July 3, 2023, marked the beginning of a transformational journey for 30 strangers at the INSEAD campus in Fontainebleau. These were individuals with a purpose and a sense of curiosity; they were there to learn a new language as part of their impending MBA programme. Little did they know that the coming three weeks would offer experiences far exceeding their expectations.

• Read more about Why You Should Opt for the INSEAD Intensive Language Programme

I joined the INSEAD MBA to expand my knowledge of and opportunities within a variety of business sectors. Coming from advertising, I knew a lot about marketing, had heard of finance, accounting, and strategic consulting, but did not know many other sectors. Additionally, being a more creative and qualitative person, I knew that I did not want a career based in spreadsheets and hard numbers. So, I entered INSEAD with an open mind, determined to understand other areas of business.

• Read more about Discovering Careers in Creativity and Innovation During the INSEAD MBA

Being a lawyer didn’t make the MBA a logical move. I had left the law firm industry quite early in my career, spending the six years before INSEAD in asset management. However, the assets I was working on were still legal by nature: my fund provided the financial means necessary to companies taking part in lawsuits to cover all related expenses in exchange for a share of the proceeds in case of success.

• Read more about Ex-lawyer the First Day, but Full and Unique INSEADer Thereafter

I came into the MBA unsure completely of what I was getting myself into but confident it was the right move in my career. I felt frustrated working in a company where I felt I was creating “strategies” without any real idea of what I was doing and how the “higher-up” decisions in the company hardly mattered compared to the “fires” I was constantly putting out in my day-to-day work. Instead I arrived at INSEAD and was immediately introduced to a world I hadn’t known existed, where everyone talked about the “MBBs” and inside jokes in class involved a guy named Porter.

• Read more about Finding My Way at INSEAD - from Confusion to Confidence

I am not your typical MBA candidate. For nearly seven years, I was a staff writer with TIME Magazine in New York City, where I covered music, culture, and entertainment. (I also worked remotely during the pandemic from a small town in the western U.S., writing about the economy and generational politics.) Journalism kept me busy, but as I watched the media industry crumble around me, I wanted to understand the business context more fully. As the type of person who loves school, I decided it was time to go back.

• Read more about A Former Journalist at Business School - Experiences of a "Non-traditional" MBA Candidate

Time is officially flying way too fast. Last week brought the end of my first "period" at INSEAD. INSEAD divides the year into five two-month "periods", each with different classes. The first two periods we complete core business classes (finance, accounting, organisational behaviour, etc). After that, we take electives. From a scheduling perspective, periods 1 and 2 (P1 and P2 respectively) are the most intense periods. After P2, the schedule is a little lighter, so everyone has time to recruit for a job. 

• Read more about P1 Recap