Smart not hard ... but well done

I keep reminding myself that the motto to follow in ISB is to work smart and not hard. There is an immense amount of comfort in conforming to the path laid down by professors but it may not be the best path in terms of time.


There are several problems that can be practiced in economics, statistics and accounting if need be. But is there a need? I think the courses at ISB are patterned in the same way as their application process was. Just like the essays to be written were restricted to 300 words, to elicit the facts rather than verbosity, the courses hope to develop a breadth of understanding rather than a depth. However, a breadth does not justify that you do not understand the concepts well. Understand them well, but there is really no need to cut, dice, mash, eat and imbibe them into your system. It is a bschool for crying out loud, not a PhD institute. 


I would think that the people who realize this earlier are the people who will sail through with ease (and without losing too much sleep). Realizing this will free up time for other 'non-academic' activities (which might turn out to be equally important in securing a job) as well.