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MBA at NTU

By Rishabh R. gANDHI

28 July, 2015

This is an attempt to summaries my

journey through the MBA at
Nottingham Business School,
Nottingham Trent University
(Batch 2014-15). With due respect
to my professors I would want to
thank them all for making this
journey an experience of a lifetime
and imparting me with knowledge
and skills that have helped my
decide my future career path

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a

single step.
The starting point of all achievement is

What started as a relaxed programme

desire- Napoleon hill. With a similar

turned intensive and interesting with co

desire to achieve and be successful in

relation

life, the decision to do an MBA seemed

understood and a silent training for the

appropriate to further polish my skills

upcoming live team consultancy projects

and also to gain some international

(which were the prime motivation to select

experience. What followed this desire

was indecisiveness of where to start and
where do I see myself graduate from.
Which resulted into several counseling

between

modules

being

NTU) for the MBA because of its practical

relevance and applications of theories and
models studied. These projects were done
with Gunn & Moore (Unicorn Group UK)
and the International Consultancy Project

sessions and family advice coupled with

(ICP) was hosted by Pliva Pharmaceuticals

social media polls and getting in touch

(Croatia), which included a weeks travel

with alumnis of various esteemed

to Croatia and the whole trip sponsored by

Universities.

NTU.

Heathrow to Croatia with My Team

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Life At Nottingham.
The start of the MBA was in May 2014, a
bit odd compared to the other start dates
of the courses run by NTU resulting in a
couple of problems relating to
accommodation, travel, searching for flat
mates and getting to Nottingham.
However the University with the Student
Help Centre managed these issues
smoothly and resulted into a smooth ride
with a few road bumps. All sorted and
bags packed I flew to UK on 14th may 2014
Landed at London and hired the University
approved cab to Study Inn Student
Accommodation in Nottingham.
What followed was a very warm welcome
by the Cohort, which comprised of 10 of
us from diverse nationalities and cultural
backgrounds and different management
experiences, which helped in
understanding the cultural differences and
improve interpersonal skills on a global
level.
The diverse cohort also helped me
understand how to overcome the barriers
when working together in a diverse team
which were also taught to us in one of the
module covered; Global Strategic
Management. Missing the initial 14 days of
class because of the visa process I missed
the icebreaker trip to Brathay, which as
described by the cohort helped them to
understand the various skills possessed in
individuals and how to respect the
differences and understand each other
better.
Friday lectures were followed by a trip to
The Horn in hand a local pub bang
opposite the University to get together and
reflect upon the previous week and
prepare for the coming weeks.

Aenean sem nulla, blandit

vitae feugiat id, congue eget.
The Image above is from an event by

Describing Nottingham is difficult.

Rock City one of the famous

All I would say is that it has been

nightclubs in Nottingham, which

amongst the best places I have

introduced me to these amazing sets of

stayed and has warm people always

friends and create a lifelong bond with

welcoming you. The city has state

them.

of the art transport making life easy

Nottingham dominated by students

houses several restaurants, clubs, night
bars, and events. Apart from this the
Nottingham Trent Student union has
its own club and is a place for several
student events, which helps to meet
several people and make friends.
The University also houses a Global
Lounge which hosts free lunch once a
week, making it an opportunity for
international and national students to
gather and interact with the Trent
Army over lunch.

for students to travel. Nottingham

also has its own local football team
and is also a host to the Goose fair
and several other activities
happening at the City Centre
organized by the Nottingham City
Council.
The city has loads of restaurants
and places to hangout and chill with
friends. Moreover you never get
bored of Nottingham.

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The MBA!

DISSERTATION.

MBA at the business school comprised of seven

core modules, three elective choices and two
consultancy projects leaving no room for missing

Dissertation is the best time to explore your

interests and the city. On your own you are

any business skill required for future development.

to decide what you want to focus on and

The core modules are relevant to all future career

prepare your assignment. Different from

opportunities and are a base for choosing the

previous modules, gives a sense of freedom

electives with specific focus and interest. My

and do something, which solely relates to

elective

your future development. Mine was based

choices

were

Global

Strategic

Management, Entrepreneurship New Venture

Creations and Constraints Management. The MBA
helped me discover my strong skills into strategy
and operations for which I also scored high
distinctions and further motivated me to consider

on operations in the construction Industry

that was due to the newfound interest in
operations and previous experience into
Construction and Real Estate.

these as my future career options

Necessity is the Mother of Invention.!

A nightmare for most students is to
manage food. Although with several eating
options and University Canteen one still
does need home cooked food. (An
example of my scientific cooking where I
managed rice with veggies without burning
down the house)
In my case meals were a regular event at
Wagamama near the University, which
comprised of Yasai Pad Thai without
shallots. For lunch and dinner this was a
fixed meal for at least 20 days a month for
the initial 2 months. Thanks to Ben (Image
below)

Above is a 3 am image of work during my dissertation. I was so involved and into it

that it motivated me to ignore time and work on my dream. My supervisor Dr. Roy
Stratton was aware of the same and guided me throughout the 2 month journey and
has helped me further refine my focus area as to what I would want to be 25 years
from now and whether the steps that I am taking today are aligned to my future
goals.

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Spring 2016, Issue 4

The best advice I ever got from my father was that no knowledge is sufficient and
to keep reading because knowledge is power. MBA has improved my tacit
knowledge but completing it doesnt end my journey towards acquiring and
enhancing new and existing knowledge. During the MBA knowledge was not
confined to books or lecture notes, but the whole process of interacting, listening
and participating in class was a knowledge builder and enhancer.
The MBA has changed the way I now look at things and has helped me to
critically analyse situations and work to the best of my options and knowledge. It
has also empowered me to work beyond the skills I possess to further understand
and acquire the skills required for a work to be well done. It has motivated me in
all spheres of life and has made me a confident and enlightened human being. I
now have more balance between work and play because of the time management
skills it has taught me and has made me optimistic to look out for opportunities
and commercialize them to the benefit of the society and those around me.
I am grateful to all my professors and the NTU Staff for making this journey a life
changing event for me and adding a new chapter to my life. I hope to make you
all proud one day.

(Rishabh R. Gandhi)