Mark and Jie's Journey to B-School

Course add/drop for the Winter term was completed on Saturday, so my schedule is now set and courses are really starting to get going (one tip for future HBS second years: if you aren’t “shopping” for courses you can skip the first two days of class each term of your second year).  Here is my course load:

• The Coming of Managerial Capitalism – a cool business/American history course


• Entrepreneurial Management in a Turnaround Environment


• Investment Management


• Professional Services – An interesting course that discusses the aspects of being a professional.


• Finance Field Study investigating trading and arbitrage strategies in online gambling markets.

I wasn’t able to get into one course in particular that I really wanted (Corporate Strategy), but instead I am doing what I think will be a really interesting Field Study with a very good friend of mine, so it’s alright.  I do have the benefit of three great professors and one very good professor, so it should be a good semester.

On the job front I still haven’t made a definite decision, though with a Friday deadline I’m going to have to make a choice soon.  There are numerous issues involved, including location, compensation, overseas opportunities, and work/life balance.  The differences between the two firms on most of those criteria are small, but cumulatively they may lead to a decision one way or the other.  Location is the 800-pound gorilla, so it will be interesting to see where we end up on that.