Trying Way Too Hard To Get Prepared

Question

Had some downtime at work today so I pulled up some syllabi from some of the classes I will have to take this semester. I ordered the Statistics textbook that they use in this class, from Amazon (got it used for fifty bucks vs. buying it for 150 or whatever new ones would be at the bookstore).

So w/ my downtime this summer I'm going to spend a little time going through the book. I feel like the quantitative classes are pretty cut and dry, so I may as well get a good handle on it so I can put more time into the classes I find interesting (or say, going out for drinks after class).

Anybody else doing stupid things like this too?

naturallight · Answer

Can you pass out of any of your cores? I will be spending some time this summer trying to pass out of my stats core.

johnnyx9 · Answer

Since I was an econ major I'm eligible to pass out of a couple of classes but I don't want to because I would like to brush up on econ, plus I think I'll do very well in these classes since I'll be familiar with the material. I'm sure some people think this approach is ridiculous, but I'd rather focus my energies and time on recruiting than on classwork my first couple semesters.

aaudetat · Answer

I'm taking a stats class through UC Berkeley Extension Online.

I actually signed up for it 'cause I wanted to mention it on my apps in case they thought I was quant-tarded. But no one even required me to go to math camp, so i think I sorta wasted $850. On the other hand, it seems like not knowing stats can sink you in b-school, so it's good to have it really fresh. And at least it's an undergraduate course, so I will get a $200 refundable tax credit from NYS on my '07 taxes. $650 rounds to $500 and is less painful.

3underscore · Answer

I have been working on a spreadsheet that helps me pick courses - it will hopefully work out all prerequisite courses and follow the course rules (max from certain schools) and hint towards potential specialisations.

Some of it not for me, and purely for completeness (and to sell to Johnny).

I want to really sort out my VBA over the next month. Maybe Stats is a good call though Johnny. I have two finals in my Treasury Exams in October though, which could really screw my life up.

darren1010 · Answer

Johnny, I found your reasons are interesting. Actually, I intended to take the waiver exam in accounting or finance class, since I believe that I can study these on my own (I had some experiences in college before, and I thought accounting is a boring class, even though it's very important). I wanna use those credits on some other more interesting classes. I'm trying to study accounting now. but after reading your post, maybe I should second my thought a little bit. A little lesure for the first semester, focus on something else like networking, social activities (which means parties) may be worthier than squezing myself for a couple extra credits.

darren1010 · Answer

Uhm, btw, what is VBA? Visual basic application? :oops:

. I used to teach that class 2 years ago.

3underscore · Answer

Yes, VBA. I want to learn how to build some Black-Scholes VBA models from the Staunton book. I can use VBA, but not as powerfully as I could. I doubt it will be on the courses, and I know as I am not a C++ person (though I might learn that), VBA really helps.

While I understand Johnny's motives, by the looks of the syllabus at Stern you don't miss out too much on prereq's by waiving the economics modules. I am going to waive pretty much anything I can that isn't critical, but that unfortunately means I will sit accountancy US style.

naturallight · Answer

yeah, all the students at Haas recommended staying in the econ cores, even if you were an econ major. I think the classes are more about the application of econ to the business world rather than going over the basics of supply and demand.

 

Hey, I have the same goal--how are you planning on doing this? Classes, books? 

I bought Walkenbach's Excel 2003 Power Programming with VBA, and was planning on going through it during some spare time at work. I've really learned a lot from his Excel 2003 Bible.

3underscore · Answer

How am I learning VBA? Experimentation and some books. But I have used it for years, so it is more trying to formalise it.

I doubt I would ever contemplate paying for a class in it.

johnnyx9 · Answer

Darren - Another reason I would like to make my schedule "easy" by taking classes I could easily test out of, is I had bad grades as an undergrad and I'm really set on getting awesome grades this time around. I know for some industries they actually do care about b-school grades, maybe not the exact GPA, but if you graduate with distinction or other honors (I believe Stern bestows the title of "Stern Scholar" to those w/ a 3.7 or higher) it's can only help the resume to add some flashy little things like that.

3underscore - So it sounds like you've been putting even more time than me into researching classes etc... We'll have to negotiate the price of that spreadsheet when you finish it up!

OasisNYK · Answer

I am taking a statistics course at a community college. It looks surprisingly rigorous. I also have a book to read over the summer for the ops course - it is mandatory in the fall but I dont want to get stuck with extra reading if I can get it done now. I am a pretty weak reader when it comes to textbooks.

rhyme · Answer

I'm actually going to take a class at the GSB in June.... assuming I can get into it, I plan to take accounting over the summer. It's not really prep - since its an actual course that counts towards my transcript etc, but I figure its a way to get my brain "working again" and knock out one of the subjects I'm most concerned with (as I lack any interest or knowledge in accounting)

Trying Way Too Hard To Get Prepared

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