So here we are in our third month at Ivey, and I still can’t get over how fast time is flying by! The upper years weren’t kidding when they said it was going to be a grueling year. They also weren’t kidding when they said it was going to be one of the best years ever.
What still amazes me every day is how much I’ve learnt in such a short period of time. Coming from an Engineering background, I feel like someone has finally taken the blindfold off my eyes and exposed me to all the real-world issues that I had such a difficult time comprehending in the past. Moreover, I have such a better appreciation for the business world. My husband can certainly attest to this, as I come home on a daily basis and boast about all the great things I’ve learnt. I’ve even gone so far as to analyze his businesses’ financial statements and begin setting target ratios!
I’m a strong advocate for the emphasis Ivey puts on developing leadership. One of our courses, Leading People and Organizations, is focused solely on the art of persuasion, understanding your strengths and weaknesses, and knowing how to be a good mentor and mentee. From my own experiences, this is an area I feel so many strong leaders neglect. It takes one thing to drive a company’s financial results through to success, but it takes an entirely different set of skills to effectively manage and inspire a team during this journey to the top.
The thrill for me doesn’t stop in the classroom. The people I’ve met here have far exceeded my expectations. Everyone seems to be on a level playing field – highly intelligent, motivated to succeed, and determined to make the most of their time at Ivey. Whether I’m with my Learning Team, softball team, New Venture Project team or LEADER team, the people here are what have truly enriched my experience. A lot of what we’ve gone through (i.e. 24 hour reports, daily cases) could not have been done without the support of my classmates. I can already tell I’m developing friendships here that will last a lifetime.
Last month, I attended the graduating class formal. Don’t ask me why, but I felt sad (and I wasn’t even the one leaving!). I’ve just begun the program, and I already know that I will not want to leave. At the end of the day, my goal is to make the most of every minute of every day during my time here at Ivey.
Neha Khera graduated from the University of Waterloo, with an honours degree in Electrical Engineering. Prior to pursuing her MBA, Neha worked as a Manager for Scotiabank’s Business Innovations Group. At Ivey, she is an active member of the Business Technology Club, and will be participating in Ivey’s LEADER project in April 2011. Some of Neha’s interests include travelling, yoga and giving back to her community through volunteer work.