They say deciding a destination determines your journey, but the decision to pursue Finance was anything but decisive. And yet, it was this uncertainty that catalyzed me to evolve.
The first real binary choice I was faced with, like so many others, was what to pursue after the 10th class. My marks permitted me access to both the science and commerce streams, and the aptitude tests could not tell me one way or the other. However, the final choice came down to me and my interests. I was being pulled in two different directions, for I had a keen curiosity for science, but commerce was something I truly enjoyed. Ultimately, I made the final decision of commerce, and the trade of my family heavily influenced it. With the field of Finance being the bread and butter of my family — my father being a financial consultant specializing in raising capital for private unlisted firms — the dinner table was always a bearer of the most gripping financial conundrums. They were able to catch the keenest of attention and fancy, which eventually led me to hone in on commerce as my stream of further study.
Another two years went by, and I was at a crossroads again. During my senior years, I had grown to love the exciting world of economics but still hadn’t lost my passion for the field of Finance. Now I had to choose again for the choice of one as my specialization would deprive me of another. Unable to decide between them, I decided to pursue a B.Sc. Economics and Finance offered by the University of London.
In this instance, indecisiveness turned out to be the best option. The course was a well-defined amalgam of the depths of both Finance and economics. It allowed me to explore both together while teaching me to view every problem through multiple dimensions. In this period, I finally decided in favor of Finance over economics. The choice was between an ever abstract growing study of economics versus a reality hugging study of Finance.
And then began my hunt for further education; I decided to give CAT and GRE. I was faced with a different kind of struggle: the quantitative section. The preparation for this was based on physical calculations, something I had lost touch in as my previous course emphasized on interpretations over calculations. It required me to relearn and imbibe the mathematical hacks to calculate with speed and accuracy all over again.
These examinations’ results allowed me to apply to the best B-schools in the country and abroad. Now, I had decided to enter the field of investment banking in Finance, but the cruelty of that binary choice reared its head once again.
At one end, I had the option to join IIM Rohtak. At the other was the opportunity to join Queensland University, both institutes of rigor and rank, both institutes I had shortlisted for being the best offers with different approaches. While an IIM offered a generalist approach to Finance covering the field and all its adjacent areas, Queensland offered a specialized approach with an exact and in-depth approach to finance at the cost of other adjacent fields. It wasn’t an easy choice, and it seemed that a decision was impossible to make. Additional metrics were no help; both had serene, sprawling campuses, a faculty of distinguished publications, and a student fraternity made up of the choicest people who have proved their mantle against exams the same as mine.
My contemplation of this decision coincided with the cold starting occurrence of COVID-19. As the world was brought to its knees, with nations and markets coming to a grinding halt and the 9 PM primetime networks buzzing with news of the economic dominoes falling – it seemed that my decision fell into place. This event served to show me the fallibility and the ephemeral nature of sectors. Specializing in a single field no longer made any sense. It was better to take a generalist approach to Finance as it provided you the width and knowledge to thrive in a multi-dimensional crisis, the tools to adapt and analyze at your disposal.
The clarity was revealing, for I knew now which application to reject and which to accept. With a sense of purpose and pride, I conveyed my acceptance of the admission offer from IIM Rohtak.
Against the balance of odds that the pandemic brought, the staff and administration got together to restructure the course. In its viral fury, nature had decided to keep students away from the campus’ serene dynamism. It was now but a necessity to go digital and yet maintain the high academic standards of the system inherent to an IIM.
And yet within 20 days, the classes were up and running, the internet our new classroom. The rigor of the system was back with a vengeance. Preemptively recognizing the degradation of the quality of learning over the internet compared to the physical medium, the institute scheduled a plethora of extra classes and sessions to compensate.
True to the traditions of IIM’s, deadlines became sacrosanct, the digital medium no bar. Projects, assignments, quizzes, and classes soon became the central tenets of our existence. Being at home meant nothing, except probably a softer bed to sleep in, for the routine was grueling as ever. Spare time became a luxury only available to the most efficient of students and groups. As the term progressed, deadlines became more comfortable to keep, and assignments were easier to wrap up.
Now, end terms have come and gone, and the first milestone of our journey has concluded with a flourish. We have just begun our walk through the fire, but even after a few tentative steps of intense searing heat, we’ve adapted and evolved. After all, the hottest flames will forge the most hardened steel, which will prepare us for this rollercoaster ride of a journey - with even more crossroads and choices to make along the way.