Rainy LA Day

It doesn't rain that often in Los Angeles. However when it does rain, I must admit, it's a helpful boost to productivity.

As Jeremy mentioned in his last post, the past few months have been quite a whirlwind. A few weeks after moving into our apartment in Santa Monica, I started classes at the UCLA Anderson School of Management. Yes, the first two weeks of orientation were a bit like summer camp. Expensive summer camp. In addition to lots of ice breakers and events to help us all get to know one another, we took a course in "Leadership Foundations" that included plenty of readings, cases, and even a final exam. Over nine years have passed since I took a final exam, but I did alright.

After two weeks of orientation, we got right into classes. At 8AM on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I take Financial Accounting. So far, I've not only learned that Assets = Liabilities + Equity; I've also learned that upon starting my own business, I will immediately hire an accountant. At 9:45AM on Tuesdays and Thursdays, I take Data and Decisions, which is essentially a statistics course. I hate this class, not only because I already took it back at UVA, but also because I was better at it back then. At 12:45PM on Tuesdays and Thursdays, after a lunch hour that is often filled with group meetings or interesting speakers, I take Managerial Economics. Yes, this is another class I technically took already at UVA, but I honestly think it is being taught on an entirely different level. For the most part, economics makes sense, but it can still be quite challenging. I think I'll also keep an economist on retainer if I ever start my own company.

On Mondays and Wednesdays, I have a lighter load of classes. With the mornings free, I actually get some time to run, which is amazing. Then I head to school for my first class at 12:45 PM, Financial Markets. Most days, I really have no idea what is being discussed in class. I'm taking the course with a crew of people who have already worked on Wall Street; they probably should have tested out of the course entirely. So while I struggle to remember the difference between a bond and a stock (I exaggerate...) they are talking about imbedded options and short selling. It's a little frustrating having to listen to many of them try to advance the level of the class, but I'm actually doing fine so far. The homework consists of problem set after problem set, and who is better prepared for a lot of problem sets than an undergraduate engineering major? Exactly!

My coursework is rounded out with a class in Management Communications, which to date, is more or less a class about public speaking. Clearly, it is one of my favorite classes. We watch a lot of Ted Talks and do a lot of impromptu speaking in front of our classmates. We're video-taped and then we're forced to watch ourselves speak, which is humbling to say the least.

Pretty much every day at school includes an opportunity to drink alcohol. I mean network. In addition to events sponsored by the Wine Club or the Microbrew Club, there is Lit Club every Wednesday night and Anderson Afternoons every Thursday at 4:45 PM. Challenge for Charity hosts fundraisers that include Beer Pong tournaments and Bowl-a-thons. My section is even having a fundraiser that will feature our economics professor DJ-ing. And these events are just during the week! The weekends involve bar hopping, tailgating at football games, and group dinners. I must admit, I should have gone back to business school when I was a young 27 year old. My 31.5 year old body doesn't rebound between a 1AM beer and an 8AM class like it used to!

Which brings me back to today's rainy day in LA. I have three exams this week. Finance. Accounting. Communications. It's helpful that it's raining, because I have a lot of studying to do. And it's hard not to want to spend my day at the beach! So wish me luck on all these tests. The curve is nothing like it was back in my engineering days...