The Introvert's Guide to B- School.

 

➤ Bokey Sumiran

 “I am in introvert and this is totally opposite of my comfort zone. Socializing to maintain contact on a daily basis? Group activities? And how do I even choose my domain? I don’t like finance and I don’t want to end among people by choosing marketing”

 

 Dear introverts,

I know, if you’re planning to enroll into a B school or at some point in your B-School journey these questions must’ve popped up in your mind. I know it did.

B schools are the perfect example of a place where people from all the psychological, demographic places are brought in together to train to fit the extroverts of the world. I often see this as an art of pottery where teachers and mentors use their knowledge to mold students so they can fit into the corporate world.

A normal day at a B school consists of tones of social interaction disguised as group activities, group presentations and assignments. To any non introverted person this might sound like a great platform for socializing and learning but, for an introverted person this is nothing less than end of the world. You cannot keep on running from it like you do in any normal social situation. You cannot just pull your mobile from your pocket and walk across your colleague or a senior pretending that you haven’t seen them. This just doesn’t work because I’ve tried this and it is just plain stupid and embarrassing (You are welcome).

You have enrolled yourself into a B school. You must have thought this through. To be fairly good at interaction, you have to form a habit of waving, smiling as a form of greeting to other people. Making this as part of your life style is the key of surviving B school. In a shorter term it will help you interact with people and in longer term it will eliminate your social anxiety.

 

I got to spend a fair amount of time in B school. I have made some points according to my experience that will guide you through your first few days (or entire 2 years) of B school and new people.

 

1.     ➤ Keep your mind open

 Keep an open mind and don’t judge people. As I said earlier, people from different backgrounds, culture are there. Everyone has their own problems or skills where they lack and they are probably trying to figure it out. They might be looking for a friend and you just need to be open and approachable.

 

 ➤  Engage into conversation

 I know. For you, this is more difficult than climbing Mount Everest. But just hear me out, I have something that can help you. Imagine you are enjoying your lunch in the canteen all alone, you have your earphones plugged in and suddenly some of your classmates join you. Well, obviously you can’t ignore them so you have to talk. Just try to ask questions which are about them. People love to talk about themselves. So you just got to ask questions like ‘what assignment are you working on?’ or ‘how was your presentation?’ and voila! There’s your conversation.

 

  ➤ Find your ‘Homies’

 Let’s face it. We all need our homies in our life. Life at a B school can get hectic if you don’t have friends around you. I know they can be annoying sometimes but that’s what friends are for. At the end of the day these people are going to support you and motivate you through your journey and your final placement. So, just find your people and support each other.

➤ Be Vigilant

 Nobody is perfect and everyone lacks somewhere. I’m not trying to demotivate you, all I’m saying is to trust the kind of skill set you have. Everyone has got strengths and weaknesses. Focus on your strengths but also try to overcome your weaknesses.

Be confident and accept your flaws. Work on communication skills, aptitude, GD skills. If you are not good at communication, ask someone with better communication skills to guide you. If you are good at GD, help someone who struggle in the GD. This is how you support each other and grow together.

  ➤ Make time for yourself

 I know, above points sound like a lot of work. Exploring new places, people and new aspect of your personality can be mentally exhausting. That’s why, try to make time for yourself. Don’t give up the things you love. Take out some time for yourself and keep in touch with your hobbies. Look for some space for yourself in the crowd of people to recharge your social battery to get you ready for your next day at B school

 

Unfortunately due to covid-19, I got to spend good 6 months in B school after that everything got virtual and to be honest I missed being in the campus with all the people around me. The introvert on me never thought I will say this but it did happen. It worked well for me and I hope it will work for you too.

All The Best!

 Blog By..

Sumiran Bokey MBA II Year.

Indira Global Business School, Pune.