Yesterday, we just finished our first course at LBS. It’s called Capital Markets and Financing, which is a psuedo-core course of their program for those interested to take a career in finance. As it’s a pre-requisite for other finance subjects, we took it as a block week, meaning, it only took us five days to take the whole thing and have the exam.

 

So yesterday, just finished my first exam at LBS.

 

The course itself was fun to take. Of course, a lot of content was redundant to that of HKUST’s, but I do believe it’s complementary. HKUST’s Strategic Finance & Value Creation was taught by a practitioner and had more insights to financial applications in the real world. LBS’ was taught by an academic so focused on the more organized, technical side of it. At times, they taught two different ways to solve the same problem, both of which arrived at the same answers anyway.

 

I found the classes in LBS more diverse than that of HKUST.

 

For example, in HKUST, we had 80% Asians, and around 20% white/brown in color. Though everyone does come from all over, many are still of Asian of heritage. So for example, someone who was born in China, lived in Toronto and came back to take his education at HKUST would be considered a Canadian.

 

In LBS, diveristy is really evident. There are tons more Africans, Europeans, Americans, Latinos and less of the Asians. Their backgrounds are also less finance-oriented and there are so many people working in industry and non-finance roles. One person I met worked in the Navy. Whoa.

 

Of course, that also meant that they’re louder. At HKUST, I was the one usually asking questions. At LBS, there are more than enough students who raise their hands for you.

 

But in a way, that’s great right? Because you really learn from your classmates.

 

Secondly, I do think that students at LBS take their academics more seriously. You can see this by the way they act (they’re always on meetings) and the way they dress. For example, at LBS, people do wear business casual on a DAILY basis. At HKUST, people dress more like college students. One classmate even wore pajama pants to class. As in what?

 

Overall, the LBS education was a pretty good complement to my MBA program. I am so so glad I picked LBS. If I didn’t go to HKUST because I wanted to focus more in Asia, that would’ve been my top pick. The classes are more organized — but it’s a good complement to my HKUST education, which focused more on practitioners’ experience. Disorganized yes, but if you really listen closely, there’s something really great to be learnt.

 

Additionally, I am so happy to say that I am loving London a lot more especially after I bought my one-month subway tickets (unlimited use for a month) for GBP 75. Whoa, so expensive right? But at least, I don’t have to worry about one way tickets which is around GBP 2 per way. Yes, that’s just ONE way tickets.

 

So last night, we went to the British Museum of Natural History, which was surprisingly open only for that day till 11am due to a special “Science Uncovered” event. We were so lucky.

 

 Really great buildings and even nicer exhibitions. What’s more, the tickets are free!

 

Then, we went to Chinatown where we had some nice Japanese fare.

 

Today,off to the Portobello market in Notting Hill. Then watch a show or something. Gotta shower and go!