When Yelena Goldman started her first year as a Wharton undergraduate, she felt overwhelmed by the large amount of business lingo.
"The students and TAs were throwing all these words around -- like 'hedging,'" she said.
Now a senior, Goldman helped organize the second annual "Business 101," a seminar promoting the introduction of students to business jargon, as well as the numerous fields of business available to work in after graduation.
Goldman is also now well versed in hedging -- which is "making an investment to reduce the risk of adverse price movements in an asset," according to the booklet all attendees received.
Almost 200 students, mostly freshmen and sophomores, crammed into a small lecture hall to attend the event last night at John Hunstman Hall.
"My TA recommended I come here," said Wharton freshman Vikram Madan. Like Madan, most of the audience appeared to be feeling out what could lie in their future after college.
The event featured a panel of five young businessmen and women, all alumni of either the Wharton School or the Wharton MBA program.
The panelists principally represented the fields of investment and finance, and currently work for Bain & Co., JPMorgan, Citadel Investment Group, Citigroup and Edison Ventures.
The crucial piece of advice that the panelists shared with the audience: follow your dreams.
"Go into something you're passionate about," said 2004 Wharton and College graduate David Chang, a current associate in the Global Equities division of Citadel.
"Get to know yourself. Get to know what's important to you," said Andrea Harris, an associate consultant with Bain.
The event also welcomed more than just Wharton students.
Andras Forgacs, who received his MBA from Wharton last year, dabbled in subjects such as philosophy and French while an undergraduate at Harvard University.
"Make sure it's not all about a job ... Broaden your base," he said.
College freshmen Elizabeth Good and Kristina Bruehl both attended with the hopes of learning a little bit more about the business world.
"I'm thinking of studying science, but I have always been interested in business" Bruehl said.
