How to Survive First Semester in a Business School

From my early childhood, I had religiously tried (and failed) to meet the social expectations of being a so-called “good” student in the typical Bangla medium setting. It was quite unfortunate that my teachers and friendly neighbourhood aunties had successfully brainwashed me into thinking that studying science is all there is to life, and that I will be a complete and utter disgrace to my family and peers if I don't pursue a career in medicine or engineering. However, by the time I had to make a decision about my career and higher studies, I had learned to think for myself, so I chose to forsake my cherished identity as a science student and got accepted into one of the best business schools in the country.

Soon afterwards I realised that studying business is not as easy as people make it seem, and my experience has been anything but rosy. But I think I made it out alive; here's how you can do the same.

1. Study hard. Don't let myths such as “Science students are the best at everything and accounting is obviously easier than Pythagoras' theorem!” fool you. There comes a time in every student's life when they realise that they have been deceived into thinking university is easy. And for most science students, that time is when they suddenly have to switch subjects.

2. Fit in. You will find that most people in your class are driven by this powerful urge to make heaps of money. You might not agree with them, you might not be as competitive, but you must at least keep up the pretence of it, or else natural selection will come for you.

3. Participate. Networking and extra-curricular activities matter more in business schools than in any other institution, so go out and meet people and join as many ECAs as possible. Do not let your inner emo, loner kid take over your life.

4. Groom yourself. You can't stutter while talking. Your shirt cannot be wrinkly. You must be presentable. Basically, being book smart is of no value unless you're also street smart.

5. Make friends. The most important part of your university life, whichever subject you study, are your friends. And trust me when I say that you'll need them more than ever in a place as competitive as a business school, where quite often people make enemies faster than they make friends. So, make sure you have allies, and be loyal to them.

Do not let the fact that you have to survive here instead of casually breezing through it discourage you. Don't let anything stop you if business is what you want to go for, because even though it can be trying at times, it is quite a fascinating thing to study. Besides, business school should be a breeze for you, now that you know how to survive it. May the force be with you.

Aanila Kishwar Tarannum started hating on everything the moment she realised why her parents put so many A's in her name: because they knew her transcript would be devoid of any vowels. Find out about her relentless rants on facebook.com/Aanial