Sweet Life… March 18, 2007
Posted by Simba in : Life Marvels, Duke, Frivolous Me , 7 commentsI was just reading a goo’ ol’ pal’s blog and realized that I have done so many things in the recent past that I haven’t blogged about…so, maybe the time is just right 
I have caught up on some really cool movies over the last few months - Fire, Water, Salam Bombay - Half way thro, Hotel Rwanda, The last King of Scotland and Munich! In the next few weeks, I am planning on watching Syriana, Crash, An Inconvenient Truth, The Contender, Namesake etc. Many of these movies are screened as a part of Ethics Institute. I am surely looking forward to these! I have watched Crash before - it is awesome! Other casual, what I would call ‘popcorn-movies’, that I have watched recently are Salam-E-Ishq, 300, and Zodiac. Phew, never in my life have I been sucha movie buff! Well, for now, movies seem to be substituting my reading… I guess, it is a ok replacement for entertainment.
Haven’t had much time to read books after I started school in January. Currently I am onto Shataram, R.K. Narayan’s biography, One of Sudha Murthy’s book and No God but God. It is an eclectic collection I must say, but each of them have their own inter-woven reasons. I am extending some of these as they stir something really deep within… well, now that’s one helluva good excuse! Recently I attended Eve Ensler’s Vagina Monologues - V-Day: Until the Violence Stops. It was my first time and I was really amazed. I had expected a funny play but was pleasantly surprised by a very bold and empowering play! I must say, it is surely a great way to share knowledge about the trauma inflicted on women & empower people to act! I wish I had known about the organizers - SWOOP earlier. I would have loved to work with them during the time I was here at Durham!
Recently, I was at the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour who performed at Duke. Absolutely brilliant! These middle-eastern guys were amazingly funny and refreshing! Anyone who is new to comedy shows… take my word, go & watch them - they release some of those endomorphins or something like that which makes you feel a zillion times better! 
And Russell Peters.. I am a big fan of him! On a serious note though, we had Paul Rusesabagina (yes, the real man from Hotel Rwanda!) as a guest speaker at Duke. We had a house-full of audience to see him. Though I was amazed at what he had done at his time, it was kinda perplexing how he did not deliver such a strong speech. Understood, he wasn’t a speaker but he basically narrated his story - I would liked to see more to the man! Things which inspired him to stand by his people and his answers fell short when he was questioned about what he was doing currently to some of the similar problems of genocide. But I was in awe of his presence & simplicity!
And I just got back from LA & Vegas. It was great fun! I was just counting & I have already seen about 10-12 places in US in less than 2 years, quite an accomplishment! LOL! I was there to attend a career fair which showcased some retail careers! Fingers crossed! I am still interviewing and trying to wriggle my way into something I truly like… another 2 months before I graduate. Hope I have something to fall upon by the time I graduate! And ahoy, finally… after undue stress & hopelessly fretting about it, my grades have steadily climbed over the last few terms.. this Term I aced the chart with a straight 4.0! Whoopie! And a professor’s mail calling me “Outstanding” was like the icing on the perfect cake! Now, that I am slowly gearing up… I am graduating - did I ever tell you, how unfair life is!!??
Thats all for now. My last day of the last break before I graduate. School starts on Monday and back to classes, assignments, resumes & interviews. Aloha, here I come…
Welcome Class of ‘08 September 4, 2006
Posted by Simba in : Wiggles, MBA, Duke , 1 comment so farI know its a little late for the official welcome of the First Years to Fuqua. But I think, it is the appropriate time to do so. This post is officially dedicated the ‘08 Fuquans Hope each of you had a great time at the Orientation Week, the ILE Week and the first week of classes. I have had a chance to interact with many of you and its been great knowing each one of you. I wish you all the very best in your classes, assignments, club activities, job search and zillion other things you wish to do when you are here. Fuqua is an amazing school. Period. Ensure that you get the best of it!
I am always amazed by the people I have met here and the Class of ‘08 has been no different. I am specifically interested in knowing all the ‘Desis’ who flew in directly from India because I know how hard things can get and how badly you need someone looking out for you! It is very weird being a second year as you are suddenly in the harsh light of close inspection by the first years who want to ensure that they get every ounce of knowledge outta you, again by the first years who view you as a demi-god for surviving the ‘terrible’ first year at a business school, by the Profs who suddenly assume that you are more smarter than when you applied and hence expect more out of you, by the Career Centre who expect you to be an expert in the world of job-search and career management, by team mates who expect you to bring in a lot of worldly knowledge from your 2-month stint of summer internship, by classmates who are all fidgeting by the expectations of everyone around them and by the first years again, who think you have the ace weapon to land the stupendous internship! Phew! If you think it was hard being a first year student, think again… second year can drive you insane! Am I kidding?! Ofcourse I am It has been an amazing ride and this year, the last in my life time as a student, I better get everything outta this place and people here!
It feels so nice when people instantly recognize my name or when I see people grinning as their eyes light up when they address me as ‘Simba’. It is pretty amazing that so many people know me through this blog of mine! When ‘The’ gets prefixed tp your name, its kinda flattering & scary at the same time. LOL, some people are actually surprised by the low profile that I maintain around here! I am serious! I am low-profiler! Taking the cue from Ms.N I feel the need to share some of the pointers with the First Years. I agree with her on all counts and would like to stress on the last one. Have fun…
Have fun - In the process of running around for classes, winding up the finance assignment in the nth minute, cursing the team mate for not doing a great job on his/her part, grabbing a quick frozen meal due to lack of time, trying to accomodate the gym session once in a while, doing the cold-calling, reaching out to the career centre and the second years… stop for a moment and take a deep breath. It is ok. It is fun! Trust me, start seeing beyond the everyday ‘to-do’s’.. you have invested an awful lot to be here, you were selected out of god-knows-how-many candidates… it is just an MBA! Just a small break from the normal life. Enjoy every bit of argument, dis-agreement and every mug of beer while you are here!
Job-search - Everyone lands up somewhere or the other either for an internship or a full time role. But no one hears of the struggles some of them have to go through and the insecurities that each of them face when they dont hear back from firms.. we all have been through hard times of self-doubt. Career Centre is here to help and so are the people around, utilize them to the max. Absorb the wealth of knowledge and the potential networks in your own classmates & seniors & alums. Work on your strategy. It is easy to push the job search for the months of Jan & beyond, even more easy to put all your money on the on-campus recruitment… but be realistic! Why take a chance with only on-campus firms, why not your dream firm which doesnt make it to your campus, why settle for something lesser than you think you are capable of, why put all the eggs in just one basket?! There are innumerable firms out there.. if they dont get to you, go out and feast on them! 
Get outta groups you feel comfortable with - This advice is especially for the International students. Dont stay with the people you feel at home with.. I know, there are times we all need it but ensure that you really get out and meet other people. Talk to other international students, americans, seniors, profs etc. Get to know people and learn about new things & new ways. I didnt do it as much as I would like to but something I learnt from my summer job. You are here to feel comfortable in uncomfotable situations, so start getting used to it…
Clubs, extra-curicular - Dont take too much, dont take too little. Balance it out! My big advice to all first years have been, take leadership positions in 1 social & 1 professional club and be active in any other club you want without any official posts. You must take on some load to ease the pressure of the course work but be warned, when you do sign up for work… there is work to be done! It is not just a set-up!
I can go on and on rambling about what can be done better! But seriously, the best way is to meet as many people you can and start thinking about ‘why’ you are here… the bigger and larger picture of how these 2 years fit into your big fat album of life!
Restless in Durham April 9, 2006
Posted by Simba in : Wiggles, MBA, Duke , 11 commentsNo, its not the name for another romantic flick! Rather it is how I am feeling these days. If you have been following my i-hunt page for the last few days, you might have seen my ups & downs, mostly downs! Hmmph! I dont even know why I am blogging now, maybe just to let out my frustration about things not happening. I am a hyper person who wants to get work done fast, that minute. But this slow painful process of looking for jobs is becoming more of a drag. I am not sure how things will roll out for me but I am just worried sick! Why are there lack of opportunities?! I keep asking myself, as one of the alums had written in his article in Fuqua Times.. you will always feel that you are not doing everything thats to be done, so, stop fretting! *Sigh* Attimes I feel that the reality of many such things is not disclosed in the right manner… like how tough it was for SYs to get an internship, how they settled for something lesser than anticipated, how some just got extremely lucky, how the early birds really got their due.. all these & much more. Maybe that is a human reaction, I mean, after you pass a sickness or a bad period, you tend to forget the self-doubt moments you had and you also forget to pass it on to others!
Even if I dont pass on anything to my readers, I will say this, getting through an MBA with high lofty expectations can be tougher than actually getting admitted. Its a test of your skill and patience all through your 2 year period at a B-school. I guess, thats one of the things that Adcoms are really concerned about, apart from all the application stuff, I am sure they sit back & ponder whether you are strong enough to even make thro’ the 2 years. Wow! I wish people had told me how hard it will be and why you should always be more alert about the off-campus events too. Why dont more people write articles about stuff like this. Everyone talks about the great things etc etc but why dont they mention the small battles that had to fight & the self doubt moments they had to pass,though, I wish someone had told me! For me, at this point of time, it seems like a no-brainer.. I should have been more proactive, but, before it didnt strike! Complacency pays back sooner or later! I will ensure that atleast the Class of ‘08 and beyond are more active with regards to their job-search! X, Y or Z school, it never hurts to go beyond what you are told and search for places you want to be & want to work! Never trust only on your campus recruitment, you might get some good ones but you might also miss out on something awesome had you looked harder! I fret about the breaks which I let past & the people I didnt write to, more often! Now, in the last minute, the ball is still rolling and wonder when it wil halt!
This Term has almost been a blur with my mind off all the courses. I dropped one course earlier on so that I can have a breather with my i-hunt. I think I did try my best and am still willing to do that… small fights aint hurt anyone! But I am not really into the courses I am taking. I feel bad that I am not gonna able to get an A plus in Corp Finance though I love it! No, I dont fret about all courses nor am I an academic person with great scores. I like to learn courses which I pick up a serious liking for! I am sooo restless to even look at anythingelse, my mind wanders about the 2 months when I will be doing nothing, I mean, nothing substantial!
In memory of J.B.Fuqua April 6, 2006
Posted by Simba in : Duke, General , 1 comment so far
A snippet about the man behind The Fuqua School of Business:
J.B. Fuqua, the retired entrepreneur for whom Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business is named, died at Piedmont Hospital in Atlanta on April 5. He was 87 years old. Mr. Fuqua began his relationship with Duke University when, as a teenage student, he borrowed books by mail from the Duke library. A voracious reader and a quick study, Fuqua pursued a higher education on his own. I began to order books on finance and banking and things I did not understand much about, wrote Fuqua in his book Fuqua: How I Made My Fortune Using Other People’s Money. I think if I had not had access to those books from Duke and other reading materials, I would certainly have been less successful early on in my business career.
Though he never went to college, he set a premium value on education.John Brooks Fuqua was born on June 26, 1918 and raised on a tobacco farm in Price Edward County, Virginia. His vision and hard work resulted in many accomplishments, but Mr. Fuqua is best known as the founder and chairman of Fuqua Industries, Inc., the Atlanta-based Fortune 500 company. He used a small brick manufacturer to build a conglomerate.
“I am proof that any obstacle can be overcome if you are willing to educate yourself and work hard,” Mr. Fuqua wrote in his book.
Detailed News - Here
No, we didnt get to meet him. But am sure this man deserves a post on my blog, for making Fuqua rock! May his soul RIP.
Surviving an International MBA - Part 2 March 31, 2006
Posted by Simba in : MBA, Duke , 4 commentsForeword: I guess this has been one of the most disappointing article of mine! Maybe things have not been so bright for me that I wasnt able to put some fantastic stuff, I kept hitting road blocks, its almost like the last few months of Term 2 & Term 3 have been like a distant dream! I had to sleep over this piece for a long time & also ask my good friends to remind me what we actually did! So, hopefully, you all, my readers & prospective B-School applicants can gain something out of this. Now, coming to the question of why I had to write this piece if I was not so ready! Well, time flies and I am almost coming to end of the first year and the moments pass by so fast that it is hard to document anything. If I hadnt written this, then I would have leaped directly into summers which would not have justified the whole experience! So, here I go… Comments, Brickbats all welcome, as usual
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Welcome to Term 2 and you are back to losing sleep in the night and catching a few winks during the c
lass. By now, you know who the class stars are and pretty much who are the people who just talk in class for air-time. You try to do everything around you, assignments and quizzes and club activities. But you will be warmed up enough and resigned to the fact that you might after all say adieu to your sleep and social life! But I feel that many of us get too carried away at this point. Things start looking too big and you go through the motions of everyday life without really savoring it. My advice, take it easy! It is just a 2-year stress period in life, all the hard work will pay off and at least you will know how much you are capable of stretching yourself. You survived Term 1 and I am pretty sure you will survive this one too, just keep the ball rolling. In Term 2, you essentially start off networking with alums and second years. You are ideally supposed to start off-campus research at this point but I can count on my fingers the number of people who actually did this.
Networking is the BIG thing in B-schools.You network with maximum number of people, on and off campus! Many people shy away from it as it makes them uncomfortable. Yes, networking is an art in itself, some people shine in such things but it is something that can slowly be picked up if you are really interested. Come on, why did you land in a B-school?! To meet people and to overcome challenges; now, networking helps you achieve both of these. But I like it because it takes a lot of nerve to do it initially. But, slowly, as you talk more often, it will make you a lot more confident and soon you will be clear of what your strengths are. I still need to do tons of this myself to land in a good internship position but the sooner you acquire this skill, the better for you!
And from my experience, I can tell you that the courses in Term-2 are harder than the ones in Term-1. This might not be the case in all the schools but at least we felt so at Fuqua. What might be the reason? Maybe the first Term was just meant to start you off. With so many guys coming from the work force, there is no point in loading them and scaring them right away. So, Term 1 is like… well, things might get mad & Term 2 is crazy! We had the biggies like Finance, Accounting, Marketing etc. Week in Term 2 makes you feel that Term 1 was indeed a cakewalk! But you will have enough courage to go through the strains of Term 2. You will just be used to stretching yourself and it won’t seem like a chore. And then again, if you haven’t had a Finance course, trust me it is interesting! It is hard but if you are lucky enough to get a great professor, you are truly blessed.
Internship Rambling March 20, 2006
Posted by Simba in : MBA, Duke, Work & Beyond, General , 17 comments
Ok, Stop grinning! I am desperate! My time is running out! And I got this fantastic idea from a good pal, long time blogger, DMN. We all are looking for Summers aka Internships and with each passing day, I am losing patience! Now, lets not get into the argument about if I ever had some! Term 4 began today and I am the least loaded as I have to concentrate on job-hunt! Phew, I wish I was sitting in my cool,air-conditioned office way back in Mumbai taking my nice pay chek and fighting with my boss! Nah, I would never say that! Thank God, I am sitting here worrying about my summer job rather than be doing the kind of work that I used to do! LOLz! Puneet, I know, I still need to get to you about the kind of requirements I am looking at! In brief, I have been a techie, worked on Optical & Wireless technologies for about 6 years prior to MBA. Any strategy, business development or consulting position in the Technology or Telecom sector would be great as I would be helpless in coming out with creative strategies to sell some ketchup! Actually, for a while, I toyed with the idea of working on the Finance side as that really interests me but then again, without any prior experience, its hard to make a transition! Now, dont even get me talking about some of the interviews we, as international students, cannot apply! Hmmph!
Back to my rambling, till date, I have given 4 interviews and only the first one I managed to make it to the second round. For all others, I still havent heard from them! Now, does that mean a Ding from them! Maybe or may not be, but one thing is absolutely sure, they are not crazy about you! If they are, they will get back to you a day or two after your interview. So, I might be in for a surprise if I actually get to hear something positive from these. Anyway, moving on, the off-campus job search is painful as there are no rules for this game. You might turn out lucky if the alums reply back or you might get some real bad, cold shoulders. So, how am I going to wade through these things. I dont know but I guess, I will survive! No, at this point, I am not hopeful of getting an awesome job but it helps to get a decent one that I would enjoy for my summers. Most of the engineers are in pretty much the same position, at least the desis but some of them have been lucky to beat the rest in this cat race! Most of the commerce grads have accepted various positions in different sectors of the Finance world. So, does this thing gotto do anything wrt the engineering bit, I am not really sure but sadly, most of the technical companies that were here called only US citizens which kinda made it hard for all of us! If the tech sector dont want the tech junta, I cant see anyone else needing us! There are a few tech consulting firms around and they are doing a host of activities in the wireless domain! Would I be interested.. absolutely! But they are a very few and you need some tremendous patience to follow through till the end. So, with time running out.. I have just about a month to finalize this else I am pretty much free for the summers! 
Now, am I disappointed about being at this stage. I guess not when you talk about the whole grand scheme of things, that is basically when I sit down with my grand-children to tell them gory tales about how recklessly I survived a summer with no food & no money but with tremendous energy! But for time being, I must accept that it is very disappointing not to have the opportunity (mind you, not the job perse!) to put forth a stellar candidature. So, what will I do? LOLz, you will see a lot more action in the PaGaL land and a lot of thought-dump here on this blog! So, would I be considered a failure..and should not be writing my MBA articles…Ahem! Only time can answer this question! Hey, Class of ‘08.. dont be scared when you read this! I wish there were many many more desis who were writing blogs who would convince you that getting a summer is a stroll in the park.. but there aint many! So, take my words with a pinch of salt! Its better to be aware of the reality bites, not to be disheartened! Fuqua is a great school and my getting/ not-getting a job is not a good estimate about the school perse! Comments in form of job offers would be highly appreciated LOL!
Edit - I have started the Internship Hunt page to keep track! I have no reason to crib if I dont try enough!
Ahh.. the break March 10, 2006
Posted by Simba in : MBA, Duke , 6 commentsFinally the break.. yohoo, Term 3 is gone! Phew! And almost 50% of my MBA is over.. almost! Times fly I guess! And I have been busy with building up my forum PaGaLGirL and man, it takes a lot of time. I would have never guessed the amount of work that goes into building sucha place. At times, I am so beaten with a lot of work but still keep going online and thinking about what else can be done! Fresh dose of entrepreneurism!! And it gives me kicks. Hope to see the community grow & prosper.
On unrelated side (ahem!) I am happy that Term 3 is over. 2 courses went okie dokie but Operations went off my head. I might need to take a couple more courses if I have to get the funda of logistics right! I am looking forward to my Term 4 courses which has more of quantitative like Corporate Finance and Fin Statement Analysis. Also I have the GATE course. I am going on a Travel program to Japan, China & Hong Kong in May & we have a couple of reads & presentations during the Term. I am actually looking forward to the GATE classes. And there are a few companies coming in the next few months & I might have like a 1% chance of getting in. Am I being pessimistic, LOL, just realistic! I am still hunting down Alums to help me with my internship hunt! But am not sure whether I even want to get back to Telecome/IT stuff, you know, it will be a difficult choice for me. For summers, I am fine with just about anything but for Full Time, I have better ideas.
Congrats to all R2 admits. Welcome to Duke and make sure you meet me LOL, no big deal even if you dont! And guys who heard the Dings, I am sorry, maybe there are better things waiting for ya all. If you need any assitance, do email me. And waitlists, what can I tell ya all. You all need to fortify your chances this minute. Try to send sufficient materials to fortify your case. Do your best to improve your chances. This might be the last chance for this fall atleast!
Surviving an International MBA - Part 1 February 24, 2006
Posted by Simba in : MBA, Duke , 12 commentsAnother series. Another perspective Article published on PG.com Let the comments flow!
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It’s been a long time since I put up an article and thought it was about time I told you all, how it has been at a US business school and what the experience amounts to, at the end of the day. I am sure that my blog has been doing a decent job about updating on the fortnightly or so activities, so here’s my attempt to run you all through the ‘Surviving an International MBA’. My take is that from the Fuqua stand-point. I am sure the experience will be similar elsewhere if not the same.
It all started when I got accepted at a good business school in India. The thought of actually stepping out of the shores for my MBA crept into my mind and after a year of failing to fund my International MBA, I came back with much vigor and applied to some pretty well known schools abroad. I put in a strong application and I thought, that was one of the toughest times I would have. Once I am done with my application, I am well on my way to some sleep and peace. Ha! That’s never the case, as I figured out soon! Along with the admission offers came in, some headache with regards to funding and the visa process. Constantly, I would wonder whether the whole world was conspiring against me! Things went wrong so many times and I used to end some of the days wishing I didn’t have to go through so much trouble.. With the visa in hand, I had touched almost the ninth heaven, but then I was pulled down by the amount of work that loomed ahead of me! Resigning from my job, off-shouldering the responsibilities, booking my flights, shopping for the right stuff and phew, chasing rental owners here for a good house deal! First, get a roommate if you wish to make a few savings on your monthly budget. It took a lot of time for me and my roomie to finalize a place here, with criteria like proximity to school, secure place etc. But now retrospect, I wonder, what the big deal about a house was.
Then I had to haggle for the right flights with my travel agents, almost everything looked at its worse each day. When finally everything seemed just okay, about a few days before I left, the Mumbai floods made its grand entry! No power, no electricity and water everywhere is a sad way to remember my last few days in Mumbai. After all this, I landed in my business school and then began the actual ’survival’ stint. The moral of the story, Just hang in there, things will take time but will surely fall in place. I stand to vouch for that!
One of the biggest miseries students face in their initial days in a new country would be the lack of basic communication lines, in terms of computer, cell phones, car etc. Transportation becomes a big issue if you stay in a small college town and not in well connected place like downtown Manhattan. Trying to find a car within our budget, grasping with some of the details of buying a second-hand car, getting a license to kill…err to drive and finding an insurance agent who will accept your no-driving history in US will be some of the painful things you will have to go through. I was one of the few lucky ones who fixed all these things very fast and hence was at least spared the frustration attached with these. You would be better off if you can settle it all, before your course starts. Believe me, they are not kidding when they say, You will hit ground zero running