Happy Easter

Knowing that my family’s gathered in Sweden to celebrate Easter stings a bit. But that’s how it is. No need to pity me, I have a great Easter planned!

Started yesterday by having a traditional Swedish kräftskiva /crayfish party with my friend Sophie.

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Followed it up with pub crawl with my classmate Magnus and his brothers. BUT, what I’d forgotten was that yesterday was the night before “Good Friday”, meaning that no alcohol is served, anywhere! Every pub/bar/club closed down at 12. I mean every single one!
Wasn’t nearly done enjoying myself, so I ended up at an Irish friends house party!

Anyway, the alarm is set tomorrow at 6 am cuz’ Im taking the train to the west coast, Sligo to be précis!
Myself and Fiona will stay at a B&B, hang around in the city, hire bikes, take walks at the beach, climb the mountain! And on Sunday, her family aka. my irish fam, has invited me to a trad Easter dinner. Happy days 🙂

And Happy Easter everyone!

I J U S T H A V E S O M U C H T O D O ! !

.. so is the reason for my absence spelled!

Honestly, I wish I could say I’m busy from school, but it’s really been about me having  fun. Have had a lot of visitors lately, that and school, has taken all my time.

For you who reads Swedish, I’ve written another post on my IHM blogg about what I’ll be up to the coming weeks. Check it out here!

Screen print of My IHM Blog

 

Never had to have a chaperone, no sir. I’m there to keep my eye on her

Had a visit from Pri some weeks ago, fun fun fun!

A little fall of rain, can hardly hurt me now.

In not even 6 months from now I’ll bit taking on a new challenge, it’s so exciting!
A new job? An internship? A trip? An adventure?

I don’t know yet. However, I’ve found a job I really, really want!! I’m perfect for it. It’s perfect for me! But to get it, I have to be clever, need to use my imagination!

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I’ve kept up working out 4 times a week, I am SO worthy a treat!!

Things change, and so does challenges.

I remember the tention, how we all got so damn nervous every time we were to hold a presentation at IHM. Carefully planning every minute, spending lots and lots of time rehearsing. And evenmore so when we had presentations in Business English! However, here at DBS, we don’t have the time to be nervous, or practise. Only efficient. Our schedules are crammed. For example, last semester me and another guy held a presentation for 1hr and 40 minutes, in English! If that was just a couple of years ago I would be nervous as hell!

What am I saying with this? Well, that it is funny how challenges become normal, and how new challenges form. Time, practice, experience, triumph and sometimes stress changes them. And focusing on the right thing.

My greatest challenges right now is:
– Keeping routines (it is sooo easy to sleep in late when you don’t have classes)
– Keeping up with training
– Finding my dissertation topic

What is yours?

The obligatory cold

Three weeks into my training, and it’s here. The inescapable cold. That hits me in the face. Always challenging my determination. Do you know what I’m talking about?

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But this time I’m more motivated than ever. I won’t give up!

Someone told me that a great way to achieve goals is to share them to others. Stubborn as I am, I’m sure this could apply on me. So, now that I’ve shared it with you, there is no excuse.

What am I really doing in Dublin?

People always ask what I’m studying here in Dublin. And to be fare, it sounds a bit fuzzy. But I will try to explain.

It is a broad programme, that prepare us to the tasks of a manager. And what does that mean? Well, the Master will provide us with the knowledge of the diversity of a business. How it can/could/should operate, how the different departments correlate with each other, how it could gain competitive advantages through different strategies etc. Simple put, it shows the different aspects a manager should take in consideration.

The autumn, Semester One was mainly focused on business strategies, such as: Marketing Analytics, Financial Analytics, Strategic Management and Innovation and Change Management. What is the core business; what market should it operate within; what are the internal and external factors that might effect the business; how can financial management be beneficial. And so on. Quite ‘hard’ facts.

Semester Two is, since a week ago, up and running; what I thought was going to be a fairly easy spring will probably be as busy as the last. This semester’s courses are: Human Capital Management and Development; Information Systems and Project Management; Business Simulation (individually focused on development) and Action Learning and Research.
These courses seems to revolve around ‘softer’ aspects of a manager, such as communication, leadership etc. I am really looking forward to them!

Glad I got to read at two fictional books during the holidays. As from now and eight months ahead there wont be any of that, except for journals and reports.

As from now on and eight months forward, there wont be any reading of other then journals and reports revolving management. Glad I got to read at least two fictional during the holidays.

And in addition, we are soon starting with the dissertation (equivalent to Sweden’s “D-uppsats”). We will have approximately 3 months to write a dissertation of 20 000 words; which have to include a minimum of 60-80 references, of which 80 % have to be journals and reports; a qualitative or quantitative research conducted by our self. And finally, no one can in the past have written a paper about the same topic. It is due the 18th of August, so therefore, I can forget about a summer vacation. (Fortunately, I’m planing a road trip in Sweden with Fiona, as soon as the dissertation is handed in. But I’ll tell you more about that later!).

I have an idea of writing about the Change Management in an industry with high innovational speed, and where the market (and competition) is growing. I want to examine what happens when a company move from being a small, flexible company to a large, structural. What is the behavior of the managers and employees; what is required etc. And as you see, it is still very broad and most likely, someone has already written about this. So, my initial challenge will be to narrow it down.

That’s it Folks, any questions?