This topic... Again?!

Fifty hours (or more) of my week are spent on activities for my full time job.  Considering this and a few other things have on my schedule each week (read about those here), for my first semester in graduate school I decided to take a full load! 

In these three classes, I have already noticed common themes.  And, I don’t mean “themes” as in recurrent inferences to business topics.  Rather, I have noticed the exact same material being covered in all three classes.

The perfect example is the “Break Even” equation.

 

 

This information was first introduced in my Production and Operations Management course in the context of productivity and efficiency.  Such that, a manager can calculate the effect of a bottle neck with regards to labor hours and machine costs.  Like a good little MBA student, I memorized the formula and learned to apply it.

Then, on an exam for my Business Perspectives class, I utilized the same equation to solve a question that was intended to test my knowledge of segmentation in marketing.  To be honest, I am still not exactly certain how to answer that particular test question using the intended material – but I received full credit on the test and that is all that matters, right?!?!!

Imagine my glee when in my Accounting class, the formula appeared again as we discussed product and period costs.  Because I had already memorized the formula, I was captivated that there was more to the fixed and variable costs than I had originally learned almost 6 weeks before. 

It is notable that this is only one example of the numerous “themes” repeated in all three of my classes.  I am so intrigued by this as I am not taking the prescribed courses for my MBA in the “correct” order as indicated by the University.  While I am taking the introduction to MBA course, I am enrolled in a course most commonly taken by students in their second year of the program as well as a prerequisite, undergraduate course! 

Then again, if I were taking the course in the University-defined order, would this “coincidence” be less likely?  Surely there are more topics that can be covered than these that are repeated?