It has been a week since I moved into ISB. In this brief period I have realized a few important things about myself, people and the MBA program.
I am getting old. In all the outdoor activities that I participated since I moved into campus, I always felt out of breath and exhausted. There is no way I can compete with someone 4 years younger on pure energy levels. And thats a concern. Once the classes start, things are only going to get tougher. One needs the right energy levels to stay competitive.
I have also realized that age makes you more cynical. I have found that it takes something completely novel to excite me and keep me interested. I have found it very hard to follow the booing and the cheering rituals. Conversations that I had with people so far have been uninteresting.
While I appreciate the enthusiasm shown by a lot of people here, I cannot but wonder how much of that enthusiasm is heartfelt. There is a large section of the class here who believe that being an extrovert is the beaten path to a high profile consulting career. I am no expert on consulting but I know for sure that the way to a meaningful career is passion. Passion is a very elusive trait. It comes from the depths of your heart and the innards of your soul. And you cannot feel passionately about something in a week’s time. You need to do a lot of introspection to feel passionately about something. As individuals who will have leadership thrust upon them, MBA’s have to be passionate in their pursuits.
I have met some very interesting people on campus. I have met the former captain of the Indian hockey team who gave up his hockey stick for an MBA degree. I have met a doctor who topped the IPS exams and was the SP of two districts before he moved into ISB. My neighbor for that matter happens to be a Russian who aspires to start a helicopter business in India.
It has been a rollercoaster of a week. Pre-terms begin coming Monday. I have enrolled for the financial accounting and statistics pre-terms. More on that later.
One of the reasons I read each and every blog that I chose to read from ISB was because they were discovering so much of themselves and helping me discover bits and pieces of me. The roller coaster ride has begun. I can tell. I am going to enjoy this journey which I hope you continue to share.
@e&e
. you take care.
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