I am now an INSEAD graduate and alumnus. It feels strange. For the past 10 months, we were running a race. We began unbelievably quickly, lunging down the racetrack, at times feeling like we were going to fall on our faces. Then as we got to the top of the hill, gasping for breath, we saw the beautiful horizon in front of us. We kept on at it, knowing the end was near. Finally as we passed the finishing line, our legs still felt like running - but now we’re back in a different type of race, in another paradigm.
Just 2 months ago I was only just settling down in France, apprehensive of driving a manual car on the other side of the road and speaking as far as possible in French.
Soon I figured my way around and didn’t need the GPS all the time. I got used to cooking food using French ingredients, enjoying bread, cheese and wine. I loved having long conversations and evening walks with my housemate after dinner. We made bold weekend driving trips to distant parts of France. And now I’m happy making dinner reservations in French and not relying on the phrase ‘Parlez vous anglais?’ so often anymore.
Just 10 months ago, I started my first term at the INSEAD campus in Singapore. Being Singaporean, I felt obliged to help classmates settle down. Then I was voted into the Students’ Council which resulted in me getting to know the administration better. Club work took up the rest of my time - the most scarce resource in the early months at INSEAD. My mind was spinning, not just with the new concepts we had to learn, but with meeting people from all parts of the world with backgrounds very different from mine.
Just 1 year ago, I was in London, meeting up with some new classmates at a chic wine bar. We were curious, asking lots of questions about each other. The perennial question was, “Fonty or Singy?” which means, “Are you starting in Fontainebleau or Singapore?” The financial crisis had yet to explode, and we were young, optimistic and ambitious.
1 year later we are slightly less young, but still optimistic and ambitious - even if we have to wait a bit longer for opportunities to come our way. There will be reunions and many gatherings as I know people are planning to return to Singapore to work, or look for work.
So, life will go on. But life will never be the same, after INSEAD.
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