The ESADE MBA Blog · ESADE Business School · Barcelona

Archive for November, 2009

When the programme first started in September, some of the pre-term courses were demanding and others were easier to handle.

But it’s through Term 1 that I’ve actually understood  how demanding (but rewarding as well) the programme actually is.

Between Finance, Economics, and Accounting your hands are full with project deadlines and group meetings. We still have one month to go before Term break and things keep on getting more loaded by the day.

What I’ve come to better conceptualize is the necessity to have two key qualities if I want to perform efficiently and meet requirements: 1- time management, and 2- consistency and organization.

There are so many things happening that not only do you have to prioritize, but most importantly you have to smartly organize yourself.

There is so much to do on all levels: lectures and studies, conferences and networking, group and club meetings, career search and cover letters…

Bottom line is: with all the intensity so far, the experience is worthwhile and all information provided is to make the most out of our time at ESADE.

My impression of the MBA programme: definitely worth it!

The ESADE Gastrofest is a festival where students of different nationalities get together and cook their country’s traditional dishes, make drinks and decorate a stand for the rest of us to enjoy. This year more than 25 different nationalities applied to participate, no wonder there was so much food, now the only question was, where to start?

I arrived at 8pm SHARP! Ready to be one of the first ones in and try all the international food.

I started with Venezuela where I had a mini arepa with chicken and then moved to Guatemala. They had very good food but, as a Mexican, I think it’s very similar to Mexican food…and how could I ever say its as good as Mexican?.

I then wondered off to Japan where my good friend Masa, his wife Yuco and Shin were preparing sushi rolls and tofu, mmm fresh sushi and great sake. The next stand was Brazil where I got some sort of rice and beans but I was not sure what exactly it was. If someone could help me out I would love to hear what exactly it was that I ate! I kept walking and then I found Mexico!! I rushed over to try those delicious tacos de mole con pollo, guacamole con totopos and great Palomas – a typical Mexican drink made from tequila and for lack of a better mixer, lemon Fanta. What can I say? Delicious food and obviously my favourite!

While I was still enjoying my last taco, Russia called my attention. Apparently, in this country you combine shots of vodka with food! I passed on the offer but my fiancé was happy to try out this combination and said it tasted great. I guess the vodka enhances the flavour, who knows… I am not a shot fan, I’d rather have some Sangria that my Spanish friends Javi and Alfonso made for their Spain stand.

I went over to a very popular table, India – I had some Palek Panner and a very spicy drink/soup but there was not much left when I got there, I guess this was the students pick and I agree, Indian food is up there with Mexican food. After India, I was done. I could not eat anymore but I do regret skipping Switzerland, Germany, US, UK and Canada.

Ok. So it was time to reach a decision… My top 3: Mexico, Middle East and India Judges’ Final Decision: Best Food: Japan Best Decoration: Mexico Best Drink: Peru Students Vote Best Food: India.

Finally, I was ready to go home and digest the whole world in my stomach!

Bring on the next ESADE Gastrofest!

07:00 am – James Brown wakes me up with “I feel good” on my alarm…well not so good! Time to get ready for the day!

07:57 am – After a proper breakfast while checking emails and the latest news on the net, I grab my stuff and head to school.

08:12 am – Daily coffee meeting with group and other classmates in the cafeteria up on floor 2 to catch up while skimming through the daily newspaper.

08:45 am – Head down into the classroom and get ready for the Marketing lecture! Our professor sure knows how to make the class interesting with his humour.

10:37 pm – 20 minutes of break. Second coffee of the day plus yummy “bocadillo”.

10:51 am – Back in class for the second half of the lecture. Discussion of the case study analysis we needed to prepare for the class.

01:05 pm – Class is over, got less than an hour to have lunch before spanish language class begins!

01:55 pm – Spanish class. We get the “unfortunate” news that we need to prepare a 15 minute individual presentation of a company for next class…IN SPANISH! PANIC!

03:30 pm – 15 minutes break during which we practice our “spanish skills” together with my classmates. The result doesn’t sound that spanish, but we perfectly manage to understand each other.

05:00 pm – Language class lecture over. Quick 10 minute meeting with my career advisor to go through my cover letter for the application I need to submit and then rush to group’s study room to discuss the accounting assignment for the next day.

05:25 pm – Haven’t reached an agreement yet on what the next step for our hypothetical company will be.

05:50 pm – Still no agreement. Everyone is so involved in using their persuasion skills to convince the rest of the group.

06:25 pm – After having analyzed about a million different situations, guess what, still haven’t agreed.

06:55 pm – ..and 30 seconds (we have a german in the group), we finally manage to agree, after totally changing what we agreed 20 min back, and to finalize our paper. A group mate tried to express a last minute opinion but didn’t get to finish his idea…his life was at risk.

07:00 pm – Consulting Club meeting. Today the two candidates for the Consulting Club President position are pitching in front of the club.

07:20 pm – The two candidates made it very hard for us to make a choice. They were both so passionate and serious about it. Case interview simulations follow for the rest of the meeting.

08:16 pm – Just got home. Eat a snack and hit the gym!

09:30 pm – Back from the gym, dead tired and starving, dinner time.

09:58 pm – Need to read the emails accumulated during the day and work on the Economics project for tomorrow’s group meeting

00:25 am – I’m crashing here… goodnight Barcelona.

We are about halfway into the first term and I feel it’s time to write about the classes I have taken so far.

Including pre-term, I attended or am still attending the following classes: Accounting I and II, Finance, Economics I and II, Business Law, Marketing and Project Management. Being a business major, none of these subjects were completely new to me. However, and this is what I expected from an MBA, the way of teaching these subjects is new to me.

Professors make us apply what they teach us by providing us with cases, giving us homework (a little too much maybe…) and/or group assignments due end of term. Take economics, for example. I remember it being one of the dullest subjects I have ever taken when I was in university. Now we are working on a paper analyzing a company of our choice and all the macroeconomic and industry related factors that affect the performance of the company – finally applying the theoretical concepts in a real life context.

Another example: Marketing. A subject that I had pretty much no exposure to as a Corporate Finance consultant. All I remember from school are the 4Ps to be honest. Luckily marketing is more than that. Our professors do a great job painting a lively picture of the concepts supported by cases and by far the most fun performance of a professor I have ever experienced.

In short, although I have a strong business background, but coming from a traditional European university, the MBA gives me a chance to revisit certain concepts and see them in a new, way more interesting, light. And that’s one of the reasons I’m here.