Author: Joy Das

Diwali is one of the most meaningful festivals in India, celebrated as the triumph of good over evil and light over darkness. There are many fables connected with Diwali, but the most well-known is the return of Lord Rama to home Ayodhya after spending 14 years in exile in a forest. The people lit lamps across the city to welcome him back, and that glow became the heart of the festival.This Diwali wasn’t my first one away from home. But it was special because, for the first time, I was actually out of India, and I felt the absence of the familiar rhythm of the festival very strongly.

MBA life is full of opportunities and you will have to take your time to plan those opportunities which align with your life. This fall, I found one such opportunity.From day one, we are reminded that an MBA internship is one of the most important parts of the program. The skills that you build on the job are far more useful than what can be taught in a textbook or a classroom. Real-world challenges force you to come with out of the box solutions in real time, and internships provide that opportunity.

I had always wondered what the first class of a B School would feel like and, boy-oh-boy,  was I surprised. Coming back to class after working for more than a decade was both daunting and exciting at the same time. I was pretty sure and half-joked to myself  that I was going to be the “Senior Citizen” of my entire cohort, being surrounded with people almost half my age.