Term 1 ended yesterday…just like my previous post exulted…was quite an initiation into life at ISB. It all started innocently enough with some 'welcome to isb' and 'get-to-know' sessions. There was pre-term and orientation week…which was nothing but learning whats where on campus and some of the previous batch. Not having the seniors around to counsel you on life here and 'post'-here is probably one of the biggest drawbacks of the 1-year course.
Everything here has been a 'never been there - never done that' experience…with the lectures and the assignment and the case-studies. The objective of the 1st term was to lay the foundation of whats to come next. The material covered was great, with lively discussions in class. There was no doubt about the pedigree of the professors either, the only lingering doubt in my mind being whether they might not just treat the 4-week course as a vacation away from their travails in pennsylvania, columbia and so on. I needn't have worried…the content of the course was grade A, and special mention has to go to Prof. Finn for putting a lot of effort into making what was already a fantastic course, even more relevant to us as with references to Indian GAAP. The exams were however a different matter. Dunno if its just sour grapes…but found them to be a bit too mathematical. It seemed like one needed more hold over quadratic equations and derivations than the concepts of supply-demand…5Cs-4Ps etc. On the other hand, regular reading of the course material and thus a much better showing in the end-terms might just have had me saying the opposite about the course.
The idea is to make some (minor)modifications to the 'study protocol' :
1. Firstly….study! :)
2. Atleast TRY and keep up with whats being taught in class…something I've been told since I was in elementary school..lol
Can't help use a cliché to say…Its been quite a ride so far…and from what has been said about Term 2, we'd do well to tighten the seatbelt a notch!
