As mystical as it may sound but ‘balance is the key’. For those of you who’ve read ‘Eat Pray Love’, you may find that the cliched ending to the story is actually the key to survival at a b-school.
When one enters a b-school, the expectations are manifold. Some decide to concentrate on studies and aim for good grades. Many give preferences to extracurricular activities & hobbies which got sidelined because of the full-time job they’d been slogging at. And then there are some who just wish to sail through with ease, basically partying, sleeping, chilling and living the life they could not or would not once they enter the corporate world. But which way is the right way to go? We’ll try to explore some of the facets through this article.
4 Things To Focus On At A B-School
Here are some of the possible focus areas during your journey:
- Academics: The Sharma-ji-ka-beta scoring a 9-point something CGPA works like a charm in b-school as well. Besides getting a heck of the basics of business management (especially if you are from engineering/science background), focusing on academics also help if you are aiming for some of the top-notch consulting companies. But the catch is if you do decide to focus on academics, make sure you go all out to do so. Do not go with half a heart as it is not the momentum but the consistency of efforts that matter.
- Extracurriculars: There are those bookworms who slog all night and then there are those cool dudes of the campus whose names you find in every case-competition, live projects, debate competitions, dance competitions, basketball tournament and what not. If you are one of those, then you will have a 5-star CV and chances are you’ll land the job of your dreams. The only flipside, you’ll have to put in little extra efforts to keep your grades at an okayish level to ensure you stay afloat.
- Jack of all trades: These are those mavericks who do it all and do it well! Either they have some God-gifted IQ levels or they just don’t sleep at all. They somehow manage to top it all, be it academics or all the competitions or the live projects. If you’re one of those geniuses, then you’ve found gold. If not, then keep reading.
- The Leisure-seekers: These are those chill dudes who believe in leading the last 2 years of their student lives (for those who do not wish to go for a Ph.D. or a double MBA) in the most fun way possible. They’ll be the life of all parties and if they do something, they do it because they like it and don’t have an ulterior motive behind their pursuits, be it academics or sports or other extracurricular activities. They’re in it for fun.
No matter which way you choose, the important thing is to enjoy the whole journey. Try not to stress over what others are doing as each student has different potential and with different goals in life. The idea is to pick your battles wisely and ace at them.
May the force be with you!