Sandro Mathys

Quick update before my MSc BIS studies begin. I had that oral exam on “business process management” (BPM) yesterday. I never before ran into this topic, so it was 99.9% new stuff. The book we were supposed to read (or rather learn, actually) featured 700 pages. Without indexes and such stuff it’s still around 640 pages. Without real-world examples 520 pages.

To prepare for the exam, I thoroughly read those 520 pages plus some wikipedia articles plus the slides of the dean of MSc BIS who seams to give lessons on that subject in German for the BSc BIS. I read/studied lots of information. I understood 98% of it, which I think is pretty much given the subject was all new to me and I had not much more than a book to learn from. Well, having understood 98% doesn’t mean I knew 98% of the subject afterwards. I’m not too good in remembering stuff, particularly if it’s not related to IT – and BPM’s theory mostly isn’t.

So I went to that oral exam yesterday. I knew I understood pretty much everything but had some problems to find the right (BPM-ish) words and make some complex relations between the different steps and approaches. Additionally, I was terribly nervous as I’m always before oral exams and such stuff. I’d have no problem with written exams, though. But yesterday I definately was nervous which helped me forget lots of things I actually know just during the exam. Perfect.

The exam started of with a easy question. Well, not easy for me. “Tell us, what is a ‘business process’, actually”. Did I mention, I’m not good with exact terms? Or even with explain the definition of pretty much anything? That’s really something I’m bad in. Doesn’t even matter if it’s economics or computer science.

So I had some problems to answer the easiest question properly, but at least I had an answer at all. Over the next half an hour, each question was a bit tougher than the previous one. But I did pretty well and was able to answer or explain everything. I just knew the answers somehow and so I didn’t have problems worth mentioning. Only for the very last question, I did not really have a good answer. But the trick was, that to that question, there don’t exist any good answers but only decent ones.

2 minutes after the exam finished, I was informed of the outcome. I answered all correctly, sometimes a bit faster and more correct and sometimes a bit less so. All in all, I’ve proven that I know the subject which in turn means, that I’m officially qualified for the MSc BIS studies. It happens, that I just noticed that I actually really understood the subject during the exam itself. That’s been a surprise!

Next Monday, 2008-09-15 that school (FHNW – University of Applied Sciences Northwestern Switzerland) conducts a kick-off day for fresh students and on Tuesday, the study program actually starts. Four days left until I’m a student again. I wonder how it’ll feel but I’m sure looking forward to it. Also, I’m wondering what my class will look like. I don’t know a single classmate yet and hardly anyone from the staff, too.