Before embarking on the journey of sharing
my experiences about life at LBS, I personally think that it's quite important
to pen down my experiences of what it took to get to LBS! The glory of being
here would only then be justified!
It was my vision to be part of one of the
top universities of the world. Given that I was safely encased in my comfort
zone back home didn't help one bit in getting my dreams to become a reality. It
took two years of coaxing and cajoling during the waking hours, apart from the
sustained thoughts of ambition that kept me awake through the night, to get me
moving – from Chennai to London!
Everyone who enters LBS has a story of
toil and risk to tell! Only few are very lucky in the sense that things
magically unfold and fall into place sequentially and magnificently! But, don't
forget, these lucky few also had to invest a lot of effort!
I was working for a bank in India and had
to put in 72 hours of work a week (minimum). Had just one day to myself,
Sunday! While the urge to get out and gain global exposure was overwhelming,
prudence demanded that I keep my job. The remaining hours of the week saw me
juggle my attention between family, friends, GMAT preparation, the application
process, consolidating my wisdom of the last six years and an hour of social
service once in two or three weeks amidst contemplating ways to resolve issues
at workplace. I know this sounds crazy, tedious, quite challenging in fact; but
today when I look back at those good old days (good, because without those
days, today would have remained a fantasy), trust me, what I went through is
beyond my own comprehension. But passion does that to all of us - drives us to
perform despite testing circumstances. I have a few classmates who lost their
jobs amidst the on-going Euro crisis and instead of losing faith in life and
beginning to coin it destiny they converted their loss into an opportunity by
preparing for the GMAT without losing much time and going through with the
whole process of getting admitted here. It takes such an undying
attitude to get here. Money is a constraint to a majority of us, so planning
ahead is also required.
Admitted to London Business School!
'Invincible' becomes quite tangible.
The orientation
day, the first day at school happens at the Mansion House, London, the
residence of the Lord Mayor of London and you feel on the top of the
world.
It feels incredible to be part of this
diverse and intellectually superior crowd. Excitement oozes from every pore of
your being. Classes begin soon and the subjects seem quite familiar. Most of
the topics are not unknown to the group and it is a feel-good factor because
you think you really can sit back, relax and enjoy listening to the lectures.
Only after a couple of sessions and an assignment later it dawns on you –
ooooops – nothing at LBS is a cakewalk, merely because what you’ve always known
is more of ‘theory’ while what is being imparted in LBS is more of
‘application’.
When you reach LBS you think you are
smart, but after you interact with the intellectual pool - classmates and
professors, you are amazingly humbled! Everything around you drives you to
excellence - positive forces!
This is my first time away from family and
interacting with my classmates has been an enriching and splendid feeling.
There is so much to share - joy, knowledge, fun, stories and lifetime of
associations to be made! Once you set foot here, you soon realise that LBS
becomes your world, a home away from home!
