My final conversation with Sari took place during the IEP end of semester party. There, I touched base with Sari about how his semester had been since we last met, his progress on the GMAT, and met one of his friends. Sari's friend, whose name I did not catch, is from England and also preparing for the GMAT exam. I briefly asked him how he was preparing for the exam and he had a similar method to Sari, the use of prep books and practice exams. They both mentioned nearing completion of their preparation and were planning on taking the exam by the end of May. I asked about the length of time you have to wait to get your scores, which was an annoyance of mine with AP and other standardized testing. I was shocked to hear that they receive their results immediately because the test is done via the computer.
Growing up in the NYC metro area, I am comfortable eating a wide range of foods from various cultures. One of my favorite foods from home is baklava, a dessert made with filo (phyllo) dough and honey, which is essentially nonexistent in Texas due to the lack of a substantial Greek population. Other Mediterranean cultures also have their own version of baklava with slight modifications, but I'm partial to the Greek variety. To my excitement, there was baklava at the IEP party. I told Sari and his friend how much I loved baklava and how difficult it was to find in Texas and they both became intrigued. I led them to the container that was almost empty, due to its popularity at the party. Sari quickly said "Ah, baklava. We have this in Saudi Arabia". Apparently we pronounce baklava differently, which was why he did not recognize the dessert upon name only. I pronounce it bak-la-va, with 3 syllables, and he pronounces it as bak-lava, with 2.
So, our IEP conversations began with food at Union Grounds and came full circle to end with enjoyment of baklava. The conversation partner experience has been positive for me as I was able to learn a great deal about a country and part of the world I've never experienced in an innovative and unique learning environment.
Wednesday, May 6, 2015
Conversation Partner Meeting #5
Sari mentioned that he was preparing extensively for two large exams, a final English exam for IEP and the GMAT. I was very curious about Sari's preparation and knowledge about the GMAT, the graduate school standardized test for MBA programs. As an undergraduate finance student, I am currently undecided about whether I want to obtain my MBA at some point in the near future. Typically, people enter MBA programs after 4-6 years of work experience, so I still have a decent amount of time to make that decision.
Sari enlightened me with his insight on the GMAT and taught me a great deal about test. The test is split into quantitative and reading portions, similar to the SAT, but with more challenging materials. One of the most difficult parts of the exam, according to Sari, are the quantitative problem sets and data sufficiency questions. Basically, you are given a scenario with some background information and asked each time about what data is necessary to make a sufficient decision. There are two supporting statements in addition to the question being asked. So, sometimes it can appear simple where you only need one of the two sentences to make a conclusion, but the answers can vary from none of the statements are sufficient, each statement alone is sufficient, both are sufficient together & not alone, or that you need additional data. The idea for an entire section of a standardized test to have the same 5 answers sounds odd, yet daunting to me.
Sari mentioned that the exam as a whole is not too difficult once you start studying with prep books or classes. He also said that he has been studying for 2 months to prepare for the exam, but I am not sure how many hours per day he allocates towards the exam. I currently have friends who are studying for the MCAT or have taken it already and it sounds like they typically study for 5+ months. Sari's discussion of the GMAT and graduate business school has increased my interest in possibly obtaining an MBA.
Sari enlightened me with his insight on the GMAT and taught me a great deal about test. The test is split into quantitative and reading portions, similar to the SAT, but with more challenging materials. One of the most difficult parts of the exam, according to Sari, are the quantitative problem sets and data sufficiency questions. Basically, you are given a scenario with some background information and asked each time about what data is necessary to make a sufficient decision. There are two supporting statements in addition to the question being asked. So, sometimes it can appear simple where you only need one of the two sentences to make a conclusion, but the answers can vary from none of the statements are sufficient, each statement alone is sufficient, both are sufficient together & not alone, or that you need additional data. The idea for an entire section of a standardized test to have the same 5 answers sounds odd, yet daunting to me.
Sari mentioned that the exam as a whole is not too difficult once you start studying with prep books or classes. He also said that he has been studying for 2 months to prepare for the exam, but I am not sure how many hours per day he allocates towards the exam. I currently have friends who are studying for the MCAT or have taken it already and it sounds like they typically study for 5+ months. Sari's discussion of the GMAT and graduate business school has increased my interest in possibly obtaining an MBA.
Monday, May 4, 2015
Learning Experience #3 : A Semester in Review
Looking back, I have learned a significant amount this semester, more than just academically. I would say most of my learning this semester involves learning about the types of people I work well with and the team environment I thrive in. One of the major differences between high school and college has been the frequency in which I have group work or projects, which has been the case for almost every class I have taken at TCU. After working with people across all spectrum in terms of backgrounds and majors, I am lucky to say I do not have any horror stories about group members never responding or flat our skipping a presentation. However, I have learned that there are common characteristics among the people that I've work best with.
Organization on an individual and group level is key to having a successful group experience. Group organization is mostly influenced and affected by the leader, which is why having a proactive and responsible leader is important in any team environment. Using one experience as my only example, it's been beyond interesting to work with "leaders" who have the odd necessity to hold the leadership title in a group. From an example that is hearsay, I've heard of people who have applied for leadership positions in a club and stated that they are not interested in working on the team in any capacity other than the highest leadership position. This baffles me and will forever be a phenomenon to me. While I cannot understand the chasing of titles in a group, I guess it boils down to personal preference of being the star on a winning team vs. playing a support role on a championship team. This mentality of a incessant need for titles tends to hinder the chemistry of a team and gets old, real quick. Sooner or later, you hope the perpetual team leader sees the trend of failure and figures out the common denominator. I think most people would agree that losing or being relatively unsuccessful as defined by team goals, is not fun and takes a toll on competitive people. To put it in baseball terms, it's one thing to be the star of the Blue Jays...but then you realize that you're the star of the Blue Jays, a perennially under-performing MLB team. The same concept applies to the Browns and Jaguars in the NFL.
Working with people who are flexible in the team roles they can perform is much less of a hassle than the power hungry people who have a knack for derailing a project. The next biggest discerning quality I've noticed is the personal organizational skills of the member. It's nice to have everyone in the group send out reminders about deadlines or various decisions made (or, better yet, be aware of them) when working in a group with a long term. After having numerous meetings for some groups, it's unbelievable that taking notes on the various discussions and decisions that resulted from the meeting can be so helpful later on in terms of efficiency.
The group dynamic and success of the team hinges upon members definition of success, efficiency, and dedication. Typically, a variety of dedication levels is awful in a group and leads to free riding and the irritation of other group members who can visibly see the lack of effort given by other members. Essentially, I like working with motivated, organized people who set high goals. My experience working in a group that possesses none of that has been eye opening, to say the least, and makes me appreciate my "type of person" in a group setting, unfathomably more, as a result.
Organization on an individual and group level is key to having a successful group experience. Group organization is mostly influenced and affected by the leader, which is why having a proactive and responsible leader is important in any team environment. Using one experience as my only example, it's been beyond interesting to work with "leaders" who have the odd necessity to hold the leadership title in a group. From an example that is hearsay, I've heard of people who have applied for leadership positions in a club and stated that they are not interested in working on the team in any capacity other than the highest leadership position. This baffles me and will forever be a phenomenon to me. While I cannot understand the chasing of titles in a group, I guess it boils down to personal preference of being the star on a winning team vs. playing a support role on a championship team. This mentality of a incessant need for titles tends to hinder the chemistry of a team and gets old, real quick. Sooner or later, you hope the perpetual team leader sees the trend of failure and figures out the common denominator. I think most people would agree that losing or being relatively unsuccessful as defined by team goals, is not fun and takes a toll on competitive people. To put it in baseball terms, it's one thing to be the star of the Blue Jays...but then you realize that you're the star of the Blue Jays, a perennially under-performing MLB team. The same concept applies to the Browns and Jaguars in the NFL.
Working with people who are flexible in the team roles they can perform is much less of a hassle than the power hungry people who have a knack for derailing a project. The next biggest discerning quality I've noticed is the personal organizational skills of the member. It's nice to have everyone in the group send out reminders about deadlines or various decisions made (or, better yet, be aware of them) when working in a group with a long term. After having numerous meetings for some groups, it's unbelievable that taking notes on the various discussions and decisions that resulted from the meeting can be so helpful later on in terms of efficiency.
The group dynamic and success of the team hinges upon members definition of success, efficiency, and dedication. Typically, a variety of dedication levels is awful in a group and leads to free riding and the irritation of other group members who can visibly see the lack of effort given by other members. Essentially, I like working with motivated, organized people who set high goals. My experience working in a group that possesses none of that has been eye opening, to say the least, and makes me appreciate my "type of person" in a group setting, unfathomably more, as a result.
Monday, April 27, 2015
Conversation Partner Meeting 4
After each time Sari and I spoke with each other, the more we realized we had in common. Sari and I discussed our interests and respective backgrounds in interest heavily. It was unbelievably fascinating to hear how business in Saudi Arabia, specifically finance, operated differently than in America. Sari began by telling me that he was at TCU to earn his MBA, but he first needed to pass an intensive English test to gain admittance to the MBA program at TCU. Sari then elaborated on how a degree from an American university is highly regarded in Saudi Arabia. He said that while Saudis are familiar with some universities, basically any American university is far superior to the best college in Saudi Arabia, which I believe he attended. He stressed the difference in academic and testing rigor as some of the main differences. While I have always heard that American colleges are viewed as the best in the world, it makes a huge differences when you hear it from a newscaster or American media source versus someone from another country who can personally attest to the differences.
Personally, I find the high net worth families in Saudi Arabia to be one of the most interesting facets of their culture. When I asked about the King of Saudi Arabia and the family connection component of Saudi Arabia, I was shocked to hear that a prior King had created a scholarship program for the best students in Saudi Arabia to study abroad. Sari remarked that King Abdullah who instilled this program was one of the most generous and well regarded in recent memory. The main reasoning behind this program was due to a recognition of foreign universities offering more opportunities for educational development than the universities and the desire to grow and retain top Saudi Arabian talents. From what I understand, the government covers a substantial portion, if not all, of the educational expenses under the condition that the students return for a certain number of years to contribute their knowledge, increased pay, and talent to the local economy. The program seems to be working and helping with the concern of the large percentage of the workforce being foreign. The issue with the workforce is that it's difficult to find the proper talent for some jobs and educating Saudis abroad is a solution to the issue, while probably creating more long-term employment as most foreign employees probably do not spend their entire life in Saudi Arabia.
Sari's background in finance was interesting as he worked in the financial markets in some capacity for a high net worth family office. A family office is a an investment management company created to manage the assets of a wealthy family. Typically, family offices employ multiple analysts to diversify their holdings across various types of financial instruments, such as bonds and stocks. Sari mentioned that compensation for Americans in Saudi Arabia is typically at least 2x what they would receive in America, which I assume accounts for the specialized skill of the applicant and the added difficulty of moving to a foreign country. The lower cost of living and lower tax rate also gives an added bump to the relative pay. While all of that sounds nice in theory, I am not sure how I would adjust moving to a foreign country with different social norms, while knowing zero people in that country.
Links for the Saudi King Abdullah Scholarship Program:
http://susris.com/2012/07/30/king-abdullah-scholarship-program-the-saudi-arabian-educational-youth-stride/
http://www.sacm.org/ArabicSACM/pdf/education_web.pdf
http://monitor.icef.com/2012/02/enormous-saudi-scholarship-programme-in-the-spotlight/
Saturday, April 25, 2015
Learning Experience #2: Humor in Action
Date of Occurrence: April 19th
Occasionally, I tend to study in a room with other people in the BLUU for a few hours. This time, I was joined by two Lit and Civ II veterans, Jared and Noah, and we began discussing our blogs, in addition to various other topics. There were two other students in the room that I met for the first time. So, as our discussion and distracting conversations progressed more and more off-topic, I began to read Jared's old blog posts and poking fun at him for some of them. He suggested I read one titled "The Floating Ticket", which I did and found the most humor in an unexpected part of the story.
While the story was entertaining, I was most amused by the line that reads "There’s not much more fun than belting “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” on the highway and being able to joke with friends about their ridiculously poor taste in women." Disregarding the alarming part where 20-something year old males sing Disney songs in the car, I was curious why he thought one of his friends had ridiculously poor taste in women and who it was. He mentioned the name and one of the other students in the room had a quizzical look on her face at the mention of the male's name. The rationale for his poor taste in women is irrelevant, as the female student quickly said "Hey! I'm going a formal with him next week!". I found this encounter hilarious as it seemed like such an off-chance and conditional scenario that initially came off as negative humor. The female student was friends with Jared and was not offended, but this situation emphasized the importance of proper time and place for the successful delivery of humor.
Occasionally, I tend to study in a room with other people in the BLUU for a few hours. This time, I was joined by two Lit and Civ II veterans, Jared and Noah, and we began discussing our blogs, in addition to various other topics. There were two other students in the room that I met for the first time. So, as our discussion and distracting conversations progressed more and more off-topic, I began to read Jared's old blog posts and poking fun at him for some of them. He suggested I read one titled "The Floating Ticket", which I did and found the most humor in an unexpected part of the story.
While the story was entertaining, I was most amused by the line that reads "There’s not much more fun than belting “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” on the highway and being able to joke with friends about their ridiculously poor taste in women." Disregarding the alarming part where 20-something year old males sing Disney songs in the car, I was curious why he thought one of his friends had ridiculously poor taste in women and who it was. He mentioned the name and one of the other students in the room had a quizzical look on her face at the mention of the male's name. The rationale for his poor taste in women is irrelevant, as the female student quickly said "Hey! I'm going a formal with him next week!". I found this encounter hilarious as it seemed like such an off-chance and conditional scenario that initially came off as negative humor. The female student was friends with Jared and was not offended, but this situation emphasized the importance of proper time and place for the successful delivery of humor.
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Learning Experience #1 - The Next Big Thing in Olympic Canoeing
Date: April 20th, 2015
I try to learn something new everyday. Regardless of what happens on a daily basis, I think your perspective plays a crucial role in terms of evaluating what you have learned and how you can apply that for self improvement and general wisdom. The most interesting learning opportunities, in my opinion, are the result of experiential or interactive environments.
I learned quite a bit about myself today. While I do not consider myself "outdoorsy" or a nature boy by any means, I am willing to try new experiences, especially in groups with other people who share my inexperience in the relevant task or field in discussion. The total number of hours that I've spent in my lifetime doing "outdoors stuff" probably accumulates to less than a day.This includes the 30 minute Boy Scouts meeting I attended in kindergarten, where nothing discussed at that event seemed relatively appealing to me compared to sports. It's not that I do not enjoy the outdoors, it's more along the lines that I can think of more than a few activities that I would enjoy exponentially more. That being said, the added variety is a plus and helps mix up my schedule .
Prior to the discussion of this event, I probably could not have told you many differences between a kayak and a canoe, except that I knew a canoe was longer.
One of the interesting parts of the trip was the unexpected time commitment. The trip was a great way to relax and get away from school (and my constant barrage of emails), but the thought of 10+ honors students who were forcibly removed from their studies creates an amusing image. Most honors students at TCU have probably been told numerous times that they "need a break" and in college that translates to a quick nap or show on Netflix.
As "Johnny Oatmeal" and I carried our high-speed water vessel to the Trinity River, I immediately imagined the Trinity as the beginning of my Olympic canoeing career. I jokingly asked one of our outdoor guides about the record trial time for the course and what types of endorsements I should expect upon my completion of the route and gold medal ceremony. Disclaimer: While Dr. Dan claims Sruthi won the "race" in her kayak, I am certain that Sruthi used performance enhancing modifications on her vessel, never mind the fact that the kayak was deemed as the "minor leagues" of the boat options available to us. The speed and weight advantages were obvious and will be disregarded wholly in the record books, instead of using a Barry Bonds-esque asterisk next to the declared "winner" of the day. So, as Johnny and I were the first canoe duo to finish the course, I am eagerly awaiting my medal, long overdue ceremony, and official announcement via TCU Announce or TCU 360 article.
I try to learn something new everyday. Regardless of what happens on a daily basis, I think your perspective plays a crucial role in terms of evaluating what you have learned and how you can apply that for self improvement and general wisdom. The most interesting learning opportunities, in my opinion, are the result of experiential or interactive environments.
I learned quite a bit about myself today. While I do not consider myself "outdoorsy" or a nature boy by any means, I am willing to try new experiences, especially in groups with other people who share my inexperience in the relevant task or field in discussion. The total number of hours that I've spent in my lifetime doing "outdoors stuff" probably accumulates to less than a day.This includes the 30 minute Boy Scouts meeting I attended in kindergarten, where nothing discussed at that event seemed relatively appealing to me compared to sports. It's not that I do not enjoy the outdoors, it's more along the lines that I can think of more than a few activities that I would enjoy exponentially more. That being said, the added variety is a plus and helps mix up my schedule .
Prior to the discussion of this event, I probably could not have told you many differences between a kayak and a canoe, except that I knew a canoe was longer.
One of the interesting parts of the trip was the unexpected time commitment. The trip was a great way to relax and get away from school (and my constant barrage of emails), but the thought of 10+ honors students who were forcibly removed from their studies creates an amusing image. Most honors students at TCU have probably been told numerous times that they "need a break" and in college that translates to a quick nap or show on Netflix.
As "Johnny Oatmeal" and I carried our high-speed water vessel to the Trinity River, I immediately imagined the Trinity as the beginning of my Olympic canoeing career. I jokingly asked one of our outdoor guides about the record trial time for the course and what types of endorsements I should expect upon my completion of the route and gold medal ceremony. Disclaimer: While Dr. Dan claims Sruthi won the "race" in her kayak, I am certain that Sruthi used performance enhancing modifications on her vessel, never mind the fact that the kayak was deemed as the "minor leagues" of the boat options available to us. The speed and weight advantages were obvious and will be disregarded wholly in the record books, instead of using a Barry Bonds-esque asterisk next to the declared "winner" of the day. So, as Johnny and I were the first canoe duo to finish the course, I am eagerly awaiting my medal, long overdue ceremony, and official announcement via TCU Announce or TCU 360 article.
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
Laughter Event 2
Date of Occurrence : March 18, 2015
During our class that meets on Mondays and Wednesdays, all of the students received an email regarding honors college professor of the year nominations. The email reads :
Dear Honors Students,
[Redacted] – [Redacted]
[Redacted] – [Redacted]
[redacted]
During our class that meets on Mondays and Wednesdays, all of the students received an email regarding honors college professor of the year nominations. The email reads :
Dear Honors Students,
Thank you for your nominations for the 2015 Honors Professor of the Year. This award is meant to be a surprise, so please do not talk to the finalists about their nominations until after the recipient is announced and celebrated at Spring Convocation on Thursday, April 16 @ 11 am in Ed Landreth Auditorium. With that said, it is my honor to unveil the finalists that you’ve selected!
[Redacted] – [Redacted]
[Redacted] – [Redacted]
Dr. Dan Williams – Honors Professor of Humanities and Director, TCU Press
Please use the following link to submit your vote by noon next Friday, March 27.
[redacted]
Thanks again for your input and for keeping the finalists unaware of their nominations.
Sincerely,
Christopher “Taylor” White
John V. Roach Honors College
Cabinet President
The email was received at 4:19 PM local time and no later than 4:19 PM was Dr. Dan notified by one of his own honors students that he was nominated for the award. And no later than 4:19 PM did I feel obliged to quickly scan the email myself and find some interesting tidbits of information...in the second line of the email. "This award is meant to be a surprise, so please do not talk to the finalists about their nominations." I repeated this line aloud to the class to the dismay of the overly eager student, who seemed to miss this quite important line, and to the amusement of the rest of the class.
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