First few days… wow !!

The Duke MBA starts a lot earlier than other b-schools in the US. Frankly, I had been complaining a lot about this before the orientation. But, believe me, there is a reason for this and it’s definitely worth it.

Three days of orientation just showed me how much of a student driven school Fuqua is. Inspiring perspectives from academic/industry scholars and an introduction to an eclectic international student body made these three days perfectly enjoyable. The two classes I had attended so far – are probably the most concentrated learning experiences I had been through ever. The knowledge and energy Fuqua professors bring in is just incredible.

I have lots to write about Fuqua strengths (academics, research, technology, teamwork etc.,), but I will save it for my later posts. I will briefly talk about Fuqua infrastructure though. Fuqua has one of the best infrastructures among the top business school. I am awed by the amount of investments the school is making to keep it updated with modern trends (our class will the first to use a new building block – Thomas center). So far, I have not found anything missing – be it in the lecture halls, student centers, team rooms, cafeteria etc., (But, I will have to complain about the parking !!)

Oh ya, how can I forget the parties? They are just amazing. Handling these parties with academics and career management is going to be a bit challenging. But, this is what b-school is all about. Isn’t it?

Other updates:
- I got a car
- I just realized - I am a good cook!

Reached

I reached Durham (my home for the next 2 years). It’s a very laid-back city - no doubts. It's green and I am told it is one of the most livable cities in the states because of the climate (But, it is really hot now).

My apartment (at Alexan Place) is very comfy and things are just falling into place. The cost of living in Durham is not so high (ya, as I said, it is livable). But, a car is an absolute necessity even for students! I am yet to get a car, but should have one in a few days.

Interestingly, I havnt seen the Fuqua campus yet. But, met so many classmates already (tonnes of parties happening). They are all different - interesting, gregarious, analytical, simple, honest, humble, or plain street smart. They are from different countries and different backgrounds (obviously!). It just shows why b-school students will think different in a class.

Orientation is in 3 days. I am excited!

PS: Loan for international students at Fuqua is not yet disbursed. I hope the bleeding credit market and liquidity issues won't through us any surprises (I promise an update on this)!

Cold feet...

Farewells, parties, and parting notes..

I will reach Durham in 3 days! I have traveled a lot over the last 5 years – Lived in 7 different countries in 3 continents. But, this travel could mean I might live in the US for next few years (and “few” is not quantifiable :( )

Getting back to the student life is truly exciting. However, the time and money I am investing on my MBA has made me a tad nervous. Am I more nervous than excited? The reason for my nervousness is the pertinent question on my MBA ROI soon after I graduate. Everyone has nothing but pessimistic predictions about the world economy. The macro-economic issues are not helping the job market either!

Nevertheless, hope drives my aspirations. I hope the compromises I am making now will turn fruitful sometime. I hope I am destined to be successful. This is going to be the journey of my dreams, aspirations and goals. I believe the next 2 years would be a rich life experience. The learnings from my next 2 years are sure to take me where I want to be.

Life goes on. I am definitely fortunate to be at this stage.

Peace !

Of Career Research...

Disclaimer:This is a pre-MBA post..

Finding the right career post MBA is an important (not the most important!!) aspect of pursuing an MBA. I had an argument with my friend Y yesterday (Y is not going to b-school). He challenged the idea of planning one’s short term career before even going to the b-school. He wanted to know why most b-schools are interested in knowing the applicant’s career plans post-MBA (ie., while applying). Does this really have any meaning? There will be quite a few b-schoolers who would like to experiment and understand what would be the right career path while at school. After all, isn’t b-school the right platform to do this?

My answer to Y was (purely my take):
Schools know you cannot be fully sure of what you would do after b-school in the short term. However, I believe, long term goals are more meaningful. They just want to see if you have researched enough to find what career “could” be a good fit for you to achieve your long term aspirations. They want to know if you have the correct understanding, aptitude and attitude for a particular industry (and your dream job profile).

A good majority of b-schoolers would like to experiment with their career options while at school. Schools know this too.

I have to admit that I have been doing more research on career options I will have off late (after I got admitted to Fuqua). I probably didn’t have a good understanding of the MC/VC/PE industries when I applied to Fuqua. But, I am learning. I am learning how a particular career could help me with my long term aspirations. I am already gaining knowledge on the nitty-gritty’s of different career paths.

Fun before Fuqua

Here it is..I officially kick start my Fuqua journey….
No, I am not yet in Durham, but, I am all set to be there this fall.

After I knew I will be attending b-school this year, there has been a void in life (I generally don’t enjoy this “nothing much to do” feeling :)

Of course there are TODOs before the school starts and I will talk about these today.

Visa: As an international student, this is the biggest task!! I have to say, getting a US student visa is very simple if you are going to a top school. Everyone goes through some “visa” anxiety and believe me, there is no need for this. Most of the to-be Fuquans from India will be taking the Expanded MBA loan without a cosigner. All you need to show the visa officer (for your finances) is a letter provided by Duke mentioning this. People prepare a lot of financial docs for the visa interview, but, my take: NO NEED for any additional financial proofs etc., Of course, there are few more papers required for the visa interview (degree certificate, transcript, IT returns etc.,)

Room mate/Apartment: This needs some work!! I have been extremely lucky to find a room mate with no effort (rather he found me). Choosing an apartment is not very difficult. People tend to go with the crowd. And the Fuqua crowd ends up at Alexan Place or Pinnacle Ridge in Durham. I have absolutely no idea how good these apartments are. But, from what I hear and what I see on the web, these seem to be very comfy (I promise, to give more details in future posts). It’s definitely a good idea to act early on this and get a good deal on the rent.

Tickets: Its good to book your tickets early on. I have booked mine..July 24th is the day

Immunization: I started this, finally. Though most Indians would have taken these childhood vaccinnes, we have no proof. So, we need to retake :(. It takes a couple of months, so, it’s good to start early.

Pre-term course work: I am not sure if all schools handout some course material for pre-term prep. Fuqua does. Ya.Ya, I will start reading.

Work?: It is NOT fun to work when you know you are going to leave the company in few weeks. Poor me!

Closing up: I mean, managing finances, bank accounts etc at home. Also, I need to move/sell furniture/vehicle before I leave for school. I hope this will not be painful :(

Cooking: I am gonna learn “survival” cooking. 20 days enough for this? Of course, mom is the tutor :)

Have fun: I am gonna spend more time with family ( I haven’t spent enough in last 3-4 years). I will also do a little bit of traveling; attend marriage (ya, four of my friends are getting married next month).

Adios

Its going to be Duke MBA

Just got admitted...
wuh...it got me blogging after 4 months?!

LBS goes in..

I should now learn to say..Domo Arigato..
Done with Sheeshie :)

I moved to Japan for my next project after spending almost a year in China and Taiwan.

Last week had been really hectic. I had to finish up loads of work before leaving for this new project; Prepare for this trip; Pack. In between all this, submit my LBS application :)

And I did submit my R1 application. I had foreseen this coming and was well prepared to avoid any last minute hiccup. I had started my essays and application process for LBS 2 months back. LBS being my 2nd and last R1 application, I felt my essays were in better shape. The essays were very different when compared to INSEAD. I had to change a lot. Partly because of a new set of questions.

I did get in touch with my alumni reviewers who were awesome again. They helped me with 2 rounds of review. The good part is..they stuck with the content review and left the style to me..rather..my style was good enough for them !!

Now..its the waiting game..2 apps in..
I need to feel lucky in November..now am keeping my fingers crossed to hear back from INSEAD and LBS..