Classes – Fall 06 by Mitra L. '07

Here are the classes I’m taking this term:

14.05: Macroeconomics
Description: Uses the tools of macroeconomics to study various macroeconomic policy problems in depth. The problems range from economic growth in the long run to government finances in the intermediate run and economic stability in the short run. Many economic models used today are surveyed. Requires a 20-page paper on the economics of long-run economic growth.
Professor: Peter Temin
format: two 1.5 hour lectures a week, one 1 hour recitation
fun fact: The entire first chapter of our textbook is devoted to the Solow Growth Model, named for MIT Professor Robert Solow (recipient of the Nobel Prize and National Medal of Science)
good thing I have: An alarm clock, since this class starts at 9:00 AM

15.501: Financial Accounting
Description: Preparation and analysis of financial statements. Focuses on measuring and reporting of corporate performance for investment decisions, stock valuation, bankersТƒф loan risk assessment, and evaluations of employee performance, for example. Emphasizes the necessarily interdisciplinary understanding of business. Concepts from finance and economics (e.g., cash flow discounting, risk, valuation, and criteria for choosing among alternative investments) place accounting in the context of the business enterprise.
Professor: Ryan LaFond
format: two 1.5 hour lectures a week
good thing I have: A copy of Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room on DVD

21F.303: French III
Description: Review and expansion of French grammar and vocabulary. Continued development of speaking, reading, and writing skills through a web-based exchange with French students. French and MIT students share a common Website to compare a variety of materials and exchange viewpoints, with the goal of better understanding each other’s cultures.
Professor: Gilberte Furstenberg
format: four 1 hour lectures a week
fun fact: Madame Furstenberg was my very awesome freshman advisor
good thing I have: French magnetic poetry with which to practice my vocab

SP.721: Development Lab
Description: Issues in international development, appropriate technology and project implementation addressed through lectures, case studies, guest speakers and laboratory exercises. Students form project teams to partner with community organizations in developing countries, and formulate plans for an IAP site visit. (Previous field sites include Haiti, Brazil, Honduras and India.) Recitation sections focus on specific project implementation, and include cultural, social, political, environmental and economic overviews of the target countries as well as an introduction to the local languages.
Professors: Amy Smith and Bish Sanyal
format: two 1.5 hour lectures a week, one 1.5 hour recitation
fun fact: Amy Smith, recipient of a MacArthur “genius grant” and the Lemelson-MIT Student Prize, co-founded the MIT IDEAS Competition
good thing I have: A credit card that earns airline miles, since I get to travel to another country during IAP for this class

In addition, I am advising the freshmen seminar
14.A03: Economics of Mutual Funds
Description: In this seminar we will explore the economics of mutual funds and the evolution of the mutual fund industry and its regulation. How do you read the mutual fund section of a financial newspaper and where can you turn for detailed information on a fund? How does a mutual fund manager decide what to invest in? What factors determine the inflows of money to different mutual funds? What role do mutual fund trustees play in fund governance? How does mutual fund regulation affect investors? We will explore these and other issues through readings, data analysis, seminar debates, and meeting with participants in the mutual fund industry who work in the Boston area.
Professor: Nancy Rose
format: one 2 hour session a week