Back to the Grind

Time’s been flying. First Term is over, and the second one is already giving us all sleepless nights, and even more importantly, beer-less weekends. The frenetic pace and the nervous energy with which people have adapted to the new, improved, extra-stress term is truly remarkable. That includes me too. Not only did I manage to meet up a few thousand people in my 2 short days at Bangalore, but also drove all the way from Bangalore to Hyderabad, and then spent a couple of hours in the night reading the material for the first class. If there ever were any doubts about my new found geek-hood, I have laid them all to rest.

The first week in the new term has been rather disappointing. After sitting through some truly inspiring lectures from the likes of Stine, Finn, Waterman, Vohra etc last term, the new term is , plainly put, disappointing. Competitive Strategy, which is a key course in all MBA programs, is turning out to be a disaster. While it is understandable that Prof. GV is new to this school, and probably to the profession as well, it still doesn’t do justice to the exorbitant amount of fees that I have paid. While my sympathies are surely with her, I’d definitely not want to sit through a rookie lecturer’s class where valid arguments are brushed under the carpet with a disappointing “I know more than you” attitude.

Decision Models and Optimization is the other subject that I am very disappointed with. Another key subject and another disastrous choice of faculty. The high expectations that were built up after such an amazing faculty for the first term have come crashing down just one week into the second term.

The saving grace, however, has been this brand new world to which we have been given access. A make-believe world where we all start off as tycoons, and can shape our futures with our own actions. No, I haven’t been reading too many of those Harry Potter novels. I’m referring to the MarkStrat World. We submitted our very first decision in the MarkStrat World last night. A decision that, we hope, will hold us in good stead in the times to come.

Moving on to some news from the non-ISB world, the biggest event that the whole world is currently watching is the FIFA World Cup. Despite the rigorous schedules, I continue to catch the soccer action everyday at least for a couple of hours. I’m rooting for the Dutch and the English.

In other news, Mika Singh and Rakhee Sawant went smack at each other, before Rakhee experienced a cultural epiphany, and decided to take Mika to court for violating her Indian-ness.
Yawn.
Signing off.