Bring Money to Class

I've often wondered why people make such a big deal about what school you go to. Sure, the peer group that you end up with will probably correlate well with the reputation of the school, either by self selection or by competition to get in. But really, does it make a difference in terms of what you pay for - the quality of teaching? It is not cheap to pursue an MBA. Not even counting the opportunity cost of being out of the work force, there is the non-trivial matter of tuition. Is it worth it from an academic standpoint? So far, I'm thinking yes.

I have taken a number of statistics classes in my time, but I knew this one was going to be different from the very first class when the teacher said "Bring money to class". Combining chocolate (seriously, we had M&Ms in class one day) and gambling to make the lessons resonate, this is, by far, the best statistics class I have ever taken. For the first time, the subject is interesting and fun; despite the fact that the pace is extremely fast, the content is rather technical and that I am discovering that I'm not a particularly skilled gambler (maybe I should stop bringing money to class...).

Of course, it's helpful that the class is full of people who want to be here (not true of my prior stats classes!) and that entry to INSEAD requires a certain level of competence in math (so I think it is quicker to pick up concepts). But, the teacher (Ioana) makes a huge difference; teaching by inspiration and leaving the path to discovery in the hands of the student. Similarly, my economics teacher (Pushan) is breathing new life into my interest in Economics (a subject in which I have a degree!).

Certainly the social experience of school is turning out to be fruitful - but I can sincerely say that the academic experience is not disappointing.