And the second half has begun

Wow time flies when you are having fun – two months since the last post – I can’t believe it.  So I left you with three weeks left in term two.  Guess what happened in those last few weeks of term?  Yes exams of course, this is after all the examined life!  However exams are hardly worth mentioning now given that they come and go relatively smoothly, so I will move onto something more exciting….

I am smiling because one exciting thing that does come to mind is the weather.  A year ago the weather would not be my first choice of exciting conversation however after going through a long cold English winter, the prospect of longer warmer days is very exciting.  While warm weather is just potential at this stage, we are at least getting longer daylight hours and more sun and it is amazing the impact it has on people’s spirits.  Bring on the warm weather!

So the first half of the MBA is over, core subjects are complete and we are now onto the next stage: electives, our international business trip and job search.   While the first half is heavily structured with daily lectures, team work, assignments, readings and case study’s, the second half whilst still busy is now flexible in terms of how our time is spent.  We are no longer sharing all of the same subjects and are no longer in formal learning teams so the schedule is very much driven by the individual. 

The core subjects (Accounting, Business Law, Economics, Finance, Marketing, Operations and Supply Chain, Organisational Behaviour, People Management, Project Management, Statistics and Strategy) have created a solid foundation, while the electives now allow students to build on their existing knowledge or to develop new areas.  There is a wide choice of electives including a range of Finance and Strategy electives, as well as Entrepreneurship, Sustainability, Account management, Negotiation, Organisational change and Leadership.  There is also the opportunity to do your own individual project on an area of your choice.  I personally have really enjoyed finance and strategy and am focusing on these areas along with Leadership and an individual project.  We also continue with ‘Organisational Behaviour Personal and Professional Development’ which underpins the whole MBA.  

That leaves me with the other major item for part two: the international business experience (IBE).  This year we have a choice of going on a business trip to Brazil, China or Japan where we visit local businesses and Cranfield Alumni; or a field trip to Egypt, Ghana, Mongolia, Nepal or Uganda where we work on an actual project with a local business.  I have received confirmation that I am going to China, which I am very excited about given the increasing importance of this fast growing country, its on-going importance as Australia’s number one trading partner and the cultural experience on offer.  I look forward to reporting on this in the future. 

In the meantime its still heads down in study but with the sun shining – I can assure you that it makes all the difference!