1. Closing the Books

    One week into the programme, we had our first quiz. Then, six weeks later, a frenzy came along: the final exam frenzy. Only then, when you take a look at practice final exams do you realise the amount of material covered in such a short amount of time. (I heard the second term takes this concept a notch further, with an extra class in the schedule, but I digress. Let’s keep this topic for, perhaps, a few weeks from now.) We all do an MBA for different reasons.

  2. They Call Me Mr. Start Up

    “Well, it’s not so bad! I think I’m even going to have time to read a couple of novels along the way.” These are exactly the thoughts I shared enthusiastically with my friends back home when I received the course schedule a few days before kick-off. Then the first week hit, leaving me with only a few hours of sleep and a whole lot of networking and career workshops.

  3. Takeoff

    One week into arriving in Fontainebleau to tackle this one-year MBA, and I am already deep into activities, classes, and social events. It feels like it’s been ages since I’ve put my other ‘regular and normal’ life on the sidelines 6,000 kilometres away but it’s only been seven days.

  7. Me, Myself and I… Discovering Identity at INSEAD

    Less than 100 days left of INSEAD. Reality is kicking in. Recruiters are milling all over campus. Suits and ties, groomed hair and go-getter heels have replaced the relaxed student attire of jeans and a t-shirt. All of a sudden I discover a new side to my classmates, another facet of their identities. Identity. Such a powerful, yet very ambiguous, word. Our identity was created at birth, and has since that day been with us, wherever we go. 

  8. The value of the INSEAD network and how to leverage it effectively

    This week marks the return to classes on a different campus (Fontainebleau), as well as the end of a really exciting summer both on the professional and personal level. I spent the last eight weeks in Manila working to start a mobile application business in the Philippines. I have never visited this country and had no relation to it whatsoever.

  9. More learnings on the job search

    Had someone told me before the start of the programme that some of my greatest learnings from INSEAD would be during P4-5 (when the academics is almost over), I would have laughed in their face. However, it turned out to be true! Every day, talking to employers and “trying on” a certain role in an organisation, I reflect on my motivations, past experiences and plans for the future. A year ago I thought I’d just get a very nice international degree, will learn some basic business subjects and will ultimately be able to read The Financial Times without a dictionary.