MBA Band

First practice session was somewhere in October or November. It was a horrible session, where everyone was trying to remember what they have been playing 3-4-5-7 years back. It was fun as well, we started to jam a bit and relaxed when we realized that no-one is an expert. Then also we were determined to go ahead with it. Second time people did improve a bit. and then Third time it was fun. From then on, there was no looking back, we improved on each session and practiced few songs for the Christmas Party. I played drums with Sean Rickard, MBA course director, as well in the party without any practice. He is an excellent guitarist! It was a good experience and moreover.. it was fun!

We did not have drum-sticks for most of the time. I was beating the skin with spatula (wooden spoons). Once it happened that, I was not able to play with spatula and had to call it off for that session :(. Instruments do play an important role. Next session, drum-sticks were deilvered and we played for 3 and hours hours that day and the next session lasted for 4 hours.

We never played in public and our first perfromance was in front of the CRanfield University crowd in CSA CLub. Being nervous, was natural however we managed to pull out a couple of numbers with crowd's appreciation. Did a lot with our confidence levels!

Seems monotonic but facing the crowd, when they expect to be entertained is difficult and live upto their expectations is winning a challenge!

Murphy's Law

WACing the WAC is not a tough job. Few of us might say that but it is not so for others.

Let me take you through with WAC - Written Assessment of a Case-study. You are given a Case-Study on a lovely afternoon and have to submit a 1,500 page report on the Case-study or the issues related to the Case-study by another lovely afternoon which is exactly 26 hours after the hand-over of case-study.

It comes to the team-work, stream-work and then personal work! So it all goes well and you sit in a comfortable place, writing your report and at midnight, your laptop shuts down automatically! - Murphy's Law - it never happened in last 2 months and now when I have written most of my report this is what happens! Best part is that you cannot get any technical support at this hour and the next day as well, being a Saturday!

Another wonderful scenario - you are ready with your report and about to shoot a print out. Imagine your screen goes off and you cannot see anything on the screen!!!

Imagine these 2 situations. How do u deal with it? How can you keep your cool when your 50% of marks depends on the report on which somehow you cannot do anything? Dont worry! you have friends out here. They are ready to help others in any circumstances. It is just you have to shout and you get help from unknown corners. It was just because of this trust and the atmosphere of team-work rather than Competition inculcated in most of us, I was able to afford a cool head and avoid a panic situation! In the end, I was able to retrieve my document and take a print-out of the report and submit it before the dead-line. Believe you me, these two incidents happened for two different reports.

Welcome to Cranfield!

Some of the interesting quotes which I learnt from Cranfield:

- It's Your MBA... Make most out of it
- It is a Risk-Free Environment
- Get out of your comfort Zone

It all sums up to Aglie Philosophy where everyone is encouraged to take decisions. In Cranfield, everyone has some kind of professional experience or other. At some stage or other each one of us might have considered to not to take a particular step, wondering how will it be pursued by others. With the quotations above they eliminate the feeling of being off-track. You can try whatever you want, should be legitimate.

In past few months, I did few things which I wanted to do and learn or improve. One of them being Presentation skills. We formed a group who share similar feelings about improving Presentations Skills and practice at least once every week. It gave me a confidence and few tips, how to move around and body language. These are things which I know but did not practice because I was not able to find an opportunity to do so in professional career. As well, I ignored a few things which I considered as minor corrections. But when I actually did it on-stage, these small things needs a lot of tuning. Anyways, on a particular day I gave 3 presentations in class and tried a lot of things during those small ones!

Another Comfort Zone was regular studies! during my graduation years, I never used to study regularly, it was a matter of last few days which got me scores in the exams. However, if you are a team-member then you have to teach your team a topic everyday and each day it will be a different subject and topic! I did not want to annoy my team, so not because of self-development but for the sake of the team I did so... studied regularly.

Third one is my favorite, I used to play drums with my friends in my under-graduation and it was just in a small music room! In Cranfield, we formed a music band - MBA Band - and most of us were perfroming live for the first time on 20th Dec during Christmas Party. Wow!!! It was fun and I think audience did enjoy it. But it was again getting out of Comfort Zone and that too in front of the entire batch!

Interesting status messages 2

- Every relationship has an expiry date (Ashwini)
- Gone with the reports... (Anonymous)
- I believe in copying - 'NOT TO INNOVATE' (Barun Moitra)
- some are born to sweet delight, some are born to endless night! (Anonymous)
- issi duty ke naam pe pichle 48 ghante se hum log maut se jhoojh rahe hai, aur humara department humari hi thokne mei laga hua hai (Shreyes)

Competition Vs Team-work

I was recently reading a diary entry by one of the students from Cranfield School of Management http://www.som.cranfield.ac.uk/som/mba/yourlife/entry.asp?id=676

Which one is better? Competition / Teamwork???

Most of us will answer, it depends what reference you are putting in...

But going along with the context as specified above.. I think Team-work in better!!! Why?

Competition sets up a benchmark amongst peers and the one on top will try to retain his/her position nad will do whatever he/she can to retain that position! Hence, in most of the cases, learning is reduced in form of scoring and good marks and NOT knowledge. With team-work, knowledge is distributed and shared which might not lead to good marks in the end, in few cases, but when actual situation arises, one can exercise his / her learning better than the person who has studied for marks / scores and NOT actual learning and sharing!

Moreover, one of the major aspects on MBA is Networking, with Competition one tends to cut corners with few vis-a-vis with team-work, everyone is a team-member and move ahead as a team.. a close co-ordination required!

Interesting Status messages

Almost all of us do log in to the Yahoo Messenger and Gtalk. I recollect some of the interesting ones I have read:

--- I am going for an MBA - Masters in Beer Administration
--- SHIT Happens!! Learn to Flush
--- what goes around!!
--- We are ashamed of everything that is real about us; ashamed of ourselves, of our relatives, of our incomes, of our accents, of our opinions, of our experience, just as we are ashamed of our naked skins
-- I need money!! MORE MONEY ;-)
--- Success is hard to achieve
--- It is hard to succeed until you try!
--- If winning is not everything then you do they keep scores? Tell tell...
--- Inspiration makes us better!
--- Hard work beats talent, when talent fails to work hard !!



Will include more in next to come when I recollect more!

The First Milestone!

The First Milestone
If I retrospect then there are many things, which led my way to pursue a Fulltime MBA Course at Cranfield SoM, but I will proceed from the date I actualized the first mile stone! It was approximately a year back in the month of July 2006 that I scheduled my GMAT examination for September 2006. Intentionally, I scheduled the exam six week hence to avoid the fluctuating mood and motivation required.
I started my preparation started with high spirits. However, within a couple of days I realized that I need to work a lot in the Verbal section.

The Power of Orkut
Another moment for my friends to come for a rescue! Also, it was the moment when I discovered the power of Orkut and plethora of resources available on this site. People with the same ambitions to score good in their exam do interact frequently, sincerely and aggressively. During which I did meet few people and still cherish those discussions.

Daily Timetable
Hmmm… this comes out to be a obvious question to most of us - will we get time to study during the job. But don’t they think - they are not the ONLY one thinking about this. Even people who have been successful have made it thru the final round and with flying colors. In the end… What I did and said to myself - Where there is a will, there is way! Got up early, did quant problems while I was still in sleep and when back form office take a bath, have dinner and back to the books. Life, a bit different from sleeping or chatting after dinner and that too for a short time - just 6 weeks!

NOT AS DIFFICULT AS IT SEEMS!

IF NOT NOW - THEN WHEN?

Confession
I do agree that I did not score good on the D-day. With all that comfort at home and facilities available, still feel that should have done better! Never the less… I was confident that I did secure the minimum, if not the maximum, to apply for the universities. Everyone thinks so and I am not

Vicious Circle

Isn't it the same for everybody.. at least for the people in India

When you were kids.. parents teach you to get good marks (compare your marks with the best in class) in the school examinations esp the boards and your life will be easier! - OK DONE (life should be easier now!)

Then you should get into a good college or university to get a god repo in society (compare your position with the best in your family social circle)! after which you will get a good paying job (Oh no!! Neways just one more step) ... thts also done!

Get good mark in the univ (compare your best senior) and try to follow him to get a high paying job (Ok.. if not the best then a decent pay package will do - hope now i will be independent and will be able to lead the life as I want it to be)! - GREAT got a above average salary in an MNC

Hey!! Now I have a good job, Can I lead my life as I want??? Parents: BULLSH!T - You have turned 22-24 - It is time for you to get married! (MAN - In my teens i studied for this moment to be independent, in college I had encountered with the fairer sex! But had to study to enjoy the encounters at my own will and wish without any explanations and NOW WHEN I THINK I CAN ENJOY - they are taking my freedom away!!!)! (I am not married at this moment but do think the same)

Some of us do think - WHAT IF MAY! I Will never lead my kid into this Viscous circle

But do we really get into the root of the problem?

I think that this is not because of an individual or a single personality - it is the society where we do make our idols at every moment (which change at every stage) and compare our achievement with them without understanding the various skill sets available in the market vis-a-vis the skill set available within ourselves or OUR KIDS!

It is the parents & teachers responsibility to identify the skill-set in a kid and hone his / her capabilities so that he can enjoy whatever he does in his / her life.

Nevertheless... LIFE GOES ON!