The Coronavirus has caught us off the guard. With classes shut, exams cancelled, and interviews postponed, most of the aspiring MBA candidates must be anxious about how to spend their time effectively. Don’t worry, we have got you covered. Here are five things that we suggest you do during the quarantine period to prepare for the MBA life and make the best use of your time:
- Take up online Excel Courses: Excel is not just one of the most potent and widely used tools in the industry; it is a life skill; one that you must acquire. It is the first tool I learned as soon as I stepped into IIM Shillong. Hence, what can make the first year of your MBA life a smooth sail (at least a bit of it) is to be prepared to excel in excel, aka IT Tools. There are tons of sources available online that provide you with free excel courses. Also, a lot of sites are offering free access to their online paid courses during the quarantine period. So, plan well and make the best use of these courses.
- Learn the basics of Accounting: If you are from a non-commerce background, you are probably going to struggle to your way through debiting and crediting a plethora of transactions in the very first term of your MBA journey. A quick start-up course on the basics of Finance and Accounting would help you a long way in easing your way out of the accounting conundrum.
- Upgrade your Resume: Well, here’s a bitter truth that nobody tells you: You will have to sit for your summer internships sooner than you think. Once you are in a B-School, you will hardly have any time in your hand to spiff up that “Skills” section that Placement Committee will mandatorily want on your resume. Not that you wouldn’t want it to look impressive either. Now is the time to upgrade your resume. Take up courses and certifications in your area of interest, be it Marketing, Finance, HR, or Analytics. There is no particular list of courses that you must follow. Only make sure that you know the in and out of the course that you are taking.
- Develop a Hobby: Amidst the hustle and bustle of a B-School, you will often feel the need to take a break, to channel your energy elsewhere, to break off a bit from the piles of case studies and assignments. Developing a hobby would give a creative outlet to relax and rejuvenate your spirit. Learn an instrument, start painting, try your hands at doodling, maybe try animation. The internet is filled with tutorials that would help you get started on anything and everything. Apart from all the personal development, hobbies are a high talking point in interviews. You will hear a multitude of seniors recollect their account of interviews that solely focused on their hobbies. This shouldn’t, of course, be your sole reason for pursuing a hobby. Do it because you love it and because you derive happiness out of it; additional incentives once in a while do no harm.
- Read, Read, and Read some more: Well, I don’t think I can emphasize this enough. Reading is an essential part of every MBA student’s life. Be it business news or international politics, you must stay updated. You are going to hear a lot of this in a B-School, so why not get started already. Read any and every quality content that you can lay your hands on. It would help you immensely for corporate competitions, case study discussions, group discussions, debate competitions, only to name a few. Insider Information: Everyone loves to have that “well-read person” in their study groups and competitions groups, and a little class participation marks doesn’t hurt.
Ankita Kashyap, PGP 19-21
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