Since there is so much work to do these days, particularly in finance, the masochist in me made me venture beyond my myopic world to find some intellectual stimulus.  While I have read Fooled by Randomness, I can’t say I particularly understood it very well, and frankly most of the arguments left me with a familiar feeling I first experienced when reading Noam Chomsky.

I think part of the development of mankind involves a level of existentialism, for economics & finance this however seems to be more a description of the science’s natural disposition; just as theories are hailed as revolutionary they come tumbling down and people change admiration into contempt.  I remember as an undergraduate, the most appealing thing to me about economics, was having the ability to fundamentally question some of the principles, laws etc taught in class (basically be the wise ass who sat in class dissecting philosophies, not because I cared but because I could).  Here was a field that taunted the renegade in me.  Finally after years of being intellectually oppressed under the Indian education system, where my core function was learning and regurgitating, the gauntlet was thrown down and people dared you to disprove them.  No one theory ever seemed fool proof and everything you wanted to believe required a leap of faith.  Sound familiar?  seems like a religion doesn’t it? (thetas another topic for another day…maybe).

So Nassim Taleb’s book last year called the Black Swan is now creating bigger waves cause apparently according to some of the intellectual hippies it foresaw the fundamental problem in the methodology of analysing economic markets, society…life in general.  I haven’t read the book, and frankly I will with great skepticism, I do this not to feed an anarchist nature in me but I believe if any scholar or author should truly be given adulation and admiration you must judge him from as unbiased a position as possible; for me this is usually going to the opposite extreme of what I think of individual.  So in some convoluted manner, I guess I am saying Taleb is probably onto a fundamental way of thinking which could potentially change the way we see the world and our very nature.

So what has made me take an interest in yet another renegade in a field which seems to thrive on everyone considering themselves different and truly novel?  The clinical approach with which Taleb dissects the differences between real life and what we actually do versus statistically tests, and analysing all human actions on a normal probability, assuming people are rational, blah blah blah (read as, stuff that you hear that acts as a better sedative than a horse tranquilizer).

If you care to (the article is long) read the part somewhere in the middle on “What Is Fundamentally Different About Real Life” Interesting stuff, lets see what the book is like.

I recently read Tipping Point, which was an entertaining read, I don’t know how much I got out of the book, but it definitely made me look at certain things differently and at times question my impulsive rationale about certain occurrences in life.  I hope at some level Taleb’s book doesn’t leave me, as seems to be the norm with most of these books, more questions and less answers.  Frankly if that was all I wanted then I would stick to the greats like Sartre and Nietzsche, they have said all that can be said without ever providing an answer or a means of deriving one.

[This is funny, I just noticed that on Taleb's website he says that in his new book he is working on 'domesticating the unknown'.  Hopefully Black Swan will peak my interest enough to give some legitimacy to this gargantuan task Taleb has embarked on, and frankly if he is successful, he would undoubtedly have to be acclaimed as one of the most influential people in shaping society for the future...when you look at it like that it seems overambitious doesn't it?]

After the recent terrorist attacks in Mumbai, I felt like India as a nation is rapidly reaching a point of no return in terms of international political policy and legitimacy as a state.  The present day India today more than ever epitomizes the character of a what is called a bazaar/ subzi-mundi…the English equivalent I presume would be a Flea Market.  The chaos, and confusion walking into a bazaar is unparalleled, the expectation of someone picking your pocket or snatching your bag is not constant but certainly every present at the back of your mind.

For most “Indians” [fyi: a title I believe anyone who wishes to adopt is entitled to do so…be it a NRI, a person of Indian origin or even someone who simply relates with the vibrance of the culture and people), it would seem I have merely stated an axiom.  Now add in not just the expectation of getting robbed, but getting shot, of having to face the reality of being compelled to use a route to work which is probably most vulnerable to any separatist acts of anarchy.  Each day basically becomes a collection of battles you fight emotionally and professionally.

If you browse a few posts back you will find some writings on my experience working in Mumbai… I worked at Nariman House, use to walk over to the Oberoi Hotel (which was across the street) for coffee in the evenings, took the local train- Central Line in to CST (formerly VT, btw the locals still call it that…but that is a debate for another day…), so the audaciousness of the recent attacks have really hit home in a very graphic manner for me.  The fact that this is one of many attacks in recent years is truly concerning but it is the brazen outlaw-ish nature of these attacks that concerns me more. Terrorist, and the general public view the ‘Indian State’ as being timid and weak, walking the political tight rope of minority politics keeps fractions within the government deterring true, ’servants of the people’ from acting in a manner which is in the best interests of the state.

Psychologically, these attacks, personally, have a deeper impact than the bomb blasts seen in the recent past.  By saying this, I in no way mean to undermine the lives lost or the tragic nature of incidents in the past.  But the simplicity of the attacks were carried out, and the days these individuals held the state of Maharashtra at ransom has ingrained in every person still alive, working and living in and around Mumbai that truly no one is safe anywhere in Mumbai.  Imagine the fear that you could walk down Broadway past Times Square towards the Avenue of the Americas…and get shot at 8AM by a gunman in a van driving past.  Sounds like the script of movie like the Seige, not the reality of existing day to day.   This is the reality people now must accept as they head to work in places like Mumbai and Delhi.  My initial reaction to this incident was a feeling of defeat and dejection.  Some action needs to be taken, I initially felt India stands at a political cross road and this time a Israel like no tolerance towards terrorism policy may be the need of the day, partly because nothing else seems to be working.  Terrorism in India has taken a very dangerous turn in the past 5-10 years, it is no more about common ideologies but more about consolidating in the face of a common enemy.  Muslim separatist, Hindu fundamentalists (or Hindu Zionists, as they were called on pakistani local TV broadcast), Naxalities, Maoists and the rest have found ways of communicating to coordinate the planned and calculated destruction of the Indian State.

These attacks are very humiliating to the concept of being India, I was discussing this with a friend of mine the other day who put it best:

After something like what happened in Mumbai does happen, whether it is said or not, non indians will (and rightfully so) look at Indians and emasculated race lacking in fortitude to stand up for itself.

We need to put aside the “higher ground” matra Indian politics has tried to stand by of “fascilitating positive dialogue”, because this dialogue frankly has not gotten anywhere, and does not even seem to have been carried out with the right motivations.

The positives of taking a Israel like stance would mean the illusion (which currently we dont even have) of security for businesses, and a sense that atleast something is being done (which impacts the human psyche, which at times of calamity demands proactive actions, doesn’t really matter how extreme the action may be and no matter what the cost…as was the case with September 11th as well).  Such an action would also alienate Muslims…let me correct that “Non Hindu’s” further.  But the problem is that these terrorist attacks have Hindu’s wondering why in there own country they are taxed in such a manner for being the majority community.  So what is the answer? As was expected the usual flip-flopping and saying a lot without saying anything is continuing amongst all those under the public eye… Shashi Tharoor’s article seem to continue in the same tone except there are some key aspects he almost accidentally hits on which are important to address… creating national unity and pride above social and cultural differences.

The account of a survivor…this will make your heart sink

Patrick French’s NYT article

Shashi Tharoor’s Op-Ed

New Yorker Article

Having read a considerable amount on the topic, I feel very discontent, it seems imperative that we find a way to address this situation without alienating Muslims or Pakistani’s and the rhetoric seems to have been very unsuccessful at doing so.  India needs to find common ground with the democratic Pakistani establishment or lack thereof.  This is possibly going to be the only way to find a way to contain terrorist acts and anti state organizations.

Yes the Kashmir issue needs to be resolved…here is an idea, why not have it managed as a co-operative effort between India and Pakistan.  Frankly, if it brings peace to the region, and lesser violence why not?  The downside is Indians and Pakistani’s may look at a resolution as defeat in itself.  For the Pakistani’s as Muslims lacking the fortitude to protect the rights of their brethren’, and for Indians it would simply be a wound to their concept of a diverse, secular state.  Another fear for India as a state would be the fall out of such a resolution on other fractions in other parts of the nation.

Being part of what could be considered a generation on the verge of taking over the reigns of Indian society it is imperative that we find a way to resolve this, otherwise it threatens to undermine any effort towards development and prosperity.

I wish there were a open channel through which a ‘young leaders of south asia’ could commune and discuss these issues.  Understanding what people of our generatition care about and what needs to be done to raise a recognition of India as a nation and Indians as people NOT in terms of the past and the laurels of people who fought in the freedom struggle or rulers from centuries past…but the India of today, and the generation that will definitely mold public policy of this new century.

It is dissapointing that after 60+ years of independence our country still dwells in the past and has not gotten over the hangover of our colonial past.  It is not my generation that was handed a independent India, it was one that has, admittedly done many great things for the country, but one thing my parents generation has been unable to do is grasp the concept of national pride and utilize it as a unifying force.  I can only hope acts of redemption are somewhere around the corner.

A year since my last post…
The reason for my silence…frankly enough is being said in the real world, for my musing to have relevance, and I felt it was important to have something of significance to say…
This blog is no more… an MBA blog, frankly it was a position i didnt feel comfortable representing. Reasons more personal than anything else.
Just to put things into perspective I will do a quick update…I graduated from the GSB this year. The school changed its name, so I guess I have the honor of being from the last class of Chicago GSB… I work now…again; but its different…feel like I have a game plan now. Wait let me correct that…I thought I had a game plan. A wrench was thrown right when I started working.
Anyways I think that’s about it.
Will post more often, cause I find myself having more to say now…

It has certainly been a while since I posted on my blog…reason being- I had nothing of significance to share.

I spent this summer working at an investment bank in New York (stereotypical…I know).  The 100-120 Hour weeks and constant anebriation…were almost addictive.  But looking back at things, it was again… an experience that made me get to know me. 

The work was never very hard and the environment is unique… it takes a certain breed of people to be able to do the job.  I did it for 10 weeks, can I do it for a longer period of time…I am yet to decide.  Despite the amount I hear people bashing on bankers and the work and the amount they make etc.  I think we should take a moment to pause and recognize that it takes an immense amount of determination and will power to do that job.  To sleep 3 hours on average and 5 on your best day is not something you can just get use to.  You have to have the mind set to do it, so as far as I am concerned, I tip my hat of to their work ethic. 

I was fortunate enough to work in a group that quite honestly, treated me really well.  They didnt make me shovel manure, and despite most of the analysts being my age… there were no false pretenses…it was by far one of the most professional environments I have been in.  People collaborated in a very professional manner.

What was most unique about the summer however, was being in the heart of things when the market crashed.  I distinctly remember that thursday when things came tumbling down…I was in the midst of a live deal, had not been home in 4 days, literally living out of my cubicle, and all of a sudden everything came to a standstill.  Within hours optimism turned into anxiety, we had just witnessed the market get, what I term, a muscle pull; things just cramped up.  Yea in hindsight there were many reasons which added up, but why that day? nothing seemed to have happened to really trigger it.  Even amongst our Associate class people were preturbed as to how many offers would actually be handed out.  As was the case, many were left empty handed.  The Street is a rough place… and my mom has never failed to remind me that there is always room at the top but never any room to sit. 

I have never had such an eventful summer, professionally and otherwise, in my life; in so many ways that I feel I could write a book on it…but alas I know I am too lasy for it

Let me move onto a moment of realization.  While I worked at a bank for the better part of the summer, I decided to try finding a Private Equity internship in India.  Trust me telling someone you want to work for a month and a half or so for them doesnt exactly fly.  Somehow I was able to find something…  I think this time when I returned to India, was quite possibly the first time I felt a sense of insecurity.  It could quite possibly just be because I was based in Mumbai and am originally from Delhi and knew nothing about the place…  Whatever the reason, I spent the first day in awe wondering how I would cope and whether I would be able to handle things…I tried my hardest to cloak my accent to try and fit in, but it was in vain. 

Strangely enough, my aprehensions were unwaranted.  India is a world of its own, while may lack the exhuberant approachability of the western world, we make up for it in sincerity.  Mumbai is a city that struggles!  In New York if i told someone I had to take the train to New Jersey and it would take 45 minutes, people would have a heart attack.  Here people travel 2- 3 hours each way every day.  Whether it is flooded outside or just the regular rush hour(although here it is not an hour…it is all the time) traffic the city keeps ticking, nothing stops it.  Driving by in a cab looking at the Central Railway Terminal, which use to be Victoria Terminal; sitting on the wall barricading the sea from the Queen’s necklace (officially known as Marine Drive) is a moment which puts life in perspective.  In the past 3 months I have swung from the heights of watching the 4th of July fireworks from a rooftop bar in the meat packing district of NY, a world dominated by an urgency to rule…to sitting on the sea side drinking a cup of tea, in a world alive with an urgency to survive.  It has been an amazing contrast to experience…

This past quarter I got selected to work with a team on a Real Estate Competition between Kellogg and the GSB. Essentially both schools come up with a proposal for a plot of land which is for sale by the City of Chicago. For Kellogg which has a phenomenal RE program, it is actually run as a independent project and counts as a class. For us, just a competition; it has been held every year for the past 6 years. Having barely any Real Estate background, except for a project I worked on in Lao P.D.R., I felt it would be a great way to learn more about the industry. Our team had one 2nd year who had a RE background so she really helped lay the groundwork for what needed to be done.

Ironically, our project proposed developing a student housing development with a retail component, and so did Kellogg’s. I didn’t get to see their presentation but given the fact that the judges deliberated for an hour and a half to decide the winner, we as a team with no Real Estate coaches to guide us through felt we had really accomplished something! We have only won this competition once before and lost 5 times, but despite the chips stacked against us, we felt we could give them a fight, so our goal had certainly been accomplished.

In fact, we have one of their faculty joining our school next year to develop the real estate program. I have really developed a love for Real Estate through this project and by far have found my macroeconomic skills most applicable in terms of understanding market dynamics and the correlation with trends in demand forces. In a month I leave for a summer in investment banking and am hoping I shall get my top group preference, which was real estate.

When the judges came out with the result, the GSB had won for only the second time ever and the first time in the past 4 yrs. It feels great to have accomplished this, and while the win is the icing on the cake, all value had been added much before.

For someone with a macroeconomics background, to be able to work on a Real Estate project, learn from colleagues, who have had experience in the field, and with an architect who helped in adding color to a vision, is another testament to what an oyster of opportunity business school is.

A few years ago I remember being asked whether I think I control my destiny. I looked at the person and said, “No One else can”. He went on to tell me that apparently no one controls their own destiny, bu those who think they do are more often than not more successful that those who believe they don’t.

I looked in amazement confused, but wrote it off to yet another one of those paradoxes of life you never quite understand but just accept. But now that I think back upon it, I wonder if in some remote indirect way, does this reflect on my own innate subservient subconscious disposition? (cant find a better way to articulate that …my apologies)

I recently watched a movie called The Fountain, I had never heard about it but Hugh Jackman was reason enough… I think he is a brilliant actor, who’s true ability is yet to be realized. This movie was gives us a glimpse of his versatility and acting repertoire. Made by the same director who did Requiem for a Dream, the movie is three stories which run parallel, and find a common ground. The beauty of this movie lies in it allowing you to define your own interpretation. 5 years ago, while having my portfolio evaluated by my photography professor, I was asked how I developed this passion and what I sought from my photographs. I paused a moment trying to find words to describe it and then realized there were none. I wanted to see things from my own perspective and capture them yet I wanted the composition to be malleable enough to be interpreted by anyone in the way they wanted to. This is one of the few movies I have come across, which seems to provide the same fabric, maturing one’s own interpretation of life, our beliefs, desires and vices.

For me the movie was not really 3 different stories but one which was experienced across different levels of the subconscious. Life as an idealistic desire, as a purposeful existence and a harsh reality. Now I think back on things and I remember 5 years ago sitting answering the question about controlling destiny, i wonder if that was phase one of a journey i have embarked upon unconsciously to figure out who the hell I am and what really the purpose of my life is.

A friend of mine called me the other day, distraught cause he felt his life was going no where and he saw to light at the end of the tunnel, no idea of what he really wanted but only knowing that he didn’t want everything he had right now professionally. This was certain a place I found myself in a couple years back. In fact I think everyone has phases and periods in life where we feel we have hit rock bottom and there shall be nothing that shall be the catalyst in galvanizing our existence. How do you go through persevering? How do you present things in the best way possible? and most of all why is it so bad to be uncertain?

I came in convinced knowing what I wanted out of life and how I would get there… I had big ambitions and a charted course I was all set to follow. Now I sit in a precarious position, wondering if all that I have wanted professionally in the past is really who I am. This realization is something quite vividly shown in Hugh Jackman’s portrayal of his character also.

While I have no answers, I do realize having questions is still a start. Ultimately life is not about knowing the truths of who we are or even having an idea about them but realizing them for what they really are. We learn most from situations we fail in, and the reason for that is, we only live life when we suffer, happiness is a temporary pause in our existence during which we reap the benefits of all we learn as we suffer through our failures.

So after a lukewarm last quarter, which had its highs and definitely had its lows…I have begun on what has by far been personally my most gratifying quarter (considering it is just into its 3rd week, let me rejoice before the work creeps up on me) On a serious note, I am taking a relatively unique mix of classes, and each one of the professors are probably the best Ive had in each subject till now. I got to join one of the New Venture Challenge teams, and the experience has been excellent till now. Our first presentation was not exactly the one that set the bar, but then again, for me it was really about learning about how VC’s think and knowing what needs to be done. More than our own presentation I felt watching others present and see VC’s and professors tear into them, as if it were an episode from American Idol, with multiple Simon’s vociferously expressing their opinions (to say the least), was most invaluable. It is really one of the most unique experiences I have ever had, cause all we do is critique each groups presentation and see how it can be best tailored to pitch to VC’s and we actually have them sitting and teaching us…talk about getting it from the horse’s mouth itself.

Other than that, I am also taking a class with Prof. Sapra, seriously…I abhor accounting, but this man makes it seem like the most exciting thing in the world. Honestly, I don’t know how much I am learning but man he is really entertaining, and he has the most unique accent in the world. It is amazing how he puts his heart and soul into each lecture and review session. The only downside is that since it is taught on a saturday it destroys my friday night…which i truly cherish

Anyways I don’t wanna go on about the rest of my courses cause that is absolutely boring.

I have been spending a lot of time these past few days wondering what success really means…particularly since i am stereotyped as being someone for whom it simply being in school, and the same with a lot of others in my class.  So from what I have understood, success is either self satisfaction, recognition from others which results in admiration or adulation (depending on your personal level of narcissism), or even merely having the potential of something intangible and surreal…too plagiarize Biggie, “Sky’s the Limit”.

At times I think all these can be exclusive of each other while at times they can meld into the confines of the others space… I probably seem like a lunatic in B-School but I feel this is something really important to understand. I think right now achieving success or what i or anyone at Business school may perceive it to be is in such a nascent stage, that at times we are tempted to pursue another’s definition of it and not our own. I notice this only because i feel i have been most guilty of the same at times. Whether I continue to be, I shall only know once all is said and done.

Every B School seems to sell a mantra of breeding leaders, or maybe a better term is cultivating them…but to be one we have to learn to break away from convention.   Also if business schools were that good at making leaders, or one was truly better that the rest, there would be no arguments about which school is the best, and no contentions would lie about academics vs. networks vs. targeting schools specific to career goals.  The more I continue through this experience the more I realize, I have only begun to scratch the surface of what success can potentially mean and how to effect it in my life.

Hi everyone,

Things have been chugging along so fast this quarter that I neither knew whether I was coming or going. Taking a moment to pause was like death by choice. Recruiting can be so overwhelming, and keeping up with classes concurrently, very stressful. Yea, everyone carries the Grade Non Disclosure (GND) flag like it is the life savior of every individual. But a quick look at the intensity of the assignments set on a weekly basis, gives you a better understanding of how, GND ends up having us work so much harder, just to keep pace. So the concept of coasting through a class is as rare as sitting in the Summer Garden at the HPC building, in a t-shirt and jeans on a cold February morning.

One such class which scales new heights of intensity is Understanding Central Banks, taught by Professor Kashyap. It is amazing how each professor here manages to break new heights when it comes to impressing me. Just when I think I have met the school rock-star, another one comes to present his case for sainthood. Every minute of his lectures can be valued in gold; last quarter some friends of mine, came up with the estimate that each 3 Hour class session per week costs us about $450. If I look at the pace at which Prof. Kashyap teaches his class it is like $900 for every 3 hours. I walk out of each class, clear on what I came in confused about, but with a million more questions.

Being a macro-econ buff of sorts, more through a random series of events rather than a absolute consciousness, his lectures are fascinating, and so are the guest lecturers he invites. We has Jeff Lacker from the Richmond FED. The man held a great lecture,but what was more fun was the Q&A session, of which we had 1hr and 20 minutes dedicated. I was scared there wouldn’t be enough to ask and we would all embarrass our selves. But as always my fellow GSBers show me why we recently got the top spot on Business Week’s MBA rankings. While I had my issues with some of his comments, which i shall not voice cause they are too technical, what was great about sitting in class as he interacted with us was how he walked us through his thought process of understanding data, indicators of macro economic conditions, and forecasting. Truly phenomenal, almost like being at a magic show and having the magician teach you his tricks. As we however draw towards the end of the quarter, and UCB’s has been my most intense class till date, I do feel a little disheartened. Most of the Central Bank issues are dated, and while they provide a good understanding of mistakes made and raise predicaments, I feel studying about the Reserve Bank of India, the central Bank of Thailand, would be particularly more fascinating than looking at Canada, but that is just my personal preference. Also being Indian, I truly feel having someone like Kashyap sharing his opinions on RBI and the macro-economic conditions in India would be invaluable.

Continuing on about a subject close to my heart, I also attended the India Business Conference at Kellogg on Saturday. After a hiatus for a couple of years Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, and after the tremendous success of ChicagoGSB’s India Business Conference last year, came back with a bang. The morning started with Shashi Tharoor; this was the first time I was watching him speak. I remember reading Midnight to a Millennium (his first book) and Riot (both about India as it has grown through the years) and thinking here is a man who has assessed the successes and failures of our nation in a refreshingly unbiased manner. It was a great speech, and his euphemisms were a testament to one of the greatest things the British gave us Indians, an understanding of the English language (although this was not equitably distributed to all). If I had one criticism to make, it is that the speech harped on about things I already knew, I didnt get to learn who Shashi Tharoor was. I do however take a very cynical approach to assessing people everyone else is swooning over, and so was the case with the next keynote Mr. Rajat Gupta; his speech was like sitting in an economic army base where we were registering what went right in the past, and what needs to happen in the coming years. There was an emphatic note of disapproval, not for India but for a tendency of Indians to get lazy after experiencing a brief string of successes. But again, it was not this speech that I enjoyed the most, his Q&A was phenomenal. The man came into his own, and I was left in awe, despite all the success he has seen through his career, he continues to have fire in him to continue playing a pivotal role in leading the private sector to mobilize social upheaval in India. I have known only little about his work in India, but here comes another man with the sincerity of Bill Gates and Warren Buffet, to help change the way we look at Individual Social Responsibility. I am a huge fan of the TV series Rome on HBO, and the best way to contrast the two key notes I have mentioned might be similar to Shashi Tharoor’s being Brutus’s speech at the funeral of Caesar, poignant, intellectual, and carefully partisan and Rajat Gupta’s was like Mark Anthony throwing Caesar’s blood drenched toga into the masses, demanding an urgency to continue conquering the world. This is probably quite an exaggeration of the entire event, but consider it my sensationalized interpretation .

Some of the panels were also good, and very educational. In addition to all this what was remarkable was the closing address by a Professor Balachandran aka Big Bala, as he was introduced by Dean Jain. The guy was pure entertainment, a great sense of humor and a very jovial disposition. Truly seemed like one of those professors you never forget and always talk about at reunions. I also have a great amount of respect for the level of involvement Dean Deepak Jain had in the conference. To highlight his humility, when Ronen Sen, Indian Ambassador to the US, was speaking, Dean Jain walked up to the podium and poured a glass of water and served him. It may seem trivial but it was nice to see a Dean do something like that without hesitation. While we all claim to have a respect for labor, it is such acts that show us whether we practice this in our lives. The camaraderie and collegial environment of Kellogg had a character of its own.

That being said, Kellogg has set the bar this year in Chicago, by having their conference before us, Wharton had an amazing conference, a look at the depth and breadth of their panels will show the same. I feel eager and excited to stamp the GSB insignia on this city and the MBA community at large come May 5th. As always we at the Chicago GSB, shall strive to make the conference unique, like our school USP, we plan to step away from convention and make this a conference which ask the questions that haven’t been asked and tell the stories that have not been covered in every newspaper. It should be fun…

I shall try my best to be more frequent with my posts from now on…

Its been a ridiculously long time since I have posted a message, partly due to my laziness, and partly being overwhelmed with being back in school. Life here has been intense to say the least. Recruiting is like being led into war, you begin by feeling like a prize fighter, only to realize you stand on the front line and are probably being hired to take a bullet.

Ok well maybe I am exaggerating things a little, school has been such an educational experienc, and not only because of the classes or the recruiting events, but because of the lessons learnt through self introspection. It has been 3 months of turmoil and uncertainty which have led me to realize that all I need to do is hang back and do things the way I know best. There is an overwhelming urge to rely on the opinions of few, but the best strategy is certainly to collect as many biases as you can and then taking the time to form your own (something one of the recruiters told me)

It is amazing to see what uncertainty can do to a person. However, at the risk of sounding arrogant, it has been amazing to see how far you can leverage yourself by just being comfortable with who you are. Some of the simplest things in life are taken for granted by so many… we may be mere wrinkles on the tides of time and while, but invariably the simplest of answers are the most genuine and noticeable.

I have always endorsed applying to business school early and a quarter of school later, i feel even more convinced. When I first began this quarter, I was, admittedly quite overwhelmed by the calibre of the people I was surrounded by, not out of jealousy but more out of an uncertainty of whether I truly deserved to be here. But through the course of these post few months one thing I have realized is that I am at an institution that recognizes strengths and helps you build on potential (I cannot say all schools are like this with certainty but hope most strive to be as such). There have been numerous instances, through school and recruiting I have found myself up against a wall. What has to me stood out the most has been my own resilience to want to fight back. I have met people (more than what I had expected to), with whom I can connect with and who have provided me their candid and frank advice from time to time. Having people critique you with sincerity is essential, in recognizing where you need to grow. It has truly been invaluable, so much so that I feel there is so much more to learn and do.

As our First Quarter ended and recruiting for investment banking enters the final stages, i feel like it has all gone by in the blink of an eye. As the second quarter begins I have a certain anxiousness as to whether, I have actually learnt anything, which leads me to question whether I have it in me to achieve all that I have set out for or am I setting myself up for my eventual downfall. I guess I don’t really have the answers but I feel I need to put back the side blinders back on and look straight ahead till I reach some semblance of a finish line, before I speculate on the rights and wrongs.
I wish everyone the best through recruiting.

Its been a while since i have had the opportunity to post on the blog. It has been an intense month and since i landed back on U.S. soil, taking a two month break before beginning school has probably been the best decision I have made, in the recent past (if i begin listing my fallacies, i think i would be writing all day). I really recommend everyone who is preparing for Business school to keep in mind that taking time off for some quality self introspection is really really useful.
Chicago GSB got us 550 first year students into the thick of things really quick. From a Leadership Outdoor Experience trip to a resort in Southern Wisconsin, to the various different role playing modules we have been asked to work on in groups, life has been intense, overwhelming at times, yet fruitful at every single point. Yea going through some of the low ropes exercises, i felt like i should have been greeted with toys and candy on the first day also. But some of the exercises have been really significant in helping each one of us identify aspects and nuances of our personalities and our behavior (specifically in relation to group dynamics)
I have not had the chance of seing what other business schools do in terms of such pre MBA leadership courses, but I hail Harry Davis for his vision and recognizing necessity of helping MBA candidates realize, very early in the MBA process, the true importance of ‘managing people’. But again this is something each individual will relate to differently.
It is amazing to see so many people from such different backgrounds, extending themselves, while i realize a lot of people feel interactions between MBA students and in the business world in general are superficial but i do feel there are tons of amazing people who genuinely believe in their dreams, and have amazing backgrounds. at times i felt maybe i really am not ready for an MBA, but as i go through the career planning, the classes, presentations by company professionals, I feel like i am ready for this.
Initially I wanted to have this huge quantitative focus, and was ready to raid through the classes to make my mark. but within two weeks I have learnt so much from so many individuals I have met here, its exhilarating to know i have another two years of this.
I also just attented Scot Meadow’s presentation on venture capital and privte equity, and i was blown away by the candid and genuine manner in which he handled the discussion. It was a great insight into the industry ways to make movements into it and requirements and necessities that define the ideal candidate for the field. Speaks volumes for why he is who he is…a visionary.

FYI: Myths about B School, seems to have rubbed people the right way, for which i am glad, i shall continue to post, as regularly as possible (once i get my internet connection set up and transition out of the stone ages that i am living in currently) If anyone would like my input on anything specific pertaining to B School or Chicago GSB do feel free to post questions on this blog.
Best of luck to everyone taking their GMATs