Its more than a year of my PGSEM journey. Over one year of jam packed and stress filled life. PGSEM is like a "sanyas" from the social order. Even though I knew that PGSEM course was gonna be hectic, there is a big difference between imagining oneself being in the war trenches than the real deal. Even got my first set of grey hairs, don't know whether the two are related :P. But one thing I surely learnt was to juggle things and most importantly time management. Working for a korean firm and studying for your MBA from IIM usually dont go hand in hand, and previously I never felt for a need for a 26 hr day, but nowadays I do. "Multi-tasking" and time management they say are the golden words for any management student and thanks to this real life setting have already been put under stress test. Its not as if my time management is coming on top every single day, in many instances failing miserably. Everything is planned nowadays, cycling days, running days, vacation/travel days, rest days, study days and so on.
Now after 5 Quarters (5 more to go) of getting grind I was wondering what were the positive changes that I have undergone so far. The first in the list definitely the raw arrogance and confidence when dealing with non-IIM guys :P. Now people will ask how is that good in any way?????!!!!!!. Well for an usually introvert guy this is a big confidence boost that makes you think you are above all else. Only hoping that it wont turn me into one of those obnoxiously arrogant person :P.
Apart from the actual courses where u learn a lot dealing with marketing, economics, finance, strategy, human resources, entrepreneurship,operation management, corporate law and so on you also get lot of gyaan from the highly qualified and inspiring professors this college boasts of . As one professor had put it "Life is not just about MBA and hi-salaries...at the end of the day u have to die peacefully":). The true purpose of MBA as illustrated by another prof was to broaden ones scope of understanding even if that is shallow rather than "narrow and deep" view one had undergone doing the engineering days. Somehow I felt I didnt have many inspiring teachers/lecturers/professors during my school and college days who majorly concentrated on the exams point of view and not about the true learning which is how it should be.
The other major thing is I have started is to think big. After doing engineering my dreams were limited to being a software engineer with a decent pay-check, but after joining into this course you start to think stuff like entrepreneurship, which was totally out of scope previously. I have started to be more forthcoming with my ideas (even the crappiest ones :P) and less worried about how people judge me for those ideas. The concept of "Let Go" has finally started to creep into my mindset for stuff I have no control and have no point of thinking about it again and again.
Some of the assignments the prof asks us to do are also very meaningful and reflecting on oneself as an individual. In one such course I had to get feedback (both negative and positive) from friends, colleagues and family members. After the initial apprehension of the participants in providing a negative feedback, I finally got frank feedback which were surprising and shocking at the same time. I don't think I could have taken the negative feedback sportingly, if I didn't have positive mindset towards change. The inspiration to change has to start from within. No matter however big the external push is unless there is spark within there wouldnt be a significant change.
With 5 more quarters of this journey to be completed I am exactly half-way through. To be frank PGSEM as a course is a tough thing to do, but at the same time it is all the more satisfying. As some senior had put it "PGSEM is an investment into the future and not just for an immediate change", and I am hoping that change will be with respect to not just my skills in marketing and strategy (the fields where I am trying to specialize), but as a human being too. Worth every paisa of the 9.5 lacs I am paying for this course :).
Now after 5 Quarters (5 more to go) of getting grind I was wondering what were the positive changes that I have undergone so far. The first in the list definitely the raw arrogance and confidence when dealing with non-IIM guys :P. Now people will ask how is that good in any way?????!!!!!!. Well for an usually introvert guy this is a big confidence boost that makes you think you are above all else. Only hoping that it wont turn me into one of those obnoxiously arrogant person :P.
Apart from the actual courses where u learn a lot dealing with marketing, economics, finance, strategy, human resources, entrepreneurship,operation management, corporate law and so on you also get lot of gyaan from the highly qualified and inspiring professors this college boasts of . As one professor had put it "Life is not just about MBA and hi-salaries...at the end of the day u have to die peacefully":). The true purpose of MBA as illustrated by another prof was to broaden ones scope of understanding even if that is shallow rather than "narrow and deep" view one had undergone doing the engineering days. Somehow I felt I didnt have many inspiring teachers/lecturers/professors during my school and college days who majorly concentrated on the exams point of view and not about the true learning which is how it should be.
The other major thing is I have started is to think big. After doing engineering my dreams were limited to being a software engineer with a decent pay-check, but after joining into this course you start to think stuff like entrepreneurship, which was totally out of scope previously. I have started to be more forthcoming with my ideas (even the crappiest ones :P) and less worried about how people judge me for those ideas. The concept of "Let Go" has finally started to creep into my mindset for stuff I have no control and have no point of thinking about it again and again.
Some of the assignments the prof asks us to do are also very meaningful and reflecting on oneself as an individual. In one such course I had to get feedback (both negative and positive) from friends, colleagues and family members. After the initial apprehension of the participants in providing a negative feedback, I finally got frank feedback which were surprising and shocking at the same time. I don't think I could have taken the negative feedback sportingly, if I didn't have positive mindset towards change. The inspiration to change has to start from within. No matter however big the external push is unless there is spark within there wouldnt be a significant change.
With 5 more quarters of this journey to be completed I am exactly half-way through. To be frank PGSEM as a course is a tough thing to do, but at the same time it is all the more satisfying. As some senior had put it "PGSEM is an investment into the future and not just for an immediate change", and I am hoping that change will be with respect to not just my skills in marketing and strategy (the fields where I am trying to specialize), but as a human being too. Worth every paisa of the 9.5 lacs I am paying for this course :).
