To be or not to be

An oft asked question. A rarely given answer

For starters, the real [and only true] question that you need to ask yourself as you get out of Atria mall and take a cab down to Worli Seaface and walk by as the water hits the walls is... Why do you want to pursue an MBA?

* Is it only because the world does it?
* Is it only because you want to see what else is there to offer?
* Is it only because you want to move away from where you are?
* Is it only because you want to be independent and away from home?
* Is it only because you could live in NY?
* Is it only because you want to make shitloads of money?
* Is it only because you want to be successful in life?

If you answer in the affirmative to any of the questions other than the last, you probably want to re-assess why you want to pursue an mba and the self doubt is well-placed. If you affirm to the final question though, you are probably on the right track.

The MBA today has become [unfortunately] a fashionable thing to do. It is like colouring ones hair [ I swear i couldnt get a better analogy and this isnt aimed at anyone in particular ] or getting the latest phone. People pursue it because everyone else does it. People go to some random school to pursue it, if they have to. It is a rat race and they think they are missing something if they don't run that race as well. They don't know why they are running. They have no freaking clue. All they know is that they need to run.

Another reason is because people are generally escapist [I do not judge, it is perfectly fine to want something that is out there that one wants and cannot get to] and want to run away from what they are currently doing. One major reason for the plethora of engineers/IT guys after that MBA dream is that they don't like what they do and see this as an avenue to escape. This is a fair reason, a good reason. But I am sure there are other ways to do what they want to do. Also, the world after an MBA is not some super rosy place where there are no assholes, back-stabbers and super-achievers. On the contrary, it may be far worse sometimes.

Inertia is a bad thing. It makes things difficult to start moving. Things are easy the way they are and most people like to keep them that way. Then, there are others for whom change needs to be constant. For some, that change never came. They have lived where they have [albeit a few geographic changes] all their lives. Life has been sheltered and they haven't seen the world outside. They yearn to break the proverbial shackles, to travel to lands unseen and to live life as they want to. Life at their pace, where they are in charge of their destiny. They love their parents to death. Yet, they desire to experience life as a lone stranger who walks down Marine Drive, assimilating the wonders and experiences of life. They want to shave their head bald, to colour their hair blonde, to wear those plunging necklines and to live-in with their girl. And yet, not have to deal with the frown of daddy and mummy dearest.

Someone liked the city so much, they decided to name it twice. Hence, it is New York, New York. The Greenwich Village, Central Park, Wall Street, Broadway, Chelsea, TriBeCa and the Washington Square Park are places they want to be and visit. Friends was their favorite show and they like all things American. They speak with the American slur, believe that colour should be color and not the other way around. The Lion King, Phantom Of the Opera and other shows on Broadway are on the top ten things on the list of things to do. Wouldn't they kill to get that elusive American visa, land on the chimerical soil and live that elusive dream? Touted to be the best city in the world, a reputation one believes that it lives up to. A good reason to try to land at JFK or EWR and believe that they have Truly Arrived!

Green is good, green is fashionable. A few extra thousand to spare, those elusive Jimmy Choo stilettos, that Brooks Brothers tailored single button suit, the Roger Vivier tag in the closet, the Bulgari dress watch, the Hermes and Ferragamo ties, the Lexus Sedan and that annual trip to the Alps. The life in the dreams, one that you always wanted, but was very much out of reach. So out of reach that you didn't even know anyone who had even one item in the list. You could have been the person that told Dawar Seth in Deewar, 'Main aaj bhi phenke huey paise nahin uthata'. You wanted to be there since a kid and would put in whatever effort it would take.

You have a dream. You want to make it big. You have an interest. You want to pursue that interest. You don't work for charity, and yet money is not the only thing that drives your career ambitions. You have things to prove to yourself. You want to chart new territories. Have a great life along the way. Meet great people, have awesome experiences while you do so. Rise up fast and yet know what you are doing. Be the star that people talk about, yet have your feet on the ground. In short, be something. There are many ways to get there. An MBA is merely one of them.

Some of us are brilliant. We become the Bill Gates of the world. Some of us are gifted, we become the Richard Bransons of the world. Some of us pursue a dream, we become the Jyotiraditya Scindyas of the world. Some of us have the vision, we become the Laxmi Mittals of the world. The others try to get to where these people are. They try to pursue utopia. Some succeed, some don't. They do because they are what they are. Not only because they did what they did.

There are many ways to the top of the pyramid. Some paths are easy, others are hard. Some paths need luck, others need a fairy godmother standing by. The MBA is not a sure shot to success. It merely offers a ladder. The biggest lesson in business school is not taught in class. It is in the experience. One learns from the situations, one learns from their peers and most importantly one learns from themselves. As one chugs through the two years, one learns things that cannot be learnt from reading text or watching videos. One learns from experiences. If these experiences come in a multi-ethnic setting in the midst of minds that think much differently from your own, they are worth all the more. Living in India, studying in India prepares us to a particular mindset. An education in a different setting teaches us things we would never have imagined or been exposed to.

You research on schools, you write LONG applications. You edit and re-edit. You take exams after a long hiatus. You beg and plead people for recommendations. You beg and plead people to review your essays. You study day and night for the GMAT. You miss the neon lights, the whiff of white wine and the adrenaline rush of dancing to Punjabi MC. You apply. You pray. You interview. You beg and plead. And finally you get in where you want to. It seems like a lot of work. It seems like it's hardly any fun. It hardly is. But at the end of the day, the sweet pleasure of two years that were the best you ever had... more than makes up for it.

I think that coming to the US to study is the best investment you can make in yourself. It is fun that I cannot explain. You have to study, it can be strenous. But you won't hear people complain about it, other than a random bitching. Secure job in one of the MNCs is great. But I am sure you want and can do better. Manager position is good. The question is: what next? An MBA gives you the tools and the pedigree to succeed. Not only at the job you have, but also the one when you need to switch. i believe that the math changes a lot.

That said, the MBA pours you the drink. It doesn't sip it for you.

It is most definitely and certainly worth leaving and coming. the funds are probably the single most difficult reason. The thing is that it can be totally funded on loans. If you have someone in the US you know well who can cosign your loan, you can get the entire education funded on loan. Else, you can fund it with a mix of educational loan in India and the US [no co-signer required]. It is not the most lavish of life, especially after not thinking twice before spending the money. But it can be managed. Dad may have to be your guarantor, which I am sure he will, if you call him daddy dearest from now on until the fateful day.The exposure is enormous. The ROI depends solely on what you want to do with your life. I think its an investment. A very good investment in yourself. Sometimes, its obvious right from the word go. Other times, its more intangible.

The proverbial ball is in your court. The question is, what do you want to do with it?