When I was first tapped as a peer mentor in college, I was cautioned not to give any advice lightly. Whatever you say may be well intended but, as the saying goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions, so it is important to think very carefully about the person and the situation you are dealing with and not just come out with a few “standard” comments.
In recent years I have come to realise that much advice given by senior people is either reminiscent of the path they have taken or about enviable greener pastures they wish they had found. Worse still is to receive “off the shelf” advice which bears little direct relevance to the problem at hand. Good advice, like a business suit, is always bespoke, tailored to the recipient.
However, year after year, at least one type of “mass market” opinion is eagerly sought by students and not given the careful consideration it needs. I am alluding to university rankings, the ultimate form of arbitrary, one size fits all advice.
Rankings used to matter to me - a lot. Back in secondary school, I remember pondering over theTimes Good University Guide late at night. I did receive a life-transforming tertiary education, but as I later found out, a good educational experience and rankings have little in common. There may be a correlation, but most of the time it is a mere coincidence. No matter how multi-dimensional and objective a ranking system strives to be, it has to rely on a set of criteria established by “strangers”. While studying in England, l enjoyed my time to the full, but some of my classmates bitterly resented what they saw as overly expensive tuition fees, lack of programme flexibility - as compared to an US education – and the weather. Further, there is much more to a university education and one's later career development than measures like academic excellence, average post-graduation salaries, and costs. Intangibles, such as extra-curricular activities, friendships made and the alumni network can hardly be quantified, yet they often define one’s experience in taking a degree or MBA.
Warren Buffett’s story at Wharton/U Penn is very telling. The “sage of Omaha” left arguably the best undergraduate business school in the US for the little known University of Nebraska because of home-sickness. By the same token, Lee Kuan Yew, the father of Singapore, dropped out of the London School of Economics because he could not stomach the hustle and bustle of London. We may not all have the blessing of a second chance, but picking a university or a programme merely on its reputation - and not taking due account of all the other factors - is a hazardous undertaking.
Make no mistake: I agree there is some validity in the rankings. Nevertheless, there is only one thing that should matter – what you will get out of it. An MBA, in particular, is a serious investment of time and money, so instead of conveniently outsourcing your research to ranking agencies, do your homework. Visit the school. Talk to as many current students as you can. Reach out to alumni and gauge their opinion of the programme and the school. If possible, sit in on classes and see for yourself what the classroom experience is like. Find out which mode of study would suit you best. Check the career path of graduates, and see whether the school lives up to its promises.
Doing all this is never a waste of time. The effort will be worthwhile if you end up finding the course which is right for you in most respects and avoid the “wrong” one which might just happen to be ranked higher.
Originally posted on Education Post on 16 January, 2014
2014年1月29日星期三
2014年1月22日星期三
2014索契冬季奧運會的廁所 - 認真就輸鳥
世界上哪一個奧運會是最昂貴的呢？原來當年破記錄的北京奧運會已被將於俄羅斯索契舉行的2014年冬季奧運會打破。誇張的是，冬季奧運會舉辦的項目遠遠比夏季奧運會少，而且訪客人數亦遠遠不如夏季奧運會。雖然奧運會舉辦單位會順便為當地修路建橋，不過，索契這個小地方，是否真的需要那麼多基建？而且，奧運會還沒開始，所以數字還有機會往上升。看圖 ：
主辦單位不斷超支，但錢花在哪裡、值不值呢？今天在網上看到奧運會的廁所。笑鳥。
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2014年索契冬季奧運會的雙廁，厲害！資料來源： Steve Rosenberg, Twitter |
這樣的規劃，做成浪費及超支根本是無可避免！而且，俄羅斯貪腐嚴重，有人是否中飽私囊就真是『木宰羊』了。
喔！！突然間想起，黃子華曾經在棟篤笑中講過，『呢個世界，乜野國家地域主權，其實同去廁所冇分別。如果人類可以習慣一齊用一個廁所，呢個世界就唔會打仗。』原來偉大的黃子華先生的名聲已經傳到俄羅斯！這個冬季奧運會及其廁所，充分體現了黃子華先生的世界和平哲學。原來索契奧運會的驚人成本，都是為世界和平而付出！喔，真偉大啊！
都怪我低B，之前錯怪了主辦單位。
伸延閱讀：
2014年1月2日星期四
證監會的痛腳
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| 高等法院法官薛偉成 |
念法律最痛苦，但最有效地『大』人的，就是用拉丁專有名詞。這些名詞十年都用不上，但寫文章就自然記起。Nemo iudex in causa sua， 意思為 no man shall be
a judge in his own cause ，判官與決策者不能為同一人[1]。薛偉成認為，獨立的檢控機關可對執法機關的權力『作出重要和必需的制衡』，因此對維護公正的法治精神至關重要。如發牌、監管、調查、檢控及紀律處分的權力集中在同一機構，而你又不幸地被釘住，那就基本上是官字n
個口，有理說不清了。香港有沒有這樣中央集權的機構？有。薛指證監會『具有廣泛強制權力的規管及調查機構，但同時具有檢控職能』，因而令人憂慮。而且，他在南華早報中指出，擁有多權合一，或會引致『判官與決策者為同一人』，因此要盡量避免。
當然，證監會不是省油的燈，立即發聲明回應薛偉成，指其檢控權為《證券及期貨條例》賦予之權力。聲明後加多一句，指自2007年起，證監會轉介刑事檢控科的個案並未有循公訴程序進行檢控。明眼人一看就知道所指為何。事實上，證監會表現的確出眾，過去數年大打小貓及老虎，保護公眾利益不遺餘力。但證監會的處事手法並不無爭議。如近期David
Webb評論匯豐Stockmax擲地有聲，為一例。在法治社會，我們不能單單依靠證監會的執法人員過人的能耐、操守和誠信去申張正義，因人皆有錯。相對人，我較相信一個健全的制度。合法並不代表合理。發牌、調查及紀律處分的權利集中在同一機構的確會令人憂慮。
會計師改革開宗名義參考證監會的監管模式。當中倡議的獨立監管機構 (Independent
Oversight Body, IOB) ，集發牌、監管、調查、審判（諮詢文件的執法條目下，a及c 項建議）及紀律處分權利於一身。證監會的監管模式有很多可取之處，成績有目共睹。但為何偏偏要抄證監會為人詬病的不足處！？另外，諮詢文件執法條目下，餘下的b項建議設獨立紀律委員會處理調查項目，但具體欠奉。不知這是完全獨立於IOB的委員會，還是像現有的安排，是名義上獨立的紀律委員會，但依附在IOB下？如是後者，那又跟香港交易所的上市委員會有什麼分別？那是十年前仙股事件的專家顧問報告，建議取締的安排！難道香港在監管上又要走回頭路？
港交所的上市委員會及上市科負責審批公司的上市申請。港交所本身為上市公司、牟利機構，當然希望多些公司上市，為股東多賺點錢。嗯，你記得阿里巴巴想透過那不知所謂的『合夥人』制度來港上市嗎？『合夥人』制度獲一致劣評，但你還記得誰在『一天晚上…輾轉反側』，在夜夢中醒來寫網誌，企圖為創新、科技公司開脫？他甚至提示要為多層股份架構（注：不是那不知所謂的『合夥人』制度）進行公眾諮詢？
[1] 經典案例見R v Bow Street Metropolitan Stipendiary Magistrate Ex
parte Pinochet Ugarte (No. 2) (1999).
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2013年對我來說是個里程碑。因事業上的轉變，餘瑕時間多了。對社會時事、財金新聞追貼了很多。之前一直未有想過會寫博客，如非蔡東豪的一系列ibanker，我亦不會的起心肝，開始每天扒格仔。我見身邊有不下數位朋友在《主場新聞》有專欄，所以膽粗粗寫了一個簡短的電郵給《主場》。很快就收到余家輝回覆，陳俊豪專欄隨即登場。第一個要多謝蔡東豪,第二個肯定是余家輝。
每次文章上載後，內心忐忑，不知會否因反應太差，文章是『被封筆』之作。在內地的中文及英文工作環境太久，中文書寫水平如江河日下。當初不知自己能堅持多久，到現在已習慣每週一到兩稿的寫作進度。打字快了。對每天要供稿的作家亦多了幾分敬重。
也有令人失落的時刻。例如，葉朗程寫《逗袋》，很受歡迎。看內容，原來，兜一大個圈，只係講他的小弟『比平均嘅人大』。Cher，唔通你自己係『Jedi』都唔知咩？ 咁就一篇文，唔使做research, 唔使睇consultation paper，多快好省。唉，唔通我要轉型寫《主場風月》！？
算了吧。我份人怕羞，2014年，還是寫政經事吧。是不是『Jedi』，天知，地知，我知，她知，就夠了。
祝各位有個健康、快樂、豐盛的2014年！
http://www.facebook.com/centralmonkey/
每次文章上載後，內心忐忑，不知會否因反應太差，文章是『被封筆』之作。在內地的中文及英文工作環境太久，中文書寫水平如江河日下。當初不知自己能堅持多久，到現在已習慣每週一到兩稿的寫作進度。打字快了。對每天要供稿的作家亦多了幾分敬重。
也有令人失落的時刻。例如，葉朗程寫《逗袋》，很受歡迎。看內容，原來，兜一大個圈，只係講他的小弟『比平均嘅人大』。Cher，唔通你自己係『Jedi』都唔知咩？ 咁就一篇文，唔使做research, 唔使睇consultation paper，多快好省。唉，唔通我要轉型寫《主場風月》！？
算了吧。我份人怕羞，2014年，還是寫政經事吧。是不是『Jedi』，天知，地知，我知，她知，就夠了。
祝各位有個健康、快樂、豐盛的2014年！
http://www.facebook.com/centralmonkey/
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