the finish line and the vacation
More than four months after being admitted to school, I have FINALLY completed all of my prematriculation requirements. I will be happy if I never have to write the word “prematriculation” again. Today I learned about heteroskedasticity. It’s a much more enjoyable word to write.
To recap, this marks the end of two full courses in Finance and Accounting, and three online modules in Finance, Accounting, and Quantitative Analysis.
Next week, I’ll be driving out of IL, bound for Cambridge for good. As one other prematric requirement, I have to attend “analytics” (read: math camp) for two weeks before classes start. Everyone who I’ve talked to says that it’s actually a really great experience, and that a lot of interesting people go to it, so I’m looking forward to it, but it’s hard to believe I’ll be in classes in 2 weeks.
Right now I’m just looking forward to vegetating for the next few days. And ticking off the list of miscellaneous to-do’s.
accounting update.
I just got my grade for the class and it’s an A. PHEW. So that’s one more pre-matriculation hurdle down. Still have the finance final to go and then I’m officially done with the course-work requirements.
accounting. kablamo.
I just took my accounting final. Everyone wonders why I am taking exams/classes even though I haven’t started school yet (let alone moved out of new york yet)…
In addition to the accounting, finance, and quantitative analysis online-tutorials that all incoming HBS students have to take, I was required to take actual CLASSES in accounting and finance before matriculating. (I am also required to attend “analytics” on campus in August, before classes start, but we’ll save that for another post.) This was a requirement for me because I am a non-traditional MBA student (read: non-finance, non-consulting). I’ve had some people react negatively when I’ve said to people that HBS labels me “non-traditional” but I don’t mind it, and because of the nature of the MBA program, it’s a statistical fact - I am non-traditional.
So, I set out to find classes to take. Realizing that NYU’s class schedules would not mesh with my moving out of NY schedule, I asked HBS to recommend online classes - and they recommended BYU.
I took the accounting class. It was interesting. I learned things I wish I’d better understood before: like the financial implications of renting/buying/leasing houses and cars, the financial implications of tax-withholding, etc. The structure of the class was compelling. A 3 hour computer based lecture for every lesson (16 lessons) followed by an online quiz. Plus 3 exams (non-comprehensive… the best kind). So I just completed my “final” (non-comprehensive) exam. It went well - the last question on the exam was to the effect of “What is the best way to succeed at life? A)challenge yourself B)learn new things C)be a good person D)all of the above.” I liked that they asked something like this at the end. Not only because it’s obviously an slam-dunk question (if you miss this, you should fail the class), but also because it put everything into perspective, forced me to stop saying “must get an A, must get an A” and just appreciate the fact I’d learned something new.
