Back to School!

A photo of the Business School. It is a new building which was completed two years ago.

August 27 marks the first day of school for Penn State University students. The phrase "back to school" is one dreaded by most students. It marks the end of their holidays and the beginning of a new semester or academic year. However, for those who have left school for a while, "back to school" is actually a welcome relief from the hectic working life. It is an opportunity to update their skills, meet new friends and perhaps, to prepare for a mid-life career change.

Well, even for a lecturer, learning is a life-long experience. One of my targets for this sabbatical is to work on my maths, which is one of my weaknesses but is fundamental to understand economics theory. Hence, I have decided to audit several courses. Today, I attended the introductory lesson for two courses for PhD students on "Mathematical Economics" and "Mathematical and Statistical Foundations for Econometrics".

The warnings by the professors would have scared off many students, "this is a hard and abstract course. It will be tough... Beware, take it at your own risk"; "Some of you will become depressed and doubt your ability... Spare yourself from unnecessary suffering by dropping this course". Nevertheless, a professor helped to put it in the right perspective, "You are here to learn maths. The grade doesn't matter but more important is how much have you learnt? Its your attitude that counts; Never give up!".

Well, I am holding on tight for the bumpy ride!