Last Thursday, several classes who follow the Supply-Chain-Management courses, received a guest lecture from a German professor named Harald Gleißner. The Professor, who came all the way down from the Berlin School of Economics and Law, gave us more insight in the basics of Logistics. It began with a brief presentation about the essential factors dealt with related to the supply chain. Once that was finished, the students went to the North-Serre and started their case study. The case was made in groups, and spread trough the whole Serre, everyone was working very eager on their assignments. Once they were finished they had to write a particular assignment on a whiteboard. All the groups came up with a different answer to the same question, which was exactly Mr. Gleißners idea. All the groups drew their vision of a supply chain from the company belonging to the case. The students started to discuss each others assignments, and they soon saw and understood the essential message which mister Gleißner wanted to give us. In logistics, not every answer that deviates from the basic answer is wrong. With the right idea behind it, it’s never wrong. Of course they already had a solid background due to the lessons in SCM we had from Mr. Draijer. Nevertheless the lecture from the Professor showed the students new perspectives in Logistics and the visit was definitely worth it!

Popularity: 2% [?]

Intercultural Sales Negotiation

This subject is compulsory for the entrepreneur minor and optional for the international marketing minor and exchange students.

Boringness: Lot’s of fun during class

Difficulty: Don’t worry you will pass as long as you are not afraid to speak up.

Workload: You need to write a few pages over the year and read a chapter from the syllabus each week.

Popularity: 3 full classes

One way or the other, we all find ourselves in a position where we have to negotiate about prizes, salaries and other terms. Therefore we find this course with weekly practise sessions to negotiate terms in different situations. These sessions are fun but other than only playing to be a company you may also have to read chapters of the course syllabus. And make sure you do so because there might be an unexpected pop-quiz popping up at the beginning of the next class.

The course is not that difficult it doesn’t have a written exam but instead you have to do a case study, write a few preparations for negotiations and negotiate against another team as part of your final exam. Lots of people don’t really take it serious and the quality of the course is depending on the assigned teacher. Personally, I thought it was interesting to see the intercultural aspects of doing business.

Popularity: 13% [?]

Stock Valuation (STV) is a third year subject which is for exchange students optional and for students doing the Financial Minor is compulsory.

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Teacher Frank Mettes (MES): He… he… hmmm… knows a lot but… you can win any discussion agaisnt him…

Difficulty: Difficult, you gotta read that bloody book no matter what…

Boringness: It starts pretty good, exiting, you feel like learning but after a while you hate it.

Popularity: Crowded, lots of resiters.

This subject is divided in 2 parts. The exam and the group report, both count for 50% of the final grade. You gotta read a book called ” A random walk down Wall Street” of Malkiel. (I hate Malkiel now).

You learn how the stock market works, the influence of the macroeconomic indicators on bonds and shares prices. You learn how read those tables with millions of weird numbers in the newspapers and how to calculate the ratios, price earnings, profits per share, etc, etc. Furthermore, you learn how to make a portfolio and reduce its risk. In the meanwhile, you have to read the book which tells the experience of a guy (Malkiel) who knows everything about investing and being successful in the long term.

The thing is with subject is that besides all technical and economical factors that influence a stock price there are also human factors like behaviour, depression, exitement, etc, and even weather. Therefore the teacher and the book tells you that even a monkey can make a portfolio and make some profit. So, WTF are we spending time with this? Everything you learn is just general knowledge and it’s faaaaar to be applied in something concrete.

The exam is like 20 open questions. Around 10 that you have to make calculations and the rest theory about the book. Some questions are really tricky, they refer to small concepts hidden in the pages. For the other 50% of the grade you have to hand in a report. This report consist of analyzing the financial structure of a company listed in the stock market. You gotta come up with the ratios, share numbers, share value, etc and give an advice of whether the share is attractive to buy or sell. Check out the exams and report in the Exam section.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Corporate Finance 2 (CO2) is of course the continuation of CO1 that you have in 2nd year. For exchange students it is optional and for students doing the Financial Minor is compulsory.

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Teachers: Blum (no pic – German) and Fonkert (picture – Dutch): Alright, not bad, tell bad jokes

Level of difficulty: Doable

Boringness: It could be more dynamic, you might suffer embolism sometimes.

Popularity: Classes mostly crowded

CO2 seems to be easy at the beginning but it’s not that easy neither difficult. You learn to calculate the value of bonds, stocks, mortgage payments, calculation of inflation, interest changes/rates, APR, EAR, standard deviation, and stuff. There are thousand of formulas that look the same but they are all different. The exercises are almost pure logic stuff more than difficult calculations.

You get homework every class but never is particularly asked (if you didn’t do it, shup up and sit in the back). No projects, no groups, no nothing. Just do your thing and show up at the exam.

The exam is mostly divided in 2 parts. 20 MC questions and 2/3 open problems. For MC you may need to calculate stuff but there is also theory. Some of the open question might be related so if you err one thing, you fuck up the whole problem. Anyways, I know people that never went to any classes and still pass with a 7 or 8. But again you have those that went to all classes, done all homework and failed the exam with a 4. Check out the exams at the Exam section.

Literature: The same book that you use for CO1, Corporate Finance Fundamentals – ISBN 10-0-07-111802-0

Popularity: 12% [?]