The sense of belonging: A requisite in MBA

“In this room full of people, do I belong here?”

These are not just random thoughts of a typical girl. It is something each student who does MBA confronts one day or the other. Nothing and no one can answer this though. The sense of belonging cannot be generated. It is felt. This experience is what differentiates a person struggling to fit in and a person who is naturally comfortable. And MBA as a course makes sure to teach us that even in difficult times, the show must go on.

When I first decided to go for an MBA, my ambitions made the way forward somewhat blurred. I could not see the challenges, waiting for me in eagerness. But as I put my first step into the campus, finally it hit me that I am doing this. The classes have been going on online till now, and it was easier to be productive in the comfort of home and family. But now came the real experience of an MBA being a course in which there is no vacation.

As a student of management, I was required to manage my classes, case competitions, live projects, Position of Responsibility, and at the same time friends, events, sports, and fun of MBA life. But was that going to be that easy? It seemed like an uphill battle to me. It started great. I was able to give my full potential to the work which was delegated to me. When my work was appreciated, the sense of satisfaction I got was another level.

But things do not go easy all the time. There came situations when I was exhausted mentally. I wanted to work but could not. Hours were spent procrastinating and overthinking everything. Each decision that led me to this place was questioned. Is this degree even worth it? Will I ever be able to reach that level I see myself one day? Such questions filled up my mind. And I could not get any answer anywhere.

There is a saying that when things go as wrong as they can, there is only scope for improvement. It became evident in my life too. Things started to become streamlined as time passed by.

This started when I looked at the things according to the priority. Being a human not everyone can do everything with full potential every time. But prioritization helps in keeping track and maintaining the flow of work. Secondly, apart from prioritization, not having attachments to the work I am doing helps a lot in keeping a sane mind in this chaos. We all work hard at the projects we are delegated but not every time there is a positive response or appreciation given to you. This might be disheartening at times but is a necessary part of the process we are bound to go through as an MBA graduate. To look at all this as a learning phase keeps me motivated to move forward remembering past lessons and avoiding already made mistakes.

There have been some chapters that closed after I came here and some new ones which opened. Similarly, there are many more chapters waiting to be opened. Hence having patience is a must to see through this journey I started. Sometimes things do not work out the way we think they would, but it is okay. At last, not only the destination but the journey and the experiences we have makes all the difference in the quality of life we lived.

Aarti Singhal

Aarti is a first-year MBA student at IIM Kashipur from Batch 2021-2023. She is a B.Sc. Hons in Mathematics from the Delhi University. She is an active member of the Media and Public Relations Committee of the institute. She has keen interest in dancing as well as reading and content writing. You can connect with her on LinkedIn.

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