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-The big news this week is that the sun is shining and my lovely wife is expecting a baby!

For those that are interested to know how the Business Decision analysis course went, well it was a game of two halves; the first half excellent, the second half not very well recieved by the majority.  Some useful software presented which should be very useful for my dissertation and beyond I hope.

This week however belongs to the expectation of the new arrival; I have been overwhelmed by peoples kind words.

UPDATE:

I have incorporated many of the concepts, tools and techniques into my consultancy work.

This is having a massively positive difference to my customers as we are able to make more objective decisions, faster and incorporating more subjective criteria (such as customer convenience factors or variability of demand).

Interested? Then please visit my consulting website, contact me and we can go from there.

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This week sees the beginning of the Business Decision making and Efficiency analysis module.

I am really not sure what to expect for the up coming week although the module looks thoroughly prepared with interesting guest speakers in the evenings and lots of reading in the packs.  It is interesting to know how people make decisions and again surprising to find a whole specialism dedicated to the research of it.

Decisions and their justification, happen all the time so it will be interesting to see the approaches and theories presented as well as some, hopefully practical, tools.

This is a quiet time for the MBA compared to previous terms.  Because of the structure of doing intensive modules, rather than the traditional terms, there is some adjustment to be made so that you still feel like you are on the full time course and not on a holiday.  This is not to say others have not been on holiday – they have to many amazing places around the world in the last few weeks – but there is a definite change in gear at the moment.  My time has been spend in preparation for my next two modules, that are coming up back to back next week (Business Decision making / Entrepreneurship and New Venture creation). I have also been finishing the  report for Entrepreneurial finance and working on securing my final dissertation project.

Almost as soon as it begun it is over. The Ent Finance module was one of the best courses that WBS has put on; it throughly deserved its standing ovation at the end.  The professor was visably moved at the recieption and feedback recieved and you could tell the sense of achievement that he felt having moved us all on so far in such a short time.  The course alumni event in London was equally good and a chance to meet with UCLA and WBS former graduates.  In Nick Bates language, this production was simple awesome.

Its another late night and the group are taking a break for some fresh air (read cigarette!)

The learning and volume of work that we have been getting through is great. When we read about the module beforehand, you have no idea of what effort is really involved, and then when you do and you achieve it all, there is immense satisfaction.  

The teaching is infectious and everyone can’t help but be absorbed by this experience.  Not once have I heard anyone moaning about any part; staggering really as this module is making us work harder than any other – it is like a mini MBA all in itself.

To do an MBA and come out without having had this teaching will put those without at a disadvantage; taking a moment to reflect it is quite amazing how far we have all come in such a short time – talking about Balance Sheets, PnL accounts, Cash flows, Senior Debt, Convertiable debentures, Equity, Stock, Puts and Calls etc quite naturally and fluently!

How great!

Its tough …

Awesome lecturer(s), 7am until 1am everyday (so far!), no where to hide in class, clear messages.

Massive learning experience – and I actually feel I have a bit of a flair for this subject!

More to follow…

The long awaited entrepreneurial finance course begins tomorrow.  We have our seating plan and have had a good go at all the pre-reading and case reviews.  The work was hard to fit in around the other commitments but I enjoyed it.

Updates to follow on whether the course is as good as I have been told.

Hope everyone had a great break over Easter.  Summer is on the way and chilli progress is promising …

Posts have been thin on the ground since the Ball as I took a little time out and unplugged.  Essays for Corporate finance and for Marketing were submitted last weekend, along with our final syndicate group work for Modelling.  Overall they went well even if the guidelines for them were a little hazy.

Entrepreneurial Finance becons now.  I am very intrigued by this module.  It is like no other on the course and has the reputation of being one of the best experiences yet.  The professor is flying in from UCLA and, judging by the pre-work and rumors of the week long format, promises to be something quite tough, quite challenging but extremely rewarding.

Oxford won the boat race convincingly on Sunday. There was a program on before discussing their mental preparation and I think that had a big influence; were Cambridge beaten before they even got in the boat?

The story of last weekend though, for racing and sports fans, was of course the fantastic story of Brawn GP.  The team that only a few weeks ago was facing closure with no backing, turns up in Australia, locks out the front row on the grid.  Then in the race, Jenson Button drove well to secure a long over due victory and Ruben’s (the man most thought had driven his last GP in Brazil 2008) sees good fortune shine and picked up second (after some adventures in the race.) 

What went less well reported was that the actual racing was really exciting.  Yes, even F1 !  The front wing on the new cars certainly make them look odd but it the aero changes have certainly made the difference – car have not run that close to each other for many years.

A great rags to riches story.  Richard Branson also timed his entry into F1 sponsorship perfectly – he is a lucky guy!  As is Lewis Hamilton – 3rd in the first race when the car looks a handful and when he started dead last.  Like Alonso and Schumacher before him, he never gives up and it pays off.  The mental toughness, like in the Oxford boat cannot be underestimated in sports success.  Fascinating. An exciting season is ahead…

The exams are all done.  It is possible that they are the last exams I will ever do.  An exam is a strange environment and a total intensive memory test.  In the past I have never performed at my best in them but this last set were the  best I have ever done. Results aside, I was very happy with my “exam performance” and did my best.

I took a different approach this time to before and although my nerves (and adrenaline!) were still high as I turned over the papers, I was able to recall much better and gave myself time to compose what I was going to say.

Exams are stressful but I kind of enjoyed it!  Also, I learnt a lot studying for them that will be very useful for me in future – the ultimate aim anyway.

The results will be out in a few months (after the marking and external marking and appeals and other admin …)

Yeserday was a great party.  Some of the guys put on a bash at their flat, with every colour alcoholic jelly, shotters and beers.  The weather was warm and sunny and it felt great letting off steam.

Tonight is the “Night at the Oscars” Ball and so final preparations are underway.  It will be a good night and everyone is making a big effort on the outfits.  Who has won the Oscars themselves is a closely guarded secret, with all to be revealed on stage later …