Some time has passed since my last update about the study period. I was and am deeply immersed in my books. Numerous other things have happened as well. In this time we had another residency, some group work and exams. But now let me start step by step.
Recidency 2
In the second residency, everything was much more familiar. You know what to expect in the lessons, at least in the programs we already had before, and I already know a large part of the class. On the first day of each residency, you are assigned a new seat, which has the advantage of providing you with the opportunity to can get to know each other even better within the class.
Courses
We have already completed our first courses after the first two residencies, and new courses are starting. In the second residency, Operations and Managerial Analysis & Decision-Making were added. The latter had some surprises in store. Of course, I don’t want to go into details here, as you may want to experience it for yourself. But one thing is for sure, I learned in a very illustrative way how to find a good solution. And by that, I really mean a very memorable way.
In some cases, topics that have been taught in other courses came up again. For example, in one course we talked about framing, i.e. the change in the presentation of a decision making problem, and in the next course we talked about framing in the more specific context of marketing positioning. Of course, this is only one of many examples. In any case, it’s a pleasure to recognize things that you learned only a short time ago. It helps you to make connections and remember the topics more easily.
Within the third residency, we will have four new subjects:
- Business Strategy
- Strategic Entrepreneurship
- Organizational Behavior
- Financial Management & Corporate Finance
Books
Before the second residency, we had the option to choose whether we wanted to have books digitally or physically. I decided on the latter so that I wouldn’t have to look at my laptop so much. If you choose this option, be prepared to carry some extra luggage weight. There is a lot of knowledge packed inside. With that, I want to say, they are not the thinnest books. Since we have so much material to prepare, independently of the books, I will certainly have the pleasure to continue reading even after graduation.
Assessment
As different as each professor is with their lessons, so is the assessment method. The following is a collection of the grading assignments we have had so far.
- Short tests in class
- Group work in class
- Individual assignment (Presentations, oral and text format)
- Exam open book (Yes, you are allowed to look at all your notes and books. But time is quite short and to be honest, you have to know what to look up in the first place).
- Exam closed book
- Group assignment at home
- Forum discussions
Group work
As already shortly mentioned in one of my previous articles, the whole class was split into smaller groups to work more effectively on group assignments. Group Meitner, consisting of five students, currently meets at regular intervals. As the deadline approaches, we meet about twice a week. Otherwise, we meet about once a week. We are currently moving from one assignment to the next. Nevertheless, the meetings are fun. We discuss a lot, learn from each other and above all we laugh together. It really feels like a small unit that must accomplish a mission. One of the challenges we face is scheduling. Combining all five calendars doesn’t make it easy to schedule meetings however, somehow we always come to an agreement.
Student life
Of course, a lot more has happened since the last residency. Two external guests attended the class, to talk about their careers and provide us with tips and advice. We had a Christmas evening event with mulled wine and bratwurst. Furthermore, we received our student IDs and a super fluffy ESMT sweater. During the residency, we had the opportunity to find out our sizes using test sweaters. My advice is to go for the smaller one if you are in between sizes.
As you can see, a lot has happened lately. This already led to the fact that I almost mixed up the residences and wanted to write that we are preparing for the fourth. It is crazy how much content and knowledge I was able to take away in those four months alone.
The next residency is already approaching. I am looking forward to seeing everyone again, and I’m excited about our new courses and the respective professors who will teach them to us. Until then, however, I have to continue preparing. I will keep you updated.
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