'Why MBA' – Personality Development That Comes With An MBA Degree

The alarm goes off at 7:00 in the morning as you frantically battle with sleep. You haven’t had the luxury of a good night’s sleep for weeks and there you go again, faced with another demanding day filled with things you would have never imagined yourself doing in a single day. You somehow rush through things and barely make it to the first lecture and thus the cycle begins. Lectures, cold calls, assignments, readings, quizzes, meetings and presentations engulf you from all the sides and just as you catch your breath, its night again. Though one knows the value that an MBA adds to one’s profile in terms of knowledge and exposure, hectic times and all the chaos can make one wonder what’s really happening. There are times when I have asked myself “What am I here for? Is this really what I wanted to get into?” However, soon you realise that MBA is not just about getting the requisite knowledge and skills but its more about internalising the lifestyle and work pattern. A b-school not only provides you with the required education but it also simulates the entire experience to prepare you well for your future responsibilities. Here’s how it made a difference in my case:

- Time-management:
Let’s be honest, a lot of us fail miserably when it comes to time-management. One of the most important characteristics of successful managers is their ability to manage time effectively. Be it lectures, guest talks or any other activity on the campus, being late by even a minute can cost you a lot and this actually helps you learn how to plan well in advance. This is one vital change that I have noticed in myself that has been brought about by the b-school life.

- Discipline:
Apart from punctuality, life at b-schools also brings a lot of discipline in whatever you do. The continuous evaluation demands a lot of sincerity and consistency and gradually you get used to working almost all the time and also at odd hours.

- Speaking skills:
Another interesting thing that I realised was that I had learned the art of putting my thoughts into words and presenting them to people without inhibitions. I was one of those students who would often have an answer but would not speak up in the class due to the fear that my answer might be wrong. At a b-school, class participation is a mandatory thing and this has actually helped me put forth my points in class.

- Collaboration:
We might call ourselves team-players but deep down we know that we prefer to work individually. However, this is not how things work in a corporate setting because people mostly work in teams. Collaboration is not something that one can learn easily. But thanks to the group assignments that we are subjected to, we get numerous opportunities to learn how to work effectively as a team.

In a nutshell, MBA is much more than developing business proficiency. It will bring loads of knowledge as well as the much-needed personality development. In this short period of 4 months, I feel that I have transformed for good and I am absolutely sure that this MBA roller-coaster is going to help me build a better version of myself! So if you are asking yourself “Why MBA?” these things should definitely be a part of your consideration.