We are now in our final semester at Sloan and I am already swamped with work and social activities. We have a combination of full-semester, H1 (first half only) and H2 (second half only) courses at Sloan, and this semester I'm taking Managing in Adversity (H2), Technology Sales and Sales Management (H1), Entrepreneurial Finance (FS), Mergers and Acquisitions (H1), Power and Negotiation (FS) and Retirement Finance, Lifecycle Investing and Asset Management (FS). The last one is one course, not three, and is taught by Robert Merton, the Nobel laureate.
Managing in Adversity brings in CEOs and each week we write about what we would have done as the CEO in the situation. One person is selected to present in front of the class as the CEO and presents in front of the rest of the class, who are the board of directors. There is a class discussion and then the real CEO talks about what he/she actually did. Here is a video clip on the course: http://techtv.mit.edu/collections/ecenter/videos/9739-15386-managing-in-adversity---howard-anderson.
Tech Sales teaches us various sales tactics and how to build and manage a sales force. Every class, two people are asked to come and sell a product in front of the class and we are also required to, with a partner, film ourselves selling a product to each other. We then post it on Youtube so that the rest of the class can watch it. Here is the video clip for tech sales: http://techtv.mit.edu/collections/ecenter/videos/9742-15387-sales-and-sales-management---howard-anderson
Entrepreneurial Finance focuses on technology-based start-ups, how much can and should be raised, when it should be raised and from whom, what the reasonable valuation of the company is and how the funding should be structured. The course is case-based.
Mergers and Acquisitions is also a case-based course that examines various M&A transactions and how to structure them.
Power and Negotiation is a simulation-based course that teaches us how to become better negotiators.
The courses so far have been good and I have been learning a lot. There have also been many social events as people are trying to spend more time with each other before we all graduate. Other than that, I am excited to be moving out to California next year. My friend and I have started searching for houses out in the bay area and we'll be rooming together with a few other people from Sloan. A lot of Sloanies are moving out there so it should be a blast!
Comments