Oxford MBA - Studying at Oxford

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Oxford MBA - Studying at the Said Business School

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Of missing bikes and drunk mates...

As I moved into Oxford and bought a bicycle, the one advice I was repeatedly given was, "Secure it! Do not leave it in suspect areas overnight, secure or not. Use at least two locks to secure it..." Cycle theft in Oxford is rampant, and accordingly I invested in two locks, and make sure I use both whenever (and wherever) I leave my bike. The locks cost about half as much as the bike did, but then the insurance and peace of mind was perhaps necessary. I know of at least a couple of my classmates whose bikes have been stolen in the last couple of months.

This morning Seb and I decided to cycle into town to take care of a couple of things, and as we walked down into the basement to collect our bicycles, we found Seb's was missing. He couldn't recollect where his bike was, and thought it may be at school, though he couldn't remember putting it there. After some thought about when he had cycled last, he realised it may have been Thursday.

Now Thursday was a wild day (and night - see this)...though I indulged myself for sixteen straight hours, Seb had to leave for London the next morning and so headed home at about six. He cycled home, but stopped at a nearby Pizzeria on the way. He was apparently too drunk to remember he had cycled in and not walked, left his bike locked to a lamp post, and walked the rest of the way home.

Nearly five days later, we were not optimistic at all about finding his bike. We walked towards the Pizzeria anyway, and surprise surprise, his bike was still there - falling over and on one wheel, but very much there. Still secure on one lock, it had not been vandalised, either.

I guess stranger things have happened...


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Sixteen straight hours...

Ah, first term exams end - and we head off to The Turf Tavern, an MBA favourite (apparently it is several hundred years old, with the foundations of the building dating to the 14th century). It's 11 AM and still early, so I start with a couple of glasses of mulled wine. Some lunch at The King's Arms later, we head back to the Turf for some afternoon whisky, until they kick us out for a private party at 4.



Back to The King's Arms, then, and some more whisky. And then some more. And more. Anyways, before we know it, it's 9 PM, so we all head out towards The Jericho Tavern for some more whisky (to be honest, I was perhaps the only one downing whisky). Finally, at around midnight, we say goodbye to the Jericho Tavern and head off towards High Street and Escape, a bar/nightclub. Some 40-50 of us (who the heck was sober enough for a head count?) descend on the dance floor, prompting access to an entire floor for us. Whisky again, and then switch-over to Vodka-Red Bulls. We dance (well, some did - I just shook my body) until 3 AM, before deciding to call it a night. By the time I get home it is 3.30 AM. A full sixteen hours of drinking, which, when you're not sixteen any more, can be a lot.

Wild day? You can say that again.




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The disappearing car door...

Neat! Check out www.disappearing-car-door.com.




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Done with Michaelmas

Finally, we've finished with our first term - Michaelmas. The last few weeks were intense to say the least, with at least two papers - Financial reporting and Finance I - that were difficult enough to make loads of people start think resits.

Anyways, it's done now, and it's time to relax and take it easy for a while before the madness starts again in Hilary. With 2 core subjects, 3 electives and an Entrepreneurship Project (and the intensifying job search process), it sure is going to be a busy term. We'll potentially have a different study group for each subject, and though we can choose our groups, juggling time between the various groups is likely to be a challenge. On the upside, we'll be doing subjects we like, rather than ones we don't understand.



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Brrr...

...it's getting colder now. Walked in this evening to a freezing apartment - the heating wasn't on, for some reason. And as I understand it, it is 2 degrees below zero outside, as I write this.

Anyway, four down...and two to go. Developing Effective Managers tomorrow - a three hour paper. My hand had started hurting 10 mins into today's Decision Science paper. How am I going to write the long essay expected tomorrow?

And why am I blogging the night before the exam, you may wonder. Well, I am wondering too , since I'm not too sure I'm on top of DEM yet. Well, perhaps another hour or so of studying and then off to bed.


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Through the first one...

Finished with the first paper - Managerial Economics. The paper was of just one hour duration, but long enough considering how long it's been since I've written continuously for an hour. Ten minutes into the paper and into just my second answer, my hand had begun to ache.

Now onto the second paper - Financial Reporting, which starts in approx two and a half hours. This one is longer (an hour and a half), but I think we will not have to write as much. I am dreading the Strategy and Developing Effective Managers papers - they are essay-type exams!

Tomorrow we've got Strategy and Decision Science - and there's still some preparation to do. It's going to be a long night tonight...


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Sub fusc!

Ah, just a reminder that we're going to be sitting for exams tomorrow in sub fusc. For those that may not know or remember what a sub fusc is, look here, and here for photographs...

...should be interesting, if nothing else.





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The night before Michaelmas exams

Well, here we are - the night before term-1 exams begin. It's been 14 years since I last appeared in an exam of any kind (GMAT excepting, of course), and by jove, have I felt it! Anyway, 12 hrs before the first paper and I feel like I've done all I could. Any more and it is going to be counter productive. What doesn't help is that we have two papers tomorrow - Managerial Economics at 9.00 AM, followed by Financial reporting at 2.30 PM.

How confident am I? I guess time will tell, but I feel confident I'll do reasonably well - by the standards I am setting myself! My aim is not distinction, but to pass comfortably, so it should be ok tomorrow. I have read selectiely, focusing on issues I think are important - my strategy will be tested tomorrow; hopefully I'll have no surprises. Fingers crossed!

I'm looking forward to a fairly relaxed night ahead - watch some TV, read a magazine or something...I'll try and post tomorrow with an update. And hopefully, I'll be reporting that all's well!

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The Said Business School, again..

A beautiful, cloudless evening (something of a rarity), camera in hand...and some nice pictures is the result.

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Mansfield College Library

For a small college by Oxford standards, Mansfield College has a beautiful library, one that's rather taken my fancy. It's a far cry from the really modern (and wonderfully equipped) Sainsburys Library in the Said Business School; it's a pity it doesn't really suit me to study there - I would really like to spend time in there. Here are some pictures...





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...approaching end of term

Michaelmas term is nearly over...with just 6 days to go before our last exam this term. It is amazing how quickly time passes by. In one sense, it was only to be expected; yet, when it does actually pass by this quickly, one cannot help but wonder where all the time went.

I'm not really sure what I did this term other than go through proceedings a little mechanically. Classes, career sessions, company presentations, etc., took up a lot of time. Study group meetings took up a lot of time too. Spent quite some time in one pub or another - either in a small group, or in a larger, noisier one (The Turf Tavern has been popular!). Tried rowing (just once), played volleyball twice and table tennis an equal number of times. Have been to college a handful of times, and visited just one other college for dinner.

The first month was spent in the library - with no broadband connectivity at home I used to feel completely disconnected otherwise. Once we did get connected (though the experience with BT was not pleasant), I preferred working at home rather than in the library.

I haven't posted at all these last couple of months - it's not really a question of time; rather, of having the carefree, creative, mood one needs for activities like this. I hope to improve on my record, though, in the next term.

It has been thoroughly exhilarating, though. Getting to learn myriad new subjects (including ones I have had no exposure to before: Finance and Accounting), learning to cope with intense pressure (of a different kind than one is used to, at work), struggling with time management, working long hours in study groups...it has been exteremely interesting, in the very least.

Already I am looking forward to next term, with elective subjects chosen and the entrepreneurship project team formed. The Christmas break is going to be short, and hopefully intense, and then it's back to action...


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And some more pictures...

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Pictures...

Here are some pictures of my school...







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Matriculation

Amongst all the quirks of the University of Oxford is the matriculation ceremony, which is essentially marks the formal induction of all students into the university. Some say that this is perhaps the single most important formal event here; getting into Oxford is a big deal for most people, and the matriculation ceremony is really a celebration of this. Once you are in, you will most likely pass and graduate, which almost becomes, in effect, a non-event.

Our matriculation ceremony happened on the 13th of October, a Saturday. The matriculation ceremony is a college event, and we congregated at Mansfield college at 11.00 AM for some photographs. Unfortunately the excesses of the previous night had left me hungover, and the evidence can be seen in my face and puffy eyes. I guess I am no longer of the age where such excesses can remain concealed.

We were dressed in what is called the sub fusc, which includes a specially made graduate gown and a mortarboard over a dark suit, white shirt, black socks and shoes, and a white bow-tie. Look at the pictures to see what I mean. Incidentally, we can only formally carry the mortarboard right now, and can only wear it after we have graduated (posing for photos is probably excepted).

Anyway, we marched in procession to the Sheldonian Theatre, the scene of all such major ceremonies, and which will be the venue of our graduation in about a year's time. The event was lasted about 20 mins, wherein the chancellor of the university Lord Patten gave a short Latin speech and a long English translation, and we were deemed 'matriculated'. The overall pomp and feel of the occasion was fantastic, something I'm going to remember all my life.

Fittingly, we spent the rest of the day celebrating; the finale was a graduate bop (an Oxford word for a theme party) with the theme 'sexy sub fusc' at Linacre college. We drank and danced the night away with a few hundred others like us.



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Initiation

It's been a month since I last posted on the blog. In some ways, I had expected this to happen; however, before moving to Oxford I had been determined to find the time to keep updating the blog. Guess I was wrong. I knew the one-year programme would be extremely demanding - I just hadn't imagined the magnitude to which this would be true.

To let you all catch up, here's briefly what has transpired over the last 4 weeks:

I arrived at Oxford on the 24th of September, and spent the next full week making all necessary arrangements - ID cards; college registration; bank account and loan; moving in to my new flat; and meeting up with people I was going to be spending the next one year with. So far, so good.

Week 0 started with a bang - 2 full days of orientation, but then three days off to take care of any remaining formalities. Explanation: in Oxford, each term is divided into 'weeks', starting at week zero and finishing at week ten, when the exams for the term are conducted. Week 1 is when the term, and classes, start in real earnest.

Week 1 started on the 8th of October - and straight away we knew we were in the thick of it. Lectures, pre-lecture reading, post-lecture reading, homework, career and personality sessions, CV preparation...I was already having 18 hr days - with 15 hrs spent each day in school. The library became, indeed has become, my second home. Subjects I have never studied before - Finance, Financial Reporting, Decision Science...were being taught at an unbelievable pace. The one-year programme has its draw-backs, and one of them is the rapidity with which new topics are covered. We are supposedly covering in one week what 2-year programmes cover in three. There is relatively little time to grasp and internalise new fundamentals, and by the time you have mulled over and understood one, the lecturer has moved on, leaving you completely in the dark about the issue being discussed now. On top of all this, we are already having to complete group assignments - assignments that would take 2-3 hrs when done individually are taking 10-12 because of group dynamics. It is a part of the learning curve, though, and I am certain we will be able to optimise this soon enough.

Week 1 was chaotic, stressful, and extremely demanding. Gradually, I began to get used to the routine, and the beginning of week 2 was a lot more relaxed. Then towards the end of week 2 I began to realise that I couldn't possibly keep up with the pace of the teaching, and the stress closed down on me again.

We are now in the middle of week 3, and I am beginning to relax, just a little bit, again. Our next assignment is due in about 8 days, so we have a day or two before we need to get back into high gear. I guess these swings are going to become a part of life here.

Whatever happens, one this is for sure - it is going to be a very interesting year ahead. And I had thought we would be able to party as hard as we worked.....!

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Customer Service (and again!)

You may have read a previous post on my experience with Currys - Customer service (here we go again!). Well, I decided to write to Peter Keenan, Currys' Managing Director (he is formally the next port of call, after the customer service centre), putting forth my experience in dealing with customer service in his organisation. I made it clear that the letter was not because of the fault in the product, nor to claim that Currys was wrong and I right. It was for the approach taken by customer service staff when complaints are reported, valid or otherwise. Listing down the issues I thought were handled badly (refer to the previous post), I concluded by saying I hoped that more credibility would be given to customers as a policy in the future. The default assumptions should be that the customer is telling the truth, even if a small minority of customers wilfully try to take advantage of this.

This afternoon I received a phone call from Mr. Keenan's office, appreciating my letter and informing me that they would be having an internal investigation into the matter. They also mentioned that they hoped that I would not be put off shopping with them again. I declined to mention names unless they insisted (they did not) but reassured them that I would indeed be shopping with them again. It was only proper, I think, after the call.


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The Oxford English Dictionary

Oxford has a great collection of terms that outsiders may consider quaint, funny, or outrageous! Here are a few examples:

Battles - termly bills for rent, food, etc.
Blue - sporting accolade won when won when you play in the University first team against Cambridge.
Bod - the Bodleian Library, one of the oldest libraries in Europe and the second largest, after the British Library (more in another post).
Bop - the equivalent of a school disco in fancy dress, a true Oxford event.
Come-up - when you start at Oxford, you 'come up' (also used for returning from holidays). Leaving Oxford is termed as 'going down', and being 'sent down' is when they kick you out. Can't be good.
Cuppers - Intercollegiate competition in sports, dance and drama.
Essay crisis - when you have too much to do and not enough time to do it.
Hilary - spring term (7 January to 14 March) - spring term between January and March???
JCR - the Junior Common Room, the undergraduate student body and the physical room where the undergraduates hang out
Matriculation - the ceremony where one formally becomes a member of the University.
Pidge - the 'pigeonhole': the mail comes here.
Pimms - summer drink, often associated with punting and rowing.
MCR - the graduate student body and their sitting room.
Michaelmas - winter term (1 October to 7 December).
SCR - the Senior Common Room, for the teaching staff and fellows to sit in and be clever.
Sub Fusc - formally, the academic dress - the black gown and cap, dark suit, white shirt and bow tie, with black socks and shoes. Thankfully only worn during the exams.
Strawpeedo - a quick way to drown one's drink using a straw and a friend.
Torpids - a rowing competition held during Trinity terms in which the contestants and spectators both get cold and wet.
Trinity - summer term (14 April to 20 June) - everyone's favourite.
Tute - a tutorial.

Worth contemplating...

'You can accomplish anything in life, provided that you do not mind who gets the credit.'
- Harry Truman


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To the Parents of Alok Mathur

I was really amused to receive an envelope in the post this morning, addressed to - my parents! As I ripped open the envelope, I was thinking, "Think, think! Have I done something naughty at school?"...ha ha... I am more used to receiving letters addressed to 'The parents of Ayushi Mathur' (my 8 yr old daughter), or 'The parents of Arnav Mathur' (my 20 month old son).

The envelope turned out to be from Mansfield College, my college at Oxford, and this was a Parent Information Pack. Obviously a rather assiduous and efficient administration department at the college sends the parent information pack to the registered address of every student, regardless of age & background (for those who do not know me, or for those new to this blog, I am going to be 36 in a month!). The system is obviously designed for undergraduate students.

Actually parents apart, the fact that I am going back to 'school' does make me feel very young (not that, at 36, I am anything but young). In fact, Varun, my flatmate-to-be at Oxford, has promised to make me a 24 yr old again. Good luck to you, Varun! In any event, I'll surely need the energy of a 24 year old to do justice to the lectures, the studies, the new subjects (especially Finance and Accounting), the exams, the parties, the booze, and the late nights.

Perhaps Mansfield College knows what it's doing by sending out these packs to everyone. Maybe it's just a clever ploy to change one's mental outlook right at the outset.


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Class profile

The class profile of the MBA class of 2007-08 at the Said Business School has been made public. Here are the stats:

• The class consists of students from over 40 countries
• Male:Female ratio is 73:27
• The average GMAT score is 685
• The average age of the class is 29
• The average number of years work experience is 6 years

European b-schools typically have a higher average age (and therefore higher number of years work experience) than b-schools in the USA or in Asia - this class seems to be no different. The average GMAT score is pretty high too, by any standard. In fact I think it is slightly higher than last year's average score, which I think was 680.


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Customer Service (here we go again!)

Some of you may have read a previous post on customer service - 'Cricket and the quality of service'. Here is an experience that is proving to be the exact opposite of that one. I had said, in my previous post, that the experience I had had then could not have been had in India. well, I must say now that the experience I have have had now could not be had in India either.

The Managing Director of Currys, Peter Keenan has this as 'Our promise': "We are committed to providing you with great service both in our stores and once you get your purchase home."

Now consider this: Just under one year ago we'd bought a microwave oven from Currys. Now, we tend to buy a lot from Currys (major purchases from them include a personal computer, a laptop computer, a refrigerator, a washing machine, a dishwasher, a Satnav unit, a Sky TV connection, a mobile phone, and the microwave in question; we have also bought numerous smaller items, from webcams and batteries to photo paper), because I always believed that we would get peace of mind. And so far I have had no reason to think otherwise.

The microwave oven developed an intermittent fault. The details relating to the fault are not important, but far from adopting the adage that the customer is always right, the store and service centre staff unfortunately displayed a lack of empathy and a complete disregard for a customer’s word.

· They claimed there was no fault present in spite of my best efforts to explain that the problem was intermittent and may reappear in a few minutes or a few days (by when the warranty would have expired). I naturally objected and suggested that the fault was intermittent and just because the fault was not apparent at the time it did not mean that it did not exist. Delivered aggressively it was an insinuation that I was lying about the fault.

· It was actually repeated a number of times that as far as they are concerned I may be lying because many customers do so. This was also repeated a number of times by the member of the customer service helpline when I called them the next day, as an explanation for his inability to help me. The apparent courtesy displayed on phone (which was sadly missing at the store) did not mean much if the gentleman kept calling me a liar, even if he did it very politely.

· When I asked if Currys was happy to lose a loyal customer rather than make a constructive effort at solving the problem, I was told that every second customer who calls threatens to never shop with Currys again. This was either an insinuation that I was making an empty threat and that regardless of the outcome I would shop with them again, or a suggestion that they did not care whether or not I shopped with them again. Either way, this is not something I would say to any customer of mine.

· The gentleman on the phone, to his credit, checked with a superior, but said that the superior had said that they could not help me with my problem just on my say-so, and that his superior’s word was ‘law’. I thought this was a suggestion that I was wasting my time talking to them. Unfortunate, coming from a ‘service’ centre.

· It was suggested, both at the store and on the phone, that since no conclusion was being reached and because other customers may be waiting, they must close the conversation. This was done aggressively at the store, where I was practically asked to take the product away because there was nothing wrong with it, and a little sensitively on the phone. I respect the need to cater to other customers, but not at the expense of a customer who is already on the line and whose problems are yet unresolved. And I would certainly not say so to a customer, even after we have been on the line for a fair while!

· By the time the member of the service helpline offered a constructive suggestion that I take the product back to the store for more extensive testing there was a more fundamental issue at hand – I certainly did not want to deal any further with people who had no respect for me, gave absolutely no credence to my statements, and kept repeating that I may be lying. I was much happier to write off the product as a loss.

Will I ever shop with Currys again? Take wild a guess...


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Why MBA?

A couple of days ago I had a discussion with someone I met for the first time, and got round to discussing why I am investing in an MBA at this stage of my life and career. I guess an MBA means different things to different people, depending on their background, ambitions, career-stage, industry, and family status. (Read my concerns on the subject, which I had briefly touched on, when I started writing this blog.)

Well, as much for my sanity and satisfaction as for anyone else curious enough to know, here's why. I will be happy to add to the list in time or if a suggestion is made.

In no particular order:

• The MBA tag
• The exposure to, and the opportunity to network with, some of the best in business - industry leaders, academic stalwarts, etc.
• The opportunity to network with Oxford and Said Business School alumni, developing business contacts and making friends for life
• The opportunity to change career streams (which is otherwise difficult at this stage of a career)
• To diversify my business knowledge; to learn the basics of all major areas of business, especially in the areas of finance, accounting, business development and strategy.
  
• Enhanced career opportunities
• Increased credibility
• To take a break and become a student after all these years
• To have a great time
• To be able to earn a bigger paycheck
  

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A humorous and a serious look at outsourcing

This is hilarious, as is the recently released 'The Simpsons movie'.



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Four weeks to go...

There are still nearly 4 weeks to go before I formally join the MBA programme at Oxford, but the already frenetic pace of activity is a sure indication of what things are going to be like for the rest of the year.

Now that some of the major activities with regard to first, securing a place at the school, and then organising the move to Oxford have been taken care of, I'd though I would be able to relax a bit until the 24th of the month, when I intend to make a move towards Oxford.

I'd thought wrong.

The school intranet and the incoming student portal is already red hot with activity. My diary for the week before I formally join already has a number of entries: a talk on emerging markets on the 24th, student induction programmes at the University on the 26th and 27th; a lecture by George David, CEO and Chairman of United Technologies Corporation on the 28th; The Oxford Pursuit, an exercise to familiarise us with Oxford and with our classmates, on the 29th; and a family event on the 30th. Between all this, I move into my flat on the 28th and resolve related paperwork; buy essentials for the flat; meet my prospective flatmates, classmates and school staff; meet with Barclays personnel to complete my loan application paperwork, open an account and make the final fee payment to the school; formally register with Mansfield college and collect my university and library cards, meet up with people in the MCR...you get the idea.

Evenings, hopefully, will be more relaxed (post the couple of lectures) and will be spent spending time with future classmates and establishing relationships over food and drink.

Meanwhile we have already been given a pre-course exercise on Financial Reporting, an exercise it has been suggested we do at least 5 times! Given my non-financial background I guess it will be very much needed.

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Flatmates

Yet another issue relating to the move to Oxford has been closed - I finally know who I am going to be living with for a year, while at Oxford. Varun Seksaria (that's him on the right) and I had already teamed up a few weeks ago and had jointly located and finalised a flat in Jericho. Varun is 24, single and from Bombay. (Previously I had written of our concern about finding a suitable third flatmate and of having to eat noodles for the whole year!). Our third flatmate, Sebastian Stoddart is 32 (I think), also single, from London, and is a designer (of what, I guess I will learn soon enough!). I'll post his photograph as soon as I have one.

Jericho is supposedly one of the better areas in Central Oxford, with many shops, bars and restaurants that students frequent. As I've mentioned in a previous post, the flat is a 10 min walk from the business school and more importantly, a 10 min walk from the city centre, and a 3-4 walk from the social hub! Great! The pics below were taken when I viewed the flat - hopefully the state of the flat (in which three business school students currently live) is not indicative of what it is going to be like when we live there!

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Trying my hand at masonry

Isn't it interesting how matters are viewed differently in different cultures?

Ever since I moved to the UK in the year 2000 I have heard various British friends and colleagues mention how they have been working on this major kitchen refurbishment project at home, or paving the garden, or even building a mini-extension single handedly. People find the time, mostly on weekends, to work on their homes and this could mean that one project might last several weeks or months. It used to fascinate me initially: the concept of people having the time, the inclination and the skill to undertake such major work at home, all alone. Gradually I began to realise that this was quite common. In fact, wallpapering the bedroom or repainting the interior was something most people did at some stage of their life, even if they did not undertake any major work. Ask me to cover one wall with wallpaper, and I am sure I will take days, and the result even then will be far from perfect!

This is probably because I was brought up in a different environment. A combination of the lack of time and skill, and the availability of cheap labour, means that one almost never indulges in such work in India. This is just not what one expects to have to do in one's entire lifetime. In fact some people might actually think it is beneath them to indulge in what is perceived to be menial work : "I've got better things to do...".

Further, with the emphasis on 'academic' learning in schools (I understand things are changing now, though gradually), children grow up without the basic skills required to undertake any such major work. At least I never saw a focus on the development of one's motor skills during my school years (and I studied in six different schools in four different Indian states). Of course there are exceptions, but I believe these are the people who either have a natural ability or a keen interest in this, or those that have studied in certain, rare, schools that actually give importance to these skills. Now since the retail requirement for building material does not exist, the market does not facilitate the availability of any such material for the consumer - nor do any guides exist to help laymen. One thus needs to know exactly what one needs, how much, and where to buy it from, if one is to even try their hand at any building work. As a result people with moderate interest find it nigh on impossible to try their hand at this. Vicious circle?

Well, coming to the point (finally!), my friend Ashish informed me on Sunday that he was working on modifying his garden. Without asking for any greater detail I volunteered to lend a hand (or two - or four, actually, since my nephew and friend - also Ashish, coincidentally - was visiting me from Birmingham and I asked him to come along), assuming I'll be either ripping off trees or bushes, or planting some (not that that is my forte). So we visited Ashish's house yesterday (it was a bank holiday), and ended up trying to lay a small brick wall (all of three bricks high) to support one end of a lawn he was planning to lay. Suffice it to say that the three of us worked for under two hours (that was the limit of the mental and physical effort we could put in, though a India-England cricket one-day match was also a major distraction), and finally succeeded in laying about one-third of the tiny wall - approx. 15 bricks in all! Not bad work, though.

However, I am sure I now know what to do (and how to do it), and on the next Saturday when I go and give Ashish a hand again, I will be able to lay at least 20 bricks in the same time it took me to lay 15 bricks yesterday...and who knows, if its my day, I may even go as high as 25 ;-)

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Another step taken

Well, one more tick in the to-do list as regards preparation for the MBA and the move to Oxford. Classmate-to-be Varun and I have finalised a flat in Jericho, Oxford - 10 mins walk from the school and 10 mins from the city centre. Though the flat is going to blow a hole in my budget, the location and the quality of the flat are excellent - at least we will be able to live reasonably for the entire year.

The hunt is now on for a third person to share with us, so that, in Varun's words, we do not end up eating instant noodles for the entire year.

In my two visits to Oxford for the purpose of viewing rooms and flats, I hadn't realised just how difficult it was to find parking spots (even of the pay & display kind). Almost all street parking is for residents only, and one has to display the parking permit in the car. One could use the Park & Ride, which allows you to park in car parks just outside the city and to use free buses into the city. Very convenient, if one wasn't going around the city visiting multiple locations. But for my purpose, it was a no go. So I drove into the city on both occasions - and boy, did I struggle!

I was due to meet the property agent at Venneit Close, and drove there, thinking I should be okay parking for a few minutes. The agent, however, warned me against doing so - it would be risking a £100 fine and perhaps even another fee to remove any clamps. Just as I was wondering how to get around the problem a solution turned up in the guise of a future classmate at SBS. Mark was at Venneit to view the same property, and he very kindly offered to stand and guard the car while I was in the property, viewing it. Many thanks, Mark! I owe you a drink.

I was luckier at the other properties when one landlord gave me a temporary parking permit or when I could park at the agency's office and walk to the flat. At a third I was lucky to find a slot where I could park for 30 mins. The only other option was to park in one of the city centre's car parks and to leg it from there.

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Tragic

I have just heard of the tragedy that has befallen an old engineering school friend who is currently in the US: over the last weekend his wife and two children (aged 4 yrs and 18 months) perished in a house fire. The news is shocking, and I can only imagine how devastated he himself must be.

The incident just brings into sharp focus the transient nature, and the inherent and utter unpredictability, of life. One wonders, in moments like these, whether it makes any real sense to live for the future. How many of us do exactly that and fail to live in the present. And before we know it, life's gone...poof...just like that. Every thing that you had looked forward to, everything that you had planned for, all dreams and aspirations, and for some, all reason to live - all gone.

I myself am guilty of living for the future far too often. While it is important that we keep the future in mind and to make all necessary investments in our family, our health, our financial well being, our social security, and our planet and environs, this should not be done at the cost of the present. We must remember that tomorrow never comes. Living only for tomorrow is not really living at all - it is existing in the vain hope that one will live tomorrow.

Unfortunately many people fail to draw a balance between living for the moment and living for the future - they either live too much in the present with the result that their future (and that of their near and dear ones) is devastated. Some others live too much for the future, and as a result they are never fully satisfied, and perhaps depart this earth still longing for more. Those who can find the optimal balance between the two often live the most fulfilling lives.

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Mansfield College

I've finally received the offer for membership from Mansfield College today. It is accompanied by quite a few documents. There are more than a few formailities to be completed, not just for the formal registration of my membership, but for other welfare issues like the MCR (Middle Common Room), registration at a nearby surgery, academic tutoring, etc.

I am not sure yet how much involvement I am going to have at the college, since I am going to be spending almost all my time at the business school. However it is reassuring to know that the facilities are available, should I need them. I guess the involvement will depend on a number of factors, not least on how much I wish to get involved, the amount of time I have on hand, the activities at college and how relevant they are to me, the friends I make at college (as opposed to at the business school), and distance of the college from where I live and from the business school.

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Cricket and the quality of service

An observation on the quality of service we expect and see in our dealings every day:
Saw day-3 of the current India-England cricket test match at the Brit Oval in London on Saturday. Excellent weather, great atmosphere, and lots of beer.

We had a 'big' man sitting next to us and that made things quite cramped. We couldn't imagine sitting like that for the whole day, and so we decided to go and talk to the ticketing authorities, though we were not expecting much. Lo and behold, they gave us complimentary seats that were a lot better - not just in terms of comfort, but in terms of the view we had. Meanwhile, the girl at the ticket counter knocked down one of our beer glasses accidentally, but immediately trumped up cash for a replacement glass of beer! We would have been very pleased with just the better seats, but the gesture with the beer was the icing on the cake.

Having lived the most of my life in India but having spent the last few years in the UK, I have heard many a comparison about the quality of service available in both countries. Usually I agree that the service industry in India is more responsive. However, I am equally sure that examples such as this are rarely to be seen in India, if ever. In fact, I think there are some very distinct differences in the levels and kinds of service available. At the basic level service in India is much superior. You visit a shop and the shop attendants fawn upon you; you can visit a garage and more or less dictate when you want your work done; doctors are available when you want them, even where you want them - and so are plumbers and electricians (the quality of the work they do is questionable, though). These cannot even be imagined in the UK.

However, at a different level, the service one receives in the UK cannot be expected in India. One example, of course, is the one above. A few years ago when we were in a large store my 3 year old daughter accidentally knocked down a display of crystal glasses. Now I imagine that the broken glasses would have cost a small fortune, but the shop manager would not hear of my offer to pay for the damage. In the UK, bus drivers wait for you, and politely give you any directions you may need; shops take back unwanted goods, no questions asked; you move home to a less risky area and the insurer will make a refund of part of the premium, without your having to ask for it. In the UK plumbers and electricians can take weeks to just turn up, but when they do turn up they usually do justice to the work.

Of course there are exceptions, just like there are in India. However the mindsets and social psyches are very different in the two countries, and this is reflected in the level and quality of service. It certainly makes for very interesting study. It is also extremely relevant, in this era of globalisation, to people in business, whether or not they are in the service industry. And certainly very relevant to anyone going in for an MBA!

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College membership (part 2)

Interestingly, all four seats at Mansfield still appear as vacant on the College list...it seems I may be the first one at Mansfield! Unless the list has not been updated for a while...we'll see.

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College membership

I've just heard from SBS that Mansfield will be offering me membership, and that I should be hearing from them soon.

Gotta start identifying others with Mansfield membership now...

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The Simpsons

I'm not a big Simpsons fan, but recently took my daughter to see the movie. I must say I was pleasantly surprised, and can easily say I enjoyed the movie much more than Ayushi did. I've always thought that The Simpsons is designed for adults, with adult themes being common. It was no different in the movie, and there were a couple of occasions (at least) wherein I was conscious of a seven yr old (well, she's nearly eight) sitting beside me and watching!

Eminently enjoyable, though. The wit we are used to in the TV series is still there to see - in fact those like me who only watch the TV version of The Simpsons occasionally will enjoy and appreciate it more.

Recommended!

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College membership, accommodation

Not long to go now, yet two important components of the coming year are still unresolved: my college membership and a place to stay.

Its now 4 weeks since a request would have been made for college membership to Mansfield, so I am expecting something real soon. Unfortunately by the time I could formally request for college membership, most colleges offering accommodation were full. Private rented accommodation it is, then. Things are moving along on this front too, so its only a matter of time before this is sorted. Am probably going to be making another visit to Oxford soon, to view a few properties.

I have already been to Oxford three times now (not counting the one visit I made a couple of years ago), and the city already feels like home. I have become quite familiar with the area around the business school and with the city center. During my last visit I drove and so could spend time driving around the other parts of the city. It certainly helps with the house hunting. The one negative is that the novelty is wearing out, fast!

Off peak it takes under an hour to drive from Coventry to Oxford, which is really great news - it will be really easy making impulsive visits home. Rush hours may prove different, but I don't expect to driving home then. Except, maybe, for the odd Friday afternoon.


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Visas, et al.

I have been noting, with selfish relief, how the next difficult step for incoming students is obtaining visas, and how it is one less headache for me.

One would think that it is a mere formality and that the issuance of a visa can be taken for granted; yet the process can be full of uncertainties and be hostage to the whims of the issuing officer. Ironically, once the visa is obtained, one wonders what the fuss was all about. Good luck to all who are still in the process!

This is true for many seemingly complex issues in life; and definitely for the likes of us: deciding on taking a career break (and for some, even giving up the career so far); the big question about school selection; taking the GMAT; the application process; essays; interviews...and once admitted, loans; visas; travel plans; college selection and admission; accommodation, etc. And the it doesn't end there - choosing the next career step literally even before the programme begins; applications and interviews again; new jobs, careers, employers and colleagues; relocation, often to a completely new country...

However, beyond all this is a dream : of all past questions and problems taken care of, of new possibilities and scenarios, and of a new and better future.

Here's to the MBA, and to a wonderful year at SBS and at Oxford!

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Closure!

Finally, the whole process of getting into SBS is coming to fruition, with the approval of my loan application. This has taken nearly six weeks to come through! The bank says they had written to me previously, but it was an email I never received. Well, such is life. The loan was approved - so no harm done, I guess.

Except that the delay means that my preferred colleges are full now, and those that have places do not have accommodation left. Private rented accommodation it is, then.

Meanwhile my parents, who were visiting us, have returned to India and to Gurgaon. Haven't spoken to them since then, though, since their home telephone ended up getting disconnected, as did their mobile.

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Some pictures...

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The beginning

It was, kind of, a big step when I suddenly decided to drop my job and go down MBA street. Out of the blue.

Well, the ground was probably being laid down for some time, with personal and family issues, and work matters - growth, the future, etc., battling through my mind for more time than I care to remember.

It's been a good life, starting work with one of India's best known companies in Pune and then going on to work and live in New Delhi until the year 2000. Great colleagues (well, some not-so-great ones too, but we'll ignore them here), great work, good friends...getting married to my engineering school sweetheart in 1996...the birth of our lovely daughter Ayushi in September 1999...

And then, the UK assignment offered to me in the middle of 2000. Some deliberation later, we moved to the UK in September 2000, and have been here since then. This proved to be a great move, because it offered great breadth of exposure and wonderful international experience, something I would have missed out had I stayed on in India.

Arnav, born in January 2006, brought further joy. He's nearly a year and a half as I start writing this, and will probably not even miss me while I am gone (yes, Archana and the kids are staying on in Coventry, in the interest of her work with the University of Warwick, and of keeping the finances going). Ayushi, fortunately is old enough to understand the concept of going to school, though I am not sure she understands why I need to go to school at my age.

Getting back to the subject of my career, I had my mind set on an MBA this year, and to save from having to relocate (first to South Africa, then, India), I decided to resign. The timing wasn't that great, unfortunately, there being just under a year before the start of the MBA year when I took the plunge. It also took a lot of careful thought: am I too old for this now? Will I be able to cope with the hard work required, nearly 14 years after I last took any exams? Is it worth the monetary risk at this stage? Am I being too hasty in sacrificing a good job for this, many months before it all actually starts?

On the upside, the situation gave me enough time to prepare well for the GMAT, and to focus on the MBA applications process. And here I am, looking forward to going to Oxford this September, confident that this is going to be the beginning of a great future, whatever happens!

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