A DAY IN THE LIFE

Classically trained musician and avid traveler, Sarah Davis earned her undergraduate degree from Florida State University. As an economics and political science major, she was introduced to the competitive landscape of finance in undergrad and was intrigued by the array of career options within the field. Through her time in the Vanderbilt MS Finance program, Sarah honed her skills in equity research and launched her career as a global investment research analyst for Goldman Sachs upon graduation.

Sarah describes a typical day during Mod 2 of her year in the Vanderbilt MS Finance program as busy, challenging and exciting.

9:30 AM

I arrive for my 9:40 AM Corporate Valuation class, one of the core MSF classes during Mod 2. I get Excel running and prepare to build on my DCF model.

11:10 AM

I have 10 minutes in between classes to stretch my legs and get some coffee at the downstairs lounge area.

11:20 AM

Next, I head to one of my favorite electives, Derivatives Markets. Here, we get to learn how to implement pricing and hedging strategies for various asset classes, such as commodities or bonds.

12:50 PM

Classes are done for the day. For lunch, I’ll grab food from a nearby restaurant and bring it back to Owen. I like to use this downtime to schedule networking calls, look through job postings and hang out with friends.

4:00 PM

Usually, I’ll have one or two group meetings in the library to go over expectations for our weekly assignments. We’ll discuss how assignments are going and work through anything that is especially challenging together. Afterwards, I’ll walk across the street to my apartment and have a quick dinner at home with my roommates while watching an episode or two of "The Office."

6:00 PM

During recruiting season, I’ll head back to campus after dinner to attend information sessions with companies that recruit on campus. On Tuesday nights, I play in the MSF co-ed intramural flag football team. We get to compete with other teams across campus (even the MBAs). We usually lose, but it’s a great way to relax and unwind with my classmates.

8:00 PM

I’ll head home for the night and follow up on any assignments I need to complete. Recruiting season is hectic, so I’ll try to use the next hour or so to practice technical interview questions.

On Thursday nights, I’ll meet my fellow classmates at Closing Bell, a weekly gathering and celebration time for the entire Owen community. Then we’ll get some food at Tavern before exploring all the cool spots in Midtown.

After graduation, Sarah went to work as a Global Investment Research Analyst with Goldman Sachs.