給想要讀MBA人的小建議

在遠方的朋友們老是問我你最近過得如何? 隔著網路我總是回答"I'm doing good"嘿Hey...你們看不到的是我在螢幕前方的苦笑!!

的確,米蘭在義大利絕對是個吃喝玩樂的好地方! 但是來念15個月就畢業的MBA,就沒辦法享受悠閒地歐洲生活!當課表排的滿滿地,週一到週五早上九點到下午五點之滿堂+外加一週兩次的義大利文課+每週一到兩個外面的公司來做發表+每堂課的小組討論和隨堂報告...外加週末少不了的Party Party...總是貪心地想在週末往多看看,媽媽咪阿!每天都在跟時間賽跑!!

念了5個月的MBA...對於想要來歐洲念MBA的朋友們,我來分享一下我的心得吧
1.加強自己的英文實力,聽說讀寫很流利真的只是MBA基本要求
英文不好..真是萬萬不能...會讀的很辛苦,語言障礙會讓你的表現大打折扣
我自己是活生生的例子...悔不當初,來之前沒好好下苦工,
"以為自己英文不錯"...就沒有好好準備英文,來這邊才發現要進步的空間還很大
結果剛開學時候,常常沒辦法用英文表達出自己心中的想法,所以我常選擇沉默
結果同學們覺得我太害羞...這讓我覺得很不甘心!!
現在我還是常聽BBC英文廣播為上課暖身+多念文章矯正口音,持續加強英文能力中
但是也只是從非常害羞...變成比較不害羞~>_<~

2.加強一些基本的商業知識,統計,經濟學,會計學等等
會讓你上課的時候輕鬆很多...特別是沒有商科背景,
這種東西用中文念我都不一定會懂,更何況是用英文
我自己雖然不擅長這些東西,但是可以從不同角度分析東西
我覺得這是最重要的部分...當初出國唸書為的不就是這個
不過..我的finance和international economics應該逃不了補考的命運

3.MBA不會比正式工作輕鬆
如果你以為出國唸MBA是來度假...我想你就大錯特錯
我跟很多同學都覺得念MBA比工作還累
睡眠不足是所有MBA的共同感想吧

4.團體工作VS人際關係
MBA強調的就是team work...不要怕衝突,在團體裡面你不出聲不發表意見
就會被忽略掉的...亞洲人不擅長和人爭論...或者該說太客氣
但是維持世界和平並不會解決問題...加入戰場吧!
另外,team work是很現實的,每個人都想和強手工作
能力很重要,態度也很重要,大家都在互相觀察對方...時間久了
free rider,最後會落得沒人要同一組

5.歐洲生活大不同
亞洲和歐洲最大的不同,就是生活步調,態度,價值觀
當你被放到一個跟自己文化環境不同的地方
從生活中你會感受到明顯地差異
比方說吃飯的時間,禮儀,順序或是做事情的邏輯...價值觀
義大利人做事情的效率差..完全超乎你的想像
我曾經為了開一個銀行帳戶,跑了三次...花了九小時,才求來一個銀行帳戶
我只能說台灣人/亞洲人真是太知道變通了

6.Party
其實我真的不是Party Animal,但是我想在短短幾個月內...我喝的酒已經超過過去28年的總和(過去我以半瓶思美樂就抓兔子聞名於朋友間)...現在我已經可以順利喝完一瓶啤酒,但是紅通通的臉...一喝酒就想睡的老毛病還是改不了(哈...起碼不是沒酒品!),從過去聽到音樂因為不會動...到現在的聞樂起舞...跳到流汗(雖然四肢還是不太協調)...我體驗到何謂"飲酒作樂"的生活

念了5個月MBA,知道自己的有渺小和不足,常感到挫折和惶恐,但並不氣餒,真不行就大哭一場,哭過了還是要繼續往前走,這是一場賽跑...才進行1/3...雖然落後,但只要持續努力,最後的結果還不知道

不過最後我還是要說,不要期待MBA能夠讓你飛黃騰達一步登天
人生阿...了解自己的肚子裡面有什麼,知道自己要什麼,怎麼發揮自己的長處
往自己的目標走,最重要~

Postcard

If u like to get one postcard from my summer trip. Just leave your address in this post, I will send u a nice postcard.

Updated Sumer Trip Schedule

*Summer trip map

For the transportation problem, I updated my summer trip schedule and added the Budapest in my list. I am going to visit 10 cities(Zurich, Munich, Vienna, Budapest, Prague, Berlin, Paris, Bacelona, Valencia, Madrid) in 7 countries during 39 days. Click to see My Summer Trip Schedule.


Before Berlin, I will travel by train and bus. After Berlin, I will mainly travel by airplane. For the accomdation, I will try three ways: staying in firend's place, couchsurfing, and staying in youth hostles. So far I get two good feedbacks from Paris and Madrid. If you have friends staying in these cities that I am going to visit, pls do me a favor... ask them if they can let me stay for one or two nights.

Before this trip, I have 4 final exams and I am still looking for a new accomdation to move out in Milan. why do I always make myself so busy? So far I don't have time to do research about these cities and I am still keeping looking for places to stay of these cities.

Anyway, I am out of Milan two weeks later. I need to get out of MBA for a while, again I really can't wait for this trip coming!

Smile

Never frown, even when you are sad, because you never know who is falling in love with your smile.
縱然傷心，也不要愁眉不展，因為你不知是誰會愛上你的笑容

過了四個多月的義大利生活,生活變的很不一樣!從沒預期義式生活會如此忙碌...很開心生活可以過得這麼充實!也許我沒辦法把每件事情都應付地很好,但是我知道我很努力

今天搭髒亂的惡臭地獄Metro回家的時候,忽然發現每天搭電車地鐵上學然後回家,這城市早就納入我的生活軌跡,而我不是過客..而是米蘭的一份子 :)

PS:在義大利這個國家走路傻笑,是絕對會惹來很多蒼蠅的...會很不堪其擾地!不過沒有必要為了這些花心義大利男,喪失了微笑的愉快...

Super Lucky Seven Party

* I made this invitation card for this party...unfortunately I mistyping one wording

For Seven is a lukcy number in the western world, 2007 July 7th is a super lucky day. My flatmmate, Amber, and I had a Super Lucky Seven party for this day.
Party started at 2007/07/07/7pm, everyone paid 7 euros for food and wine, dressed anything related to 7 or lucky, brought a gift related to 7 or lucky for a lucky draw.


* More than 20 People joined this party

It's fun to have a party like this way, although it's tiring to have a party at home. We prepared the party for the whole day. I cooked some chinese dishes and Amber cooked some nice Italian dishes. The party was held in my room, more than 20 people joined this party. Amber and I were glad that everyone loved the food in the party.

In the end of the party was a lucky draw, then everone took a lucky thing home. Some gifts were really creative.

*Gifts


* My classmate, Orlando, got a lucky gift- seven color of female underwears... haha...




My birthday(9th July) was celebrated by the way. So sad to become 29 yrs old... anyway, I'll have a lucky yr for sure because of this lucky 7 party :P


* The birthday cake was so cute!





Here is the photo album of this party, take a look.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/68448261@N00/tags/20070707lucky/