I would apologise to those who find the prospect of reading about my classes extremely boring and dull, but they would have probably closed this page by now. In that case, you're an impatient douchebag - have some faith in me! I need to write this, for myself if no one else, to help me with my portfolio that I have to submit for my own university. But of course, I will try to make it as interesting as possible for everyone, not just business students.
So because I'm a lazy bastard, I decided to take one class fewer this semester. I said goodbye to French Language, after finding it a perte de temps (for more information about this, including a kick-ass economics-style graph, see my post of December 11th, 'Good Times'http://welcometoolliewood.blogspot.fr/2011/12/good-times.html). So this term I am taking six instead of seven classes, which is still more than I would do at Warwick. Apart from my apathy, my reasons for reducing the workload included the (correct) expectation that my term would be disturbed by trips to the UK for internship-related reasons and the possibility of having more time to focus on other pursuits and further immersion into Rennes life. That one didn't happen though - I just slept more.
Some will be thinking "Only 25 ECTS? What a lazy so-and-so!" Well, FYI, if you consider that as my credits will not be transferred or count in any way, shape or form towards my degree (apart from a fail possibly hindering my portfolio mark), doing this many classes 'for the craic' (I love that phrase, thanks Ireland!) is rather admirable....... No? Okay then...
But I've found out that due to the comparative lack of international students this term, the number of groups for French language has halved from 12 to 6, and the top three groups study French Culture in the native language. This reshuffling has meant that Matt and the Irish girls have now joined me in undertaking the module in French, as they have basically stayed in group 4or 5, but now it is out of 6 rather than 12 - meaning a much higher level for them.
But was it? Well, in their French Language classes, one of the most advanced groups, they do wordsearches. I talked to Elena, a really kind and sweet Spanish girl who was in Group 11 with me last semester, about what they do in group 6. It really does not sound anything like the level it was last term! So it seems I'm not missing out on anything in particular, so surely that justifies my not taking the class this term..........No? Okay then...
So what courses did I do? Let's check out the business ones here - French Culture deserves its own post.
Strategic Human Resource Management - PROBABILITY OF SLEEP 0.8
Again, the HR course has turned out to be among the most problematic of my courses this semester, but for completely different reasons from that of last term's. For starters the teacher was way more likeable. Patricia Sharpley, unlike Mohammed Ali Sharifijan, is open to the views and opinions of her students, gives clear lectures with well-thought out cases, and does not support the firing of an employee for using the Internet for personal use in his lunch break (well I assume - I never asked her about that).
However, my problem with this module is not in its instruction, but its administration. The assessment for this module is not by exam, unlike every single other class I have done here (group project/individual essay and exam). Instead, we have to each interview an HR manager and compile a report based on the findings of the interview. THIS IS OUR EXAM!
How the hell can I take this course seriously? We are not being examined on the course material that has been highly repeated from the last HR course, but instead our ability to pass this course depends on our ability to a) find an HR manager b) find one that is willing to be interviewed and c) is willing to divulge company information to a complete stranger. Yippee...
Now what if you have NO connections to any HR managers, and haven't worked anywhere corporate? How the hell am I going to find one? Not only that, if you actually manage to find an HR manager who is not way too busy to spend an hour talking to you - can I add how unlikely this is too, as small business don't even have an HR manager, and those companies large enough to have one will not have one that is easily accessible to interview kids - but even if, say, you DID find one - how can you be sure that the info you're getting is true and reliable? There's so much politics in management it's ridiculous. The HR managers will be as transparent as a log.....dipped in oil.
So, as you can see, I cannot take this course seriously with such a stupid method of assessment, which does not test our comprehension of the material given, which is virtually exactly the same as the last semester (hence the high sleep probability). Not impressed, ESC Rennes. Not at all....
BUT I have found a possible solution. Apart from me working with a friend to interview his boss, I have another idea for an essay that may be beautiful if done well. So I shall write it and upload it on this blog when it is finished. (Bet you can't wait can you!)
So repeated material and stupid assessment measures mean a class for which I cannot be motivated. PoS - 0.8
Strategic Management Fundamentals - PROBABILITY OF SLEEP 0.6
Ah the mixed bag of chocolates and turds that is our strategy class. How good is this class? Well, it depends on the mood of our professor. Now don't get me wrong, if I had written this post on time, I probably would be saying something totally different. The course is possibly the best of the ones we are doing this semester - a fantastic mix of the academic theory and its practical implications.
I had never taken a specific class in strategy before, apart from a marketing and strategy class in my first year that combined the two in the same module. Now, I find it extremely interesting: how to position your business to achieve competitive advantage and maximum profits (rents). The first case study was clever too, almost like a puzzle for us to solve.
The teacher, a French dude, is very passionate about his subject, and clearly has high ambitions for us. He is teaching us way beyond the 'fundamentals'. However, he is easily irritated and this week, even decided to leave the class half way through after our alleged noise and use of phones was too much to bear for him, when actually we were the quietest we had ever been! What was worse was he was teaching us all about the Resource-Based View, so any business students reading this will know how important that class would have been. He just gave us another case study to do and left!
Now we have to try to decipher the Chinese encrypted in the Strategic Management Journal all by ourselves. The teacher effectively drove us to the desert of RBV theory, guiding us on his way, dropping us off in the desert. Then he leapt back in the bus, closed the door and accelerated away, leaving us searching for the oasis that is an online article summary for dummies.... I need to stop with these extended metaphors, don't I...
But apart from that little hiccup that has made the class rather difficult, I am very happy with the class. I've learned loads, and as long as our bipolar Breton isn't too belligerent, the class is very pleasant - all fine and dandy. The fairly high PoS rating of 0.6 is because of the articles really - the class is quite enthralling.
Digital Marketing - PROBABILITY OF SLEEP 0.1
Okay. Quite simply - I love this course. It has changed my view of marketing, highlighting the importance of technology. Business and technology go hand-in-hand. The project was so much fun too - we had to design a marketing plan for a digital venture - either one that exists already or a start-up. Due to being in a group with really cool people, our idea was rather musical, and it would be cool to actually try to make it a reality (our teacher, Steve Sanazaro from Texas, was very keen on our idea!)
Some in my class complained that there wasn't much substance to the class, because there wasn't much that could be on the exam. I totally disagree - the videos and practical advice from the experienced teacher is far more useful than anything that could be examined. We'll forget what we crammed for the exam the day after. What you remember is the stuff that's practical and hits home - our teacher knew that, and so I thank him for making his class so much more interesting than the general useless drivel that we are made to learn at business school.
PoS - 0.1, It was 8.15am on a Tuesday. You can't rule out the possibility of a snooze.
Business to Business (B2B) Marketing - PROBABILITY OF SLEEP 0
After missing the first class due to the most epic hangover of my life after a brutal and messy Open Bar, I quickly regretted that decision. For this class was taught by who I like to call Lord Baldemort. Apart from being folically challenged, he is also pedantic to the point of pain. He does not use slides - he dictates notes, and asks us to fill the gaps in. Don't get me wrong, this is a fantastic teaching method, encouraging us to work out certain things for ourselves (often comparisons between business-to-business and business-to-consumer marketing). However, he is rather patronising when we don't get it right (which is often the case - we haven't learnt this before!).
So after scrounging a group together with fellow absentees from the first class, I chose the professional services sector for the project (thought I'd kill two birds with one stone, as I still had open applications for PwC and Deloitte). Of course, this soon turned out to be a mistake, with no business-to-consumer market to compare to, and as the first to present our findings, we took quite a beating from Baldemort, the Cruciatus curse of his criticism curdling my blood.
So I found myself writing the report feeling like my life depended on it, or the alopecic demon would send me to Hell with a flash of green light. But despite his relentless patronising and overpowering ego (he's one of those few Brits who have mastered French, and he ain't afraid to show it - bilingual and he knows it), he's actually rather likeable due to his cheek, and unlike the HR teacher from the previous semester, his stubbornness in his opinions is justified with clear knowledge and experience.
But it was an interesting class, and I wouldn't dare dose off for fear of getting attacked. PoS - 0.
Applied Marketing Research - PROBABILITY OF SLEEP 0.9
Finally, there was the Applied Marketing Research shambles - I MEAN class. I honestly don't know what I was supposed to learn from it. It did not start off particularly well, with a French teacher who, despite his charm, was rather annoying with his use of examples in French and even Portuguese. This is meant to be taught in English, hello?
But then it got worse. Much worse. At least we kind of understood what we needed to do for the focus group assignment (ze fuck us groop). Then came the quantitative part, taught by a Chinese woman with incomprehensible English. I mean - she actually cannot communicate well enough to teach a class! We had no clue what she was on about, and if it weren't for my netbook keeping me sane with 9gag.com during those classes, I would most probably have dosed off (Hence PoS- 0.9). She would stop every now and then to ask us "Have you any question?" which usually meant "Be quiet". We were left two days before the due date for the presentation completely clueless as to what we needed to present or do for the project. The class was disappointing, as I had had high expectations for a class that could teach me something Warwick doesn't seem to focus on. The class was one of the main reasons I chose the IBPM courses in the first place, but ah well - it's over now. Just an exam testing God knows what.
Sorry for the delay, but there's the boring course summary over and done with. Some great classes this term, with Digital Marketing and Strategy being very useful, B2B being informative despite me being scared for my life, HR and Marketing Research being on the more useless and unfeasible scale, while French Culture was there to take me away from the gloomy world of business, and make my soul sing with culture and language, but more on that in the next post!
Rant over (Fuck it, I like this sign-off line!)
Ollie
However, my problem with this module is not in its instruction, but its administration. The assessment for this module is not by exam, unlike every single other class I have done here (group project/individual essay and exam). Instead, we have to each interview an HR manager and compile a report based on the findings of the interview. THIS IS OUR EXAM!
How the hell can I take this course seriously? We are not being examined on the course material that has been highly repeated from the last HR course, but instead our ability to pass this course depends on our ability to a) find an HR manager b) find one that is willing to be interviewed and c) is willing to divulge company information to a complete stranger. Yippee...
Now what if you have NO connections to any HR managers, and haven't worked anywhere corporate? How the hell am I going to find one? Not only that, if you actually manage to find an HR manager who is not way too busy to spend an hour talking to you - can I add how unlikely this is too, as small business don't even have an HR manager, and those companies large enough to have one will not have one that is easily accessible to interview kids - but even if, say, you DID find one - how can you be sure that the info you're getting is true and reliable? There's so much politics in management it's ridiculous. The HR managers will be as transparent as a log.....dipped in oil.
So, as you can see, I cannot take this course seriously with such a stupid method of assessment, which does not test our comprehension of the material given, which is virtually exactly the same as the last semester (hence the high sleep probability). Not impressed, ESC Rennes. Not at all....
BUT I have found a possible solution. Apart from me working with a friend to interview his boss, I have another idea for an essay that may be beautiful if done well. So I shall write it and upload it on this blog when it is finished. (Bet you can't wait can you!)
So repeated material and stupid assessment measures mean a class for which I cannot be motivated. PoS - 0.8
Strategic Management Fundamentals - PROBABILITY OF SLEEP 0.6
Ah the mixed bag of chocolates and turds that is our strategy class. How good is this class? Well, it depends on the mood of our professor. Now don't get me wrong, if I had written this post on time, I probably would be saying something totally different. The course is possibly the best of the ones we are doing this semester - a fantastic mix of the academic theory and its practical implications.
I had never taken a specific class in strategy before, apart from a marketing and strategy class in my first year that combined the two in the same module. Now, I find it extremely interesting: how to position your business to achieve competitive advantage and maximum profits (rents). The first case study was clever too, almost like a puzzle for us to solve.
 |
| Michael Porter: making business unnecessarily academic since 1979 |
Now we have to try to decipher the Chinese encrypted in the Strategic Management Journal all by ourselves. The teacher effectively drove us to the desert of RBV theory, guiding us on his way, dropping us off in the desert. Then he leapt back in the bus, closed the door and accelerated away, leaving us searching for the oasis that is an online article summary for dummies.... I need to stop with these extended metaphors, don't I...
But apart from that little hiccup that has made the class rather difficult, I am very happy with the class. I've learned loads, and as long as our bipolar Breton isn't too belligerent, the class is very pleasant - all fine and dandy. The fairly high PoS rating of 0.6 is because of the articles really - the class is quite enthralling.
Digital Marketing - PROBABILITY OF SLEEP 0.1
Okay. Quite simply - I love this course. It has changed my view of marketing, highlighting the importance of technology. Business and technology go hand-in-hand. The project was so much fun too - we had to design a marketing plan for a digital venture - either one that exists already or a start-up. Due to being in a group with really cool people, our idea was rather musical, and it would be cool to actually try to make it a reality (our teacher, Steve Sanazaro from Texas, was very keen on our idea!)
 |
| The logo for our 'startup' idea. |
PoS - 0.1, It was 8.15am on a Tuesday. You can't rule out the possibility of a snooze.
Business to Business (B2B) Marketing - PROBABILITY OF SLEEP 0
After missing the first class due to the most epic hangover of my life after a brutal and messy Open Bar, I quickly regretted that decision. For this class was taught by who I like to call Lord Baldemort. Apart from being folically challenged, he is also pedantic to the point of pain. He does not use slides - he dictates notes, and asks us to fill the gaps in. Don't get me wrong, this is a fantastic teaching method, encouraging us to work out certain things for ourselves (often comparisons between business-to-business and business-to-consumer marketing). However, he is rather patronising when we don't get it right (which is often the case - we haven't learnt this before!).
So after scrounging a group together with fellow absentees from the first class, I chose the professional services sector for the project (thought I'd kill two birds with one stone, as I still had open applications for PwC and Deloitte). Of course, this soon turned out to be a mistake, with no business-to-consumer market to compare to, and as the first to present our findings, we took quite a beating from Baldemort, the Cruciatus curse of his criticism curdling my blood.
 |
| I chose to use the first film Voldy because it looks an awful lot more like our teacher. |
So I found myself writing the report feeling like my life depended on it, or the alopecic demon would send me to Hell with a flash of green light. But despite his relentless patronising and overpowering ego (he's one of those few Brits who have mastered French, and he ain't afraid to show it - bilingual and he knows it), he's actually rather likeable due to his cheek, and unlike the HR teacher from the previous semester, his stubbornness in his opinions is justified with clear knowledge and experience.
But it was an interesting class, and I wouldn't dare dose off for fear of getting attacked. PoS - 0.
Applied Marketing Research - PROBABILITY OF SLEEP 0.9
Finally, there was the Applied Marketing Research shambles - I MEAN class. I honestly don't know what I was supposed to learn from it. It did not start off particularly well, with a French teacher who, despite his charm, was rather annoying with his use of examples in French and even Portuguese. This is meant to be taught in English, hello?
 |
| My work in class: creating a meme of my teacher using Word and Shapes |
But then it got worse. Much worse. At least we kind of understood what we needed to do for the focus group assignment (ze fuck us groop). Then came the quantitative part, taught by a Chinese woman with incomprehensible English. I mean - she actually cannot communicate well enough to teach a class! We had no clue what she was on about, and if it weren't for my netbook keeping me sane with 9gag.com during those classes, I would most probably have dosed off (Hence PoS- 0.9). She would stop every now and then to ask us "Have you any question?" which usually meant "Be quiet". We were left two days before the due date for the presentation completely clueless as to what we needed to present or do for the project. The class was disappointing, as I had had high expectations for a class that could teach me something Warwick doesn't seem to focus on. The class was one of the main reasons I chose the IBPM courses in the first place, but ah well - it's over now. Just an exam testing God knows what.
Sorry for the delay, but there's the boring course summary over and done with. Some great classes this term, with Digital Marketing and Strategy being very useful, B2B being informative despite me being scared for my life, HR and Marketing Research being on the more useless and unfeasible scale, while French Culture was there to take me away from the gloomy world of business, and make my soul sing with culture and language, but more on that in the next post!
Rant over (Fuck it, I like this sign-off line!)
Ollie
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