Inspirational life lesson from cartoon movies

When I was a kid, I had been watching so many animated movies, many of which still stay vividly in my memory.  It may sound absurd and immature of me to have my old habit of watching animated movie, especially up to this age, but when it comes to the work of Hayao Miyazaki, believe or not, one cannot help but sit in front of the screen for hours. Hayao Miyazaki is one of the greatest animators and directors in Japan. Quite true, Miyazaki has been producing masterpieces of all time. May the cover of the composition book be faded and its corners are bent, but its words will stay forever with time. To be honest, Miyazki’s movies are peculiar, not because that any of us is praising or flattering the case. Accordingly, when we follow up his works, we are casted by the deep impressions. We watch the movies for entertaining reason, however, in the end; we end up watching them again and again, much like being under a spell, which is rather perplexed. Apart from the appraisement, we can then have a glance at his portfolio. Born and raised during  the World War II, Miyazaki, being the second of the four, soon had the opportunities attached to his father work’s being director of Miyazaki Airplane. At the very young age, Miyazaki developed a lifelong fascination with aviation, a penchant that later manifested as a recurring theme in his films (let it be his work later on).  We can see aircraft-related stuff and the painstakingly designed model in three fourths of his movies. For most of his animations, the plots are simple plus inspired by books of many novelists. Plainly told, a bit dreamy and magic-about stories, “Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind “, “Laputa: Castle In The Sky”,  “My Neighbor Totoro”, “ Grave of the Fireflies”, “Howl’s Moving Castle” ( together with many other masterworks) are outstanding, compared to any other Japanese animations during the time. Whereas there are thousands of 3-D animated movies compatible, the works of Miyazaki are fascinating enough to grab our attention and our zest into 2-D movies. His movies are somewhat whimsical in an old but unique style, and yet to be categorized classic. The presence of undefined beings, objects, machines and technology soaks us viewer in the beautiful fantasy, and the lack of visual realism allows our imagination to fly high.

Four Truths About Today's MBA

You guys should not be so serious when these truths are released. Actually when heard about "truth", I often think about a negative outcome. However, what I learned from this article seemed to be useful and totally different from my previous thinking.

This article was written when the whole world economy has been shrinking considerably. The gloomy picture has affected almost every field including prospective MBA students. Here is what Alysa Teichman from Business Week wrote about the truth that we,MBA students have to be ready to face:

Until this year, you could say with near certainty that an MBA from a well-respected business school was a ticket to a good job and a respectable salary.

But with the financial crisis, a lot of those certainties are gone. Looking at the business school landscape, however, you can say at least four things with confidence. 

1. You will face more competition for slots

 

Business schools aren't increasing their class sizes to accommodate the anticipated surge in applications. This can only mean that in a year when more people are applying to business school, admissions will be more competitive and a smaller percentage of applicants will get in.

The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) reports a jump of more than 11% in the number of GMAT tests taken this September compared with a year earlier. And schools report an increase in interest—both at information sessions and in online discussion forums and blogs.

For those students who think they can bank on getting into a middle-tier school, think again. If getting in has become harder across the board, students will likely apply to more schools to increase their chances. With a fatter stack of applications to choose from, middle-tier schools could shock prospective students with rejection letters they didn't expect.

One silver lining: For top students, getting into the elite business schools may not be any harder. After all, says Peter Johnson, the executive director of admissions at Berkeley's Haas School of Business' full-time MBA program, "An increase in the number of applicants does not mean an increase in the quality." 

2. International students are going to find loans tough

 

International students face a new obstacle after the rigorous process of getting into a B-school has long passed. With the credit crunch, student loan programs are tightening up or disappearing entirely. For instance, this fall, Citibank (C) cancelled its CitiAssist loan program. That means many international students are out of luck unless they have lived in the U.S. or have a co-signer here.

The cutbacks have some administrators stumped. Rosemaria Martinelli, admissions director of the University of Chicago's Graduate School of Business, says that fixes to the problem are only short term and the school is still searching for a solution. Still, Martinelli remains committed to a diverse student body.

Besides the near impossibility of getting loans, international students face difficulties after they get their degrees. In a weak market, where companies have the luxury of sifting through more applicants, international students may find it even harder to obtain scarce H1-B work visas.

The end result: the continuation of a trend in which more and more students are choosing to go to business school in their home countries. 

3. Quitting a job is risky

 

People in steady, well-paying jobs have always had to weigh the benefits of quitting to attend business school. This is especially true in a down economy, when no one knows what the job market will look like in two years. Viable options now include either putting off the MBA or joining a part-time program while staying employed.

According to Judith Hodara, admissions director at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, prospective students most frequently ask about opportunities for summer internships and post-graduation employment and are both "nervous" and "concerned."

Traditionally, students who quit jobs at the start of a recession graduate with an MBA when the economy is in an upswing. But no one is able to predict with certainty how long this recession will last.

Erin Nickelsburg, admissions director at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's School of Business, said that predictors of the "opportunity cost" of going to business school in a downturn have been skewed by the apparent end of big salaries and juicy bonuses in investment banking.

Still, Nickelsburg warns that opportunities could be missed, as well. "Not making an investment in yourself can turn around and haunt you when the economy goes back up," she said. 

4. The learning is still valuable

 

While the return on investment on an MBA is still up in the air, no one is disputing that what you learn in business school will be extremely valuable as the economy recovers. Case studies have new meaning, now that executives face tougher decisions and large-scale business problems.

According to Chicago's Martinelli, now is a "cool time to study this, learn from this position, and figure out how you can add value"—meaning it's a great time to be able to learn about not just hypothetical but real issues.

Still, students may need to adjust their career goals and possibly their salary expectations. "This is a good time to park yourself in an MBA program and build up your portfolio of intellectual capital," says David Wilson, GMAC's president. "Graduates will emerge in two years or so and be in a different market."

Link cited: http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/content/nov2008/bs2008114_924879.htm