Ralph Waldo Emerson was quoted famously as saying that it is not the destination but the journey that matters. As the years roll on in my life, Emerson’s quote sounds more pragmatic than profound.

When I was part of the B-school bandwagon and people used to ask me whether ‘I was enjoying it’ or if ‘I thought it was worth it’, all the while I gave a rather boilerplate answer; something to the effect of “too soon to tell”, or “I’m enjoying the challenge.”

I guess when someone is in the thick of things then it is mighty difficult to reflective and honest. However, a decade of academic and professional experience later Emerson’s quote has new found meaning     for me.

I graduated a decade back from one of the more established engineering colleges in the eastern part of India and a starry eyed kid joined one of the better managed MNCs operating out of India. Amdocs, back in those days was not only a coveted employer for engineering graduates but provided them with a strong platform to carve out a successful career either in India or abroad.

My initial months had gone in the blink of an eye while I was still struggling to adapt to the rigmarole of the quintessential software engineer.

The first decade of the 21^st century was a period when India saw a bubbling growth of engineering education and engineers among whom a sizeable proportion decided the join the IT industry.

With the death of exclusivity came a natural discourse when the educated junta started looking at their professional and academic future as an engineering graduate bereft of lofty success and as a consequence the same junta started looking at a post graduate degree in management as an alternative path to scale the heights of professional and corporate success.

It would be wrong to state that in my professional stint as an engineer at Amdocs and later on at McAee Labs did not have enough work that would challenging professionally, however a belief had seeped in me that in order to be at the forefront of strategic and tactical focus in any firm, it is imperative that the person have a deep understanding of the firm’s business, an overview of the forces that shape the industry coupled with a vision to foresee the future unfold.

While people argue that all of the above skills are acquired taste it does help if one has the necessary framework in terms of professional education to ease the process.

The Indian management education is still nascent as compared to its western counterparts. Barring a handful of colleges which have been in existence over a substantial period of time most of the others are children of the liberalized economy.

My journey towards securing a seat at one of the coveted institutes had its own share of struggle. Instead of providing a running commentary on the challenges and issues that I faced in particular, I will take this opportunity to highlight my key takeaways from this journey:

1.   Plan: I cannot stress enough on the fact that proper planning is the key to success in any endeavor you take and this extends to taking any competitive examination. Planning helps you analyze the spread and rigor associated across each step: whether it is to analyze areas of improvement or brushing up topics that need attention.

2.   Stay away from negativity: During your journey there will be elements of doubt created internally or externally by people surrounding you. Remember just because someone feels something is difficult or unattainable does not mean that is how it is going to pan out or you.

3.   Do not tolerate repeated mistakes: Make sure you learn from every mistake you make in every mock CAT, sample test, self-administered test etc. A mistake once made should never be repeated.

4.  Enroll for mocks and take accountability: Most people do not appear for mocks stating, "I am not fully prepared. I will write mocks when I am satisfied with my preparation". The fact is, you will never be fully prepared. There will always be things which you could improve upon. Hence, do enroll for mocks and attempt them. Don't give yourself stupid excuses. Take accountability for the fact that the decision to appear for the exam is yours alone.

5.   Have a flexible time table while preparing: When you are preparing, study something that your heart wants you to study and don't be rigid. If you had fixed a slot to do quants, but you don't feel like doing it, then don't force yourself into it. Give equal importance to all sections and study what you feel like studying.

6.   Practice: Practice makes one perfect is an old adage and wisely so. If you have been watching the new ad by Motilal Oswal securities you would know what I mean. Any person who does something over and over again is bound to get good at it. That is always true. No matter how brilliant you think you might be hard work and diligence always pays off.

Once you have gone through the rigor of actually giving the test and having done well in the examination and the entrance process, comes the actual stay at your B-school. These will be some of the most intellectually stimulating and fun years in your life.

Ensure that you build memories for a life time. A decade later nobody will ask you about your trimester GPAs but the memories will remain with you for a lifetime.

An MBA is a professional degree which lays emphasis on development of managerial skills and analysis of real world business problems. It also aims to prepare you for performance under pressure and ambiguity. These will be the very skills that will make you an invaluable asset in the years ahead.

For people who have taken a break from studies to pursue professional commitments for a variety of reasons, the initial few months at any top B-school will be challenging. Acclimatize yourself with the routine. It may well stay with you for the next 25 years.

To all fellow aspirants:

The journey from starting your preparation to pursue a higher education in management to eventually becoming a professional management graduate in the corporate world is every bit as enthralling as is made out to be in the umpteen books that are sold today as life lessons. Each one of us has our own story.

So what are you waiting for, Go make your story.