First week back in school for P3 and I already feel like I need a nap. Most of my classes this period are electives which in my opinion are more interesting than the core classes for the simple fact that they are what you want to take rather than something that is imposed on you. If you never want to touch another Finance course again, you can pretty stay clear of it. That being said, Advanced Corporate Finance is annually a very popular course!
My schedule this period looks to be pretty insane and I know I've got to be pretty ruthlessly focused with my time otherwise I'll fall behind and will end up drowning in work/emails/group meetings. There are a couple of days where I have 6 classes back to back from 8.30am in the morning till 7pm at night with 15 minute intervals between them and a 30min lunch break. I think most full time jobs aren't even that demanding on your time!
The SGP campus has been "taken over" by our FBL visitors with them slightly outnumbering us this period but it's actually a nice balance of familiar faces and new ones (almost 50/50). While people aren't quite as keen to meet new people as compared to the first few days of P1, I'm sure everyone would like to get to know people from the "other campus" (depending on your perspective) and find out more about student life over there. We are after all one school. It's natural that you naturally gravitate to the people that you are most familiar with, especially if you haven't seen them for a while. But I'm confident that both sides will warm up to each other eventually and I'm pretty sure we're all going to make sure this is the best period ever. =)
Friday, 7 January 2011
Monday, 3 January 2011
Day 127: A year of endless possibilities
As the year begins, so does the recruitment frenzy for our class. I believe most people will switch gears slightly and give more time and attention to searching out for that job that they want more then striving for top marks in any particular class (especially if your dreams of the Dean's list have long evaporated). I know I'll be personally looking out for interesting opportunities myself and speaking to as many people as possible to understand what's out there and how I might be able to contribute.
One thing I'm still exploring is the field of entrepreneurship. It's something that deeply fascinates me largely due to the passion that entrepreneurs I've spoken to have displayed for their chosen ventures. Conversations with them are generally much more interesting than any that I've had with any banker/consultant/finance professional/industry executive.
While attending an entrepreneurship conference last period, one of the guest speakers made a fairly interesting comment in that he felt that one of the greatest "flaws" of Singapore was that it was too "perfect". Things worked, the government made sure that things ran smoothly, there are decent job opportunities. Coming back from my holidays, I can sorta see why that could be a stumbling block for entrepreneurs but yet can also serve as an accelerator for entrepreneurship if we can get people to change their mindsets about success/failure.
In other countries where the government isn't so omnipresent and efficient, private enterprises often step in to fill in the gaps. "Friction" (for lack of a better word) presents opportunities for people to smooth things out. I'm not saying that there aren't opportunities in more efficient societies, but you have to dig a bit below the surface to find them. They aren't always as apparent.
The opportunities costs of setting up your business also tend to be a higher when you have fairly decent alternatives to doing so. If you can earn a pretty decent living working for a large corporation (with all its perks), you'll probably be less likely to give it all up to try out a business idea. When life isn't so comfortable, people tend to have a stronger desire and hunger to improve things and in the process often set up businesses to do so.
That being said, I recognise that the government here has tried to make it as easy as possible to set up businesses here and is often very willing to provide seed money for ideas that they think have potential to provide value to the country.
I know many of my classmates are looking to become entrepreneurs as well. An often quoted statistic about INSEAD is that ~80% of students take at least 1 Entrepreneurship elective while at INSEAD and ~50% of graduates set up or run their own company at some point in their careers.
Given the government's drive to encourage and support entrepreneurship coupled with INSEAD's strength in this field, it certainly sounds like a match made in heaven for all interested parties.
One thing I'm still exploring is the field of entrepreneurship. It's something that deeply fascinates me largely due to the passion that entrepreneurs I've spoken to have displayed for their chosen ventures. Conversations with them are generally much more interesting than any that I've had with any banker/consultant/finance professional/industry executive.
While attending an entrepreneurship conference last period, one of the guest speakers made a fairly interesting comment in that he felt that one of the greatest "flaws" of Singapore was that it was too "perfect". Things worked, the government made sure that things ran smoothly, there are decent job opportunities. Coming back from my holidays, I can sorta see why that could be a stumbling block for entrepreneurs but yet can also serve as an accelerator for entrepreneurship if we can get people to change their mindsets about success/failure.
In other countries where the government isn't so omnipresent and efficient, private enterprises often step in to fill in the gaps. "Friction" (for lack of a better word) presents opportunities for people to smooth things out. I'm not saying that there aren't opportunities in more efficient societies, but you have to dig a bit below the surface to find them. They aren't always as apparent.
The opportunities costs of setting up your business also tend to be a higher when you have fairly decent alternatives to doing so. If you can earn a pretty decent living working for a large corporation (with all its perks), you'll probably be less likely to give it all up to try out a business idea. When life isn't so comfortable, people tend to have a stronger desire and hunger to improve things and in the process often set up businesses to do so.
That being said, I recognise that the government here has tried to make it as easy as possible to set up businesses here and is often very willing to provide seed money for ideas that they think have potential to provide value to the country.
I know many of my classmates are looking to become entrepreneurs as well. An often quoted statistic about INSEAD is that ~80% of students take at least 1 Entrepreneurship elective while at INSEAD and ~50% of graduates set up or run their own company at some point in their careers.
Given the government's drive to encourage and support entrepreneurship coupled with INSEAD's strength in this field, it certainly sounds like a match made in heaven for all interested parties.
Saturday, 1 January 2011
Day 125: Relaxing year end break and a New Year!
Happy New Year everyone! Just came back from a great trip to Vietnam where I spent a couple of days in Ho Chi Minh followed by some cycling around the Mekong Delta. Really nice to be able to disconnect from the world for a few days and just get back to basics. Taking the time to enjoy the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and the company of the people around you without worrying about emails or phonecalls.
That being said, I did bump into a classmate of mine outside the Reunification Palace in HCM. It was pretty hilarious when we saw each other. AND, cellphone reception was immaculate even while cycling through the middle of the rice fields as our guide's "Holla' Back Girl" ringtone would attest to.
Need to catch on some sleep now after arriving back this morning but will write more about my thoughts on the trip and its connection with entrepreneurship next time.
In the meantime, enjoy some new random trivia courtesy of the BBC. "100 things we didn't know last year".
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| Beautiful and tranquil countryside |
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| Absolutely insane traffic in the city |
That being said, I did bump into a classmate of mine outside the Reunification Palace in HCM. It was pretty hilarious when we saw each other. AND, cellphone reception was immaculate even while cycling through the middle of the rice fields as our guide's "Holla' Back Girl" ringtone would attest to.
Need to catch on some sleep now after arriving back this morning but will write more about my thoughts on the trip and its connection with entrepreneurship next time.
In the meantime, enjoy some new random trivia courtesy of the BBC. "100 things we didn't know last year".
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