Learning Experiences - Part 2

The second round of exams has come and gone, and I wanted to take this time to look back and reflect upon my learning experiences in the classroom thus far during this spring semester at TCU. I will divide my reflections by particular course and present them in the order in which I attend each class during the week.

Since I last wrote, we have done quite a bit in Literature and Civilizations II. We read a play entitled The Importance of Being Ernest. The protagonist of the story is Jack Worthing, a prominent figure in Hertfordshire. In order to get away and escape his responsibilities, Jack made up a brother named Ernest that he goes and visits in London. In reality, Jack travels to London frequently and pretends to be Ernest so that he can do as he pleases. The story revolves around his love for Gwendolen and his realizing of the importance of his true identity. Next, as a class, we tried to decide on which movie was the all-time greatest comedy film. To do this, we split up into groups and each gave a presentation on the movie that we chose. Anchorman was the overwhelming favorite. Finally, we read a self-help booked called The Comic Toolbox. As its title implies, it supplied us with a number of tools on how to be funny. This class is helping me gain a greater insight into the aspects of life as well as learn what and why things are humorous.

In Financial Management, we have learned how to manage our current assets through the use of short-term financing. We also discussed the time value of money and how a dollar today is worth more than a dollar tomorrow due to the possibility of reinvesting at discount rates. Finally, we covered the cost of capital. We talked about the effects one type of financing has on the others. And in order to make a company's cost of financing the cheapest as possible, there needs to be a balance between debt, preferred stock, and common stock financing. All of this information is going to help me succeed in my career path.

The next block of Organizational Management included the topics of communication, groups and teams, and conflict and negotiations. We learned different strategies in order to be more effective in all three areas. Also, we had the opportunity to interview a diverse other in our workplace. This allowed me to gain a greater understanding of how different people feel in their jobs. This class is truly helping me become a better manager.

In Foundations in Business, we continue to work on our group project of managing our sensor company. We do work in all departments: R&D, Marketing, Production, Finance, HR, and TQM. This class really helps people understand how all areas of a business collaborate in order to become profitable.

The second part of Business Law was all about contracts. We learned how to write a contract, what all needs to be in them, and what to watch out for. We also talked about how to enforce contracts and the remedies due if a contract is breached. Business Law is helping me understand the legal side of every business.

The knowledge I am gaining here is setting me up for future successes. I will write you all again after my third round of tests.