A quarter of an MBA

Just got over with my exams for the third slot here or a quarter of the coursework. It has been a roller coaster ride really. The huge red bricked architecture of the place is quite awing intially and so are the much famed Harvard steps and the Louis Kahn Plaza(LKP). Within first few days, the place offers one a 'realty check' as one sees and meets a large number of highly competitive, accomplished and ambitious people around oneself. For someone like me, it has been to that extent a humbling experience. On the flip side, it does get a lot of people distressed and paranoid, at least initially.

IIMA is known in MBA circles, for its scary academic rigor in the first term. However, we had it a bit easy - thanks to the newly implemented slot system. The migration to the slot system from the traditional term system took effect this year as an experiment. And yes, I am one of the 300 odd guinea pigs of this experiment. Coupled with major course restructuring, the system offers the faculty the flexibility to carry out a course over multiple slots, while the shorter courses get over within the same slot. The net effect has been a rationalization of the course load in the first term here, which no longer is the much dreaded first term that it used to be.

A typical day here involves 3-4 hours of group work for some of the next day's classes, along with 3-4 hours of individual work for the rest. Typical bed time is around 4 AM for most people and classes begin at 8:45 and go on till 13:10. On quite a few of the days, there will be a quiz at 14:30 following which the bull work begins for the next day and it goes on and on and on behind those red brick walls. Add to that club meetings, work for clubs, guest lectures et. al.

However, high amount of 'mugging' (IIMA's lingo for 'studying') remains an inconsequential part of the life of first years (or 'facchas' as they are called).

Time for me to 'mug' something now. More details on my life here later.