Unravelling the Master of Finance Journey: From Orientation to New York
August 12 marked the formal beginning of our Master of Finance (MF) journey at Goizueta Business School. The air was filled with the excitement of meeting peers and faculty. From icebreakers and introduction sessions to information dissemination sessions about the program. One thing was for sure, we were about to enter an arena that would equally challenge and reward us. These initial cases set the scene for what was to become a life-altering process, forging relationships that would strengthen over time.
From course schedules to getting into the groove of academic life, August 28 was truly a roller coaster of emotions on this, the first day of the fall semester. Casual conversations over coffee at Jenkins Courtyard turned into lasting friendships. It was a time when we started to see how our own journeys would entwine to form a dynamic yet nurturing community.
Soon, this feature of learning developed into group assignments. These projects were not mere academic exercises but chances to work together, share your ideas, and forge lifetime bonds. Soon, GBS 400 Finance Lab became our second home. It is here, amidst those brainstorming sessions and collective discussions, that we honed problem-solving skills while growing closer to our class peers.
One of the highlights this semester was with the Bloomberg Trading Challenge. It was quite a hands-on experience whereby we did an analysis of over 10 stocks, looking at their performance and seeking trading strategies for them. It wasn’t about the competition but about applying ourselves in an actual setting and understanding how markets work in real time. All in all, teamwork, discussions over strategies, and the learning moment made that challenge quite memorable.
The middle of October brought us to New York City, the financial hub of the world! If this trip had changed one thing, it was everything. Walking through offices of major financial institutions like J.P Morgan, Bloomberg, and HSBC, getting a chance to interact with the heads of such industries gave a different insight into how our studies were applied in the real world. Equities and Derivatives theoretical knowledge came alive as we saw how concepts are put into practice in this fast-moving financial world. The vitality and the excitement of New York remained etched in our minds, enriching an already enriched insight into the global financial perspective.
Numbers turned out to be a certain dialect in the class of Corporate Finance. We used FRED data in our projects in Python and R to tie finance with data analytics in such a way as to enhance our technical skills by preparing us for data-driven decision making within the finance industry.
Casual friendships quickly turned into a close-knit family. The relationships we built with each other through group projects, social events, and late-night study sessions forged a support system extending beyond academics: celebrating successes, navigating challenges, and creating lifetime memories. If one looks back from orientation to the New York trip, it will be crystal clear that this is way more than academics in the MF program. This is about personal growth, resilience, and lifetime connections. From the classroom experience down to the bustling streets of New York, each has been an experience contributing toward developing not just better finance professionals but better people.
Whether you’re a finance novice or you’re looking to take your skills to the next level, Goizueta’s 10-month, action-based Master of Finance program is for versatile thinkers ready for next-gen finance careers in sales and trading, investment management, FinTech, and investment banking. Learn more about Goizueta’s MF program.
