When I decided to pursue an MBA, I asked myself what is it that I wanted to be – a plain, smart, knowledgeable MBA graduate or someone who has learnt all the lessons of life well and is ready to take on anything and everything that comes his way? I asked myself if I wanted to leave others behind or excel along with all who surround me. The web of my acquaintances suggested the former and left me somewhat confused and a little baffled. So, I left the decision up till the time I actually joined a business school.

And here I am, at SIBM Pune, finally set on the path to be a manager. Clearing the SNAP exam did seem difficult at that time, but now that I am here, pursuing my MBA in Symbiosis International University, and getting to learn what lies ahead, I am amused as I realize how trivial my worries about the exam were. The most daunting task lies ahead. The task to excel here, and to be the manager that I always wanted to see in others but realized that I will have to be one myself.

Pursuing an MBA in India is really a Herculean task. There are over a thousand MBA schools in India, and over two hundred plus B schools in Pune. And every other day you see the B-magazines coming out with these lists of the best B schools in India. How is one supposed to decide where one wants to join? And the worst of all, it is not just up to you to score well and choose the school, the school has to like you back. But with all done now, and SIBM “liking me back” and allowing me to join their prestigious institution, I have embarked on the journey to become an MBA graduate.

So, now comes the most haunted question. Did I make a right choice? Should I have considered any other opportunity? Will my decision help me be the person I want to be?

This never ending list of question is so exhaustive, answering them might make me question my choice of pursuing an MBA altogether. So I decided to put an end to this and ask myself one question. Is what I am doing right now making me happy? And the answer is yes. And so I know that joining SIBM Pune has been the right decision for me. I am at a place where I want to be. I am surrounded with people whom I respect and would like to see as managers. I am being educated by a set of people who share their knowledge as if it is like this is their purpose of life. I am in a place which boasts of an environment of not only growth and progress, but of nature’s endowment. In these three weeks at SIBM Pune, I have already learnt a few important lessons about the journey that I have embarked upon. The course structure, the teaching and administrative finesse, the chances provided to the students to run and manage their institute and all the activities, the global perspective offered in this environment is all that I could hope or ask for. In fact, it is much more.

It is always said that MBA is a tumultuous journey, and it is also the ticket to a successful career. The journey does seem very spiral here, and with a few extra twists and turns, but I would rather take it as a ticket to a good life than just a successful career. And I am sure, SIBM Pune will not only provide me this but also a taste of knowledge, the capacity to explore and to perceive the relationship between knowledge and experience.

Spriha Garhwal

First Year MBA Student at SIBM Pune