April 13 - 20 - Enlightenment started happening

I start seeing a pattern just after first week. Second week gave new perspectives, new insight and enlightenment. In past when someone used to tell me that my perspective changed during case discussions, I couldn't fathom on what they mean. Now after having experienced it myself, I can repeat same story to inquisitive minds asking me same question. Good becomes bad and bad becomes good after revelations by professor. They make us walk the journey beautifully and at pace determined by them.

The study load is heavy but each lecture is engaging. We are learning to market dreams and do number crunching at the same time. Overlaps between subjects have become evident in second week itself. Fellow students are setting bars of presentation high and its a motivation to me to step up my effort further and match them. Its not a competition with others but with self to show that I can do same.

I had my first quiz for micro-economics. At last minute it was announced to be open book and we all knew that it will be heavy on subject application. The questions asked were really challenging. It left me pondering if I should develop understanding or gather facts or balance them. Trade off between two has to be made as time is limited commodity.

I also heard that what cannot be measured cannot be improved. It is so true that I cannot improve on something I cannot measure. But can happiness be measured? Can number be put to hug kids give when I used to reach home and be with them? But then again, can I say I want to be more happy or more loved? Some things are what makes us humans, a system. I was also introduced to elephants and cheetahs. I was aware of them but couldn't think of it while reading the case and didn't see it coming in class before professor announced it.

On personal level, I am still getting settled and absorbing the fact that I can see my near and dear ones on video chat alone. I haven't forgotten on extra things I want to do while being in college. I will keep reminding myself of that and work towards it.

Update on March-28-2015 - Life flew by and I couldn't keep up with blogging :)

April-7-14-2014 - PGPX journey begins

Its been only 10 days since I started from US to IIMA. But for multiple reasons it feels like months. Away from family, managing all alone when I got used to having company of Garima, new friends, new environment, plans not getting executed as thought of, weird wireless setups that don't allow facetime or skype on phone and coming to terms with it, assignments and studies all the time. List goes on. But the feeling is of living each moment to fullest and not of despair. Sumptuous breakfast, lunch and dinner with round table discussions with friends make 1 hour on table seem less. Engrossing lectures by professors make you wonder why the session was only for 1.5 hours and why can't the professor just continue. Adhoc works like getting mobile connection or closing my US mobile connection are taking time and making me anxious.

But its true that more you talk or discuss, less anxious you feel. When I discuss with others about the challenges I faced and see that they are facing same challenges, make me feel that "together we can do it".

We will, We will!! do it

Till last week, I can say that I had apprehensions on going back to school. But this one week was stimulating. Learning doesn't pause and I lie peacefully in bed at night thinking that the day was well spent. This feeling was not normal during many office days. In this period I could see that each professor has different style of engaging the class. The presence of mind of professors is too good to give wonderful one liners that can cause waves of laughter. The way they shatter the myths of business in our mind, is wonderful. The world isn't black and white and paths of life isn't always paved. The talks with fellow students have begun and I love talking with students from diverse background. People have spent time in sales and marketing, FMCG, brand building, NGOs, researchers, legal practice, teaching and so much.

Time is essential commodity and the one which is most scarce. Its supply is limited and demand is inelastic. Only solution to buy time is to take away time from some low priority item.

Knowing that numbers alone can be deceiving when the context is incorrect was interesting. Discussion on  court cases solved on probability and number theory and lawyers making money in the original case and counter case fighting over the interpretation of numbers make you wonder - oh yes the world is like this. Imagine someone accusing of a crime by saying that since finding a match like you on description by eye witness is 1 in 10 million so you are guilty.

I happen to visit CIIE yesterday and it was interesting to meet with people who have entrepreneurial zeal and ready to work day and night to make their dreams come true. The discussions with guest speaker on how to take some of the ideas forward made me feel like I am standing in "Shark tank" discussing if licensing is the right future or working ground up is the recommended path.

Who says that "city that never sleeps" is vegas? Its IIMA that never sleeps :)...come and see our batch!!