冯骏：美国纽约大学法学院（2010年秋季学期）
时间：2011-02-22 来源：作者：
Study and life in NYU law school
Last semester, thanks to PKU law school and Paul & Hastings, I was given the chance to study in the distinguished law school of NYU. Life in NYU law school is colorful, enlightening and amazing. Here is a short summary my life in NYU.
Study in NYU
Since my major task in this exchange program is study, I think it proper to talk about it at the very start. NYU law school provided a wide range of interesting courses, which made me quite painful in the course-selecting period. I want to study dozens the courses; but my credits are limited. What’s making things more complicated, students in the law school can choose some of the advanced law-related MBA courses from the Stern Business School. This unique opportunity puts much temptation on me. After careful contemplation, I selected four credit courses: Corporate Finance, Entrepreneur Financing (Mainly talks about VCs and PEs), Restructuring Firms and Industries (mainly talks about M&A and bankruptcy), Securities Regulation; and one non-credit course: Legal English. Plus the pre-semester course Introduction to US Legal System, I successfully finished six courses there. My study load is 14 credits, which is quite high among all students there.
I selected those courses because they are interrelated, together providing me a good framework to understanding finance, business and law. I am interested in this area; back in PKU, I also have minored Economics as my double degree. I am interested in this area because I think the free market mechanism in China is still under-developed, which fact makes the overall economy in China low-efficient. Well-educated legal practitioners with a good understanding of law, finance and business will be needed to further the development of free market in the future. By practicing in this area, I can help my homeland to prosper, as well as have a promising career path for myself.
These courses are interesting and enlightening. These courses are advanced in content, and are about topics which are totally strange to me. At the start, it was pretty difficult for me to follow the professor. I would have to spend much time to study back in the dorm to make sure I can understand the content. Unlike courses in China, course in NYU involve a lot of class participation. I will have to pre-read all the dense materials before the class began, since I would likely be cold-called to answer questions. I tried my best to catch up with all courses; and through my effort, I slowly set things on the right track.
Most courses contained a lot of reading. In the law school, I was reading the Statutes and Supreme Court Cases; in the business school, I was reading business cases, news and analyses. Every day, I would have to read about 50 pages of content. And some courses were demanding in assignments: I would have to hand in assignments each week, together with my group members. A point to note: nearly all assignments there are being done by groups; this can increase discussions, stimulate innovations and develop good relationships among group members. I really enjoy my time with my group members, arguing over every formula and sentence.
I tried my best to do everything well. My efforts paid off at the end. I got A in three courses, and A+ in one courses; my GPA in NYU was 4.1. Considering the strict grading curve in NYU law school (only 1%-2% students in one course can get A+; only 8%-12% can get A), this result was satisfactory for me.
What are more important are the things I’ve learnt. I got a basic but clear understanding of many of the important topics, including Merger & Acquisitions, Corporate Financing, Bankruptcy, IPO, LBO, Private Equity, Venture Capital, Securities anti-fraud, Securities Registration, Accounting, DCF model and other valuation methods, and other things. These topics are never taught in PKU law school, but are important in practice.
Life in NYU
Life in NYU is amazing, largely because of the amazing city of New York. This mega city has provided so many resources for every resident to enjoy: the rare masterpieces that can enrich one’s inner world in Metropolitan Museum of Art; the simple joy of nature that everyone can freely enjoy in the Central Park; the unparalleled view of Manhattan that can enthrall every traveler from the top of Rockefeller Center; the fascinating opera performances that can purify one’s mind in Broadway. Life in NYC has greatly broadened my horizons, making me realize the unlimited possibilities of human life.
My daily life is also colorful. Ready food in NYC is expensive, so we (my roommate and I) bought fresh ingredients from the market and cooked for ourselves every day. Here I will have to thank my roommate- Rui Li, who has cooked me delicious food. I also want to thank all my classmates who played basketball together. We went to NYU sports-center every week to relax ourselves and get some physical exercise.
Our dorm is in the right front of the NYU law school building. Looking from our window, we can see the Empire State building in the far distance, and the NYU law school Vanderbilt Hall across the street. Leaving the reading assignment aside, I often went to a nearby park- Washington Square Park- to have a walk. I enjoy that experience: I walked around, sniffing the fresh air mixed with the smell of grass, listening to street performer’s songs, watching people running, talking and laughing—the peaceful, casual and enjoyable life. I have left US for a long time—but whenever I am alone, that beautiful and peaceful feeling will reoccur in my mind.
Last semester, thanks to PKU law school and Paul & Hastings, I was given the chance to study in the distinguished law school of NYU. Life in NYU law school is colorful, enlightening and amazing. Here is a short summary my life in NYU.
Study in NYU
Since my major task in this exchange program is study, I think it proper to talk about it at the very start. NYU law school provided a wide range of interesting courses, which made me quite painful in the course-selecting period. I want to study dozens the courses; but my credits are limited. What’s making things more complicated, students in the law school can choose some of the advanced law-related MBA courses from the Stern Business School. This unique opportunity puts much temptation on me. After careful contemplation, I selected four credit courses: Corporate Finance, Entrepreneur Financing (Mainly talks about VCs and PEs), Restructuring Firms and Industries (mainly talks about M&A and bankruptcy), Securities Regulation; and one non-credit course: Legal English. Plus the pre-semester course Introduction to US Legal System, I successfully finished six courses there. My study load is 14 credits, which is quite high among all students there.
I selected those courses because they are interrelated, together providing me a good framework to understanding finance, business and law. I am interested in this area; back in PKU, I also have minored Economics as my double degree. I am interested in this area because I think the free market mechanism in China is still under-developed, which fact makes the overall economy in China low-efficient. Well-educated legal practitioners with a good understanding of law, finance and business will be needed to further the development of free market in the future. By practicing in this area, I can help my homeland to prosper, as well as have a promising career path for myself.
These courses are interesting and enlightening. These courses are advanced in content, and are about topics which are totally strange to me. At the start, it was pretty difficult for me to follow the professor. I would have to spend much time to study back in the dorm to make sure I can understand the content. Unlike courses in China, course in NYU involve a lot of class participation. I will have to pre-read all the dense materials before the class began, since I would likely be cold-called to answer questions. I tried my best to catch up with all courses; and through my effort, I slowly set things on the right track.
Most courses contained a lot of reading. In the law school, I was reading the Statutes and Supreme Court Cases; in the business school, I was reading business cases, news and analyses. Every day, I would have to read about 50 pages of content. And some courses were demanding in assignments: I would have to hand in assignments each week, together with my group members. A point to note: nearly all assignments there are being done by groups; this can increase discussions, stimulate innovations and develop good relationships among group members. I really enjoy my time with my group members, arguing over every formula and sentence.
I tried my best to do everything well. My efforts paid off at the end. I got A in three courses, and A+ in one courses; my GPA in NYU was 4.1. Considering the strict grading curve in NYU law school (only 1%-2% students in one course can get A+; only 8%-12% can get A), this result was satisfactory for me.
What are more important are the things I’ve learnt. I got a basic but clear understanding of many of the important topics, including Merger & Acquisitions, Corporate Financing, Bankruptcy, IPO, LBO, Private Equity, Venture Capital, Securities anti-fraud, Securities Registration, Accounting, DCF model and other valuation methods, and other things. These topics are never taught in PKU law school, but are important in practice.
Life in NYU
Life in NYU is amazing, largely because of the amazing city of New York. This mega city has provided so many resources for every resident to enjoy: the rare masterpieces that can enrich one’s inner world in Metropolitan Museum of Art; the simple joy of nature that everyone can freely enjoy in the Central Park; the unparalleled view of Manhattan that can enthrall every traveler from the top of Rockefeller Center; the fascinating opera performances that can purify one’s mind in Broadway. Life in NYC has greatly broadened my horizons, making me realize the unlimited possibilities of human life.
My daily life is also colorful. Ready food in NYC is expensive, so we (my roommate and I) bought fresh ingredients from the market and cooked for ourselves every day. Here I will have to thank my roommate- Rui Li, who has cooked me delicious food. I also want to thank all my classmates who played basketball together. We went to NYU sports-center every week to relax ourselves and get some physical exercise.
Our dorm is in the right front of the NYU law school building. Looking from our window, we can see the Empire State building in the far distance, and the NYU law school Vanderbilt Hall across the street. Leaving the reading assignment aside, I often went to a nearby park- Washington Square Park- to have a walk. I enjoy that experience: I walked around, sniffing the fresh air mixed with the smell of grass, listening to street performer’s songs, watching people running, talking and laughing—the peaceful, casual and enjoyable life. I have left US for a long time—but whenever I am alone, that beautiful and peaceful feeling will reoccur in my mind.