Blog, MBA in Stockholm Blog

After the fantastic sailing last time I wrote a blog entry, I've had some time to sit back with all the EMBA information in front of me.

For the next deadline I have to work on deciphering the pieces a Harvard case of Chrysler. It's difficult, but you just have to start poking at it, break it down, and then work on it bit by bit.  At first glance you think you'll never work it out.The instructions from the MBA lecturer say that you must not get outside help - so I'm on my own with this task. It is a bit different from the other projects I've had to work on, but will be a good experience to find out my own competence.

Also in addition, we have received another project - a business that we need to analyze: Active Biotech. The group that I am a member of have agreed to start work as soon as possible. But first I have to be done with Chrysler Business Case, so I do not work parallel things. I want to be completely focused.

Today is the last day for submission of "exam" in Advanced Accounting. It was not too awful, but a little tricky. I had good control of probably about 60% of it, and as for the rest....  that is more difficult to say... I sort of guessed and hoped for the best. For example the part that focused on hedging - that's easy to complicate  - for accounting.

Almost the best part of the MBA training, as I have said before, is my fellow classmates. Tomorrow a few of us have taken the initiative (and the opportunity) to meet up, in a spontaneous way for some fun and networking. So some will go sailing, some will play golf and some will only eat dinner together. But it's a way to get out of the classroom, and talk, to discuss issues such as problems we are having, or experiences / lessons learned on the job and ways we can solve them.

  So tonight I will be travel down to Stockholm for tomorrow's adventure with my classmates!

If I had only known how much work it is to do an EMBA, I would have thought one or two times before I started this journey.

I do not regret for a minute that I jumped into this MBA program - because it is an amazing opportunity. BUT I have been making many sacrifices and putting a lot of things aside, everything from exercise to removing my social life.

Just before Christmas, we had dead-line after dead-line after dead-line. It was very difficult and I barely made ​​it. But I did get through it, with a lot of discipline and help from my great classmates.

When I started this MBA program I was sure that I would focus on Leading Innovation (entrepreneurship) as a specialism, but actually, in the autumn I made the decision to instead focus on Economics. This is something that I do not regret. It is a bit ambitious to specialise in economics when you have an engineering background but oh what benefit it has to be more knowledgable about economics. And Stockholm School of Economics is one of the best in this area!

Now the summer vacation is approaching. But when you are studying for an MBA there is no break and no time to take time off. There are projects to be completed and work to get through - before, during and after the summer. The first task is an exam in Advanced Accounting that I am soon done with!

For many reasons, including many personal activities, I have not blogged in a while. So now it is time take the bull by the horns and get going again after an eventful autumn.

Of the many things i have bneen doing alongisde studying for my MBA at Stockholm School of Economics, I have been to Alaska and challenged myself to climb to the top of the world's coldest mountain. After a few days of climbing on the way up it started snowing, and snowing and snowing.... It might have snowed more than 2 metres before it was time to turn downhill again. But it was a fantastic experience and the mountain is still there!

My MBA education got off to a flying start after the summer, and all participants have recognized that autumn and winter semesters are going to be packed with work and challenges.

Within the MBA Programme there is a combination of project work, exams and assignments to complete. The secret is to balance the workload andfocus on priorities. Unfortunately, I have given priority to the workload and have cut back on what I said I would not remove - workout / time in the gym. So in orxder to recreate the balance, I will punish myself at the weekend when I run, jog or torment myslef on a 30 km race, here in Stockholm.

But it must be repented of it. What I need is better planning, better prioritization and better blogging, I promise to get to grips with this - and to keep you updated of my progress, and adventures!

Ulrica

Today I am back at Stockholm School of Economics (IFL) and have started on a new course section.

In the afternoon we worked with our "leading change" project. We have been split into smaller groups to gain an insight into each other's projects and provide comments and questions. This way of working really drives the process forward. But the downside is that a lot more jobs and work is created by these coaching sessions. So much, that in the evenings, my project partner and I continued worked on the planning and found that we everything together makes a tight timetable.

Many people have warned me that the fall will be more hectic with more case studies to learn. So the MBA studies, along with the economics modules i am taking, and the Leading Change project will probably keep me busy during the evenings and weekends in the autumn. I have to take care not to schedule anything except studying and work until Christmas.

Before I started my MBA I already planned a vacation in Alaska in July. It feels like that, with hindsight, I could do without this trip and instead focus on my studies. But I will just have to work a bit harder when I get back!

Today we got the result of the law exam that we had to sit, and I had a good feeling when I wrote it so I was happily suprised when I came out with really good grades. * So happy*

It feels good to get off to a good start to the MBA program! Now this came through, it has given me a good start on the course and a confidence about how the rest will go (both with the new knowledge and written exam success), which i am grateful for as it would have been hard to have to do a re-site when there are now lots of new tasks hanging over that need to be completed - and it would have started to spin out control - more and more and faster and faster.

Right now I seem to have created a balanced situation at work and in studies. And after last week when I thought it was "easy" to see the connections between, cash flow, and balance sheet results - now it feels like everything that goes on is taking off to new levels....

Now I will begin studying accounting, as the engineer I am, it feels both interesting and complicated, we'll see what I say when I completed the course.

We are now in my third section of my MBA and the course has got off to a flying start with accounting. I always admire the lecturers and the way they address the class - now I think the two new lecturers we now  have are amazing and have topped the rest off.

I was really nervous about the accounting block of the MBA as the economy is not my specialty. But I am keeping up with the others who are fantastic and I am understanding practically everything!

Accounting is teaching us to be able to evaluate companies and understand what is behind the numbers in financial statements. I never thought that it could be so interesting?!

Tomorrow we are out, all course participants, ona  boating trip with the aim of networking a bit more. All discussions about topics we read and the links to your own company is just as valuable as the theoretical knowledge which benefits us in the classroom.

Right now it feels like I need extra days in the week! It's not that I wasn't aware of the workload when I was admitted to the MBA course, but i hadn't thought it would be this much!

I am still in the run up to the law exam and over the past few days i have passed the ball around with my friends, and it feels so amazing - much better at once to have their opinions. I have an eye, but when there is a whole new area and I am not working with contract writing for a living it is so easly uncertain. Have I got everything? How was it with the competition rules? How do I control this?

And on top of the Iaw exam I also have the Leading Change project that needs to be completed soon including the literature associated with the work load. Next week we start a new course. We will begin to look at accounts and accounting and of course it comes with literature that must be read in advance too!

I was asked during the interview for admission on this MBA Program if I had backed up at home ... To the rear view mirror I do not understand how people that have a family (children) at home. I have plenty of time to work, read, vacuum, wash and carry wood, but wouldn't have time for other responsibilities. I admire those students that manage to complete an MBA and have a family - maybe they have to lose a bit of the "perfectionism" and prioritize hard to complete everything. I'm lucky to have people around me that are there when I do not have time or it is inconvenient, it feels like it would have been difficult to make it otherwise!

I have promised myself not to give up my interest of physical training - and to make sure i prioritise effectively to have time for workout. To make sure this happens, this week I have come up with races that i want to take part in, including short runs going up a hill and running a few long-distance race this summer.

The more you exercise, the more energy you get!

Now I have submitted economics exam and as I said before, I have been struggling with it. I think it may have and do withthe fact that I do not have economics in my background - I am an engineer at the end of the day, and to me economics is a bit strange.

However, it has been really interesting and I have learned a lot, but I have had to put a lot of time into it. Now I have already moved on to study the law aspects of the MBA program, which concentrates on the contract side of things. I find it much easier to understand, although it is not entirely obvious why engineers need to be studying "law".

So in my law studies I've been researching what contract look like. I know I said I thought that law was simpler than the economics but it is almost as if I am ready to take it back! It is times like these you wish you had close friends round to meet and discuss! I should meet my colleagues to get their impressions now!

Those of you who are thinking of studying for MBA - I have to tell you, the knowledge you get is incredible, but the classmates and the network you get is invaluable which I would say is a large part of the course. The discussions and the willingness to share their knowledge that the classmates bring I can not put a price on.

I have never been in contact with hedging (used to eliminate or reduce risk in investments) in my job, but many others on the course have, and their willing to explain and share makes me realise how valuable doing an MBA really is. Just as I have knowledge in certain specialized areas, the classmates have it in others and can share their knwoledge with me, and they do it more than happily.

Today I have been involved in arranging a seminar on environmental technologies and business opportunities. The colleagues and I have been in the hall with the whole company to talk future, and everything has been successful. All were involved in all discussions and have found lots of good ideas. Now is the time for the management of the company to manage it and they had to do something with it. It is good that there is already a plan for it.

We finished everything with a single party and I felt as if all were also there to make the best of the evening. I was in all cases extremely fun and discovered several colleagues in other departments on a daily basis I do not work directly. It felt like that it makes a lot of "good-feelings" in the company when you meet in this way.