Reflections from a year and a summer

Its a bit strange, when you get caught up in things, you do them without realising why and if they even make sense. B-school, for some, may be something like that. I've had some time to reflect this summer - during my internship, during my time off in the evenings and during this break from Fuqua.

What I've realised though is this - most people come to B-School thinking these 2 years are going to be the best ones of their lives - because thats what they've been told by their friends who went to b-school, whose friends' friends went to b-school and so on (you get the drift..). And in that quest to make it the BEST 2 years of their life, they go all out, thinking these 2 years don't even matter in a way. That in itself though is a idiocyncricity - if you can define 2 years as the best of your life, and you still have to live the rest of your life, how do you know these 2 years were the best ones? :)

My problem though, at a larger scale with B-school (not Fuqua specifically, B-schools in general) is this - why do people fall in the rat race? 90% of the people you run into are running the rat race - it starts off with who fits in best, the orientation parties, the 'best section', the 'best team', the 'best courses'..and as days and terms go on, it becomes the race for 'the best resume', the best mock interview, the best closed list notifications (how many did you get? as if number is a reflection of one's ability!), the best internship. Even today, mainstream schools don't recognise untraditional fields such as social entrepreneurship or non-profit organization management, as ones that require MBAs. The attitude may be changing but it still has a long way to go.

For the prospectives and first years just starting b-school , let me say this...these 2 years DO matter. Its impossible to be best friends with the people you meet at orientation parties on the 1st day and think you have so much in common with. Truth is, you probably won't run into them again for the rest of the 2 years! Networking is not a skill, talent or ability - its really a mindset. Either you agree with it or you don't. If you don't, don't try to make yourself agree with it.

Think over things that you end up doing and how you're spending your time too. I thought proms, luao parties and themed parties were meant for an age when you're still trying to prove yourself (high school? college?). At graduate level, it just seems stupid. To some, at least.

So - to b-school - and to thinking though your choices. Don't get me wrong - the academics, program and professors are amazing - but don't fall into the trap of thinking this is the best thing you're going to do with your life....you'll hopefully do much better!

'Networking'...what is it really?

So I remember when I started my b-school process, a few words I heard a lot were 'networking'. B-school teaches you the art of networking, or so I heard. And thats when I thought, okay, thats great, I go to b-school, do whatever's expected of me, and I'll have acquired the art of networking. Only problem is I never knew what networking really is. Is it having the recruiter remember your name (because it may be that it's hard to pronounce, oh wait, he/she will forget it immediately then!), or is it having the comfort to do the "small talk" with recruiters - and that comes to sports, the National Championship, or the weather? No idea, really.

So I started out, not really knowing what exactly networking is, but knowing that somehow, someway b-school will teach me how to network. And thats when I started noticing what was going on around me.

So my observations of the various "types" of networking:

1. The sycophantic networker:

The scene? A company presentation - think of the big names - the top 4 consulting firms, or the big shots in the social media/ computer industry in today's age. Yep, you got it. And so, what plays out is this: You hear the company presentation, hear why company BigShot is so awesome, what kind of people are they looking for, and thats that. And then, the real stuff starts. You'll have say 5-10 company representatives, and within a second (and I literally mean a second), you'll have those 5-10 mini-hubs or SIP circles as they were called. (I'm assuming SIP means something like situational informational or something. hm?) Anyway, so yes, there we are with those 5-10 mini hubs. And now, here's the funny part. If you're the "outsider", just try observing the expressions of those 10 individuals (read sycophantic networker) gathered around that company hotshot. The expression is one that reads: I need a job, give me one; I don't care why you're here, all I know is that YOU can get me a job. Hence, my admiring expression.

So the problem is, I couldn't see myself playing the sycophantic networker. I thought it seemed ridiculous to try to sneak in a 2 minute "star story" or "why I love your company soo much", when surrounded by 10 other people, each trying to prove they deserve this more than you. Seriously though, from a recruiter's perspective, doesn't it get tiring? Or maybe, its just flattering.

I will say one thing though, any time I saw the circles developed, one and only one thought always came to my mind: "Like moths gathered to a flame".

2. The "I dont-give-a-damn networker":

This is the type of person who thinks they're too cool to meet recruiters, talk to them, and that your star-studded resume will get you the job you want. So, all you have to do, is fill in the application, send in your resume, and bam you're done. Thats how it worked before, right? So why shouldn't it work now?  

Well: (and this comes after working as a I dont-give-a-damn networker for a good 5-6 months, and then realizing why my approach may be wrong):...the point is, things are different now. Think of how many top b-schools there are in the US. Think of how many MBA grads come out every year. Add the ones who may still be looking for jobs from the previous years. Think of the other extremely qualified individuals, who may be non-MBAs and yet even a better fit for the job than you are. Think of the companies who don't even believe in the value of an MBA. 

And that makes you realize precisely this: You are a small fish in a big pond. You cannot change that. Remember it, acknowledge it, and re-strategize according to where you are.  Find your own comfort level in networking, you'll improve, slowly, but definitely. 

3. The "I network-with-reason" networker:

And so that's the final one. Thats the path I decided to take, and am glad I took. I realized (luckily not TOO late), that we all need to network at a certain level. What level and what type of networker you decide to be, is totally up to you, and thats fine. 

When I realized I really did need (and more than that want) a summer internship in the US, I started thinking seriously about what kind of companies interested me. Who could I reach out to? Who might be interested in speaking to ME given my background, experience and prior skills? I started thinking a bit about how to relate what I had to what company x really might need. So when you start thinking along those line, you'll be more comfortable in reaching our, expanding your professional network and learning from other's people's advice on your career. 

That: for me, is what defines networking, really. Being open, finding new avenues, expanding your horizons and actually taking an interest in why person x at company x is at that role - how has their career been shaped? What advice can they give you (given their lessons in their professional life)? Treat them like mentors, and you'll develop a longer "networking relation", rather than a bland "I need a job" relation.

As I started reaching out to my friends, friends' friends and so on, one person made a comment that had an impact on me. 

He said, "Choc Heaven (well obviously replace with my real name), Linked In is your friend. Use it."  That is very true. Right after that, I joined LinkedIn, and tried to see what the fuss is all about. Linked In is an amazing tool & can be your friend too :) Let it be one!

So..enough philosophizing, but here's hoping you're a step closer in understanding what to expect from b-school networking, and what you want to achieve from it!

Ciao!

What Fuqua's all about...

I remember when I was applying to Fuqua, I had a hard time finding current student's Fuqua blogs, and not being able to visit the school as I was international (and the ticket was steep!), really left me wishing I could get a glimpse of a current student's life :) So, if any of you are in the same situation, here's a collection of my random thoughts on Fuqua, what makes it stand out amongst other B-schools, and what I've enjoyed about it so far.

Some common topics that you always wonder about:
1) School culture.
"Team Fuqua", yea baby, that's what its all about!

For me, Fuqua's greatest strengths are its focus on Team Fuqua (collaborative, team culture) and diversity. Roughly 40% of our incoming batch is international - and quite diverse - from nationalities, backgrounds, work experiences - everything. We get quite a few people from "non-traditional" backgrounds as well e.g. some of my batchmates are professional sports players, some have done non profit work in Latin America and Africa, some have had their own businesses, some have been school teachers. My favorite so far? Our batch is quite sporty- a professional (ex) NFL player, NBA player, and a tennis player too.

So, what really is Team Fuqua? Well, it basically means that you think as "we", not " I", to put it very simply. It means you should think globally, you cannot succeed individually - have to be able to benefit from and help others along your career and personal growth. The school prizes itself on its team-oriented approach - it's a close knit school. Probably this also has to do with the location - Durham's a small(er) city, sort of like a college town (but not quite), it's very different from the big city life you would get in NYC for example - as a result, you get to socialise with and see more of your classmates much more than I would expect for a larger city.

My favorite? Almost always see a classmate at Super Target when I do my quick 10 minute sprint of picking up some basic groceries or buying folders for the heavy course packs :P

2) What is student life like?
Student life is fast, crazy hectic, diverse, social, stress, fun, food, corporate presentations, friends, cultural activities, blur. It's all that, and much more. Why I find this question tough to answer, is because you really can't put down on paper (oops, blog), the whirlwind of activites that encompass a typical MBA student's day. But anyway, I'll try to be more specific.

One of the things I have enjoyed has been "Fuqua Friday" - basically every Friday, we have a 2 hour social event at school - with a theme. So a few weeks ago, as part of INDUS (South Asian MBA Club), we organised a Diwali Fuqua Friday; other Fuqua Fridays have also been done by other student clubs such as Chinese New Year, Jewish New year, Eid, Oktoberfest etc. It's a great chance to just socialise with your classmates and seniors (its open to 1st year and 2nd year MBAs, plus their families) who you may not have seen on regular weekdays due to the work load. It's also an amazing way of just learning so much about different cultures. The INDUS Fuqua Friday saw a lot of us teaching bhangra to our class mates :)

3) Some cool things?
Okay, so I find these things cool - its pretty subjective.
1) The GATE / GCP trips - I'm doing a GATE (Global Academic Travel Experience) trip to Latin America in March - other locations this year which you could choose from were S. Africa, Russia, China, S.E.Asia and Middle East.

2) Love Durham's greenery. Very pretty.

3) Mentored study opportunities.

4) Habitat for Humanity - any weekend, or whenever you feel like, you can help Fuqua build houses for H4H ( above) - it's pretty cool, plus such a good way of distracting your mind from the usual academic talk.

More later, I guess. Thought I'd throw this out in time for those of you eyeing the R1 deadline in case you had any queries on Fuqua!

Happy to help on any last minute queries, just leave a post.

Fuqua - first month!

So , I finally found a free half hour in between events and thought I'd update y'all (apparently y'all is a very Durham/N.Carolina/ Southern-ish phrase, so i'm going to use it!) on life at Fuqua.

To all prospectives, hopefully this should give you a better idea of what b-school is like just as you're approaching your early-D or other deadlines.

So, after orientation, we all had a compulsory 1 month pre-term called "Global Institute" - which basically consists of two courses: Leadership Ethics & Organisations (LEO), and Global Institutions & Environments (GIE). So primarily, we had classes of LEO and GIE every weekday from Mon- Fri (at least thats what I can remember - seems so long ago!)

In a nut shell, what do you learn from the Global Institute?
Well, it's one of the only times when you pretty much get to see the WHOLE of your batch i.e. 450 people, so you can interact with people from other sections as you're all on similar schedules and courses.

In LEO, we learn about basic concepts that managers / employers consider when building organisations such as decision making, motivation, organisational culture, how to have constuctive discussions etc - it's a great course to build up your skill set prior to the "real" b-school classes/ world. We had some fun activities in this, such as Triangle training day - a day where you get to go to an outside resort of sorts, do rock climbing, role playing, balancing on ropes, and other physical activities that really build your knowledge of how working in a team is. e.g. in rock climbing, you (4 people) are all linked to one another from a rope, and so the leader can't move on, because he's limited by the people beneath him (his team) - lesson learnt? one person can't move ahead while others lack, you need to develop as a team. it was also a great opportunity to get to know your team members i n a non-academic setting.

GIE course is more macro- and teaches you concepts of efficiency - how to view different ideas, markets and economies based on their institutions, the level of efficency of institutions etc. i found it quite interesting.

So after the Global Institute, we had a few days break (not really, they had some compulsory career days in between!!), and what ensued was the blur, haze and speed of life, i like to call "B-School".

let me just say one thing - it is SUPER fast. I mean i thought i knew what a hectic life meant, what it means to be busy all day long, but honestly, this is a new level :) it's fun though - as we're just now building onto the summer internship recruiting/company presentation/ student clubs info sessions.

We have team assignments due almost every class, so make sure you have / build a good rapport with your 6/7 member first year team during the Global Institute. This team is the one you will work on for ALL courses and ALL team assignments until Jan of your first year. The teams are formed randomly, and they try to ensure there is diversity of background, work experience and academic experience in each team.

e.g. in my FY team of 6 people, there are 3 Americans and 3 Internationals. Our cumulated work experiences and backgrounds span the US, Latin America, Japan, Europe, China, S. Asia and parts of Africa as well - now that is what Fuqua really is all about - diversity.

So that's me for now - i'm off to run an info session with Second Years to learn more about what their summer internships were.

By the way - in case any of you prospectives have any specific questions on Fuqua or life at Fuqua, feel free to write a post and I'll reply to your queries.

Adios!

Fuqua finally!

Just wanted to let you know (provided I still have blogger readers :)) i'm still alive, and very much living through orientation O-week... not just that, but i'm loving it so far!! The past 2 days (orientation is 3 days long, so we have had the first 2 so far), have been crazy, fun, hectic, partying, and well, even more hectic. it's really been amazing - my initial thoughts on Fuqua, Team Fuqua, the resources, the expectations, and what orientation has to offer are to follow soon ( i promise!).

I'm surviving on 4 hours of sleep per night (for the past 2 nights), so it's difficult writing all my initial thoughts right now! Hoping to put forth something in a few days (or once i get a good nap), on this blog! 

Stay posted, and Fuqua rocks :)

Coming to America :)

In our part of the world, America is oft thought of as 'the land of opportunities' or the 'greener side' of the grass :) And so, as time has just flown by , I am now in the US! The last few weeks had me overwhelmed and so caught up with packing, shopping, packing, sleeping, learning how to cook basic stuff, getting my driver's license updated, buying cds of my favorite music, and basically packing once again!

And so, the weeks really sped by, until it came to my departure flight, and I realised it really has been long since I blogged the updates of my journey. And for some odd reason, the murmurs of 'Going to America' by Neil Diamond flashed through my head as I boarded my flight. Corny, eh? :d

For now, I'm spending a vacationary week in New York, before I head to Durham. the few days in Durham before classes start should be good enough to settle in, buy furniture, basic apartment stuff and all. 

I've been to new york about twice before, for 2-3 weeks, so I'm not doing the typical touristy stuff of going to statue of liberty, and seeing the museums. but boy, I really do love the museums, particularly the one on natural history. Anyway, so this week is more about relaxing, spending a rainy day at a small cafe in brooklyn with a good book, walking around, enjoying some of the sales at macy's :P , and taking life a little slow. Any suggestions on fun stuff to see while I'm here though would be much appreciated!!

Things on my list for now are seeing the new Highline park in Manhattan and seeing a play at Broadway.

Stay tuned for my life in Durham, Fuqua, and the MBA-life as it engulfs me only next week!!

Ain't nothing but a Summer Jam...

This ain't nothing but a summer jam....bronze skin and cinnamon tans....ohh...

Man I love that song (yes i know it's gotten old, but every summer i still feel like listening to it!!). And so it's June already - the *almost* peak of the summer. I'd say mid June - mid July starts off the worst time - the unbearable heat, the stifling heat, the long afternoon naps that are so hard to resist. But with the heat, the sweat, and the passing of another season, something good does come. And not just good, but heavenly good. I'm talking about the mangoes.

Man, I could write a whole blog series on the mangoes. The mangoes of the sub-continent are famous for their rich aroma, their addictive sweetness, the soft pulpy flesh, and the varied kinds that exist. So that's what summer signifies for me.

On other fronts, my MBA preparations are still going. I'm learning to cook the food's I'll miss most. I'm expecting a CD in June, which will have a pre-course work program (Math and stuff) we're all supposed to do before starting Fuqua. So, yea, looking forward to that - i really need to get used to this study routine! After such a break from studies, getting used to the work routine, I'm wondering whether it will be easy to adjust the back-to-school (studying) life. Hm, well only time will tell.

Celebratory MBA chocolate cake!!!

There are various kinds of chocolate cakes - there's the kind you crave for at midnight, then the one you crave after lunch, the one you crave when you're feeling low, the kind you crave when you want to reminisce about your childhood... and finally, there's the one you crave while enjoying your pre-MBA celebrations :)

So here it is! For me, this is it - the cake I'd have (and have had...yummm!) to celebrate my MBA. I can just taste the rich chocolatey icing, the nicely textured cakey slice, the intense chocolate after-taste, and the ensuing feeling of satiety. 

This is a tried-and-tested recipe. I (and many others) have made it for many many years now - it's a safe, chocolate bet. Follow the recipe and trust me, you won't go wrong. Oh, one more thing, i hate cake recipes that use 'xox cake mixes, instant puddings and so on'.  I like cakes that are made from scratch - you feel a greater sense of achievement :D

So, without much ado, here it is:

(Source: Hamlyn's cookbook)

Ingredients:

4 oz. plain flour

1.5 tea spoon baking powder

0.25 tea spoon salt

1.5 oz. cocoa

4 oz. butter

4 oz sugar

2 eggs, blended

1 tablespoon milk

For icing:

1.5 oz butter

1 oz cocoa

3-4 tablespoons milk

4 oz. icing sugar

(The picture I took of the cake I made, utilized 2 times this recipe). 

Sieve together flour, baking powder, salt and cocoa. In another bowl, beat butter and sugar until light and creamy. Add eggs a little at a time, beating well. Fold sieved ingredients into mixture with milk. Mix well. Turn into greased tin. Bake for about 40-45 minutes at 170-180 C/ 375 F until centre of sponge springs back when lightly pressed (you can stick a fork in to test if done - if fork comes out clean, then cake is ready). 

Icing: Melt butter for icing. Add cocoa. Cook over low heat for 1-1.5 minutes. Add milk and sugar, and cook over low heat until you get a creamyish icing. Note: Add the sugar to suit your taste, as 4 oz may be too excessive. I usually go with about 2-2.5 oz  sugar for the icing.

Spread the slightly warm icing on the relatively cooled down cake. ENJOY!!

A new phase...

So I had my last day at work, and it's now finally all fitting in...but what is it about last days (anywhere) that just makes them so weird! That unexplainable, almost conundrum-ic feeling you get, knowing this is the end of an era, a phase of your life...whether it's your existing job, your college, or even saying goodbye to a friend who's moving to another city or place.. you know things will have to change inevitably.  so that's pretty much the same for me. My last day made me realize I really have learnt quite a bit from my recent job, grown personally, and enhanced my professional network. 

The initial feeling was one of exhilaration as I felt I was a free bird, no longer a captive of the corporate slave-hours! Hehe, this feeling was short-lived though. My fourth day of being free and I'm actually wondering how to kill time.. there is quite a lot of stuff i have to get down to doing, such as immunization, sorting out what to take along, what to shop, filling out some Fuqua forms et al, but this lack of a daily routine is making me oh-so-lethargic!

Oh well, tomorrow's another day right. I will not procrastinate tomorrow. haha. i've been reading a book, one which is claimed to be a book you HAVE to read in your life : One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It's not the book, i guess it's me, but i just haven't been finding the motivation to read it/ finish it. I need a fast paced, action thriller, un-put-down-able book right now. any suggestions? 

I read Grisham's "The Associate" a month or two ago. enjoyed it - i actually read it while at an airport, and i have to say Grisham's excellent for airports/ long journeys. 

I've been getting a few requests for a celebratory MBA cake recipe. :) i have taken heed of that and promise it in my next post! yea for chocolateness in life :)

this has turned out to be a random non-MBAish post, but then i guess this is the start of my new job-free-until-MBA-starts phase!

Long distance Apartment-hunting...

So finally I won't be sleeping off the pavement in Durham :) I decided on an apartment and submitted the holding fees! Phew - what a relief! Honestly, the pre-apartment research was grueling (and might i mention a bit stressful). Here's why :

Majority of Fuqua students live off-campus. Apparently Durham is not really a city you can explore by foot - you do need a car to get around. So I weighed the options - the standard apartment complexes 8 minutes drive from campus, or the pricey complex within walking distance, but known as party central? Anyway despite being not able to attend the Blue Devil Admit Weekend, and do the apartment tour they had that day, I feel like I already know what it would look like. The magic word - the Internet.

The 2 or 3 areas I had shortlisted, provided me with complete information such as amenities available, 3D views of the rooms, floor plans etc. The Facebook group for the incoming students has also been pretty useful as seniors have given their thoughts / experiences on the apartments as well.

I'm all set now - decided on a roommate, exchanged a few emails with her to see if our living habits would match, and seems pretty good till now :) So now that I know i'll be staying somewhere for my Fuqua days, I feel like i'm finally going.

I do plan on cooking a bit (provided there is time), perhaps on alternate weekends or something.. I don't know. however, i've decided to refresh some of the recipes i'll be needing the most and the ones which I know i'll miss the most!

Preparing for Takeoff !!

So the way I see it, going (abroad) for an MBA is pretty much like a pilot preparing for takeoff. The feeling of nervousness, last minute butterflies in the stomach, excitement, restlessness... it's pretty much what I would expect a pilot to go through before a flight. Hm.. then again perhaps I wouldn't really want to be sitting on a plane where the pilot is feeling jittery and slightly nervous :D hehehe

See I always thought that the hardest part would be the MBA apps.. and so, when I completed those, was lucky enough to be admitted, I thought, wow this is it... now I can sit back and relax..welll... I just had a big laugh at myself for actually thinking this. For now, as the destination has suddenly become oh-so-clearer, I'm swamped with things to do, preparing to go abroad and much much more!

I don't know if domestic US students are going through all the paperwork, housing worries and preparation that international ones have to. Perhaps, perhaps not. You see, for an international student I guess the process is a bit longer as it's about relocating your stuff, belongings, thoughts, view on life, social network, support structure to a new place, a new country for 2 years. It's part of the process, the MBA journey - and that's also what makes it so exciting!

Here's a short list of to-do things that I guess would help international applicants (especially those for whom its going to be the first trip living in the US).

1) Branching out, Finding out: Once your'e admitted, and have decided to attend school x, start networking. Find out as much as you can about the school, the location, surrounding locations, airport, facilities available as you can. It's going to be a long process, so it would be best to start soon. In my case, I've started contacting current 1st year students, alumni, my MBA interviewer, International Housing staff, Facebook groups, other MBA applicants, and have really learnt quite a lot about Durham and Fuqua from them. The web can really be a great resource - I haven't ever been to Durham, North Carolina, and yet I have a great image of how I expect it to be from:
1) The University website
2) The town's official website - in my case, Durham's official website. Even got a free magazine from them about things to do, where to shop & dine in Durham! Cool :)
3) Facebook - ah, finally I like Facebook again! Here's why - by joining your school's MBA Class of 2011, or the International Student's Class of 2011 and so and so Facebook Group, you can sit wherever you are, and discuss housing, living and everything with mentors, future friends and other people in your situation.

2) Vying for Visa: This is probably one of the biggest headache's - visa. It's ok though, really. We're all in the same boat. We will all get it :) But it's good to speed up the process (if you can), figure out how long it's going to take you, and yes, always have a plan B.

3) Housing: Most business school's don't really have on-campus graduate housing. I may be wrong, but at least at Fuqua, 99% or so of the students live off-campus. So here are things you need to start figuring out right away: What kind of housing do you want - on campus or off campus? What locality? What location - do you want a family friendly housing or a party place? Do you want a single room or a roommate? When should you start booking in advance? How much rent are you willing to spend on the room / apartment? Will the housing have live-in facilities such as laundry, furnishing or will you need to do all this yourself? What kind of roommate do you want (if so)?

4) Immunisation Incentives: Make sure you get all your immunisations done. Fuqua's pretty good about this and has a whole list of immunisations required from international students on their Duke wbebsite. Check with your school in advance - if you're free, might as well get it done now.

5) Health care / health insurance: Needless to say, if you fall sick, you need to know where to go :) Sure the home-made remedies of chicken soup, Joshanda, or herbs could work for a flu. But in case it gets prolonged, you should be prepared.

6) Planning a budget and arranging for finances: Look at living expenses in detail. The universities usually provide an item by item estimated expense. See if your budget would allow for this. Else, figure out how you're going to manage it. If you intend on saving or living with spouse/kids, you need to make provisions beforehand.

7) Cell phone / connection: Decide which cell phone / connection to get. This is also an aspect where current students could help you out.

8) Computer Cruise: After browsing Fuqua's recommendations for computers, I just realised that my Mac may not be such a great option for Fuqua. Oh damn. Apparently, not all their softwares are Mac workable, or even workable for Windows installed in Mac. Figure out computer, laptop, internet options.

9) Transport tour - Decide what you're going to do about transport. Are you going to have a car? Are you going to rely on public transport or car pool? In this case, housing becomes important - perhaps you want to look at an apt near the bus routes / or parking spots.

10) Gearing up your Goals: Figure out what you want from your MBA - See once the MBA starts, you'll be too caught up to realise how it's heading. Decide in advance, what you want to get out of your MBA - for some it could be a job in Pvt equity, or Financial Services, for others it could be about the global exposure, for even others it could just be about networking, or making new friends. I'm sure we've all done this in detail for the actual MBA essays / apps, but hey, it doesn't hurt to re-visit the goals.

11) Pre-course work: Fuqua has a Math Software that we're all supposed to revise / refresh before school actually starts. Check with your school if there's something similar.

12) And finally.... RELAX!! This is the pre-best time of your life :P Quit work, resign, travel, do what makes you happy, enjoy the me-time, hang out with friends. You've done half the work (getting admitted) - now enjoy - you deserve it!

All the best, till my next post! and yes.... before I forget... a big Congrats to all fellow winners of the Clear Admit's BoB contest! Thank you Clear Admit, Judges and fellow voters for making this
Number 7 in the best of blogging applicant category and others!!

Last day for BoB voting!

Last day for voting for Best of Blogging is 24 April, 09, so do be sure to get your votes in! (no matter whom they are for! although my blog would feel honored to receive some votes :)).. i always believe one should participate actively - whether by voting or making a choice depending on the situation.. so fellow bloggers, if you have been chosen as one of the lucky 50 nominees (25 applicants, 25 students) for Clear Admit's BoB awards, do be sure to make your voice heard :)

In other news, work is starting to drag now. What is it about change that suddenly makes time go by slowly. I mean time really flew by when we were all busy with the B-school applications.. And then things got slow at the time of results.. then things picked up again once admissions were done.. and now things look a little slow once again :S

However, I know this is just momentary.. this precious time will also fly by and before we know it, we'll all be starting our MBA experiences!

We will probably look back on this free time, so here's how to make the most of it:

-Read.. read books, magazines, fiction, travellogues, news headlines, editorials. Whatever makes you happy.
- Eat.. hahah okay I know I know, we will get food there, but what I meant was: Eat food which you have wanted to have and never got around to .. like your aunt / mom / grandma's food or something. or even food you make yourself! now is the time to learn new recipes, cook, eat and enjoy!
- Stay fit - we will all need to be mentally and physically alert to tackle the gruelling coursework and ofcourse the myriad student clubs out there! so go gym, swim, play tennis, badminton, even table-tennis is a sport after all :D
- Follow sports - The IPL has just regained momentum, for all the cricket fans over here..
- Blog: I hope we'll all spare time for our busy lives to stay up to date.. I for one, would love to keep hearing about what my fellow bloggers are doing, and what activities they are busy with.
- Sleep: Who doesn't need their 8 hours of sleep? Actually, I think the whole 8 hour sleep theory is really a myth - it's totally subjective. For all you sleep-needers though, sleep all you can..

Hahah! So yea, thats my list of to-do things.. could do with some suggestions though :)

Good luck voting!!

Back from Ghana and Nominee for Best of Blogging!!

My blogger friends,
I'm back back back! Well the excitement says it all - just got back yesterday from an amazing trip to Ghana - with visits to Accra, Cape Coast, Elmina, Volta Region, Busua, Axim and much more.. I can't believe the 2 week vacation sped by so quickly, although I must admit - I did miss my blogging!

My detailed travellogue, experience and things I noticed about Ghana, their people, their culture, their arts, music, dance, nature and wildlife will follow in the next post or so (once I recover fully from the long flight's jet-lag). However, I can safely say .... It was great!! Did quite some adventurous touring, took a lot of pictures which I will also try sharing here for the benefit of fellow bloggers / tourists aspirants to Ghana.

In other news, I'm all set for Fuqua. My seat has been secured via a healthy tuition deposit :) and now's the time to start thinking about housing, visa, etc etc and the list goes on.

Oh yeah, and more news.... My blog got nominated for ClearAdmits Best of Blogging 2009!!!!! Wow!! It was quite a surprise, considering I'm new to blogging, but I must say, I agree with MissionMBA on the thrill one gets in seeing their blog named in Fridays from the Frontline and getting recognition .. Let's hope this blog gets its first win as well :)

It's been great blogging, sharing the woes and wins of MBA apps and stressful waiting with other people... More to follow soon, keeping fingers crossed!!

waitlist at chicago

yup there it is..waitlisted at chicago booth :) so i think my decisions are more or less made.. i like the clarity of knowing where you're going.. duke fuqua it is. 

looking forward to my vacation now starting in just 2 days. woooohooo can't wait. one of the best parts is the movies you get to see on the long emirates flights :)

viva la ghana!

V for vacation and W for waitlist..

So the W part first.. i got waitlisted from Cornell Johnson. no biggie though as I feel Duke Fuqua is more my type compared to Johnson. What I did find a bit strange / impersonal was that there was no email notification of your status. Nothing. You had to remember the notification date (yourself) and log into the system and check your status. Really, after the application fees and all the effort, I would have appreciated it on email at least!

and now for the V:
Vacation time! With 1 admit and hopefully (if all goes well) financing and other issues resolved, I feel it's time to vacation.. okay so there's still a lot of stuff going on, but i decided to take an early vacation.. and so I'm heading over to Accra, Ghana in a few weeks.

Am very excited, as it's the first time I'm heading over to Africa. Any suggestions / feedback from fellow bloggers who have been to Accra are much welcome! Any must-sees that are recommended?

Cornell Johnson Interview..

So get this.. Johnson's results are announced on March 18th (i think), and they are apparently interviewing up til March 17th! wow! anyway so I was just notified last week of an interview invite, and I scheduled it.. here's a re-cap:

I had my Johnson (Cornell) interview last night, which lasted for 40 minutes. It was on the phone with an ad-com representative, and was a blind interview. The questions were pretty routine:

-Why MBA, why now, what are your post-MBA plans

- Discussion on your career to date, what roles you have had, skills learned etc

- example of a time when you had a conflict in team and how you reacted to it

- example of a leadership situation - where you had to convince a colleague or team about something they disagreed with

- Why Cornell.. this I feel is the most important aspect for Johnson. They really want to see how motivated you are to attend Johnson, whether you'll be a good fit, and whether you actually have an idea of what they prize themselves on

- What 3 adjectives would I use to describe you to the Admissions committee 

-What student clubs are you interested in

- What Immersion Program will you join

- Any questions for me

Basically, I spoke to a few friends who are current MBA students / alums before my interview, and also got a feel from them regarding the community, culture, opportunities, Cornell's strengths etc. Made sure to mention this in the interview, and the ad-com person was quite happy to hear that I actually knew people studying there.. I think they really want you to know as much about the school as you can at this stage.. 

A few points I think any Cornell prospective should consider discussing are:

-it's extremely collegial, small, collaborative community. average class size is roughly 260 only, so you know everyone on campus. you don't feel lost.

- Strength of immersion programs

- Cornell connections - you benefit from overall Cornell University's resources, curriculum, activities etc.

- Brand name

- Strong alumni network

:) Good luck to other prospectives!

Accepted at Fuqua!!!

So remember my Duke result was (much) awaited.. well I finally got it, and here it is: ACCEPTED!!!! woohooo! am really happy now that it's finally sunk in!

The tension before was almost unbearable, got a weird nervousness, butterflies in stomach and all that... the Businessweek forum suddenly became quite a happening place as all of us in the same boat, tried to pass time and bet on when exactly the result would come out :P lols..

anyway so yeah , somewhere around 12.00 noon ET (night time where I live) I got an email from Fuqua telling me to check my status .. in the email was another link, and finally I clicked to see a nice-looking admissions letter open!! :)

Went a little numb initially so it took time for the words to get absorbed in the mind :) many congrats to fellow-Fuqua admittees, and best of luck to all others... here's to the 1st woo-hoo of this MBA process..

Time after some Time...

I used to love that song.. 'Time after time' by Cyndi Lauper, when I was a kid. .. somehow the 80s songs are just so unique, don't you guys think so? And that ever-favorite classic 'girls just wanna have fun'.. anyway, so i saw another great program yesterday on the travel channel. its called planet food, and it basically links great scenery, great places with great(looking) food. yum. my kind of program!

anyway so yesterday they focused on greece, and particularly 'cretan food' which is supposed to be one of the healthiest diets in the world, due to the reliance on olive oil and fresh veggies. pretty interesting.

in other news, i just realised yesterday that i have been more-or-less dinged by Johnson (Cornell), as their final decision is released on march 18th, and all admitted people have prior interviews. Considering the fact that i still haven't been called for an interview, i think it's time to put the missing pieces together :) anyway thats okay. there's really no way of figuring out what clicks for x school vs x school. I guess they do have some kind of deciding factor, although i believe that to a certain extent, it all comes down to luck. fate, or kismet.

As you all know, the d-day for duke-dom is approaching. 1 day away as i speak. yeahh :) finally the wait will be over, and i can either cross another one off the list or make a nice :) next to it. hehe.

I've lined up a 2 week vacation in end March. Phew!

Fellow bloggers, would love if you can predict which continent & country i am going for on a vacation :) HINT: its not easy! but still, bring on the comments and guessing!!!!!!

Post-application stress reliever

So I have nothing much new to report (since my last post was just a few days ago), yet I still felt the urge to write. The recent sporting fiasco vis a vis sub-continent cricket has put me in a bit of a downer-mood and that's having an impact on my thought process :P I guess I am trying to mentally prepare myself for the 'ding' (or was it ring?) awaiting me in a few days... sheesh, I wish this tension would just go away! 

Tried watching ' Doubt' and man is that one slow movie. So here's to a stress-free tomorrow. 

And then there were eight...

I had a flashback of that murder mystery today.. 'And then there were none' by Agatha Christie.. funny, huh, how counting the days till March 10 (D-Day for my Duke Fuqua app) reminded me of that book... so yea, here it is. 8 days to go till I get my 1st 'decision'.

It's been a long walk though. Still remember the Duke deadline and how I was so relieved when I submitted the application. phew. that kind of relief is just phenomenal. i guess what follows stress is often relief. who can forget the stressful days of thinking of what to write in applications, mulling over how to write it, how to make it look /sound good, and how to edit it...oh man, am i so glad that's over!

anyway so despite this anxious sounding blog, i guess it's okay. if i've waited 54 days already (jan 7th onwards), then i guess 8 more really can't hurt. 

in other news, I had a fun-filled weekend.. meeting old friends, gym-ing, snoozing, movie-watching, organizing a surprise party and yea, relishing some yum desserts!