B-School "di" Journey

GMAT :- "Disaster" is the word

2005-11-26T17:28:00.000-08:00

Finished my GMAT about an hour back and the results were not as per expectations....N'ways I already booked a date to write it again in a lil under 2 weeks......hopefully will try to improve my score then.....or it might be an end to this whole MBA dream......because very few schools would be interested in an Uncle like me.

Had been hoping for a score close to 650, well guys I admit I am not as smart as most of you here...so 650 was my decent expectation.....but the result was 610 (q-43, v-31), the verbal score was a big surprise all through the test the felling was that I have blown the quant and am doing well on the verbal.

Any suggestions or strategies from all you readers would be highly appreciated. My best wishes to all of you writting essays, filling out forms, interviewing or just waiting for that elusive call these days.....there is a seat waiting for all of us somewhere.

The GMAT Mystery

2005-11-13T12:17:00.000-08:00

Well I am writing it here but I really do not know who scripted it. Was it ETS or Thomson Prometric? I have not been able to figure it out.

See if you can figure it out from the email I got from GMAC, “On occasion, technical or staffing problems may require a delayed start or the rescheduling of your test session. Weather conditions or other circumstances beyond the test administrator's control may also require a delayed start or the rescheduling of your test appointment.”

I was writing the GMAT on the 10th (Thursday) and had finished the Quant section, got back after my break and the computer just wont show anything……. The people at the center blamed it on ETS but I think it is far from the truth, think it was a problem with the internal system and not ETS because other people in the room were also writing exams. So if it really was ETS it must not have been just that one station. I am not very tech savvy but as a layman I thing my reasoning stands good.

The whole thing has now been scheduled for the 26th at a nearby location, hope it works out fine this time. J B, I did not post earlier because they were trying to fix me up for the test on Saturday the 12th, but it did not work out …… and now it is another two weeks of suspense.

Happy Diwali

2005-11-01T02:41:00.000-08:00

Wishing you all a bright Diwali lit up with Happiness and Prosperity

Deepawali or Diwali is certainly the biggest of all Hindu festivals. It's the festival of lights (deep = light and avali = a row i.e., a row of lights) that's marked by four days of celebration, which literally illumines the country with its brilliance and dazzles all with its joy. Each of the four days in the festival of Diwali is separated by a different tradition, but what remains true and constant is the celebration of life, its enjoyment and goodness.

All the simple rituals of Diwali have a significance and a story to tell. The illumination of homes with lights and the skies with firecrackers is an expression of obeisance to the heavens for the attainment of health, wealth, knowledge, peace and prosperity.

During Diwali, lights illuminate every corner of India and the scent of incense sticks hangs in the air, mingled with the sounds of fire-crackers, joy, togetherness and hope.

It brings back a lot of fond memories of childhood and home

Apocalyptic Vision of Global Terrorism

2005-10-29T23:50:00.000-07:00

A series of explosions rocked Delhi on Saturday evening, killing at least 65 people and leaving scores injured some of them critically. Most of those injured or killed in the explosions were ordinary people out shopping in the festival season.

Just when the entire country was getting ready to soak in the holiday spirit and enjoy Diwali, along comes another attempt to make the country shake with a possible terror attack on crowded markets and a DTC bus in Delhi. This is terror tactic at its best-hit innocent people where it hurts the most to get others to sit up and take notice. Hence the carefully planned attacks--on a bus, in a busy market. But India and Delhi has been through worse and this can only harden the people's resolve to stay together and repulse all attempts to make them cower.

Of course the proximity to Eid and Diwali seems significant - most probably so that the group behind this could inflict the most amount of injuries and garner more publicity. They wished to strike whilst their target’s guard was down.

The other seemingly obvious clue as to the timing of the bombs are the current unprecedented peace talks between India and Pakistan. We can only hope these aren’t derailed by this unfortunate tragedy. One of the talks’ main objectives was to discuss and agree upon a policy of opening up the Line of Control (LoC) to facilitate relief efforts in the aftermath of the Kashmir earthquake.

Himalayas....So Inspiring

2005-10-16T21:24:00.000-07:00

One word makes the adventurer in me hold my breath in anticipation… one word makes the naturalist in me to think of the ideal place to be with nature… one word makes the traveler in me think of an exotic destination… one word makes the pilgrim in me think of salvation……. “Himalayas.” Yes, the Himalayas with its rugged mountain peaks, evergreen forests, bone chilling regions, important temples, makes it an ideal destination for everyone, a traveler, a pilgrim or a hardcore adventurer.

Yes the Himalayas are very dear to me, and always will be, I grew up in a small village in the Himalayas ....we did not have electricity till I was almost 8 and we got running water when I was almost 12, so life was not very easy. We had very limited exposure to the outside world, and what ever we learnt as kids was through radio (satellite dishes n television came there in the early 90’s) or the newspaper which we got late in the afternoon or the next day. Sports used to be limited to very few things because there was no infrastructure and cricket used to be played on the local road because that was the flattest piece of ground around.

(A Typical Himalayan Village)

Something big started happening around in the dusty roads around us in the early Eighties….. and it was not small, it was the only International motor sports event in India and this was the Himalayan Car Rally. Big factory teams from across Europe n Japan lined up to show there power on the Himalayas….and show they did. And that’s when the motor sports bug bit me.

The Himalayan Car Rally Died in the early 90’s lack of sponsorship……and the Himalayas remained silent till 1999 and another event “Raid De Himalaya” was born… The Raid de Himalaya is India's longest, toughest and the world's highest Motor sport adventure. It is the only Indian Motor sport event running on an International Permit for 7 years now. I happened to participate in the early events but haven’t done so lately….but I follow it closely because of it closeness to the Himalayas and a lot of my old buddies are involved in it.

(Tanglang La 5359 m, 17,582 feet)

Some of you would think…. Why would people, to all appearances sane and healthy, dart around mountainsides for 2,000 km, in howling cars and on screaming bikes, over what is arguably the toughest terrain in the world, at speeds that would make hair of most people, stand on end?

The answer my friends, Motorsport is not only about speed and mud ... it is a lot more ... it is also includes endurance, faith in ones self, trust in the team, and the machine, rising above fear, perfect coordination and also the Unexpected. It is more of a mental and physical game where one braves cold, hunger, sleep deprivation, oxygen starvation and general ill health for a few days....and then goes back and tells the world they had the time of their lives!! (Well isn’t that true about GMAT too!)

(Hostile Terrain, Look at the Lack of Vegetation)

The biggest challenge on the event is always the harsh nature, low temperatures and lack of oxygen, which causes Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS).This health condition, if not managed appropriately, can cause coma and eventually death. It can affect anyone regardless of age, gender, and physical condition.AMS happens only at high altitudes above 2,438m., and since the event is mostly at altitudes higher than this and sometimes at heights of up to 6,000m it becomes a serious mental and physical block, AMS is brought on by the body’s inability to cope with a reduced amount of oxygen. As we ascend, the air thins out and there’s less number of oxygen molecules per breath.

(yours truly in Action)

This year’s event ran the whole first week of October a distance of more than 2000 Kms. From Shimla to Srinagar, over some of the toughest terrain in the world…. Traveling over some of the major passes on the way
Jalori Pass 3223m (10,574)
Rohtang pass 4268m (14,002)
Kunzum 4598m (15,085)
Baralacha 4883m (16,020)
Lachhulungla 5064m (16,616)
Tanglangla 5359m (17,582)
Fatula 4108m (13,479)
At the end of it all a mere 53 seconds separated the first from the second, I can imagine how these guys must have driven there hearts out. Kudos to Eveyone who finished and partcipated.... it is this spirit that I salute to.

Booked my date to face the BEAST

2005-10-07T16:40:00.000-07:00

I finally registered to take the GMAT on 10th Nov., so that gives me a little over a month of study time......I ve been thinking of writing the exam since June but something always came up... or maybe I was just plain Lazy.

So today morning I decided it is now or never......and since the first round deadline for one of my favorite schools is Nov 30, I wanted to make sure that the scores reached the school in time. I am also working on the essays these days....but I plan to go a little slow on them for the near future and concentrate on taming the beast.

Also I was a lil angry today when I signed up...coz we have to pay a federal tax to write the GMAT here in Canada....... tax even on educational stuff, and they give freebies to addicts...I just don't get it as to what path is this country headed.

N'ways I ll need some tips for verbal from all you guys...So if you have anything on your mind, please do forward it to me. Good Luck to all the fellow bloggers who have deadlines around the corner.

take care
Paa"ji"

Where am I headed?

2005-09-27T18:01:00.000-07:00

Had started this blog over the summer so as to get me moving on my MBA journey....and the plan was to write the GMAT by June or July...... But then circumstances around me changed and I had to move....Countries and it really was a hassle this time around.

The MBA thing has been with me since about the last 4 years...... I had thought over it at the early part of my career....But it wasn't really prevalent in my Industry, so even if you had one did not help as much as experience did. Well the industry was Hospitality and I started my career as a HOMT (Hotel Operations Management Trainee) and my soul was in the kitchen, I wanted to finish my training and stick to the food production role ...that is to be a chef.

But the Beaucracy in a public sector hotel got on my nerves and I was looking at any option to jump ship...... and since no good option came...... had to create one..... and the entrepreneurship phase started. This was 1993 and we started a travel company which specialized in outdoor adventure tours.....there were hardly any operators in the sector in India at that time...... we did okay over the summer...and had great bookings for the winter season (for skiing), even hired a New Zealander for training.....and something that had never happened, happened... it didn't snow till early Feb and it all went haywire......trust me a lot went into the organization of our winter program....hiring staff, arranging fuel, supplies, food, fresh supplies and even had 2 mules on standby.....plus a zillion other things. We lost probably whatever we had and by spring were in the red.....but then suddelnly things changed and the trekking season started and we tied up with some of the biggest schools in Delhi.....we offered a 6 day trek for 800 bucks (that is a lil less than $ 20) all inclusive.... we picked the group from the school and dropped them back at the school on the 7 the day. That might not sound a lot of money but we were operating on a 40 - 50 percent margin and the volume was just crazy...over the course of the summer we had schools from as far as Gujarat as our clients.

It was demanding and tough.....but it was always fun, and between me and my partner we made almost half a million Indian Rupees.......by this time the kids who went with us were so happy that there parents wanted us to organize events for their companies and we had some of the top Indian and multinational companies in India on our client list. Life was good...and challenging..but the reward and feeling was even better.

Suddenly my partner wanted to leave.....maybe the events of last winter were comming to mind and he did not want to risk it....and he had an offer from one of the top schools in our field in the US.....this was 94 and not very many people wanted to stay back in India. Maybe I would have done the same if I was in his place....and we sold the business for about 1/4 th of our annual revenues, (that was lack of experience there).

Now I was again without anything to do...I had left my Industry and to get in at that level again was a challenge......and then I got to talk to one of the senior people from a bank who had been our client......and I was offered a position at one the biggest banks at a starting salary of 2,750 Indian rupees...but I had no option, so I thought I ll stick for some time..... I completed 5 years at this company and realized that it was the end of the ladder for me....because I had no MBA....and so the MBA bug bit me.

At this stage I got the opportunity to run a hospitality operation, with more than a 100 employees and revenues in excess of 100 million rupees....... It was one hell of a job.... I remember once I didn't get home for more than 72 hours. While at this operation I met Ravi Deol (fouder of Barista Coffee Chain in India)... Barista was small then and we were discussing the possibility of opening a outlet at our property...( It did happen, but I had left this company by that time)..but the entrepreneurship bug was catching me again.

Out of the blue my wife's cousin came over, saw the place I was working in....and liked a pool table there...and wanted to buy a similar one......It had come from a Thai supplier. I spoke to the supplier and we had it shipped over in a months time.....and now this thing was in Delhi and had to be transported and installed in a city north of Delhi...... the people who had promised to install it backed out...and I was in a fix. Eventually I found a guy who could do it, and as things are in India he wanted to do it on his terms....but I had no option, so he took a fortune but finished the job.

Thanks to him because he was billing me at such a rate......prob as if he was a big 4 consultant... I kept on standing on his head...so that he finished it quick. While he was doing it I realized that there was nothing much in a pool table.

In a month we had built up a Sample and perfected it, now we started advertising...and as soon as we got the first confirmed order I quit my job. This was around the summer of 1999.....and things started moving slowly. The first set was manufactured in our living room... and the first couple of orders even went from there....coudnt afford to put in money for a separate manufacturing facility....slowly we took a small 300 sq Ft place on rent and moved the manufacturing there.

We were up against some big names, multinational corporations like AMF and Brunswick were already in India.....then there were the established older manufacturers.....some with a history of more than 100 years.....and the Chinese imports. The first year was tough .... we managed to take out our expenses.....but trips to fancy restaurants and holidays were out. At this stage we decided to move to a city north of Delhi because that was were our market was and we wanted to be closer to our customers....and cost of operation was way less.

Things started to move now..... and we changed strategy rather that targeting Urban areas we tried to get inroads into the smaller towns and rural areas and there was no looking back.....our profit for the Financial year 01-02 was more than what I had earned in all my 9 years working till then. At this stage we sold the business, and moved to Canada, I had achieved success in a few of the things I had tried....but it was with a lot of hard work and dedication.

In Canada I was looking at options but there were not many jobs available with an Indian education......and I did not want to invest any money in a business straight away.....and so I went to School to complete my bachelors......(in my field there was only a 3 year diploma in India in the early 90's). The school offered me admission in a masters program because of my experience.... but I wanted to go to a good management school for a MBA... and I was a 30 year old student amongst kids out of high school.....but it was fun n rewarding. I worked with a Non Profit for 6 months after graduating and then started my own retail business at a major mall in the Boston area.

This venture was not very successful...and we ended up loosing about $ 60,000, learnt a few lessons.....and closed the operation this summer. I have been wondering since then as to what now....am I a serious candidate for a MBA prog...... I am 33 now .....is there still time to go to B-School.....I am struggling with GMAT......and the list goes on. But trust me it gets a little scary at this age...what if I am just rejected.....what if companies are looking for younger guys...there is so much going on in my head......I know I need to figure it out quickly......coz life is too short too waste. I am still thinking WILL IT BE WORTH IT, and DO I HAVE A CHANCE?

Achievers ........?

2005-09-05T10:46:00.000-07:00

Charles Schultz Philosophy
The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the"Peanuts" comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read it straight through and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.
How did you do?

The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.
Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier...... The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards.They are the ones that care.

"Don't worry about the world coming to an end today. It's already tomorrow in Australia."----- Charles Schultz

The people from the second list did not wait for extraordinary things to happen. They just took normal and slow things and made them great. I believe we have to put our head above the parapet and shout the things that go beyond what our own needs are. That becomes our antenna – it draws people to you and you towards other people.

Take care
Paa"ji"

Celebration of Light - II

2005-08-13T12:50:00.000-07:00

Had posted some shots from the Festival of Light, in my earlier post. In the mean time I did some research on how the fireworks are made and what adds color......a very brief explanation for a layman like me is below. The Grand Finale on last Saturday was really spectacular and Sweden eventually won this years event..... but the only problem was, I had to take up a spot at the beach almost 10 hours in advance, and it took a good 2 hours to get out after the event finished. There were more than 300 thousand people watching.

But it was all worth it, I got some spectacular shots and learnt a lot about shooting fireworks....... have a look and let me know what do you think :-)

About Fireworks

Fireworks use black powder, also known as gunpowder. They are classed as low explosives in contrast to the infinitely more powerful high explosives such as TNT and dynamite.
In pyrotechnics an oxidizer and a fuel react together to produce light.

The colors

In fireworks there are six common colors, made by adding a specific chemical compound.
White is produced by magnesium or aluminum or titanium
Yellow by sodium salts
Red by strontium nitrate
Green by barium nitrate or chlorate
Blue by copper compounds Orange/amber by charcoal or other carbon or iron compounds

Deep blue and purple are the most difficult fireworks colors to create because they have a very narrow band on the color spectrum, requiring the chemical reaction to be absolutely perfect. In fact, the creation of a deep blue flame remains one of the great unsolved challenges to pyrotechnicians. However, blue and green are considered the most dangerous colors to produce.

Celebration of Light Vancouver

2005-08-06T02:08:00.000-07:00

Vancouver Downtown

Have been away from blogging for a while, there were many reasons both professional and personal, ......wont get into all the details..........and of course no one wants to hear my rants. Since I last posted we have moved to Vancouver.....(Drove all the way from Boston) it was some trip, esp with all those beautiful wide open roads and countryside with some fabulous sights n things. But my good old camera was buried way too deep inside for me to dig and capture some of those beautiful views. Ever since we got here we have been traveling around and taking some pictures.......... (my new found love).......and my Sony saw sunlight for the first time, although I have owned it for a lil more than 2 years.

The pictures that I am posting here are from the celebration of Light, it is an annual event held in Vancouver where 3 countries compete against each other and on the final weekend there is a grand finale..the participants this year are Canada, China and Sweden

I could not get the photos posted the way I got them orignally. To get a better view click on the pics and view them on a new window. They look much better then.

The Art Of The Comeback

2005-06-11T22:16:00.000-07:00

Well a lot of talk has been going on about books on the blog world lately (esp the MBA faternity), so I decided to write a lil about a book I recently read. It is about the story and life of Donald Trump during the recession of early 90's and its is rightly called "The Art Of The Comeback".

I have long been a fan of Donald Trump. I have read most of his books, this one gives a little insight to his inner workings, and some of his deals. I love the guy, once again, you must give it up for trump, the man knows what he is doing. He, in this book, has managed to highlight his victories ....How he came back to financial prosperity. But wait,how did he go down in the first place. He purposely mangages to ignore the finer points (the negatives)...and again, makes himself to be nothing less of a godly figure. Sure probably 50 percent of the book is fabricated. But its fun reading no doubt. You have too respect a guy who doesn't give up and knows what it takes to reach the top.....

The biggest disappointment for is that Donald will not share any of his vast financial acumen with us. He is very gifted in the arena of finance, and I wish that he would impart some of that knowledge on us. Perhaps he feels like this would give away some of his business advantage, or maybe he just likes chest pounding better that education.

In contrast, Warren Buffet spends lots of time telling us the exact formulas and philosophies that he has used to become a billionaire from the stock market. Donald Trump has a great gift, and I wish he would write one more book to share even a portion of that with us.

In this book he mentions about the 10 things that helped him stage a comeback after being almost a billion dollars in the red, or if some of them didn't he would like to follow them now;

TRUMP'S TOP TEN COMEBACK TIPS
1. PLAY GOLF
2. STAY FOCUSED
3. BE PARANOID
4. BE PASSIONATE
5. GO AGAINST THE TIDE
6. GO WITH YOUR GUT
7. WORK WITH PEOPLE YOU LIKE
8. BE LUCKY
9. GET EVEN
10. ALWAYS HAVE A PRENUPTIAL AGREEMENT

Whether people love him or hate him, one thing is certain about Donald Trump: he has great instincts and billion-dollar dreams .

Happy Dreaming
Paa"ji"

Gotta Move ON n ON

2005-06-08T20:40:00.000-07:00

Feel guilty of not being regular in posting here, thought of doing it a few times but there was so much happening in life that just ignored it for some time. Hope I am back now........Kind of........think I am.

Flew back to the US on the 17th of may, and after finishing business in Toronto and NYC, was in my crib on the 21st. It does feel good to be back home (from the real home)..........but the last 30 minutes before you enter the airport are kinda heavy............Emotions showing everywhere........But that is how our culture is.

Ran into a very very crooked chap at the immigration in Toronto, I have a Canadian residency.......but the guy wanted to know why my passport is not stamped with a Canadian immigration thing. Reasoned out with him that paper documents have long been abolished in Canada and I have my PR Card which he can scan and get all the information. He still kept on asking the same question........Over n over again. So I told him this is all I have.......and you tell me what to do........and then suddenly he let me go. (In Canada they do not stamp anything on the passport, have lived there for a while and have traveled up from states and my passport has never been stamped.)

Now for what this blog was born........my B-School "di" Journey, well, have been running late on it and have a lot of catching to do. I had planned to write my GMAT by now but had to postpone it.........why?
Commitments at work, and the major thing am leaving the USA for some time a couple of years maybe.........This is the third time I moving from a country and trust me guys the hassles involved are plentiful. Esp when you are married...........we are trying to figure out what is done and what is still left.......Its a long list........Taxes, insurance, social security accounts, banks, credit cards, loans, apartment lease, vehicle insurance and registration, signing of from your health club...Or they keep ripping your card, medical records and then the hassle of packing, transporting, fights (with dear wifey) on what to take and what to dump, where to dump stuff (need a permit from the town clerk to do that to........How I wish I was still in India) and bla bla bla ......... This list is just endless.

We are moving to Vancouver, so its east coast to west coast again. Have lived there in the past and just love that city......It is such an amazing place to be in. Find the people there to be the friendliest of all places that I have lived in (7 cities in 4 countries). Vancouver also has a sizeable immigrant population and Indian are big in that number. Vancouver also has a Desi Cinema Hall, makes me smile at times and u get 5 SAMOSAS for a loonie. mmmmmm i am hungry LOL :-)

On my GMAT front nothin much has been happening, as I told you before had to move the exam forward coz had been traveling at commitments at my present job grew a lot more suddenly because I had to move and hand over everything out. Verbal is what I am doing these days but it difficult to concentrate at times because you have 100 other things which need to be done. How I wish I had got another one month in Boston as it would have given me ample time to finish my GMAT and could have visited some of the schools on my way west. ( I will be within 25 miles of 3 of the schools on my list)

But life is not always easy and as planned........it always throws in surprises..........but this one has turned my world a lil upside down. I am coming to grips with it and it should all work out well.

Take care guys
Paa"ji"

To Aim Low Is A Sin

2005-05-08T07:50:00.000-07:00

Well I am getting a lil focused now and I think I will be able to take the GMAT bull by the Horns.... well... talking big. But my headmaster in school used to tell me "to aim low is a sin".... aim high and try to hit it with total sincerity. Well I am trying it out and hope that the old mans wisdom motivates me to reach higher.

Would also like to thank all the people who left comments on this blog..... thanks guys......trust me hearing your opinions and offers for help motivates you further.... so sugesstions are always.... always welcome.

Have another 10 days in India and my phone keeps buzzing...... social commitments increase as the number of years increase. N ways I went shopping this weekend....... went shopping to GK one market I had never shoped in, while i lived in delhi, was pleasently surprised to find all the stuff there... bought one of the dresses which was up at India Fashion week from one of those Indian designers (surprise for wifey.... her b-day comes in a couple of days) and bought some 3 buck stuff too.... sometimes i blush when i get something that cheap i mean a pair of clothes for the price of a coffee....... thats why India is just amazing.

While I was walkin down in different places in delhi this weekend, had a close look at the indian middle class with their fat wallets........ and of what all i saw...... I can say we need just a couple of decades to be the amongst the best economies. I mean the market here is like ......... dont really have words.

My Gmat prep was on the back burner this weekend, am about hit the books tonite till early morning..... will keep u posted.

Take care guys

Paa"ji"

Got Started... Moving Slowly but its Moving ...lol

2005-05-06T04:33:00.000-07:00

I have been trying to focus on the GMAT...... and am having my ups and downs every day...... I just hope that on the D-Day it is just up. I know Gmat is my biggest problem right now and for adcoms to have a look at my application I need a decent score there.

I have been travelling lately and am in India my home country, after more than 3 years. I had planned to be ready for GMAT after my short vacation but I feel I will need some more time, do not want to hit a low score and try again...... for me the first attempt is the last attempt.

I am in India for another week and i fly off back to the US, dont really know how much time I will have on my hands for all the prepration...... and the motivation keeps comming and going... i just am trying to see it come n stay.

I have been lookin at some of the blogs lately...... and am amazed at the amount of information some people have put up to help other....... I hope that I am able to help some one in the long run.

This weekend it will mostly be Gmat and everything else behind it...... next week would be shopping (still have not bought all the stuff wifey had asked for ...) and meeting friends n relatives. The feeling of flying back is comming in, and trust me sometimes it doesnt make u feel very good.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE

The Secret of Getting Ahead is Getting Started

2005-05-03T06:16:00.000-07:00

Well I have been going through a few blogs lately, and they have been really inspiring and full of wisdom, esp Attagirls blog "Renditions on my way to a b-school" I dont know how to post the link to that, maybe with time I will be able to do that too. I have learnt a lot about getting into a B-School from them, and still have a lot more to learn.

Though I am late in life to start my B -School "di"Journey, but I feel lucky that at least I could start, at what ever age (I am 33 people). It is difficult to find motivation at this stage in life...to prepare for Gmat, Essays and all other stuff. I had this line written in my Dorm room18 years ago "The Secret Of Getting Ahead Is Getting Started", so i am trying to motivate myself with it again. At least I have started.

These days I am preparing for my GMAT, (have a humanities background) so you know how difficult some of it can be for me and the last time I studied maths was 19 years ago......... yes it was 1986 guys. I have a few weeks to go, have not taken a date yet but will do so soon because i am in my home country and work in the US so am planning to write the exam once i get back.

I had been doing okay with my Gmat prepration till yesterday, i was focusing on quant and had not touched verbal......(was getting about 40 on all practise exams)..... but yesterday it slid down by more than 5 points and I froze (its 90 F + in Delhi).... n...ways will start working on it.

So people I need lots of motivation and wisdom from all of you, i feel experience is the best teacher...... and most of you have a lots of it ... for this whole b-school journey. So all advise is always.. always welcome.

I will post my experiences here, and look to seek advise from my fellow bloggers.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE
Paa"ji"