I have always been interested in the subject, finance, which offers insights into the global circulation of money and effective wealth management strategies. Whether through stocks, real estate, bonds, or other investment options, the potential to learn about finance has always been a compelling prospect for me and upon discovering the course “Financial Markets” offered by Yale University which is taught by the esteemed Nobel laureate and Yale professor, Robert Shiller, I was immediately drawn to the opportunity to enhance my understanding of financial principles. Without any hesitation, I enrolled in the course.

LO1 – Identify own strengths and develop areas for growth

I being a intermediate in the subject of finance had some strengths while having many areas that needed improvement. Through this course I was able to identify my strengths while even notice the areas of improvements through the course assignments and exams after each module which are graded.

My strengths-

1. Conceptual understanding about theories, ideas and formula related to stocks, risk management and behavioral economics. I knew basics about terminologies and theories of stocks, real – estate and risk management such as Beta, price as PDV or limited liabilities. This helped me to brush up my knowledge and enhancing it by new terms about finance. This allowed me to cruise through the assignments and exams of each lesson about these topics.
2. Note-taking. Through this course I was able to understand that I had really good note taking skills as I was able to make notes while new topics were being taught. This skill helped me remember the new theories well and helped me train for the assignments ahead.
3. Learning from my mistakes- As this course had many new concepts which was hard for me to understand due to which many times I would fail in test but through frequent practice questions, I was able to improve my understanding and improve my answers in test so that I could ace it.

The areas where I develop in growth –

1. I understood new concepts in finance and learned more about through this course and was able to grow in the field. Firstly, I was able to develop more knowledge about behavioral finance which showcases the financial decision or changes in market due to a irrational investor. Concept such as this I was able to develop.
2. I was able to develop time management skills as in middle of the course I was lacking alot behind then my projected goal to finish it but to try to complete on projected goal time I made time tables and managed both academics and this course to be able to complete the course but a bit late then projected goal.

LO2 – Demonstrate that challenges have been undertaken, developing new skills.

1. Understanding new concepts- Understanding new concepts such as futures plan or concepts related to insurance were quite difficult for me and still I am not able to fully able to understand it but have a basic knowledge about each topic. But still there are some gaps in my knowledge about these topics which can be filled by learning it through by a tutor or youtube videos.
2. Completing my weekly goal hours on the course- While starting the course I had set that by 1st September I will complete the course by spending 4 hours on the course each week. I was able to maintain the goal in the start but then started to lack behind by weekly goal due to which I completed the course at 8 September which was 7 days after my goal. Therefore I need to improve my time management skills.

LO3 – Initiate and plan a CAS experience.

Initiating and planning a CAS experience is crucial to ensure its alignment with personal interests and passions. It involves setting clear goals, identifying potential challenges, and developing a timeline for completion. While I initially started on my CAS experience with enthusiasm, the project’s timeline soon became challenging to maintain. To address this problem, I created a detailed timetable and prioritizing tasks effectively, I was able to regain momentum and successfully complete the project. Through this I was able to initiate and plan my CAS experience.

LO4 – Show perseverance and commitment in CAS experience.

Showing perseverance and commitment in a CAS experience is really important for its completion. I showed commitment and perseverance most of the time as I completed the CAS experience. The only times I was not able to show perseverance was due other important school work coming in between of the course timing but still rest of the days I was committed to my goal times.

LO7 – Recognize and consider the ethics of choices and actions.

My Coursera course on financial markets has introduced me to a complex world where ethical considerations are deeply connected with financial decisions. As I was taught topics like investment strategies, risk management, and market analysis, I’ve become increasingly aware of the ethical implications that can arise in these things. It also helped me understand the most prominent ethical dilemma of financial growth for client or financial growth for advisors as this has been a main problem as fund manager where advisors might not look for the best investment for client but for there gains which raises ethical questions. Moreover, things like tunneling which were taught in course help me see the dark side of finance where ethics of a person is neglected as he/she is blinded for the money they will gain. Therefore, this course has developed some values and ethics in me.

– Thank you