Does One REALLY Need A Management Degree?

Date: 20th Feb 2008

I call up Sumeet, ask him about the Maharashtra Management CET (Common Entrance Test). The following convo took place:

Me: Hi dude… wassup?
Sumeet: Cool man, at last, tension relieved… got some reprise.
Me: Your english sucks as usual… Yeah, all this classes thing was taking a huge toll no? Hey, who all were at your centre with you?
Sumeet: Amit, Ravi and Ravina.
Me: How did the exam go? And how was it for the rest of the guys? How much do you expect?
Sumeet: Tu pehele tera bata…
Me: Just shut the fuck up and tell me or else I am gonna come there and kick your balls outta you…
Sumeet: Ok.. ok dude, don’t get so worked up you sick slimy bitch, exam was cool, should get around 95-100, same with Amit and Ravi. Ravina says she should be getting around 110 something… Yours?
Me: Yeah, gals are anyways better at academics. I did not give the exam man, so, I cannot say…
Sumeet: What? You outta your fucking mind? What happened? Sach bata, examiner caught you copying right?
Me: No man, I did not feel like giving it.
Sumeet: Don’t lie… well, we will meet in the evening. Gotta go bye..

Evening time:

We guys hangout, one of them is Chirag, an IIM Ahd. grad. He is one of those cool guys you rarely find. He stays right next to my flat and is a very good friend of mine. At the first look, he doesn’t strike you as an academician, one of the very few educated guys who knows what to talk and when to talk. He has helped pull my ass outta a lot of trouble many a times I have managed to get myself into and hence, I don’t mind whatever he says against me..

So, Sumeet, Chirag, myself and all other guys in our locality gather around for our usual play of soccer. Sumeet starts and informs others all the convo happened earlier during the day.
The resulting convo was as follows:
Chirag: Yeah, he is a fucking moron, CAT mein to daal gali nahi aur abhi yeh chance bhi chala gaya. What do you think? How wil you get into a good MBA school? Bade bade baatein karta hai. Bolta hai 6 figure salary chahiye…
Me: Saale, maine pagar ke bare mein kab bola? Jhooth mat bol..
Chirag: Theek hai, magar life mein aage kaise badhega?
Me: I dunno, I am happy currently..
Chirag: Happiness ke liye paise bhi chahiye. You won’t even get near to a 6 fig salary without an MBA from a reputed college. Now you have wasted one whole fucking year.
Sumeet: Maine bhi yehi bola usko, saala meri baat sunta hi nahi…
Me: Look guys (in hindi), stop fucking my brain. (in english) You guys say as if my life is stuck in a deep hole. I agree, MBA is an instantaneous jump to one’s career, but its not a pre-requisite. What if I decide to shape up my own career? And yeah, without an MBA? I can read stuff that you did and do, I can think the way you do, I may not be better tham an MBA fella but I can equal the mental development without your fucking piece of paper or certificate or whatever you call it…
Chirag: Phirse badi badi phekne laga…
Me: Your ass (in hindi). I am seriously considering the prospect of a self-MBA.
Sumeet: Look, its already 8:30 pm. Khanna aunty will start shouting soon, we better get on with our game….

And so, the ‘MBA’ centric commotion ended but yeah, I am gonna self-develop myself. And if I still feel appropriate to do an MBA, I will join a B-school. Still one year for that decision.
As they say, little knowledge is more dangerous than no knowledge, GOD forbid if I take an unwanted step.. I am into an uncharted territory.
Well, right now I am gonna get back to books… Freakonomics by Steven D Levitt for me…

All names changed to protect privacy.

Dude Sumeet, if you are reading this thing, you know, i have displayed the message of names being fictious so, no one is gonna know.. Please dont try to break my bones...