Mid-terms came and went. I thought it will be a great time to take a breather, but I was wrong. As mid-terms ended, came the syndicate project deadlines. We have 3 main syndicate projects in total; Managing People for High Performance, Accounting for Managers, and Data & Decisions. Accounting was due yesterday and we successfully handed in the day before, much of the credit goes to Ronjon, Stuart and Henry Song. These three guys were in the Accounting sub-group and I am glad all "fightings" over assumptions and write-up ended well.
I am in the MPHP sub-group with David, Leila and Debi. Dave and Leila are a real asset to our group for MPHP. We brain-stormed the points to be covered then Leila did the write-up of the draft with the whole syndicate group reviewing and commenting on improvements to be added. The first draft is already pretty well-written. We will have to finish it up and submit it by next Wednesday. After which, we will have to prepare for a presentation of the project.
Then come the next project of Data & Decisions which is due in two weeks. As Stuart is the Statistics wizard, I am helping him in the data analysis of our project, together with Henry. I think the D&D project is pretty interesting and I am looking forward to the final product of the report. At present, we are only at the very initial phase of data definition.
If you think I am done after the submission of all the syndicate projects, you are wrong. The final exams are in the first week of December! This means I have 24 days left to the exams! Preparation for the final exams, plus the syndicate projects, I have practically no time to do anything else.
Last 3 weeks of first term of MBA = Looking more haggard + More grey hair + Higher stress level + Insufficient sleep + Irregular meals + Weight loss
I think weight loss is the only good thing out of this equation. I woke up at 6am today to attend a talk by Boston Consulting Group in school. Now I am in a syndicate room, going to start studying. What a life, what an MBA life!
P/S: We have 7 syndicate groups in our class. I just took a walk along the syndicate rooms corridor, all the 6 other groups are in syndicate meetings! This is what I call "Syndicate Fever" ;p
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Great Ocean Road
After the mid-term exams, I spent the weekend with 9 other classmates along Great Ocean road. We decided we need a good break from studying after the exams and we spent one night at the Twelve Apostles Motel. We rented one mini van and one of our classmates drove his car. It was a great idea and I am glad I joined the group. It was a good break from studies and school. We finished 48 bottles of beer and a Barcardi in one night. =p
We stopped at Torquay, Lorne and Apollo Bay along the way. We played with water at the Torquay beach, had a public BBQ and enjoyed the beach at Apollo Bay and had coffee at Lorne. A memorable trip with a breathtaking view! I'll let the pictures say for themselves.
We stopped at Torquay, Lorne and Apollo Bay along the way. We played with water at the Torquay beach, had a public BBQ and enjoyed the beach at Apollo Bay and had coffee at Lorne. A memorable trip with a breathtaking view! I'll let the pictures say for themselves.
AT Kearney Case Interview Workshop
I attended the AT Kearney case interview workshop the day before the Accounting for Managers exam. I made the right decision to attend the workshop, instead of mugging Accounting at home. The session was very helpful and I am so greatful AT Kearney consultants took time out of their busy schedule to come and give us the workshop in MBS.
Two AT Kearney consultants gave an introduction about the company, the kind of projects they handle and the career prospects in the company. After that, we were spilt into groups of 7 to 8 people and we were led by AT Kearney consultants on how to handle case interviews. We were given a case to analyse and we were led through the case, with each of us contributing our ideas. It was my first case and I learnt a lot from the session. We were told that case interview performance usually gets better with more practice. I learnt how to think through the case and learnt what to do & what not to do in an interview. Planning is very important and we should always take time to think through the case thoroughly before rushing to answer it. Another important point is to answer the question and not to suggest ideas that won't improve the situation. It seems pretty straight forward but people still tend to forget this point.
I am so glad I attended the workshop!
Two AT Kearney consultants gave an introduction about the company, the kind of projects they handle and the career prospects in the company. After that, we were spilt into groups of 7 to 8 people and we were led by AT Kearney consultants on how to handle case interviews. We were given a case to analyse and we were led through the case, with each of us contributing our ideas. It was my first case and I learnt a lot from the session. We were told that case interview performance usually gets better with more practice. I learnt how to think through the case and learnt what to do & what not to do in an interview. Planning is very important and we should always take time to think through the case thoroughly before rushing to answer it. Another important point is to answer the question and not to suggest ideas that won't improve the situation. It seems pretty straight forward but people still tend to forget this point.
I am so glad I attended the workshop!
Mid-term exams
The main reason for my long disappearance from blogging is due to mid-term exams. I had five different exams held over a period of two weeks. Managing People for High Performance, Managerial Economics and Data & Decision was held the week before. Financial Management and Accounting for Managers was held last week.
I was mugging through the last two weeks, skipping parties and dinner invitations. I have been quite consistent with assignments every week so I have managed to get the concepts of most classes, but I have not been up and ahead on my readings and revisions. So I spent the last two weeks really catching up. It was pretty tiring so I learnt my lesson. I need to catch up with readings and revision and assignments every week, not only when the exams are near.
Comparing with NUS Engineering whereby the lecturers ask questions on anything and everything unexpected under the sun, the five exams were manageble. If you have studied, you will definitely pass and even get a good grade. I did pretty average in most subjects, so I need to buck up for the finals. At present I am pretty busy with syndicate assignments due in a couple of weeks. After that, I will be mugging again for the final exams in early December. It is only a month away... hectic hectic MBA life.
I was mugging through the last two weeks, skipping parties and dinner invitations. I have been quite consistent with assignments every week so I have managed to get the concepts of most classes, but I have not been up and ahead on my readings and revisions. So I spent the last two weeks really catching up. It was pretty tiring so I learnt my lesson. I need to catch up with readings and revision and assignments every week, not only when the exams are near.
Comparing with NUS Engineering whereby the lecturers ask questions on anything and everything unexpected under the sun, the five exams were manageble. If you have studied, you will definitely pass and even get a good grade. I did pretty average in most subjects, so I need to buck up for the finals. At present I am pretty busy with syndicate assignments due in a couple of weeks. After that, I will be mugging again for the final exams in early December. It is only a month away... hectic hectic MBA life.
Women & Management
MBS offers its students many different clubs and organisations to join outside our busy schedule of studying. If there is nothing that interests you, you can even set up your own new club. A couple of friends from my class set up the Statistical Analysis Club, which is pretty cool. After exploring different options, I decided to join the Women & Management club. I always believe women make better leaders than men. Well, we do listen better than guys. =)
MBS Women & Management club organised a networking lunch on 10th October. It was an informal event whereby successful women professionals and managers from various industries come together to discuss the challenges women managers face today. It was awesome! I was the emcee for the introduction of the guests and I am so glad the lunch was a great success. There were guests from BCG, Telstra, IBM, ANZ, etc. The audience attendance was mainly females with three gentlemen who were very much welcomed by the group.
Anyway, girl power always rulez! =p
Monday, October 6, 2008
Singapore day
The theme for last weekend revolved around my hometown, Singapore! I attended the Singapore recruitment event on Friday evening at Telstra Dome and went to celebrate Singapore day with 11,000 other Singaporeans at Sidney Myer Music Bowl on Saturday.
The recruitment event was mainly made up of Singapore companies in finance, healthcare and engineering industries. There was a nice videoclip of Singapore Marina Bay area, the lifestyle of the people and the buildings around Singapore river. It made me miss home! I had the chance to talk to ANZ CEO in Singapore, Bill Foo. Most companies told me to apply for an internship back home during December-February school break. Let's see... The rest of the companies include MINDEF, MAS, SANDS, Capitaland, Far East Organisation, Vestas, and so on.
The next day, I had a great time at the Singapore day! As usual, we had to queue and queue like in Singapore, but it was all worth it. There was hawker food I have been missing so much, like Hokkien Mee, Char Kway Teow, Chilli Crab, Kaya Toast, and so on! And everything was free!!! There was also a concert where Phua Chu Kang family acted a sketch, Tay Ping Hui & Hardy Mirza sang, and my favourite band Electrico was in town too!
Melbourne weather was great on Singapore day, we were picnicing under the sun and enjoying food from home. The Hokkien Mee was from the Wisma Food Republic stall! Perfect! It was great to be home in Melbourne. =)
The recruitment event was mainly made up of Singapore companies in finance, healthcare and engineering industries. There was a nice videoclip of Singapore Marina Bay area, the lifestyle of the people and the buildings around Singapore river. It made me miss home! I had the chance to talk to ANZ CEO in Singapore, Bill Foo. Most companies told me to apply for an internship back home during December-February school break. Let's see... The rest of the companies include MINDEF, MAS, SANDS, Capitaland, Far East Organisation, Vestas, and so on.
The next day, I had a great time at the Singapore day! As usual, we had to queue and queue like in Singapore, but it was all worth it. There was hawker food I have been missing so much, like Hokkien Mee, Char Kway Teow, Chilli Crab, Kaya Toast, and so on! And everything was free!!! There was also a concert where Phua Chu Kang family acted a sketch, Tay Ping Hui & Hardy Mirza sang, and my favourite band Electrico was in town too!
Melbourne weather was great on Singapore day, we were picnicing under the sun and enjoying food from home. The Hokkien Mee was from the Wisma Food Republic stall! Perfect! It was great to be home in Melbourne. =)
Welcome BBQ
I guess everyone loves free food & drinks, especially us students. Last Wednesday MBS had such an occasion, with free dinner and beer - the Welcome BBQ! I thought BBQs were always outdoor and involves fire, charcoal, and grilling. But we had this one indoor, with already cooked food and free flow of beer.
Whether indoor or outdoor, it will always attract many people. There were full time students like us, the part time students, the exchange students, the seniors and so on. There were so many new faces and was great fun minggling around with "familiar strangers".
I chatted with a couple of exchange students and got to know a few part timers. We should have more occasions like this, with more free beer, as the beer ran out really fast in the first 30mins.
Whether indoor or outdoor, it will always attract many people. There were full time students like us, the part time students, the exchange students, the seniors and so on. There were so many new faces and was great fun minggling around with "familiar strangers".
I chatted with a couple of exchange students and got to know a few part timers. We should have more occasions like this, with more free beer, as the beer ran out really fast in the first 30mins.
Johnson & Johnson
J&J came on campus last Thursday to give a presentation and to recruit the students for both internship and full-time positions. It was full house at the Cohen Theatre, with a few of us having to stand throughout the session. The group that came were mainly from the Healthcare divisions of J&J, namely, Pharmeceutical and Medical Devices & Diagnostics.
The presenters talked about how meaningful it is to save lives while working. They shared several stories about how patients were saved around the world with the devices they developed in J&J. Some of the stories were really touching and inspiring.
J&J is hiring all over the world in positions such as Product Manager, Finance Manager, Marketing Manager, and so on. It was a pretty good presentation from one of the FORTUNE 500 companies in the world. However, they spent a long time selling the name J&J. I thought it was not really necessary to sell the brand as the crowd was already attracted to the talk by the name Johnson & Johnson.
The presenters talked about how meaningful it is to save lives while working. They shared several stories about how patients were saved around the world with the devices they developed in J&J. Some of the stories were really touching and inspiring.
J&J is hiring all over the world in positions such as Product Manager, Finance Manager, Marketing Manager, and so on. It was a pretty good presentation from one of the FORTUNE 500 companies in the world. However, they spent a long time selling the name J&J. I thought it was not really necessary to sell the brand as the crowd was already attracted to the talk by the name Johnson & Johnson.
Salsa class
Last Monday, I went for my very first dancing lesson of my life - Salsa! There were about 10-12 of us, mainly from my class. Salsa class is organised by the Latin American club in MBS, called LANG. It was great fun, though I stepped on a couple of foot. =p
Alex, the instructor, is a cuban guy, who has dancing blood in him since birth. He was telling us no one teaches you how to dance in South America, you just move! Yah yah... I was moving, just no Salsa blood in me. Hehehe... 1 step forward, 3 steps backwards, then move sideways... He made it seem so easy.
The music was rhythmic and supposedly makes you wanna dance, but I was too involved with getting the steps right and was busy looking at shoes the whole time. So Alex told us to look up and go with the flow... and I ended up stepping on others' foot. Oooppps! I hope someone still partners me next week. =)
Alex, the instructor, is a cuban guy, who has dancing blood in him since birth. He was telling us no one teaches you how to dance in South America, you just move! Yah yah... I was moving, just no Salsa blood in me. Hehehe... 1 step forward, 3 steps backwards, then move sideways... He made it seem so easy.
The music was rhythmic and supposedly makes you wanna dance, but I was too involved with getting the steps right and was busy looking at shoes the whole time. So Alex told us to look up and go with the flow... and I ended up stepping on others' foot. Oooppps! I hope someone still partners me next week. =)
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Hawks vs Cats
It was a big day yesterday for Australians, especially Melbournians. It was the Australian Football League AFL grand finals - the showdown between Geelong and Hawthorn!!! A group of us made it to the Federation Square to catch the game on the big screen with thousands of fans. Thank god it was such a beautiful and warm day.
Geelong, the Cats, were the champions last year and everyone thought they will take home the trophy again this year. But it was the HAWKS who won the game, the new champions!!! The score was Hawks-115, Cats-89. Cheer on, Hawks! Well done!
MBS ranks 26th
Economist Intelligence Unit Which MBA? rankings are out and MBS ranks no.1 in Australia and no.26 in the world! Hip hip hurray!!! We celebrated in the staff lounge with lots of champagne!!! The schools from back home in Singapore ranks no.81 for Nanyang MBA and no.89 for NUS MBA. Hehehe. =) Feels great to be here!
Busiest day of the month
Last Thursday, my alarm clock went at 7am, and I woke up to get myself in class by 8.30am. Accounting for Managers class started at 8.45am and David Trende (Accounting lecturer) fully utilised my brains until 12pm. Then I had a quick lunch at the cafeteria with a few classmates, I brought myself lunch from home, it was pitta bread, salad & tuna with dressing. Then I rushed back to CUB theatre for career sessions. It started with MBS Alumni Guest Panel at 1pm, we had alumni from AT Kearney (Consulting firm), GE Healthcare, and Kraft (FMCG). They gave very good insights to their jobs and responsibilities, as well as how is their day-to-day life like in their respective firms and industries. Such career sessions in MBS always set my mind thinking, what do I want to do after my MBA, what am I good at, what do I love to do, how should I go about getting where I want to, and so on.
Then we had Internship presentations by senior students, there was one who worked in a consulting firm, one who volunteered to give back to KIVA in Mexico, two who had a business consulting project with eye research center and one who worked as an analyst with Pacific Brands. All stories were interesting and exciting, these students truly enjoyed their internships. This too set me thinking about my next steps in my career. The career session ended at 4pm with Leo (career consultant at MBS) giving us a presentation on MBA Career paths and what we will be doing to prepare for our careers from now till Dec 2008.
At 4pm, some of the classmates went to play footy at Uni square in front of school, while I joined the ladies in school for a short meeting of Women & Management club at the Student Lounge. The agenda was to prepare for the Networking Lunch event to be held in a few weeks' time. We discussed on the food, the seatings, the list of guests, and so on. I had a quick dinner cum snack at 5.30pm.
Then at 6pm, I attended the event "Clean Technology Business Opportunities". Clean energy is very popular these days, just like dot com companies in the 90s. But I believe clean energy will not suffer the fates of dot com companies, the world is leading to self destruction and clean energy is extremely improtant. The companies that presented were CO2CRC (CO2 storage), Synergetic (environmental engineering), azuratec (integrated water systems), hydrexia (H2 storage). Each story was inspiring and interesting. These are the entreprenuers who strived on based on their beliefs. The event ended at 9pm with the closings from Venture Capital companies; CleanTech Ventures and Starfish Ventures. This brought us to the financal part of ventures. Aaron Fyke, partner of Starfish Ventures, is a MIT Sloan MBA alumni. He talked about the risks involved and returns associated with venture capitalism.
At 9pm, a friend gave me a lift to the Backpackers pub on Elizabeth St. I was meeting a few of my classmates there for pub quizz! It was time to let my hair down and relax. I had a few glasses of beer and we did relatively well in the quizz by coming in second. Yeah! I left the pub around 11.30pm and headed straight home to bed. There was early morning class the next day at 8.45am. It was the most tiring day of the month but every second was worth it. =p
Then we had Internship presentations by senior students, there was one who worked in a consulting firm, one who volunteered to give back to KIVA in Mexico, two who had a business consulting project with eye research center and one who worked as an analyst with Pacific Brands. All stories were interesting and exciting, these students truly enjoyed their internships. This too set me thinking about my next steps in my career. The career session ended at 4pm with Leo (career consultant at MBS) giving us a presentation on MBA Career paths and what we will be doing to prepare for our careers from now till Dec 2008.
At 4pm, some of the classmates went to play footy at Uni square in front of school, while I joined the ladies in school for a short meeting of Women & Management club at the Student Lounge. The agenda was to prepare for the Networking Lunch event to be held in a few weeks' time. We discussed on the food, the seatings, the list of guests, and so on. I had a quick dinner cum snack at 5.30pm.
Then at 6pm, I attended the event "Clean Technology Business Opportunities". Clean energy is very popular these days, just like dot com companies in the 90s. But I believe clean energy will not suffer the fates of dot com companies, the world is leading to self destruction and clean energy is extremely improtant. The companies that presented were CO2CRC (CO2 storage), Synergetic (environmental engineering), azuratec (integrated water systems), hydrexia (H2 storage). Each story was inspiring and interesting. These are the entreprenuers who strived on based on their beliefs. The event ended at 9pm with the closings from Venture Capital companies; CleanTech Ventures and Starfish Ventures. This brought us to the financal part of ventures. Aaron Fyke, partner of Starfish Ventures, is a MIT Sloan MBA alumni. He talked about the risks involved and returns associated with venture capitalism.
At 9pm, a friend gave me a lift to the Backpackers pub on Elizabeth St. I was meeting a few of my classmates there for pub quizz! It was time to let my hair down and relax. I had a few glasses of beer and we did relatively well in the quizz by coming in second. Yeah! I left the pub around 11.30pm and headed straight home to bed. There was early morning class the next day at 8.45am. It was the most tiring day of the month but every second was worth it. =p
Data & Decision
As I missed my first week of lectures, I attended the D&D review class with Pete. He is such a good teacher, mentor and senior. He explained everything in detail and to your understanding. Pete goes at a much slower speed than Daniel Oron (D&D lecturer), so that all students can catch up with the class and the concepts in Data & Decision.
I am so glad we have review classes, if not I wonder how can I ever catch up! =) Thanks, Pete!
I am so glad we have review classes, if not I wonder how can I ever catch up! =) Thanks, Pete!
MBS vs AGSM
Just like the "fight" between Sydney and Melbourne on which is the more livable city, MBS & AGSM are both "fighting" for the prestige of the no.1 MBA school in Australia. Some turn to rankings to compare, some use their own experiences, while some get references from friends and colleagues. As I am in MBS, of course I believe my school is the better MBA school. But last Saturday proved my point right.
We had the traditional MBS vs AGSM cup where the two schools compete in debate and sports, namely, volleyball, soccer and frisbee. It was great fun to meet and play with the AGSM counterparts, I was mainly involved in cheering for MBS. We lost both the debate and the sports but we had much fun. I feel the reason for our loss was because we emphasized on having a great time and forming friendships with AGSM students, we were not competitive whatsoever. However, our AGSM friends were very competitive. For example, we were leading in volleyball, and AGSM suddenly changed players to put in their best big boys, while we kept our small asian girls who were having fun in the game. Our soccer team boys were on student exchange at other business schools this term and we had anyone and everyone who wanted to play in the games.
Though we lost the cup, we won the unofficial drinking competition! Woo Hoo! This shows that in MBS, we work hard and we play hard! =) I am glad I had the chance to meet AGSM, it just double confirmed I made the right choice! If all things are equal, it is the people in MBS that made my MBA choice right. The classmates, the seniors, the staff, the school, MBS is just way better!
We had the traditional MBS vs AGSM cup where the two schools compete in debate and sports, namely, volleyball, soccer and frisbee. It was great fun to meet and play with the AGSM counterparts, I was mainly involved in cheering for MBS. We lost both the debate and the sports but we had much fun. I feel the reason for our loss was because we emphasized on having a great time and forming friendships with AGSM students, we were not competitive whatsoever. However, our AGSM friends were very competitive. For example, we were leading in volleyball, and AGSM suddenly changed players to put in their best big boys, while we kept our small asian girls who were having fun in the game. Our soccer team boys were on student exchange at other business schools this term and we had anyone and everyone who wanted to play in the games.
Though we lost the cup, we won the unofficial drinking competition! Woo Hoo! This shows that in MBS, we work hard and we play hard! =) I am glad I had the chance to meet AGSM, it just double confirmed I made the right choice! If all things are equal, it is the people in MBS that made my MBA choice right. The classmates, the seniors, the staff, the school, MBS is just way better!
Saturday, September 20, 2008
World of Management
We had our World of Management exam today, I have not written so much for a while since my University days. There were 3 questions to answer in total and I wrote about 2 pages for each question, with single spacing. As usual, we had the Westpac and Bank of Melbourne case as our first queastion. Then came the Personal Development, Learning, Group/Team Development and Functional perspectives. I chose to do Personal & Team development questions.
Although some of us grumble a little about how tiring it was to go through WOM for 2 weeks intensive after orientation and how painful it is to hand in the learning log and to study for WOM exam, I believe the module is beneficial to us. At least everyone is on the same page when we talk about WOM theories, frameworks, models and lists. You can ask anyone in my class about Belbin's team roles, Fayol's managerial roles, the seven 'S' framework, and so on. "Hey, you are a company worker!" and everyone of us know exactly what that means. =)
Coming from so many different countries, cultures and backgrounds, I believe WOM language binds us together and everyone has the same basis to understand each other. Theories such as team development are extremely useful for our syndicate groups. At least now everyone know what is expected of them in group works. Though we might not be able to apply all theories successfully, understanding them and being able to talk or laugh about them with my classmates is enough to bond us to our syndicates.
Although some of us grumble a little about how tiring it was to go through WOM for 2 weeks intensive after orientation and how painful it is to hand in the learning log and to study for WOM exam, I believe the module is beneficial to us. At least everyone is on the same page when we talk about WOM theories, frameworks, models and lists. You can ask anyone in my class about Belbin's team roles, Fayol's managerial roles, the seven 'S' framework, and so on. "Hey, you are a company worker!" and everyone of us know exactly what that means. =)
Coming from so many different countries, cultures and backgrounds, I believe WOM language binds us together and everyone has the same basis to understand each other. Theories such as team development are extremely useful for our syndicate groups. At least now everyone know what is expected of them in group works. Though we might not be able to apply all theories successfully, understanding them and being able to talk or laugh about them with my classmates is enough to bond us to our syndicates.
Bad news back home
My brother had an accident and was hospitalised in Singapore, my Mum called and told me to rush home. I was so shocked, I didn't even think twice, I picked up the phone and called Singapore airlines to book a ticket home. Even though I was learning a lot in school and was ending my World of Management module, MBA can wait. So I took the flight home the next day and missed my last day of WOM.
Just the day before, we had to prepare and give 10-mins presentations in groups of six, and I came in first in my group. I was happy and was looking forward to my prize. Then suddenly, the very next day, my priorities changed and the presentation was out of my mind. I only had my brother in my mind. Will he be ok?
I was back home for 1.5 weeks, I met with the doctors, with my brother's school assistant dean and his hostel in-charge. I had to tie up the loose ends for him. He wasn't very well the first few days I reached Singapore, but he improved. By the end of the second week, I had a talk with the senior consultant doctor. She promised he will recover, but we have to be patient and give him time. She expects he will be bouncing back to normal around mid-Oct. Meanwhile, he will be in good hands of the doctor and the nurses at NUH. I was relieved to some extent.
So I had to think about myself, do I want to join this intake and finish my MBA as planned or do I want to look after my brother and miss one term. It was a tough decision, of course my brother comes first, family always comes first. But there was nothing I can do in Singapore, other than visiting my brother and bringing him food. I had a talk with my parents. My Dad has holidays from mid-Sept to mid-Oct and he will be free to take care of my brother. My Mum is a housewife and she will visit my brother with lots of food too. So I decided it was better for me to come back to Melbourne and continue my MBA. I might have missed one week of school but I am sure i can catch up the introduction lectures.
So just as quickly as I booked a flight back home, I booked a ticket back to Melbourne on 13th Sept. I am going back to study, and continue to pursue my MBA.
Just the day before, we had to prepare and give 10-mins presentations in groups of six, and I came in first in my group. I was happy and was looking forward to my prize. Then suddenly, the very next day, my priorities changed and the presentation was out of my mind. I only had my brother in my mind. Will he be ok?
I was back home for 1.5 weeks, I met with the doctors, with my brother's school assistant dean and his hostel in-charge. I had to tie up the loose ends for him. He wasn't very well the first few days I reached Singapore, but he improved. By the end of the second week, I had a talk with the senior consultant doctor. She promised he will recover, but we have to be patient and give him time. She expects he will be bouncing back to normal around mid-Oct. Meanwhile, he will be in good hands of the doctor and the nurses at NUH. I was relieved to some extent.
So I had to think about myself, do I want to join this intake and finish my MBA as planned or do I want to look after my brother and miss one term. It was a tough decision, of course my brother comes first, family always comes first. But there was nothing I can do in Singapore, other than visiting my brother and bringing him food. I had a talk with my parents. My Dad has holidays from mid-Sept to mid-Oct and he will be free to take care of my brother. My Mum is a housewife and she will visit my brother with lots of food too. So I decided it was better for me to come back to Melbourne and continue my MBA. I might have missed one week of school but I am sure i can catch up the introduction lectures.
So just as quickly as I booked a flight back home, I booked a ticket back to Melbourne on 13th Sept. I am going back to study, and continue to pursue my MBA.
School started with Orientation
Orientation started on 18th Aug and i had a real good time. We have a very international mix in my intake. The countries my classmates come from are amazing, Panama, Peru, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, and many more! These people are amazing! The backgrounds and cultures are so different. This is exactly what an MBA is about, to bring people from different parts of the world together, to learn from each other and to strive in diverse workplaces after graduation. Can you make out the word below? It says "MBS"! Melbourne Business School!
We had an amazing time and I was one of the 4 students randomly picked to visit our Dean's house for dinner! It was awesome! Which other business school dean invites you to his house? I love MBS! =p
We had an amazing time and I was one of the 4 students randomly picked to visit our Dean's house for dinner! It was awesome! Which other business school dean invites you to his house? I love MBS! =p
Thursday, August 7, 2008
Cynthia Ma Shwe Sin Win
This entry is not about MBA, but about my name, my long and complicated name. As I was born in Burma, I don't have a surname! I know this is shocking to so many people who know their family tree. Burma is the only country in the whole world (I think!) where its people do not have surnames. So technically I do not have a surname. The last word in my Dad's name is "Win" and I also have it in my name, so that makes "Win" my surname (supposedly)! I can't say "Win" is my surname because my brother does not have the word "Win" in his name. He has the word "Aung" in his name which is the second word in Dad's name. So my 'surname' is "Win" and my brother's 'surname' is "Aung", when we are born from the same parents, same Mum & Dad!
Anyway, when I was born, my Mum named me "Shwe Sin Win". "Win" is from my Dad's name, "Shwe Sin" is supposed to be my first name. It means 100% pure gold, which is the same name as the Oscar awards in Burma. So all my friends in Burma called me "Shwe Sin". Then when I was 9 years old, we migrated to Singapore. The passport section in Burma had the rule to add "Ma" in front of all female applicants and "Maung" in front of all male applicants. So when I arrive in Singapore, my name became "Ma Shwe Sin Win" where "Ma" is an addition, meaning "Miss".
In Singapore, you either have a Chinese, Malay or an Indian name. My name was short words without any bin or binte like Malay names, son of or daughter of like Indian names, and I took Chinese as my second language so my name is classified as a Chinese name. The Chinese language teacher even gave me a Chinese name based on translation from my Burmese name. My Chinese name is Rui Xin Wei. For Chinese, the first word is surname, the last two words (usually) is the first name. So "Xin Wei" became my first name in Chinese class and "Sin Win" became my first name in other classes. "Sin Win" is actually the second word of my first name plus my 'surname'. But all my friends in Singapore calls me "Sin Win".
When I was in Secondary School, I began to realise the ease of using an English name. I realised non-Chinese friends have some difficulty with my name, some remembering me as "Win Sin" instead and so on. So I asked my mum to choose an English name for me and she chose "Cynthia" whereby "Cyn" has the same pronounciation as "Sin" in my name. So I started using "Cynthia" as my first name for non official matters and began to get used to it. So when I applied for my MBA in Australia, I used "Cynthia" as my first name as it is much easier to remember. So "Ma Shwe Sin" becomes my middle name and "Win" remains as my 'surname'. So now I am known as "Cynthia" to my friends in Australia. However, "Cynthia" is neither in my Passport nor my Identity Card.
When someone calls me "Shwe Sin", that must be a friend from Burma. When someone calls me "Sin Win", that must be a friend from Singapore. When someone calls me "Cynthia", that must be a friend from Australia. =)
Anyway, when I was born, my Mum named me "Shwe Sin Win". "Win" is from my Dad's name, "Shwe Sin" is supposed to be my first name. It means 100% pure gold, which is the same name as the Oscar awards in Burma. So all my friends in Burma called me "Shwe Sin". Then when I was 9 years old, we migrated to Singapore. The passport section in Burma had the rule to add "Ma" in front of all female applicants and "Maung" in front of all male applicants. So when I arrive in Singapore, my name became "Ma Shwe Sin Win" where "Ma" is an addition, meaning "Miss".
In Singapore, you either have a Chinese, Malay or an Indian name. My name was short words without any bin or binte like Malay names, son of or daughter of like Indian names, and I took Chinese as my second language so my name is classified as a Chinese name. The Chinese language teacher even gave me a Chinese name based on translation from my Burmese name. My Chinese name is Rui Xin Wei. For Chinese, the first word is surname, the last two words (usually) is the first name. So "Xin Wei" became my first name in Chinese class and "Sin Win" became my first name in other classes. "Sin Win" is actually the second word of my first name plus my 'surname'. But all my friends in Singapore calls me "Sin Win".
When I was in Secondary School, I began to realise the ease of using an English name. I realised non-Chinese friends have some difficulty with my name, some remembering me as "Win Sin" instead and so on. So I asked my mum to choose an English name for me and she chose "Cynthia" whereby "Cyn" has the same pronounciation as "Sin" in my name. So I started using "Cynthia" as my first name for non official matters and began to get used to it. So when I applied for my MBA in Australia, I used "Cynthia" as my first name as it is much easier to remember. So "Ma Shwe Sin" becomes my middle name and "Win" remains as my 'surname'. So now I am known as "Cynthia" to my friends in Australia. However, "Cynthia" is neither in my Passport nor my Identity Card.
When someone calls me "Shwe Sin", that must be a friend from Burma. When someone calls me "Sin Win", that must be a friend from Singapore. When someone calls me "Cynthia", that must be a friend from Australia. =)
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
One lucky batch saving AUD$4000
I am in the last batch of MBS MBA program where the tuition fees are at AUD$2500 per module. From Jan 2009 intake onwards, tuition fees will be increased to AUD$2700 per module. As I will be taking 20 modules in total, this means that I will save AUD$4000 on my school fees. Yeah! Though it is not a very huge sum, to a full-time student, who has no income whatsoever, I am really lucky to be in the last batch paying AUD$2500 per module. Phew!
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
An expensive decision
A year ago, in August 2007, I made a very expensive decision - to study MBA. So for the next few months, I was busy comparing schools from all over the world. I did consider US ivy league schools but soon that idea turned to dust. First of all, US schools are too costly (even though the US dollar value plunged due to sub-prime, it was still SGD$150,000+++). Secondly, I might not even get into a good US school, and if I were to settle for a second-tier US MBA school, I might as well go for another school elsewhere which is cheaper.
So I turned to Europe schools, yes, they are cheaper than US schools, but still around SGD$120,000+++. Having only worked 3 years after my graduation, my savings aren't that much to speak of. After much deliberation, much comparisons, much conversations, I decided to pursue my MBA at Melbourne Business School.
I wrote my essays, found my references, prepared my application documents and started studying for GMAT. I took my GMAT in Dec 2007 and received a score of 680. I applied to two schools - Melbourne Business School MBA & Masters in Wealth Management with SMU (Singapore Management University). I received offers from both schools and had a long discussion with my bf, JY. What if I don't like wealth management?
Believing that an MBA will open more doors for me than a Masters, we decided I should go for my MBA at MBS. So I decided I will pay AUD$52,000 tuition fees and pursue my MBA. Fortunately, I was awarded the MBS Foundation Scholarship of AUD$10,000 after a telephone interview with a representative from the Scholarship Committee. So I will only be paying AUD$42,000 for my school fees! =)
Whatever the case, this is still the most expensive decision I have ever made, to use up all my savings and to borrow some from my parents to pursue my dream of becoming an MBA.
So I turned to Europe schools, yes, they are cheaper than US schools, but still around SGD$120,000+++. Having only worked 3 years after my graduation, my savings aren't that much to speak of. After much deliberation, much comparisons, much conversations, I decided to pursue my MBA at Melbourne Business School.
I wrote my essays, found my references, prepared my application documents and started studying for GMAT. I took my GMAT in Dec 2007 and received a score of 680. I applied to two schools - Melbourne Business School MBA & Masters in Wealth Management with SMU (Singapore Management University). I received offers from both schools and had a long discussion with my bf, JY. What if I don't like wealth management?
Believing that an MBA will open more doors for me than a Masters, we decided I should go for my MBA at MBS. So I decided I will pay AUD$52,000 tuition fees and pursue my MBA. Fortunately, I was awarded the MBS Foundation Scholarship of AUD$10,000 after a telephone interview with a representative from the Scholarship Committee. So I will only be paying AUD$42,000 for my school fees! =)
Whatever the case, this is still the most expensive decision I have ever made, to use up all my savings and to borrow some from my parents to pursue my dream of becoming an MBA.
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