The Richmond MBA

My brain is fried.  This week I took the mid-term exam for MBA 501: Financial Accounting.  I now fully understand the potential difficulty of an “open-book, open-notes” exam, but let me back up a moment…

I think the most appropriate way to introduce myself as a new blog contributor is to open a window into my present academic life - my education, in media res, as it were.  I’m Daniel Warshaw, and I’m halfway through my first semester of the MBA program at the Robins School of Business.  So far it’s been surprising, challenging, and rewarding.  The tone set by the Opening Residency was invaluable in raising my expectations for the rich variety and rigor of what lay ahead.

I’ve studied business a bit before.  My undergraduate degree was in Information Systems and consisted of a fair range of courses outside the technical world from organizational behavior to strategic management.  Even the technical classes concentrated on the business and were presented in the context of business processes.  I was, therefore, unshaken by the prospect of studying statistics and accounting at the beginning of my graduate work.  After all, with at least two semesters of each from my undergraduate, could I expect much difference?

The truth is there are a number of differences, and while I’m sure they are generally applicable to the program I would like to explain them as they relate to the accounting class that I mentioned at the top of the post.

First of all, the pace is incomparable to that of an undergraduate class.  Every week we cover an entire chapter dense with concepts and examples.  While I could manage putting off reading as an undergraduate until tests approached, I would steadily fall behind with each passing week if I was so relaxed this semester.  Keeping up with the assigned reading is essential not only because of the cumulative nature of the material but because of the discussion-oriented class meetings.  There are fewer than twenty students in my section and you would be in the wrong program if you thought you could lay low and avoid the teacher’s questions.

Oh yes, the teacher.  I am fortunate enough to have Phil Rohrbach as my accounting teacher, a man who only recently retired from the industry and brings a wealth of practical knowledge.  Few things excite me about a class more than a teacher who knows his subject well enough simply to share it with the students.  Not once this semester have Thursday nights felt like a typical lecture.  On the contrary, I have come to look forward to my Thursdays and the discussions that have so far taught me more than any previous accounting course.  I don’t mean to pitch the hard sell, but it is also worth mentioning that I’ve always disliked accounting.   Mr. Rohrbach, though, makes the material engaging enough not only to hold my attention but to motivate my studies.

I would be remiss in my portrayal of MBA 501 if I didn’t share the effects this class has had on my daily life.  While my routine at the office focuses mainly on software development, I feel that I have a firmer grasp on the impact of my work to my company’s financial situation.  Even outside the confines of my cubicle I feel better equipped to understand the financial news and reporting.  It is remarkable how much the rise and fall of so many companies can be traced to decisions about how to present financial statements.

So here I am, halfway finished with Fall Semester, 2009.  I will likely have a better perspective on my footing in the program by December 10th, but for now I’m eager to continue.  As for my future entries, you can expect a focus on information technology, but with an eye toward IT’s place in the broader organization and market.

Pleased to be here.