OwenBloggers: Alex - MSF '08

Final Post - MSF 2008

As the title says, this will be my final post of my MSF 2008 career - a career which ended last Monday at 1pm to be exact. It's amazing that time went so fast but here I am, done with my collegiate career (getting an MBA is still unclear at this point) at 23.

I'll be leaving behind a lot of good friends but I made them all a promise that I would come back and see them graduate assuming I get some time off. I can safely say that the MSF certainly prepares you to be a quantitative analyst. Through this program I was able to take classes such as VBA programming, Derivatives Securities and Corporate Valuation. Prior to entering Owen I worked as an Equity Research Analyst for a mutual fund. They had their own proprietary model in which the analyst simply puts in the inputs. Now, with my skills I've attained here, I feel that I can create that model, Macros and all. I know what the inputs mean and feel I can make more sense of the result. For that, I am very grateful to my teachers and my peers for their patience with me as I learned.

This year was difficult for some of my classmates; as you all know, the job market has been difficult with the turmoil of the housing sector and the US being on the brink of recession. A lot of really smart people in my program are still looking for jobs and I wish them the very best in their search. Just today I ran into Professor Cliff Ball - if you're an MSF you'll take a semester long econometrics course with him. Myself and three other MSF's took an independent study working on how to price Credit Default Swaps (CDS) with Professor Ball so we've had him for the entire year. It was an excellent experience and while difficult, very rewarding.

To the MSF's entering in the fall - I hope the job market gets better for you all...really, I do. I think for me, B-school was more about learning from others than it was learning from a textbook. I think my best studying was when I was working with peers and learning from their experience/wisdom in a certain subject. I like to think that I got more out of my friends and professors than than any book would have taught me. The point is, Owen draws many personalities/people with varied backgrounds. Be sure to make use of them and pay attention. To Chaya, I enjoyed your introduction blog, I think you'll be a great blogger next year (even if you are a hippie democrat! ;-) ) I'll be curious to see how you 'won't fit in at Owen'. I think you'll be surprised with how liberal people are with their ideas and their appliance of hot sauce to just about all things edible. We'll see.

Myself, well, I'm off to Hawaii working Risk Management. To those who know me, you know this is where I belong..I'm a West Coast/Island guy and ALWAYS will be.
To my first year MBA friends - I will miss you all...and I will be there for your graduation with personalized signs. I've already started to field reservations from some of you regarding a Hawaiian vacation for your spring break...keep it coming. I'll see you on the Islands.

To my fellow MSF class - We've been through quite a bit. I've worked with many of you until the wee hours and will also miss you all. The Thursday routine: Spreadsheets, Dart's, SAMS will always be a fond memory. And who could forget the Xmas party.

To the next MSF class - It's in your hands now. I wish you the best of luck in your academic and career endeavors. I'm very proud of my MSF class and I hope that when you graduate you will be just as proud to call them your classmates.

It's been real. You know the deal: Go RAIDERS in '08 and Go Warriors (Baron "BD" Davis is the most under-rated point in the NBA).

Aloha,

Alex Tellez, MSF 2008
テレス礼児

Favorite Place to Relax on Campus

As the title says, this post concerns my favorite place to chill on campus, key word: campus.
I should start by saying that I do my best studying when both of my feet are up, usually in a slouched position. I know it doesn't sound conducive to studying effectively but that's just how I roll you know what I'm saying. I also don't study well in libraries, the stress levels are usually in excess of my golf score (high hundreds) and I find it to be contagious (your stress + someone else's stress = 2 * stress exposure).

That said, my favorite place to study on campus is the language lab located in Furman Hall. The language lab is located in the basement. From Owen, Furman is a 3 minute walk (and that's with my slow pace!). It's really nice because you can wear their language headphones which block out any noise (not many people go there anyways though). There is ample seating so feel free to make make-shift footstands/footrests and things of that sort. I know it well because I did must of my studying for Owen classes and Japanese there. The lab stocks close to 40 computers that have everything the average MBA student needs plus more. One thing, you must use your Vanderbilt ID as your Owen one is no good there.

My favorite memory of studying was in that lab. I was taken aback when I realized all of the cool things that I was learning at Owen and Vanderbilt. In two hours, I learned 20 Japanese words (chinese characters) and learned how to Delta and Vega hedge a position. All in a days work. The fact that I switch between two extremes is really cool and I'm not sure if I'll ever have the chance to study those subjects in one day as I did. I hope I do someday.

Well, that's all for this post. I will write my final post in a few days regarding the next steps for myself and the next steps that I hope Owen takes. Until that time, I wish everyone the very best with finals and if you're already done, then congrats.

Go RAIDERS.

Run DMC! It's Darren McFadden at #4

Yep, it's true, it's true, Darren McFadden (aka Run DMC) has been selected by the Oakland Raiders. To all other AFC west teams, you've got to be nervous at this point. The raiders have a qb (JaMarcus 'the Messiah' Russel) whose bigger than your linebacking corp (he's 6'8", 275) and now the explosive playmaker that is Mr. McFadden. In fact, they are beginning to sell RUN DMC shirts at Oakland Raiders shops! An awesome draft, despite we only had one pick. Oh yeah, I'm supposed to talk about my favorite memory of studying right? I leave you with this quote by an NFL that was PRIOR to McFadden running his 4.33 40-time.

Scout 1: "What is that up there, a bird?"
Scout 2: "No that's Darren McFadden running stairs before his 40-time"

My favorite memory of studying is the time I was hanging out with my MSF friends and we actually finished our studies early. We were studying on the second floor in preparation for Corp. Val. We saw this really big hawk just chilling on the tree in the center of the courtyard and after seeing that we decided to go to the hookah bar (because it only makes sense to go to a hookah bar after you see a hawk!). It was just nice to just sit and do hookah knowing that we had finished our corporate val homework (usually takes a lot of time, TRUST ME). What made it so memorable for me was that we were all chilling and working. We went through the same trials as MSF students and so we all know what it's like. That said, it made the hookah even more enjoyable to know that these were guys that I worked very hard with. So yeah, I guess it's not so much of a studying memory as much as it is a memory that came after studying.

To you guys that will come here next year, I hope you will find the time out of your studies and make some memories of your own. The work will always be there.

Favorite Place to Study

Like many second-years, today will be my last day of classes EVER at the Owen School. Crazy just to write that sentence. But, as the title of the post says this is about my favorite place to study and as such let me start by saying I dislike studying at the Owen Library. True, its close to campus, but there are so many other places that are also good study spots outside of Owen that are apart of the Vanderbilt Campus.

My favorite place is located in Peabody Campus (5 minute walk from Owen) and it is the newest building built. It is called 'Commons'. They have the following amenities:
A Gym
Copy Centers
Many Computers
A huge dining hall that you can use Vandy Card or Cash
It's open 24 hours
Spacious couches
2 Plasma TV's to watch NBA
2 Foosball tables
2 Pool Tables
...and finally, you get to see the Peabody campus which is truly beautiful now that Spring has arrived. Very close to 'Commons' is the Peabody Library. There you will realize that:
No need to reserve study rooms,
Can use computers without logging in,
It opens earlier than Owen Library (7am) and closes later than owen (2am), Monday thru Thursday.
It's very very very spacious.

If you're getting tired of the Owen library and want a spacious place to study that is quiet, I strongly suggest you look into these two places. I am at one of these two locations every day. Hell, as I type this I'm sitting in an ergonomic chair at the Commons Library watching Sportscenter. Anyways, give it a try and let meknow what you think.

Transition Blog - 2 weeks left and counting.

It's amazing that I even wrote that title! 2 weeks left and then I'm done.  I can't really begin to describe the expereince in one post, two post, hell, even 20 posts.  So much has happened in such a short period of time that it's kind of overwhelming to think about it.  I've been asking myself a lot of questions such as whether or not to return to get an MBA and the short answer is: not any time soon.  That doesn't mean I won't rule it out, but as I see it, I need more experience.  Many of my MBA friends come from various backgrounds and have been out in the working world for quite some time and thus, getting an MBA has some specific premise behind it. 

Consider this: last year this time, I was finishing my thesis at Brown.  For me, it's just been school, school and school, straight shot.  I think for many of my fellow MSF's, this is what has happened.  A lot of us just went straight out of undergrad.  I'm not saying that's a bad thing, but the feeling of finishing up at Owen may be different than it would be for a second-year MBA.

How so? Well, for starters, 2nd year's are usually a) older, and b) have had more expereince then someone say straight from undergrad.  That said, I'm sure the feeling of graduating for you 2nd years must be so exciting for you since you've worked so hard for 2 years.  For me, I feel as if it's the final step in my collegiate career (at this point) and this seemed like a 5th year for me (excpet much much harder!).  I honestly cannot belive that I'm done with everything and I'm 23 years old.  It still feels like I've got another year to go but yet, I know this is not the case.  Regardless, there's a lot to Nashville that I will miss and some things I wont miss that much (sorry, chicken and waffles doesn't really do it for me!).  My final 5 posts will be dedicated to 5 things about my experience that I enjoyed the most.  Here is the order of them:

1) My favorite place to study on Campus
2) Favorite memory of studying on Campus
3) My favorite place relaxing on Campus
4) Favorite memory of relaxing on Campus
5) Bon Voyage! Rather, I should be saying 'Aloha' (more about that later)

Alright, enjoy your Sunday everyone!
P.S. Glenn - since you are vegetarian I think you should try the vegetarian food bar that is in the Jewish Studies center (which is near the basketball stadium) if you haven't already.  Very very good food that suits your palette.

Following Edmundo: An MSF's Class Rankings

Just like the title says, I've decided to dedicate this blog to some of the best classes I've taken in my short stint at the OGSM. Let me start by saying that as an MSF major, we are not allowed to take a lot of marketing/VC/HR courses since our program is strictly quantitative finance. That said, forgive me if it seems like my class schedule is one sided, but that's the way it is. Certainly, you can audit any course you wish but the class rankings I give are classes that I took for grades. I would consider a good class a class where I got the most bang for my buck: good book OR practical material OR good teacher OR assignments with great relevance that sparked my interest OR any kind of combination of these.

1) Corporate Val - Craig Lewis: I'm a big fan of Craig Lewis and his teaching style. He could pretty much teach me anything and I'd be engaged. He's thoughtful as a professor and very practical in his teaching methods. This class is especially useful for you young people looking to be I-Bankers or Equity Analysts (my old job) as it will give you some necessary tools for thinking about how to value companies. Book is called Valuation by McKinsey Comp. Not too shabby.

2) Derivatives - A lot of people think about derivatives and suddenly go into shock; indeed, this is a common stereotype for this class and the security instrument for that matter. I HIGHLY advise you to take it with Bob Whaley since he is the author of the book that you will be using. It's very quantitative (be warned) but it's challenging and rewarding. The material is EXTREMELY practical and that class has definitely sparked my interest in risk management.

3) Anything with Bruce Barry (see previous posts) - I really like Bruce Barry and his teaching style. It's sometimes hectic but always seems to follow a progression. He teaches Negotiations and Controversies in Business. He always makes exceptions for MSF students and he is a refreshing bit of air in terms of his teaching style and thoughts. He's also not a bad pool player either and has a strong affiliation to the NY Giants (that's one thing I cant understand).

4) Spreadsheets & Advanced Spreadsheets - Larry LeBlanc. Practical application would be phrasing both of these classes mildly. I've become very proficient in excel and VBA thanks to his teachings. Finance people, VBA is a good skill to know and I highly recommend taking these two classes. It will teach you a new way to think about a problem since you will be working with Excel code and not punching keys on your calculator. Thankfully, my team in both courses were very devoted and much better at Excel than I was but still, I learned a whole lot in this course and there is just so much you can do in Excel (yes, there are functions besides the 'average' key).

Alright, that's all for now. Thanks for the idea Edmundo!

Memphis, Americana Apts. and other tidbits...

I recently took a weekend trip to Memphis and it was interesting to say the least.  My friends and I visited the civil rights museum aka the final resting place of Dr. MLK Jr. A great museum with tons of history.  If you go outside of Nashville once, I would recommend going to this place.  Afterwhich, we say a Memphis grizzles game.  Essentially, we were watching a game between a last place team and another last place team.  I guess the only good thing is that one of them had to win? The next day I went to Gracelan, this was the home of a Mr. Elvis Presly.  There I indulged in his favorite sandwich (bananas and peanut butter on toasted bread).  I cant say it was good, but did you know that one of his favorite beverages was lime-green gatorade?  Now that's a quality beverage and while I'm not an Elvis fan (wasn't born at the time in fact), he does get positive rep points on the gatorade thing.

RE: Americana Apts.  I want to say that I have been living in Americana for the past 8 months and have been very satisfied with it.  My place is quiet and very close to school.  More imporantly, it's close to one of my favorite restaurants, South Street (see my later blog on that).  Another thing that makes Americana great is that if you live there, you do not have to find a tenant to sublet your place if you are graduating.  As a student courtesy, they will let you leave after May 31st if you are graduating.  I think that's really considerate and recommend that anyone coming to Owen next year try to get in on Americana apts.  For an unfurnished room: $800 (I think).  For a furnished room (what I have): $875/month. 

In other news, the NFL draft approaches and the raiders pick fourth.  That said, let's see who'll be on the board by the fourth pick:
Glenn Dorsey: Not likely.  Gone to the Rams I think.
Chris Long: Would be a great RAIDER but is already in contract talks with Miami. Boo.
Sedrick Ellis:  Would also like this guy but probably gone to the Falcons.  But, if they Dirty birds take QB matt ryan, I think the raiders should take ellis assuming the above has panned out.
Vernon Gholston: A beast. He would be awesome in Silver and Black, this is my mock pick.
DMC:  A lot of people have the raiders drafting DMC.  Here's what those people don't konw: Fargas signed a three year contract, D Rhodes took a pay cut to be with the team for another year, Michael BUSH has yet to take a snap.  That's three deep already.  While I dont see DMC being a raider, he's a great player regardless. I just hope no AFC west team gets him.  Alright, must get back to Japanese homework now.  THREE WEEKS LEFT.

Some Asian Restaurants to Consider...

Seeing as how I'm part Asian, I'm going to take the next two blogs to inform you all the asian restaurants around the area that I'm quite find of, along with some places to go grocery shopping for asian foods. 
始めましょう！
1) Manna Restaurant - Location: very unknown to me, however I do know that if you google it with your computer/iphone/itouch, it is definitely there.  Servies Korean restaurant at very good prices and wonderful food.  The owner is actually from Kurdistan and speaks 7 languages.  His girlfriend is the chef whose cooking I've grown fond of.  If you like spicy foods, I suggest the Kim-Chi-ji-gae.  This is my favorite Korean meal.  Be sure to order bottle of Soju! Incidentally, there is also a korean grocer next door that sells tako (octopus), unagi (bbq eel) and almost every episode of your favorite korean drama.

2) Sonobana Restaurant - 日本料理：Compared to other Japanese restaurants, this one is relatively cheap and with hefty portions. My favorite dish there is the tempura udon.  After a bowl of this and a tall Sapporo beer, Econ homework just looks better.  But the main reason I go here is for the Japanese grocer that is next door.  Yes, they also run a grocery shop next door that sells hard to find Japanese food. I'm not talkin about that crap at Harris Teeter either, I mean like authentic things (i.e. qp mayonaise, Korokke, etc..). 

3)  Ken's Sushi.  A lively bunch of chefs and waitresses, this place is sure to make you full.  Of the times that I have been there, I'm still a little skeptical of Nashville sushi.  I mean seriously...seriously. Nashville. Sushi. When I go to ken's I usually get the Tonkatsu-Don (this is fried pork cutlet with egg served on top of rice).  The service is prompt and the owner is a young Japanese guy who is fun to speak with.  Not a bad place for a date either.

3 more to go after this! DeAngelo Hall is a raider and I don't think we'll draft McFadden.  Thank god. Oh yeah, I chose Memphis to go all the way.  It's been a good bracket for me.

A Change of Pace...

Given the big deal with the Owen Rankings this year, I've decided to switch it up and start what I will call "Alex's restaurant reviews: A California kid's take on Southern/Nashville Cuisine. " By doing this, I hope to provide some people with some restaurants that, in the past 8 months, I've grown fond of.  I'll try to do at least 3 every week from here on out so that people can give me there feedback on what they think.  The style I will present it in will be in the form "There's this place called ______________ ".  I do this knowning very well that most of you know these places but in fact, this is strictly an inside joke between myself and a certain MBA student who relentlessly hounds me (haha, he already knows!!!!).  Go ahead and assume that because I am a graduate student I would only dine at places that are relatively inexpensive. 

1) "There's this place called: South Street": Location: Right next to Layla's Ultra Lounge (what is an ultra lounge anyways?).  Fare: Southern cuisine.  Kind on the wallet and gererous on the portions.  I'm a huge fan of this place. I must eat here/order take out at least once every week since the beginning of the year.  Personal Favorites: Pulled Pork and the Breakfast's aren't bad either on the weekend.  But, if you're up to it, you can try th pumped chicken (it's a 3 lb. half chicken).  I have YET to see the person who can finish it completely in one sitting.

2) "There's this place called: McDougal's": Location: Near Sam's Pub and across the street from Jackson's (another restaurant I will get to).  They serve mainly wings and you can get thim grilled or deeprfried with bread crumbs.  I reccommend deep fried WITH buffalo sauce.  However, be careful of the fries, they're very addictive and tend to be heavy on the calories.  If you're looking to watch your figure, I would go very far from here.

3) "There's this place called:  Fido".  While we're on that side of campus, I'd like to point out one of my favorite places to chill.  Fido is a chill cafe serving food, beer and coffee.  I usually go there on Friday's and get a beer while doing work.  The atmosphere is nice and the staff have an abundance of wealth about the beers they carry and some of the tea's they serve.  If you're looking for a place to get some work done or a place to read the paper, Fido is most certainly on my list.

3 more coming in a few days time.  Let me know your thoughts.

Ask an OwenBlogger

I'm going to take this post to reply to a question that has been posed regarding admission to the MSF program. Specifically, a question came in with someone with an Engineering background from India in "Food and Technology" not to mention relevant work experience in the finance industry.

The jist is of it is: given my background, am I eligible for the MS Finance program?

My response to that:
YES! One reason why Owen boasts such a high reputation is that it draws from the diversity of its students both ethnically and with respect to work experience. I can recall that during Orientation, there was someone in the MBA class who was working on Nuclear Missiles as an engineer. The rhetorical question being: what does a nuclear engineer and a derivatives trader have in common?

And while this may apply for the MBA class, there are also students in my own MSF class who do not have relevant work experience nor were they engineering concentrators (myself included). That said, I do not believe that the admissions committee has a "perfect" candidate but instead, is very flexible with the word and will look to admit those that they feel are COMPETENT to be successful in the program regardless of their educational/vocational experience.

Thus, I encourage you to apply to the program and do not be discouraged by what is on the website. If you've got a good analytical mind and know that two perfect substitutes should cost the same price (if not, arbitrage. Thanks, Corporate Finance), then by all means, apply to the program.

I hope that helps...and good luck with your application process!