From 18 Backlogs In Engineering To A Premier B-School To A Serial National Finalist
Madhav Joshi is a MICA Ahmedabad student (Class of 2022), a final year marketer pursuing a master's degree specializing in Media, Entertainment & Management. He is a published Author of novel ‘The Shadows of Home’ & has won multiple case study competitions including L'Oréal Brandstorm and Nestle Agri Challenge. This Article will converse about his journey to B-School and how to blossom in it.
Disclaimer: This is not a TED Talk.
I faintly seemed to remember a few shouts from my roommate. Like always, he had given up. The bed felt so cozy but more than that the brain seemed tired. After much contemplation, I conjured up the courage to glance at my phone. It’s almost 10:00 now. The exam would have begun half an hour ago.
It wasn’t that I lacked the ability to study. After all, I had cleared JEE. It was probably the lack of will or desire. Was that because it wasn’t the field of my choice or was it because I found a world here beyond my imagination? I don’t know.
Engineering was my freedom, the library was my sanctuary. But more than anything the naive small town middle class boy discovered that he can break free to a world of possibilities. Make no mistake, most of my professors were heartwarming, and friends more than helpful. The last few nights before exams when almost all of their preparation took place they welcomed me too. But something within me told me there was a better use of time & energy.
Engineers have created marvels in this world but it wasn't my strength to fight on this field. Many times I picked the phone to call back home but never dialed. Neither I had the courage to continue, nor the guts to give up this show.
Touching the shore of vast oceans of psychology, economics, marketing & storytelling enthused a spirit to yearn more. Knowing people, working with them, adoring their intricacies & exploring their strengths while being a cultural secretary & AIESECer gave me a renewed realization that it is where I belong. People & Stories. That's what fascinated me. Somehow I passed the line & got the degree. My first novel was published. Few amazing seniors showed me there was a place I could belong and do wonders.
What followed was diligence like never seen before. I was determined to score well in MBA entrance exams. The world of literature had made me adept with words and with a few dodges up the numbers, I scored 99.67 percentile in XAT and entered MICA. They appreciated my genuineness. Despite good percentiles, while other colleges saw me as a risk, MICA saw a promise in me that even I didn’t comprehend.
What followed was a place to grow.
How to ace corporate case study competitions? Always be curious. Don’t assume initially but research. Don’t only see the case, but the context, the company, the scope & why they are asking what they are asking. Only after you have the numbers to support or insights as a safety net, feel free to take that leap of faith if something creative or out of the box is asked for.
Support your teammates through thick and thin.
But most importantly, give your everything as these are the platforms where you can learn the most. Yes, make learning the primary goal instead of winning. Make growing into a better observer, thinker, innovator & strategist the priority focus. Everything else will follow.
Your B-school is a journey to nurture yourself and explore to become the most impactful and valued self. There is no set formula for it. Keep walking. The path ahead can (if you allow) change your destiny.
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