Dear 23 year old me,

• It’s ok that you didn’t get into a top B-School- it doesn’t matter. It’s not the B-School that defines you, but it’s how you live your life that ultimately defines the B-School.
• Don’t be confined into sects of gender, race, or any kind of commonality; mingle freely with full harmony and stay in touch beyond the convocation — for when you are looking for a job, you will never know whom you have to call.
• It’s not the management theories that you learn in classrooms, but the norming, storming and performing of group work that helps you become a leader.
• It’s not the books that you read under exam pressure, but the books that you read out of the pleasure that matters.
• Please do master these 3 things –how to make a presentation, how to use a spreadsheet and the most important — how to effectively search on Google.
• Although grades don’t matter, do maintain a decent one. It helps clear the cut-offs and to avoid defending a bad one in an interview.
• It’s ok to bunk a class or two; it’s ok to make a fool of yourself in that dance; it’s ok to ask that girl for her number and take a chance — these are memories & they matter.
• Heartbreaks don't matter; ultimately love will find you.
• Placement is the least of the problems in life. Not getting that dream job is a good thing — it keeps that fire alive.
• Money isn’t everything, but it’s something. Do get a job that pays and helps you save.
• Dreams don’t die, but they expire if you don’t do something about it.
• Enjoy your summer breaks and holidays with your loved ones; after you enter the rat race, you will miss it.
• It’s ok to continue praying even after getting a job or passing out. Faith and Hope are the most abstract tangibles to hold on to.

Cheers.

The slightly older (33) you