By Vikramjit Khangura, MBA Class of 2019
“Whatever you do in life, surround yourself with smart people who’ll argue with you”- John Wooden.
This quote was the main driving factor for me to choose Smeal. For me personally, getting into an MBA program which offers more than
just a classroom experience was important, as was making sure I am in a top-ranked supply chain school. Through my research, Smeal was always my top preference. As soon as I had an offer, I accepted it. I have not been disappointed. I am around the smartest people I have ever met, and to interact with them every day is a privilege for me.
Talking about the curriculum, Mod 4 is starting and we are almost done with the first year of our MBA program. As has been rightly said by so many graduates before us, it has passed by in a flash. It has been busy but fun. Coming to a foreign land, I have experienced so many things for the first time. The greatest of all is American football and tailgates. For one, why is it called football? Still trying to figure that out. I loved watching the games and being at tailgates. We even had an info session to teach the international students how the game works. It is things like these that make me feel welcome and at home. The way a community welcomes new members into its fold speaks a lot about the strong values of the community.
So far, we have had some wonderful experiences both in the classroom and outside of it. And building on the core foundation, we move into the next mod with electives. As much as I am looking forward to it, I am going to miss having the whole class together in a single classroom for all the subjects. The class discussions and interactions have been equally important for me as a learning experience. Outside of the classrooms, there has never been a dull moment with case competitions, company info sessions, networking events, charity events (auctions, THON dance marathon), cultural festivals, it has all been a great ride. The next mod offers us something to look forward to. We have “We Are Weekend” coming up this month and this platform provides the incoming students to interact with the Smeal team here. I cannot wait to share my experience with the incoming students and welcome them to the family.
Here’s to the adventures that await us and the strong bond that we have formed in such a little time. We all will be graduating before we know it and getting on with our lives in the corporate world. I wish good luck to the outgoing 2nd years and a big thank you for guiding us. We hope to do the same for the incoming class next year.
We Are!!