The Investment Banking or "IB" Trek has always been a highlight for INSEAD students curious to learn more about shaping a career in the finance industry and this year has been no exception.

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If long run averages are anything to go by, it wouldn't be unreasonable to expect a Fontainebleau to Paris car ride to last 45 minutes. But the moment you throw a national public transport strike into the mix, the travel time increases to an astronomical 2.5 hours. To many a bystander, this would qualify as a high barrier to entry. Hence, if said bystanders chose to cozy up in bed with a warm mug of cocoa, rather than brave the vagaries of Paris’ traffic network, they would probably not be judged too harshly by society.

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At the end of August, I had the opportunity to attend an elective in Silicon Valley, as part of my MBA. INSEAD has been a wonderful opportunity to step outside of my comfort zone and explore different career paths, and I signed up for the Building Business in Silicon Valley (BBSV) trek to do just that: explore the epicentre of tech startups, and what makes it so unique and successful. 

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It is incredible how much has happened this year. As a recent grad and someone who is joining the labour force again, I wanted to share some reflections while answering the most popular question: why did I decide to do an MBA? Let’s summarise it into three reasons:

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I had the privilege of visiting some of Indonesia’s most exciting tech firms over the weekend of 1-2 Feb during the Jakarta Trek organised by the INSEAD Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT) Club. While I had often heard about Southeast Asia as a rapidly emerging market, this visit was eye-opening for me as I witnessed it in a very concrete way.

• Read more about A Glimpse into Indonesia’s Digital Revolution

Today, I go off the beaten track to share something that has left a huge impression on me personally. This happened a few weeks back at The Global Luxury Forum, an annual event organised by RCLG (Retail, Consumer and Luxury Goods Club).

• Read more about Only dead fish swim with the current

Before the business trek during the school's P3/P4 break, there has always been a certain expectation on what Israel should look like. Probably due to the images often portrayed in news of conflicts, tensions, grief… it's no surprise that these are the words often associated with this land. So when I first touched down in Tel Aviv, I was shocked by it's liberal culture and lively atmosphere.

• Read more about Discovering Israel, the Start-up Nation