously lent me (complete with sandals). In fact, it was good enough to win ‘first-prize’ for best dressed. I must admit, however, that Rajeev and Raja were looking pretty snazzy, too, so I was lucky to have won!

About 20% of this year’s MBA class comes from India, and they did a wonderful job organizing the event. Sumi was the MC and taught us some ‘Bollywood’ dance moves, although no one could pull it off quite like him. Nazneen and Archana did a wonderful job choreographing some dances for the men and women. Everyone practiced so hard to learn the traditional Indian dances. I was amazed to see the great job Emily did – my study group partner. Then Rahul proved that not only does he have a wicked one-handed backhand in tennis, but he also has pinpoint accuracy when choosing Bingo numbers through a computer Random Number Generator. Nice job!

But the highlight of night was when Harpreet in a show of camaraderie and respect, gave me his stoll (scarf) as a gift. As we danced into the night, celebrating “the victory of good over evil; the uplifting of spiritual darkness,” I couldn’t help but think that I would never have experienced this had I stayed in New York.

michaelmas [week 1]: oxford matriculation (saturday, oct 17, 2009)

Just as in the United States, your college experience at Oxford is bookended between matriculation and graduation. Although I didn't see too many families attending, there were some, and matriculation would be one of the events that you might want them to come to. That being said, the actual matriculation process took only 15-minutes, at which point we were all formally admitted into the University (rather than the College, which happened 1-week earlier when we signed our names in the College Registry). Here are all the undergrad and grad 'Freshers' waiting to get our College photo taken in the Exeter Front Quad at 8:00AM (brrrr...it was cold out there!)...

After taking our College photo we all walked out onto Turl Street, and made our way to the Broad Street to the Sheldonian Theatre where the actual Matriculation ceremony took place at 9:00AM. Here many of us are waiting patiently outside to pour into the Sheldonian...

...Here are some pictures from inside the Sheldonian where the Vice-Chancellor gave a nice speech welcoming us to the University (part of which was spoken in Latin!)...

...Here's a picture of me inside the Sheldonian all dressed-up in 'sub-fusc' (black suit & shoes, white bow-tie, black academic gown, and black mortar board hat). Interesting to note that grad gowns are longer than undergrad 'commoner' gowns. Also, you're not allowed to wear your academic hat during graduation (only after you've earned the right during graduation), so you must hold your hat in your hand instead...

...Back to the Exeter Dining Hall for a special 'Matriculation Brunch.' There were a limited number of seats, which you had to reserve online through Exeter's 'Upay' system. Unfortunately, only 2 out of 7 Exeter MBA were able to attend, so I encourage future MBA who want to attend to be sure to register well in advance to secure a seat...

...Ahhhhh and here's the food. To drink we had tea, orange juice, and Mimosas (OJ + champagne). To eat we started with cold cereal and freshly baked pastries. For the main course we had sunny-side up eggs with Canadian bacon, boiled tomato, sausage, baked beans, hash brown, mushrooms, and fried-toast...

...Finally, here are some finally pictures of me wearing 'sub-fusc' in the Exeter front quad during matriculation day...!

first blog post since arriving in oxford

Most of my blog readers will have already experienced the whirlwind beginning to our 2009-10 MBA course. Every day is filled with a never-ending list of activities, including orientation (SBA and College), job search, social activities (London boat cruises, pub crawls, and bops [themed parties], and administrative tasks (bank account, bike, cell phone, email, shopping, etc.). Classes haven't even started!

Last week they divided our class of 244 MBAs (up from 233 as of last year) into three course sections. I'm in section A, and so we don't start class until Tuesday, while the other two sections start tomorrow, Monday, October 12th. Our three sections were then further divided into smaller study groups of 5-6 people. For those interested in applying to Oxford take notice that you have absolutely no choice in which course section or study group that you will be in.

I may be slightly biased, but so far, I believe that my study group is the best!!! Since up to 40% of coursework is group-based, we all pledged to keep the average up as high as possible, so that we all have a fair shot of making 'distinction' come final exams at the end of the Michaelmas term. I'm sure they wouldn't mind me mentioning their names: Christof is a consultant from Germany, Emily is a lawyer from Australia, Mosima is a doctor from South Africa, Keerti is an engineer from India, and Babacar works for the IFC World Bank from Senegal. Pretty impressive, huh (how did I end up here - just kidding)?!

Over the next few days I'll do my best to fill you in on the details of what has been going on here recently. I'll just start with a little timeline, so that when you come around to doing this course you might have a better idea on what to expect.

Thursday, September 24th:

- Arrived in LHR on an overnight red-eye flight from JFK

- Checked into temporary College Housing at Stapledon House

- Picked-up Oxford Student Card ('Bod Card') at Exeter

- Opened HSBC Passport bank account

- Shopped for some basic items (toiletries, etc.)

- Had dinner with Bo and Court at QUOD on the High Street (highly recommend)

Friday, September 25th:

- Spent most of the day relaxing, and walking around Oxford

- Met 0ver 65 MBA and MFE students at 'the Turf' pub, which I organized on our class Facebook page

Saturday, September 26th:

- More exploring Oxford, and adjusting to our new life here

Sunday, September 27th:

- Took train ride to Morton-in-the-March in the Cotswolds, and carried on my bus to Stow-in-the-Wold where we stayed overnight at the beautiful Grapevine hotel

Monday, September 28th:

- Enjoyed more beautifully weather in England and the Cotswolds!? Walked around shopping, and walking on a 'ghost tour'

Tuesday, September 29th:

- Back in Oxford getting ready for SBS Orientation tomorrow

- Bought some books half-off from last year MBA (spent about £150 for 6 books representing about 75% of the first-term books). Blackwells sells all the SBS books for over £400 total, plus they don't offer a student-discount, while Borders does (take heed)

Wednesday, September 30th:

- Now things really begin...tune in to next week's blog