INSEAD 11J: An Epic Year

Bintan, Indonesia: First weekend, Singy style

As Guinness so brilliantly puts it, 'good things come to those who wait', and as many of you (i.e. 3 kind souls) have nagged me to get my act together and write a summary of my INSEAD experience, I thought I’d better get started before you lose interest entirely, simply remember this year as one which I spent nagging you with annoying Facebook updates and debaucherous photos, and / or start developing an unhealthy addiction to Guinness.

Lebanon: Last official INSEAD trip (until the next one)

So I've delayed writing for days, weeks and even months because I've never known where to start: at the beginning, at the end, somewhere in the middle? Two weeks post graduation, in Beirut with the usual eclectic mix of 20-odd INSEAD folks, I finally understood: there is no finality to the INSEAD experience. It’s such an overwhelming adventure that you’re left permanently changed, with life-long friendships, a different view of people around you, and a truck load of memories from all corners of the globe.

If Tom were an INSEAD alum

I've often likened the experience of the past 10 months to travelling on a high speed train, which you latch onto for a crazy ride, before being thrown off  when you no longer have the strength to hold on, compelling you to rest before you can even conceive of jumping back on. The experience is unique precisely because everyone jumps on and off this bandwagon at different times, thus taking away different things from the ride. There are those who come here to work, those that come here to play and the vast majority who end up practising a healthy combination of work and play (let’s just say I wasn't in the first category).

You've probably heard enough from me about the 'play' side of things, so how about the work?! Well the most common questions I’ve heard over the past year include the following gems: “What is your MBA in?” (which tops the list of the most frustrating questions out there), “Did you actually do any work?” (a resounding yes), and “what did you learn?” (how long have you got for me to explain?!).

Class of 11J @ Graduation

As I’ve discovered that we all have short attention spans, I'll be responding to these questions in three parts (apparently we also like lists with 3 items... don’t ask me why): 

(i) 'My INSEAD in numbers'

(ii) 'So what on earth have I learned'

(iii) 'You know you've been to INSEAD when...'

So keep your eyes peeled! I won’t try to claim that my experience is representative but hopefully it rings a few bells for those of you from 11J that I've had the privilege to share this year with. Thanks to all of you!

And for those of you who endured the experience from outside the 'bubble'... thanks for your endless support. I love you all very much!