An Open Letter to MBA aspirants and pursuers of Belgaum like city
by Nachiket A Hanmantgad
Hello,
In the recent times it can be seen that number of MBA colleges have cropped up, especially in the tier 3 cites like Belgaum, Hubli, Dharwar etc. Ultimately leading to number of MBA’s every year in the market, some getting good jobs some more settling for whatever is available.
I have completed my MBA from GIT and my experience of two years at MBA@GIT was very wonderful one, typically like a college life, it was fun and entertaining with lots of memories. But it isn’t possible to a cash those memories, isn’t it??.
Did I join MBA for fun and entertainment??
Here “I” do not represent me personally, but all the student fraternity of Tier 3 cities, this article though represents my opinion, but the opinions are framed based on interactions with friends of my college, other college, other cities (Hubli/ Dharwar). And probably, you the juniors are also developing same “College life” feelings, and fresher’s will be hoping for it. But hold on, as you may have guessed this article speaks exactly opposite of it.
During 4thsemester (Final SEM) we had industrial visit to Amul plant in Gujarat. We also visited the IIM Ahmadabad the premium B school of the country. There we interacted with the faculty, toured the entire large campus. It was mesmerizing. They had Wi-Fi campus, even we have, they have large library and even we have. All the books found in library are found in IIMA library. Faculties shared same thoughts. Coming to students, we found they were much more serious in their approach, were working without supervision. That’s the difference, and why is that difference? don’t we want to be successful? Certainly we do want. Then what is the problem? Why are we not able to be so much attractive to recruiters like any other premium B schools ?
The problem is in the approach towards MBA
MBA is not a compulsion, but it’s your choice. As some of you might have chosen to read only the heading of this article, some few paragraphs, others till here and even till end. It’s your choice to read and ignore it or to have a thought and understand the depth of the article.
Remember, MBA is not a college, it’s a professional program. Here you do not have the liberty of enjoying the student life, but responsibility of grooming yourself to climb the career ladder.
What is Opportunity cost of doing MBA??
In the entire two years you spend at least 4 lakhs (Much more than that). And each one of you be a graduate, hence certainly if would not have done MBA, you would get a job earning salary of at least 10K/month in Belgaum. And for two years it would be 2.40K (Considering you don’t get hike or promotion, worst case). So basically you are sacrificing such huge money.
You are sacrificing parents 4L and your own 2.40K and joining MBA for what? For enjoyment and fun?? And finally after two years of MBA, struggling to get a job?? And not to forget, putting the blame on college for everything?? Sorry boss! Think again.
What you are doing in two years??
A studious student might argue, “I attend all classes, submit assignments before deadline, study well get good marks…. What am I expected to do?”
This is the fundamental problem. All above mentioned are expected from a student of a college. But you are not a student, and MBA program is not a college. To sum up what a studious student does is that he only attends classes in his MBA. But is it enough??
To better understand the situation, let’s compare MBA program with QSR (Quick Service Restaurants) such as KFC, Dominos, and McD etc. What do you do there when you visit??
You enter the restaurant, look at menu, walk to billing counters, place order, pay, wait for the order to arrive, carry it to table, enjoy it with friends, take some selfis, check in on FB, share photos, etc. You do so many things and restaurant does not do anything. And moreover sometimes even wait in queue. All after paying few hundred bugs.
But what you do in MBA, just attend classes???
In MBA program also like in KFC you have come voluntarily, you have come with a purpose, and the purpose is much more than spending time or satisfying hunger isn’t it? The purpose is to discover yourself, your future. Not just spend two years like irresponsible student.
What you actually do here is, considering the most studious, as well as “Mr. India’s” (Students who always invisible till exams), you attend classes. Some make notes, some don’t, some write assignments, and some copy it, some study days before exam, some study just before exams, and finally some pass with high marks and some just pass. But everybody passes, it’s rare to find failures and drop outs in MBA in any college.
What you must be doing??
None of the activities mentioned above are going to be productive to you after your MBA. Yes, I mean it. If scoring high marks in examinations were so important. Then why wouldn’t an investor invest in you or your business plan based on your marks and VTU (VishvesvarayaTechnological University) certificates?? Why wouldn’t a recruiter hire you just based on your marks and not conducting any test such as GD, personal interviews??
Lecturers discuss very important and crucial topics. Do we try to gather more information of what they discuss? Do we discuss about the topics or the topics important for our career after classes with our friends and lecturers?? Case studies are given to each one of us, for the discussion on next day. How many of us touch it at least once, before the next day class??
As always we have reasons. One widely accepted reason is that, after 9 to 5 classes we will be tired. And after being tired what we do? We go to cafes, canteens and sit and chat. But we don’t realize that in the same canteen and café, case studies could be discussed. Nowadays entire campuses are Wi-Fi enabled, there is smart phone in your hand (Obliviously), why can’t you Google out information on case studies and discuss it with a bite of burger and a coffee or a coke??
Lecturers ask us prepare PPT (PowerPoint presentations) on a certain topic. What do we do?? Just Google the matter, copy and paste what is found on net (sometimes with the hyperlinks). And there are few among us, who call themselves smart, download the entire PPT from the websites such as Scribd.com and Slideshare.com, and boast of completing the PPT within minutes and not getting caught by the lecturer.
Who would have gained knowledge, if you would have prepared PPT by referring books, reading articles online?? If you are not interested to take so much trouble, Then Why did you sacrifice your 10K/month salary (opportunity cost of doing MBA) and end up here.
Again the problem is of the approach. The problem is you consider yourself as students. And lecturers as, masters who should be obeyed to gain marks. Remembers the lecturers are just the facilitators, they just help you in making your carrier by providing the direction and grooming but they don’t make your career. They provide the inspiration, motivation.
Without extending much, would like to suggest, its just matter of two years, come out of the myth of student and college life, explore, cease the opportunities, and work hard, Trips, Movies all can wait, but your MBA program ends in just two years, make most of it. Subjects in MBA don’t contain any theorems or derivations, so explore them, not for writing answer in exam but for your career. Remember what you do in college hour’s matters least in making of your career, but really matters is what you do, how productively you spend your time after college hours.
At the end of the day it’s your choice. You can either watch movie daily, in the laptop taken for the purpose of doing PPTs or you can use same laptop to browse till late night in the college library and gain knowledge. Exams and scoring doesn’t matter. It does not mean you should not study. Don’t confine your studies only to handbooks, senior notes, syllabus copies etc.
Just change the approach
All the Best