I, The Absolute

First on the exams –While I did statistics paper reasonably well, I royally goofed up marketing paper. I think many of the guys did well. It was more of math than marketing. I goofed up, nonetheless.

While the world at ISB is chilling out, I have been sitting for long at my working table doing self-analysis and making ground work for the next term and the remaining of the course. To begin with I want to revisit my objectives of coming for an MBA education. I looked at what I did right and what I did wrong. Bad thing, there are more wrongs than rights. Good thing, there are another seven terms to go.

• I am weak at quant, but no one cares when they ask my grades or come here to recruit. I better come up the curve.
• I should appreciate that if the course is tough to me then it tough to at least many of them. No point feeling alone. I will have company and I cannot let myself not believe normal distribution.
• The subjects in Term II are more difficult. There is going to be good amount of cold calling in the Term II classes. I am not willing to let myself embarrassed if and when the Prof calls on me to talk about a case. What are required – good preparation, physical participation in the class, followed by mental participation which will allow verbal participation. Class participation, that is.
• I missed one out of a total of 40 classes in Term I. It was by choice; but I realize it was a gross mistake. Imagine missing one session when entire Strategy course is being taught in eight sessions and 16 hours. I will never want to miss out a class.
• Thanks to a completely new set up where the skills being tested are way off from what were being tested in a work environment and consequent difficulty, many of us, at least I, have developed a negative vocab in our/my everyday language. I will be rid of this.
• I have not optimally utilized the resources available at ISB. Want to improve on this.
• Hard I tried to be very organized. But the work and complexity of the subjects overwhelmed me. This time I want to be in charge and not let the time and work control me. Break is a good time to do this.
• Come what may, will allocate ten minutes of every day for self-audit and meditation.
• While I may want to be presumptuous in not caring about grades, at some level grades represent understanding of subject.

Why do I not want to relax and chill out? Law of inertia. Having been studying for a few weeks and studying hard for the last few days, I have gathered some momentum and I dint want to put a brake on the momentum. If I take a break I will lose the momentum and coming back to this mind-set will take time. I will chill out, surely. But tomorrow and day after. Right now – time for self-audit.