Twelfth Week

Hi Everyone,

Twelve weeks – wow, time has flown by since I have arrived! 

The period of final examinations if finally coming near and I have become flooded with final projects that are coming due before our final exams.  Academically, this is a large differentiator between Odette and here at Rouen Business School.  Out of all of my classes, I have only had a midterm exam in one of the classes.  While there was a participation component in some of my classes, the only other measure of evaluation throughout the semester was four spot quizzes in my International Finance class. However, the abundance of end of term projects is quite the contrary compared to Odette. Here is the term project breakdown for my classes:

Financial Analysis – Accounting for 50% of my grade, I have a group assignment in which we provide an analysis of a publicly traded French company.  

Derivative Products – Accounting for 30% of my grade, we have a group assignment in which we solve and explain problems of material covered throughout the semester.  Exercises included relate to Future Contracts, Forward Contracts, Call and Put options, as well as Binomial Trees.

International Negotiation – Accounting for 30% of my grade, we are given two options for our final project.  One option is to videotape and conduct an interview with a senior negotiator.  Alternatively, we can opt to write a case study on a worldwide issue that pertains to negotiation.  My topic of choice is ‘The European Union and International Monetary Fund’s Negotiations to Save Greece’s Economy’.   

I should also note that each of the term projects are completed in groups of two to five people.  While we are given the freedom to select our group, our group members must be of different national origins.  The theme of working with students from a different background has been dominant throughout the semester.  I have been able to network and work effectively with a wide group of diverse individuals, while experiencing the different cultures and how they relate to work. 

During the intermissions, I worked strenuously to hunt down the Rouen Dragons Mascot.

On a more exploratory note, I yet again spent this past weekend in Rouen. I did however take part in a social event this past Saturday and attended a Rouen Dragons hockey game. The night was very enjoyable, even though it did remind me of how much I’m missing being able to watch NHL hockey.  To add to the night’s success, the Dragons beat the opposing team 5-2, and everyone left the stadium ecstatic.  Of course with the GM, Head Coach, and Captain of the team all being Canadians, this didn’t come as much of a surprise.  Surely, this abundance of Canadian talent could also explain how the team has been able to win the French Championship the past two years!

Unfortunately, that’s all the stories I have to share this week. I will be sure to find some adventures to share for next week.