Arriving at Fontainebleau in January 2020 was a hassle for many of us who were eager to start the MBA journey at INSEAD. Paris had been on strike for almost a month as unions were protesting President Macron’s proposed pension reforms. The city was nearly paralysed, and few trains were running to Fontainebleau.

• Read more about In Search of the Silver Lining

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. This article isn’t a cliché about how to look for opportunities in times of crisis. Neither is it about the sadness and problems arriving for such a critical moment in our history. It is a message of love and caring. It portrays tiny and simple examples of how you can embrace people around you, even if you just met them a couple of months ago.

• Read more about Making Lemonade

When I walked off the plane five months ago in Singapore and headed straight for our launch day at INSEAD, I had no idea what was in store for me. I had been living in South Africa working as a Product Manager for Tencent.

• Read more about Lessons From An INSEAD MBA

A week after graduation, I still don’t feel like leaving campus. I’m literally writing this post in a breakout room reminiscing the past few days. Friends, academics, recruitment, trips, parties and so on. Looking back, one of the best decisions I made was about where to start my MBA journey.

• Read more about Maison Royale: Our Beloved Home Away From Home

A Bellifontain is an inhabitant of Fontainebleau, the small French town where INSEAD is located, and part of the MBA experience is about adjusting to life here – not exactly French life, but Bellifontain life, which is a very particular subset of the French culture. As the seasons change, let’s say you are an authentic Bellifontain when: You complain that there is nothing to do in Fontainebleau, but your schedule is always full.

• Read more about You Are an Authentic Bellifontain When…

I couldn’t have asked for a better P4/5 break!

• Read more about INSEAD 19D Japan Trip – The Trip of a Lifetime

Reminiscences from a bicycle trip through the forest of Fontainebleau

• Read more about The Road Less Travelled

I’m no stranger to live music nights. When I lived in Hong Kong (where I grew up and also worked before INSEAD), I used to volunteer for Sofar Sounds Hong Kong, a global movement based on secret gigs built to promote live music in intimate settings.

• Read more about Experiencing the INSEAD Spirit at Music Night

With the end of the valuation exam, we approached the end of P1. I am now taking a break in Prague, thoughtfully, calmly, and hopefully. Overall, P1 life was fast and intensive, and I have three specific reflections: Firstly, academic intelligence. Although INSEAD is known as a school where students like to have fun, they demonstrate high levels of academic intelligence thanks to the standards and requirements of the courses.

• Read more about A Short Reflection of INSEAD P1 Life

After a two-month summer break, I was so happy to restart the MBA and reunite with my INSEAD family once again. For the fourth period of the programme (which we call P4), I went on a campus exchange to Fontainebleau. It was nice to be in Europe, and to experience some true French ways of living - especially in the cozy small town of Fonty.

• Read more about Small Village, Big Family