5 tips for making the most of your MBA program at UPES

Business school is all about exploration and going the extra mile, so your goal should be to draw the maximum mileage out of the resources at your disposal

Applying to a business school is an all-consuming experience. Researching for numerous specialisations, preparing for entrance examinations, group discussions and personal interviews is undoubtedly, a strenuous process. In this procedure, students might find it difficult to remember that admission into a B-school isn’t the end goal, it is just the beginning.

Efforts to make each MBA student a strong team player, domain expert and eventually a global manager with deep understanding of the sector starting from day one. Academic experience and all-round development in UPES changes students’ outlook towards life, professionally as well as personally. As students embark on their journey towards excellence, given below are five ways that would help them optimize their MBA degree.

Undertake research projects:- While pursuing MBA, students must learn how to research well and write academic papers as it helps them develop a problem-solving ability and gives them a deeper understanding of the domain. UPES School of Business provides ample research opportunities to students. Students can participate in annual conferences such as International Conference on Management of Infrastructure (ICMI) , Agro Supply Chain Conference (ASCC), etc., and assist their mentors in research projects.

According to the Vice President of E-Cell, Sagar Sing Bisht, “Research projects help students gain hands-on experience in completing a creative business project. It also helps them gain academic credentials that provide a strong base for a well-rounded resume. Such projects often lead to presentations at professional conferences, which act as a foundation when students apply for higher education scholarships, or even jobs.”

Participate in events and competitions: Events and competitions are great platforms for learning and networking. Learning gained through competitions gives students some life-long lessons. Winning makes students confident, while losing gives them the resolve to do better.

Says Akash Jindal, Vice President (Events Vertical), “The great times and fun students have while participating enhances their productivity. The conversations at events encourages students to build healthy relationships, exchange perspectives, and engage with people from different cultures.”

School of Business organises national-level fests like Ignite, Logistikas, Business Conclave and many others. Active participation in events enables students to connect with like-minded people. They also meet individuals who can help them in their professional journey ahead.

Share your learning: MBA is all about understanding the fundamentals of business and learning and how you can become an asset to your organisation. A good manager is expected to mentor and nurture his team members in various functional and technical aspects. So, it becomes important to cultivate a sense of sharing. Apoorva Chanana, founder of Learn Excel, a YouTube channel says, “Students can share their knowledge through social media platforms or by creating videos on YouTube. Forming a peer learning group can be another great idea to share their learning.” This will not just help students understand things better but also contribute towards enlightenment of others. Sharing what students have learnt enhances their presentations skills too.

Be a member of a student club:Clubs and other organisations are where students make some of their most valued connections and memories to cherish forever. Students can talk about their experience and participation in their job interviews.

“Learning business strategies simply won’t do any good unless pupils have the smartness to apply them. Joining a student club or student council vertical will give students a platform to hone skills and learn how to apply their knowledge and skill-set in real life. A student’s life should be beyond classrooms; and exposure in all the domains is equally important. I would, therefore, advise students to join student clubs as per their interest and ability. There are various verticals under School of Business, Student Council, such as research, corporate relations, events, international affairs, e-cell and many more. You must apply and gain experience,” says Prem Raghavan, President, Student Council.

Upskill: Ahsan Masood Khan, student of MBA Business Analytics says, “COVID -19 crisis has made us realize that, no matter what, learning should never stop. Agility and upskilling are going to be the desirable traits future managers will look for. So one should grab every opportunity to learn new things.” UPES has collaborated with Coursera to offer students 3900+ industry-ready courses from 190+ world-renowned universities and industry partners like Google, Boston Consulting Group and Amazon Web Services. The modules are interactive, bite-sized and self-paced. Students can earn a university-accredited certification after their course-completion. So, students should make the best use of this golden opportunity and add to their credentials.

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