by Professor » Wed Jul 17, 2013 12:52 pm
I think my favorite classes were my Business Law classes. After that, most of my MBA classes were fun. Lots of group work. I took the MBA at night, so I almost always had the same people in my group. We had a Finance major, an Accountant, a Marketing major (international minor), and another guy and me were the Management majors. It was great, because after the first few tasks, we had our roles all ironed out.
It was just like a real business. The marketing person would do the research. Finance and Accounting would review the money aspects. I'd review from a legal and contractual standpoint (outsourcing, subcontracting, etc.). I also did most of the operational overviews. Then, the other Mgmt major and I would sit down and structure the project and make the final presentations.
Honestly, though, the best learning experience that I had was opening up the Ritz Carlton here in New Orleans. We got to build a company from scratch, but had the best service-industry models to use as a guide. I learned far more about what it really takes to run a company during those 3-6 months than I did in college.
Also, this recent reNewJerseyStronger program that I did was a real learning experience. Had to set up a 700-employee, 11-location, $1.8 billion program in under 30 days. We were able to use many things from the past, but had to invent just as much from scratch. Working 100 hours per week for 6 weeks actually isn't as bad as it sounds, but it's not a living.
Once I get through Groove Plate, Pipe Welding and Pipe Layout, I should be able to certify as a Pipe Welder. That's when I can start making serious bank while I work my way through the rest of the classes. 
