BACK TO SCHOOL

Time flies when you are having fun!

It is crazy that a whole semester has gone by, but it has definitely been an eventful first semester. My classes last semester included Investments, Corporate Finance, Financial Econometrics, and Management of Financial Institutions. I learned some great financial concepts that I had never learned before. As an undergraduate economics major, it was nice to learn so much about new topics like syndicated lending and security tranching. My favorite parts of classes were definitely when we learned about real-life cases and applied them to the financial concepts. It is a great way of learning, and the professors did a great job of incorporating relevant examples with the concepts.

It was definitely a little strange going back to school from work, but it has also been a lot of fun. The culture is different, but I have made a lot of new friends and colleagues. The experience is priceless, and you never know who you will meet and how they will affect you. The students at Carroll are definitely very unique and engaging.

I joined a lot of clubs my first semester at BC. One of these included the Graduate Management Association. This is basically like the student council run by the graduate business programs at Carroll. We organize social events and take care of financing, club activities, and general business school issues. We are also a voice for the students at the Carroll Graduate School of Management.

Some cool events that the GMA planned for the first semester were the 7-week and 14-week parties, which are scheduled specifically after testing periods so that people can relax and let loose. These are usually organized at special places around Boston. The GMA also plans a Thirsty Thursday event every week where you can catch up with classmates and enjoy yourself. Another great activity from first semester was our charity Toys For Tots event. This was a nice beer pong/flip cup tournament and the entry fee was a toy per person. We made all the donations to Toys For Tots. The graduate students at Carroll definitely know how to study, but they know how to have fun too.

This past weekend, the graduate school just had their annual gala at the State Room in Boston. It was a beautiful venue with an amazing view. Great food and drinks, a rocking dj, and amazing desserts headlined the night. There were even midnight snacks that included sliders and fries! Definitely a great event where everyone was able to have a classy, upscale night in a laidback, relaxed environment.

Currently, the MSA and MSF representatives on the GMA are planning an event at Harpoon Brewery on February 24th. It should be a good time for the younger students and smaller programs in the graduate business school to bond and get to know each other.

All in all, it's been a really eventful graduate school experience so far. I'll fill you in on more updates in the future. For now, stay fresh!