Without a trace, the group of 420+ odd strangers has dissapeared. Not a single trace. Gone is the confusion; the unfamiliarity.
In it's place are two new camps. One is called "Grades matter" camp. The other, you must have guessed is the "Grades Do Not Matter" camp.
Both camps enjoy some die-hard believers. While most of the batch kind of oscillate between these two beliefs.. The defection to the "Grades do not matter" camp more or less correlates with the exceptionally tempting parties arranged towards the weekends! The alcohol, the muzeek; hard to resist. This is not news to me. This happens every year at ISB. An alumnus had described this as the "ISB Disequilibrium"!
Why does this happen? Does this happen at other place too? Which camp is right? Well. Like all big questions, this has no easy answer. Clearly, there is no one right way to treat your MBA. Some interesting opinions from both the camps:-
Grades Do Not Matter Campers:-
1. Only TOP 5 Companies look for grades. Rest look at your past experience. So why bother?
2. One needs to de-stress after a tiring week. So I need to chill.
3. One of the most important takeaways from an MBA is the network. You cannot build a network, by limiting yourself to your studies.
Grades Matter Campers:-
1. I have not spent 15 lacs and come here to party. Here time is the major constraint.
2. I will focus on studies for now. Then later on, after core terms, I will focus on networking.
3. I am not good at all that. So I will avoid all that leadership stuff. Only grades matter.
Personally, I think that none of the above beliefs are accurate. Balance is key, but it is easier said than done. More often than not, balance comes with the risk of mediocrity. "Jack of all trades, master of none". So what is the right way?
Complete focus or Balanced Mediocrity or Complete Chill. Or is it possible to have it all?
Pour your opinions, if you have any.
cheers,
C
5 comments:
good one chandan. The unfamilarity is definitely gone anyway.
I for one believe that it is NOT about the grades. I dont recommend getting Fs all along, but this is a biz school. So everyone is as smart as the other and grading relative to one another is something tough for me to comprehend.
So chill, network, learn and have fun. The grades are just guidelines and not the goals.
Good post Chandan...
According to me , ISB offers a complete package, an experience in itself....
Concentrating only on grades, neglecting other aspects of the package can be disappointing at the end...
Completely avoiding studies can also be disappointing...
So as you said...BALANCE is the keyword....
Actually - if you get Grades you can choose any of the camps - and be snob about it :)
If you dont get grades (like yours truly) you know what camp I will choose :-)
Hmmm...you have asked the inevitable question that probably everyone wants to answer, atleast for themselves! What I would say is, 'it depends'! ;-) If one is looking for a career that does not care for grades, one has an unambigous choice. Now, if one is looking for a career that puts lot of weightage on grades, well, one might want to put her effort to get good grades atleast in the first term, and based on the output (as it is a relative measure), one can choose the right option.
i think if a balance of say 50-50 could b possible nothing better than that..but its an unsaid law of nature that its not possible or say rarely possible to have a proper balance in all things...
so i believe that ne should 1st focus on grades and that would automatically open doors for networking avenues....
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