One year into FMS has been a hell of a ride. From the moment you enter the auditorium full of 200 people to realize that you actually made it here to the moment you have the best conversation with a friend and you realize that yes, you indeed made some great bond here, FMS has been an enriching and one if the best experiences in life so far. Yes it’s a great learning experience but apart from that it is a direct opportunity for you to think where your preferences and priorities lie. Looking back at the last 7 months, I can point out a startling difference in me and I certainly feel that being here has played a major role in this. Meeting all the different people throughout this time and learning from each and every one of them has played a crucial role. It is like a vast pool of knowledge and depends on us how much we are able to absorb. However, the external perceptions that people generally have about a business school say something else. So before joining college, a number of people advised me and the complexity involved was not so welcoming. Now that I am here I classify them as the top 3 traditional myths associated with every business school.
1)You never make friends in a B school- “People come with all sorts of perceptions and planning and so you need to stay prepared all the time”. Whoever said that you don’t make friends, definitely never came to a business school. Alongside the academic learning and the profile building, another simultaneous process is always in place. The process is about building bonds strong enough for you to feel home at all times and feel lesser of the competition. It is about making time out for friends in the busiest schedules and making memories in a 15 minutes lecture break that you get.
2)Decide your one single preference before you join college- “I only want to do Finance. I will never get a job that gives me another profile”. I have heard a number of people say this and altered versions of the same statement. But is it actually true? Definitely not. Coming from the diverse backgrounds that MBA students have, they are bound to have little exposure to what the different profiles could mean and the kind of work the profiles carry. It is only after you come here that you realize where your interests lie and how you could build on them. All I would say is it is better to come in with an open mind and you never know what options and opportunities await you at the other end.
3)Placements mean everything and nothing lies above this fact- Securing a job would be a priority for everyone and anyone who joins a business school but it should not be the only thing that runs in your mind. You need to have a focused mind but that mind need not think only about a job all the time. There are certain experiences that you cannot miss out on and if you do so you will definitely regret it. It is very important that you look at the bigger picture and have faith in yourself. An opportunity may seem very small at the moment but you never know when it might turn into your best decision a few years from now. You don’t want to keep running in race only to realize that you were running in a pack you don’t belong to at all. I have seen people making time for their hobbies and passions and the kind of satisfaction that it gives them cannot be matched. You cannot do everything at every point of time but you can surely take out for your own self once in while.
We all fall prey onto these myths and tend to make mistakes. Getting an MBA is about learning as much as you can from whichever source and way. It is a wonderful journey that wouldn’t be as scary as people think it is if you have a cool mind that is open to explore opportunities and the dedication to just go for something if it interests you. The best part is that you meet like minded people who share a passion for similar things and that is definitely going to help you. It is a place where dreams are crafted and maybe that’s why they call FMS “The Red Building of Dreams”. I have had an amazing first year full of experiences that I live by and eagerly looking forward to another year for some amazing memories and experiences.
As I’m writing this article, I can think of all the applicants at different schools. If there’s one single advice that I would like to give out, I would say that you should make the most out of every moment. Do not get boggled by the different things that people say or the perceptions that people carry. Your 2 years here will make you and you need to think how you want to go about it. Your dreams have been crafted and now all you need to do is give them wings.
Shilpa Agarwal is a first year student at Faculty of Management Studies, Delhi. She believes in living life to the fullest and finding happiness in the smallest of things. She enjoy painting, playing the violin and cooking. A joyful person by heart, she is associated with vibrance at all times.
