The Beginnings

Looking back, the motives with which I started my MBA were too short of my experiences during this one year at ISB. And I couldn't have anticipated them all either. My ambitions were like any regular MBA applicant, half of them fulfilled when u gain an admission letter from a top-tiered institute. All preparations done, tickets booked, luggage packed, goodbyes said, I left my place thinking I knew what was coming. But beginning from the first day of registration the caliber of your family for next year hits you, and so does the reality check of being an MBA student.

DE - Orientation??
The first chapter of life at ISB is about the orientation week. You suddenly see the peers who are going to be with you for the entire year, and even before you see the campus. You will see them on your flight, in your train and on Google groups n Facebook. If you are from a metro, you've already met some and decided on which gangs will be cool to hang out with.
The pillared entrance to the gate is nothing short of awe-inspiring. (I know someone who kissed the ground after passing through it.) And suddenly you're transported to an expanse of a bubble, which will brand you forever. The road to reception and Student Villages (SVs) is banked by trees and rocks and signs that say 'Drive carefully. Peacocks crossing'. They are serious. And when you approach the SV assigned to you, its nothing short of a brand-new colony, with each SV having its own unique specialties. And you collect the keys to your quad/studio only to realize that it's more comfortable than so many places you put up in while working.
Moving out of the SV to register yourself, you come to witness the grandeur of the academic centre. Built in between all the 4 SVs, its literally the centre of everything in ISB. And the atrium is the symbol of its capacity for research and support - as much as you can make of it. I still want to see those big fans become storm-makers again. There's Cafe Coffee Day and our cohort's contribution to menu.. A dedicated Subway counter. Anyhow, we'll ponder on food later. For now, one will be taken in by the plethora of tasks one has to undertake to get registered. And this is when you start introducing yourself to peers that you know nothing about, and vice-versa. And once these tasks are over and everyone's gathered in atrium for the address by the Dean, you see the strength of your family... 570+ in our case.
What the dean told us didn't leave that much of an impact then, as I now wish it had. 'Grades don't matter as long as you focus on what you want to take away from ISB. For some it will come with grades, for some it will come through everything but grades. Just remember, this is a year one takes away from life to be, redefine and explore who they are.' But all of us did first were geared up to run after grades. Anyhow, this is how one welcomes ISB-ians. :)
Now the concept of study groups is foreign to many like it was to me. Now many would say a study group is your make or break for the first four or CORE terms as far as grades are concerned, because in courses the grading is not only dependent on your individual performance, but also the group's performance in group assignments. Still, I think it's a learning experience and a chance of how you work and make the most of teams you can't change. While your group is assigned to you, last year's cohort has activities planned out for you to get familiar with campus, get to know your fellow students and many alums, the section mantras, and put you all on the same page. There would definitely be a cultural event organized with inter-section competition. Get to know your section at this opportunity and use this to exhibit the talent side of yours, rather than compete. Shout out your section mantras till your throat gives in. And mix up. Don't be hesitant or proud to mix with anyone. You will all be eventually going through the same hell soon. ;)
If you haven't partied in a club before (or even if you have) be ready for an eyeful. If nothing else, ISB is worth attending just because of its all night parties. You can dance, drink, flirt, crib, sing, chill or anything within the consensual boundaries. We pride ourselves on the social culture we maintain at ISB and don't take any deviation lightly. You will too as the year passes. But enjoy the parties to the fullest. Find love if you can. Else just enjoy the company of some of the smartest brains in the country shaking it on the floor. Its an opportunity to improve your fashion sense (guys listen up!), which really does hold importance as you move up the corporate ladder. And of course find the likewise connoisseurs of liquor.
There will be pre-term classes, which I think don't add much value. Probably none except the Accounts class. But that too if Credit/Debit is as foreign to you as a Greenlander. Enjoy the campus meanwhile, and the Rec(reation) Center. Gym, swimming, basketball, squash, tennis.. You better take up one else you will be regretting not using it ever again in your life, except of course if you have these facilities at your disposal at or near home. Eat out with newly found group mates, interested friends, ask out prospects on dates and don't mess it up if you get rejected. You're there to make friends. Check out the titles in LRC (Library) and the joints out of campus. Hard Rock Cafe, Novotel, Esta, Syn, Karachi Bakery, Nautanki Gali.. Some of what Hyderabad has to offer, as far as the palate goes. And get prepared for the terms to start...