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5 Lessons from MBA IIT Kanpur



1.      Learning is not confined only to classrooms

As the first semester is over, I realize that apart from classroom subject matter, there are a lot more things that I have learnt here. Learning takes place in almost every aspect of one's life at MBA IIT K.

The induction activities that our seniors conducted before the official start of the semester was a great way to interact with the batch-mates.
The group projects and the assignments that followed after the semester began, taught us the art of working productively in teams, time management, importance of feedback and learning while mingling with the people from diverse backgrounds.
Every week, we had eminent speakers from various top positions in the corporate world, sharing topics that they were passionate about which helped us to constantly expand our knowledge base into new areas.

2.       Be prepared to leave behind your comfort  zone

In the class you will be constantly evaluating cases and putting forward your point of view. Everyone is constantly encouraged to put forward their opinion to be refuted or supported by fellow classmates. Not only will this help you to think critically, it will also give you an opportunity to practice public speaking. With time you will find yourself coming up with stronger points and speaking confidently and convincingly to defend your point. There is nothing right or wrong in the opinion you give, as long as you have some logic backing it. Learning and refining that skill is an essential part of overall development. In the class room you will get ample opportunity to do so.

3.       Time is limited! Find your goal and interest

People come to business school for so many reasons, it can be academic, networking or for career transition. Things will get smoother if you are clear about your priorities and why you wish to come to business school.  For each trade-off you make here, these priorities will help you making that decision.
No matter what your priorities are, you will get ample time in IIT Kanpur to pursue those. I am an academically inclined person, may be a small percentage in the MBA crowd, but the excellent faculty in the department has been a great opportunity for me to explore further.

4.       It is okay to not be a finance or accounting major

You don’t need to be a 'finance-wiz' to ace in MBA classes. People come from diverse backgrounds (in IIT Kanpur’s case from Engineering/Science Background), so they might or might not have taken a single finance class in their career. It does not matter as long as you are willing to push through the subject material with persistence. You will learn that, while you lack finance knowledge, another person may lack operations knowledge. Everyone has something to learn from one another and contribute in the overall learning process.

5.       A transformational experience to look forward to
For many of us it was a tough choice to come to business school, because it meant taking time out from an advancing career. But now I realize that I can explore areas that I never would have had the opportunity to do otherwise. I discovered my love for economics after coming here and I am pondering on proceeding further in that field. The seminars that I talked about are excellent opportunities to explore new fields. You get to create a diverse network which can help in your career ahead.
Last but not the least, I have found a group of friends with whom I am going to share perhaps every great life experience in future, because of the strong bonds we have developed while riding the roller coaster called MBA!

- Orchi Bhattacharyya
  MBA IIT Kanpur
  2017-19 Batch






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