Sunday, August 17, 2008

As anniversaries go...

I just remembered - It's been a year since i left for Chicago as an aspiring MBA student. I have been in a rare introspective mood this weekend. I've lived some kind of an exciting life over the course of my first year at GSB and the internship. Things have changed - for both the good and the bad - and in the process, I have changed!!! Since change is the only constant thing ever, I'm not surprised at the change; but comparing what i was last August to what I am now - I really am surprised what the last year has brought upon me.

It is quite difficult to write this post without giving away too much of myself. Especially to people who know me personally. Still, I feel obligated to write this post, to chronicle this moment in this journal, at least for the sake of posterity! So I'm gonna be as discrete and riddled as possible!

Bottom line: I have had a great year. There have been long durations when i failed to notice it enough to appreciate how great it was. But sitting at my home here in Santiago - when i look back, I must certainly agree that it has been a good year. Business school is a one-of-its-kind beast. At least in my case, the last one year has been quite transformational. Inside the classrooms - yes! Certainly!!! Somehow i managed to entangle myself in a lot of good and bad things outside the classrooms. That, coupled with the great GSB classes, mean that these 12 months have taught me a LOT more, on a LOT many fronts, than ever.

Looking at myself today - I must admit there are changes. The perspectives on a million things (and the very act of having one), the outlook towards life and business and everything in between, professional and personal aspirations, a few core beliefs and the belief on what's core, responsibilities - including the very definition of a responsibility, plans on every front including how & what i plan for, the personality and the person - all of these have changed.

Then there are the causes behind these changes. The Experiences. The successes and the failures; the acceptances and the rejections; the realizations and the denials! The People!!! Friends - old, new and the non-friends, professors, colleagues, group mates, class mates, peers, bloggers, people i meet through the blog, people i meet through GSB - everyone has contributed to this. Some less than the others and some more! But you are featured, at least as the source for a tiny little step (or mis-step) that took me here. And to you all, I am grateful for helping me with that step at that time!

So what am I now? What is this change I am talking about?
Am I a better man today than what I was last year? I cant answer that? I'm partial when i rate myself!
A Good man or a Bad one? I don't know! Who am I to draw the lines?
But am I happier now than last year? Certainly yes! More than i could remember in quite a while!
And in the end - isn't it the only thing that matters!

Here's to all my second year friends' first years at their respective business schools and the corresponding changes it has brought about in them.

Change sure does sound like the flavor of the season!!!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Iday,
when do first year classes start?
When is it good time to visit school?

Anonymous said...

Hi, my name is Josh, and I'm a recent Stanford GSB graduate. I’d like to offer your readers some helpful information. I recently surveyed my classmates, friends and colleagues, and asked them to discuss their application strategies, as well as advice for entering MBA students, for Stanford, Harvard, Columbia, and Kellogg. I compiled the responses into a FREE 21-page report available at http://www.ExpertCollective.com. Stanford MBA applicants tell me that the information is really helpful in filling-out their essays with detailed and specific information, while the entering first-years appreciate the advice on how to make best use of the 2 years at business school. I’d love to have you review the full version of the report (80+ pages) if you think you’re readers might be interested. Please send me an email at josh@expertcollective if you’d like me to email you a copy to review for your blog.

Best wishes for your success!

Josh Hohman
Stanford MBA 2005
www.ExpertCollective.com

Iday said...

Anon:
First year classes start on Sept 25th. A good time to visit the school, in my opinion, would be early October. I'd suggest that you email/call the AdComm folks and check with them - they certainly know more than i do :)

Josh:
Thanks for your note. I'll shoot you a mail.

vds said...

Iday,

I have sent you a mail.
Did you get a chance to read it?
Can you kindly take time to reply to it?
thanks
vishnu