midterm madness

IE doesn't have a set mid-term week. In fact, I've only had one actual mid-term exam this past week. However, in these two weeks we have a number of major projects to hand in, so it feels like mid-terms, and that's what we're all calling this hectic period. It means a multiplication of group meetings that have spilt over into the weekend. It means even more need for excellent time management skills. My peer Miguel has written about this in his blog this week, click here for the post. 

While the time pressure has mounted, and the anxiety about grades has become a little more real, what I'm starting to take away from this process of finishing big group projects is a sense of having learned something. I'm trying to apply the frameworks we've used to analyze other cases; I'm thinking about our business plan for the entrepreneurial management class in a completely different light than I did at the beginning of the term thanks to material I've learned in all my classes, particularly marketing; I'm gaining confidence in some of my newly learned financial and quantitative analysis skills. But, I'm also increasingly struggling to retain additional information as we are starting to delve into the nitty gritty of financial accounting. As my classmate who sits next to me said this week "I'm saturated." What am I going to do about that? Go buy some flashcards. When it's tricky and detailed, I need to start memorizing certain facts so that I avoid getting lost when we're looking at complicated issues. 

Time management fairy is telling me my time is up to blog! Back to accounting!

happy holidays! break time?

tree in Plaza del Sol

First of all, happy holidays to everyone! The expected thing to say would be that "I can't believe it's already Christmas break," but really I can... time flies, and that's why after taking a mini-break the 24th and 25th I'm back to work! This break, I'm in Italy with my boyfriend, but we'll be going back to Madrid 5 days before school starts back up again and I'd like to have that time free to explore more of the city and maybe take another mini-roadtrip. So, I'm still relaxing by reading non-school books, watching movies at night, and taking long baths, but I'm trying to work it all day long to get more internship applications, finish my part of the group projects due the first days back, and get ahead on reading. So far, sleeping in is putting me a little behind schedule, but it's so nice! 

In the two weeks since I've last written, I've been writing little notes in my notebooks to bring to my blog. My first reflection was on the case method. The school tells us that there are three phases of learning involved with studying the cases:

1. Individual reading and preparation of the case --> initial knowledge gained

2. Group discussion of the case --> additional knowledge gained

3. Class discussion of the case --> maximum knowledge gained

I agree that completing each of these steps gives you additional points of views and knowledge over the concepts covered in each case. My view on the value of the case method includes some other aspects, and for me, the mental knowledge acquisition process goes likes this:

1. Form a logical or intuitive response to the question each cases poses

2. Use the theory in the textbooks or presented in class to support or break-down my initial hypothesis

3. Remember key points of the cases in order to "substitute" actual experience with situations learned that I've never lived through

I find it's easier to remember the theoretical concepts for issues that I've actually experienced, and for those I haven't, some repetition between the different subjects helps to sink in other concepts. For example, we've talked about Maslow's hierarchy of needs now in at least two classes, if I remember correctly in Marketing and Organization Behavior, so despite my relative lack of experience in these two areas, the application of the theory has become very clear thanks to the repetition in different scenarios. 

Other reflections I scribbled down included that reason number 93 I'm luck I had the chance to work for an NGO is that I am flexible and capable of working without strict guidelines spelling out exactly what I need to do. Of course I can follow instructions, but when they're absent I'm not daunted by open limits. And lastly, that people with a "can-do" attitude are very inspiring (the graduated ex-Net Impact leadership!), and I'm going to make sure that I try and project that positivity to my peers as well.

Before I get back to researching, applying, emailing... I want to share some holiday cheer! I'm still learning to take photos with my iPhone so these are a bit buzzy, but here's some scenes of Madrid Christmas lights:

Calle Serrano

Corte Ingles - Calle Serrano

Plaza Chueca

tree at Gran Via

it's a marathon!

Last week, post-long weekend, and this week the homework has piled up, work group deliverables are nearing their deadlines, club management of Net Impact is being handed over... meaning, I am managing my time to the max and finding it hard to schedule some blogging time!

Any quality MBA program will be demanding. Perhaps one down side of the one-year program, however, particularly IE's in which content and credits is not decreased but rather squeezed into 13 months by having a shorter summer break and more hours in the classroom (which in the end is optimal because we're not scrimping on any of any knowledge) is the challenge of information retention. I often feel like I learn mind-opening concepts everyday, but I have to really struggle to retain that information as the next teacher rushes in or as I finish speed-reading one case study and swiftly move on to the next. Tonight, some pricey, but infallibly yummy dulce de leche ice cream is helping me get through another truckload of reading (and yes, I put my MBA skills into practice  at the supermarket by  recognizing my consumer confidence in the brand and its quality, knowing it would make me a happy camper.. make fun of me now).

Nonetheless, general spirits are still high, despite the occasional tensions in my work group and in others' as we move past the getting-to-know-you phase and into the period in which we really need to all contribute, else we waste time or produce below par results.

Despite the time that it takes away from reading and completing exercises, I am really enjoying the few club events I have been to so far as the November 2009 intake prepares to graduate, leave, and pass on leadership roles. The Entrepreneurship club seems like it will be really instrumental in helping those who want to start a business while at IE or immediately after, or even longer down the road, have a smaller community within the IE alumni community, to turn to for resources - both knowledge-wise and for networking. The Operations and Strategy clubs will hopefully provide some insightful events to develop my knowledge on the career paths I'm looking at transitioning into.

So this is the IE MBA - school, extracurriculars, and.... career management. Today I had my first formal meeting with my adviser in Career Services. In the next few days, I will be sending my CV out to a dream employer and will be hoping for the best!

Easing the pain of the workload: amazing Madrid weather (it's been in the 50s! Fahrenheit, 10-15ºC), unending possibilities to explore new restaurants and bars on the weekend with friends, and the long weekend I mentioned in my last post. Thank goodness my boyfriend eventually arrived last Sunday, despite the air traffic controller strike (although he should have arrived Friday), and we were able to escape a bit into the countryside and I had a breather before this pre-Christmas break marathon began. We stayed two nights outside a little town called Zuheros, and one night in Cordoba. Andalusia was beautiful - olive trees for miles and miles. We visited a cave were humans lived back in the Neolithic period and braved torrential rains in Cordoba to see the Mezquita (mosque).

Zuheros seen from above

moments before, a 10-minute roadblock

working with your building materials - Castle of Zuheros