Tuesday 18 December 2007

Of missing bikes and drunk mates...

As I moved into Oxford and bought a bicycle, the one advice I was repeatedly given was, "Secure it! Do not leave it in suspect areas overnight, secure or not. Use at least two locks to secure it..." Cycle theft in Oxford is rampant, and accordingly I invested in two locks, and make sure I use both whenever (and wherever) I leave my bike. The locks cost about half as much as the bike did, but then the insurance and peace of mind was perhaps necessary. I know of at least a couple of my classmates whose bikes have been stolen in the last couple of months.

This morning Seb and I decided to cycle into town to take care of a couple of things, and as we walked down into the basement to collect our bicycles, we found Seb's was missing. He couldn't recollect where his bike was, and thought it may be at school, though he couldn't remember putting it there. After some thought about when he had cycled last, he realised it may have been Thursday.

Now Thursday was a wild day (and night - see this)...though I indulged myself for sixteen straight hours, Seb had to leave for London the next morning and so headed home at about six. He cycled home, but stopped at a nearby Pizzeria on the way. He was apparently too drunk to remember he had cycled in and not walked, left his bike locked to a lamp post, and walked the rest of the way home.

Nearly five days later, we were not optimistic at all about finding his bike. We walked towards the Pizzeria anyway, and surprise surprise, his bike was still there - falling over and on one wheel, but very much there. Still secure on one lock, it had not been vandalised, either.

I guess stranger things have happened...


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Sixteen straight hours...

Ah, first term exams end - and we head off to The Turf Tavern, an MBA favourite (apparently it is several hundred years old, with the foundations of the building dating to the 14th century). It's 11 AM and still early, so I start with a couple of glasses of mulled wine. Some lunch at The King's Arms later, we head back to the Turf for some afternoon whisky, until they kick us out for a private party at 4.



Back to The King's Arms, then, and some more whisky. And then some more. And more. Anyways, before we know it, it's 9 PM, so we all head out towards The Jericho Tavern for some more whisky (to be honest, I was perhaps the only one downing whisky). Finally, at around midnight, we say goodbye to the Jericho Tavern and head off towards High Street and Escape, a bar/nightclub. Some 40-50 of us (who the heck was sober enough for a head count?) descend on the dance floor, prompting access to an entire floor for us. Whisky again, and then switch-over to Vodka-Red Bulls. We dance (well, some did - I just shook my body) until 3 AM, before deciding to call it a night. By the time I get home it is 3.30 AM. A full sixteen hours of drinking, which, when you're not sixteen any more, can be a lot.

Wild day? You can say that again.




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Saturday 15 December 2007

The disappearing car door...

Neat! Check out www.disappearing-car-door.com.




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Done with Michaelmas

Finally, we've finished with our first term - Michaelmas. The last few weeks were intense to say the least, with at least two papers - Financial reporting and Finance I - that were difficult enough to make loads of people start think resits.

Anyways, it's done now, and it's time to relax and take it easy for a while before the madness starts again in Hilary. With 2 core subjects, 3 electives and an Entrepreneurship Project (and the intensifying job search process), it sure is going to be a busy term. We'll potentially have a different study group for each subject, and though we can choose our groups, juggling time between the various groups is likely to be a challenge. On the upside, we'll be doing subjects we like, rather than ones we don't understand.



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Tuesday 11 December 2007

Brrr...

...it's getting colder now. Walked in this evening to a freezing apartment - the heating wasn't on, for some reason. And as I understand it, it is 2 degrees below zero outside, as I write this.

Anyway, four down...and two to go. Developing Effective Managers tomorrow - a three hour paper. My hand had started hurting 10 mins into today's Decision Science paper. How am I going to write the long essay expected tomorrow?

And why am I blogging the night before the exam, you may wonder. Well, I am wondering too , since I'm not too sure I'm on top of DEM yet. Well, perhaps another hour or so of studying and then off to bed.


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Monday 10 December 2007

Through the first one...

Finished with the first paper - Managerial Economics. The paper was of just one hour duration, but long enough considering how long it's been since I've written continuously for an hour. Ten minutes into the paper and into just my second answer, my hand had begun to ache.

Now onto the second paper - Financial Reporting, which starts in approx two and a half hours. This one is longer (an hour and a half), but I think we will not have to write as much. I am dreading the Strategy and Developing Effective Managers papers - they are essay-type exams!

Tomorrow we've got Strategy and Decision Science - and there's still some preparation to do. It's going to be a long night tonight...


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Sunday 9 December 2007

Sub fusc!

Ah, just a reminder that we're going to be sitting for exams tomorrow in sub fusc. For those that may not know or remember what a sub fusc is, look here, and here for photographs...

...should be interesting, if nothing else.





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The night before Michaelmas exams

Well, here we are - the night before term-1 exams begin. It's been 14 years since I last appeared in an exam of any kind (GMAT excepting, of course), and by jove, have I felt it! Anyway, 12 hrs before the first paper and I feel like I've done all I could. Any more and it is going to be counter productive. What doesn't help is that we have two papers tomorrow - Managerial Economics at 9.00 AM, followed by Financial reporting at 2.30 PM.

How confident am I? I guess time will tell, but I feel confident I'll do reasonably well - by the standards I am setting myself! My aim is not distinction, but to pass comfortably, so it should be ok tomorrow. I have read selectiely, focusing on issues I think are important - my strategy will be tested tomorrow; hopefully I'll have no surprises. Fingers crossed!

I'm looking forward to a fairly relaxed night ahead - watch some TV, read a magazine or something...I'll try and post tomorrow with an update. And hopefully, I'll be reporting that all's well!

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Saturday 8 December 2007

The Said Business School, again..

A beautiful, cloudless evening (something of a rarity), camera in hand...and some nice pictures is the result.





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Mansfield College Library

For a small college by Oxford standards, Mansfield College has a beautiful library, one that's rather taken my fancy. It's a far cry from the really modern (and wonderfully equipped) Sainsburys Library in the Said Business School; it's a pity it doesn't really suit me to study there - I would really like to spend time in there. Here are some pictures...





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...approaching end of term

Michaelmas term is nearly over...with just 6 days to go before our last exam this term. It is amazing how quickly time passes by. In one sense, it was only to be expected; yet, when it does actually pass by this quickly, one cannot help but wonder where all the time went.

I'm not really sure what I did this term other than go through proceedings a little mechanically. Classes, career sessions, company presentations, etc., took up a lot of time. Study group meetings took up a lot of time too. Spent quite some time in one pub or another - either in a small group, or in a larger, noisier one (The Turf Tavern has been popular!). Tried rowing (just once), played volleyball twice and table tennis an equal number of times. Have been to college a handful of times, and visited just one other college for dinner.

The first month was spent in the library - with no broadband connectivity at home I used to feel completely disconnected otherwise. Once we did get connected (though the experience with BT was not pleasant), I preferred working at home rather than in the library.

I haven't posted at all these last couple of months - it's not really a question of time; rather, of having the carefree, creative, mood one needs for activities like this. I hope to improve on my record, though, in the next term.

It has been thoroughly exhilarating, though. Getting to learn myriad new subjects (including ones I have had no exposure to before: Finance and Accounting), learning to cope with intense pressure (of a different kind than one is used to, at work), struggling with time management, working long hours in study groups...it has been exteremely interesting, in the very least.

Already I am looking forward to next term, with elective subjects chosen and the entrepreneurship project team formed. The Christmas break is going to be short, and hopefully intense, and then it's back to action...


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