How essential are extracurricular activities at MBA? It looks like they are really essential, otherwise business and management colleges wouldn’t have been in hurry to introduce a lot of actions. They realize that power of learning is by performing. Surveys after surveys reveal that 40% of learning in MBA occurs in peer groups.
Sometime back there was a book titled “What They Don’t Teach You At Harvard Business School” published. The answer to this question is “how to become street” says its author Mark H. McCormack in the publication. What it appears we need together with the business school education is the street knowledge that comes from the day-to-day experience of running a business and managing people, says he in that book. The publication was a great hit so a lot so that somebody had to bring out another book “What they really teach in Harvard Business School” as a sequel to it.
The Bookish knowledge is bookish knowledge and it takes that far only. It alone won’t help in life. What matters after that’s how one uses the understanding in real life. And one also need those skills which help him or her to be absorbed by the industry readily.
India today has 2500 management colleges and 25 high quality Business schools like IIMs and ISB and so on. Though numerous graduates out of these institutions, not more than 25% are employable, a NASSCOM study revealed some time back.
But, how far MBA colleges geared up to groom management graduates whom industry can absorb quickly. We need MBAs that provide training mapped to Industry requirement. Employability skills that are greatest learnt when classroom replicates key features of real work. And faculty’s part should be to facilitate and coach rather than lecture. So the management faculty should make its students to take a lot of the responsibility of their own understanding. Students should take obligation to become a constant learner.
So business colleges are gearing up to develop employability skills in its management students. It is discovered that subject knowledge is useful only 15% and what really matters in gaining employment is soft abilities which matters 85%.
Besides series of lectures, discussions, workshops and group practice sessions it’s needed to develop important abilities for leadership like effective listening, communication, presentation, team building, assertiveness and problem solving etc.
So colleges are all geared up to provide Soft Skills to bridge the gap between Academic Education and Industry requirements.
Some institutions even feel that all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy. They’re extending classroom beyond campus. Life in campus is totally different now. Indian College of Business (ISB) on joining, puts all students to go through the Leadership Development Programme (LDP) to inculcates a spirit of team perform and leadership. It has student clubs, community services, business and art programmes etc along with other extracurricular activities.
Life at Singapore Institute of Management Global Education isn’t all work and no performs. Over 50 arts, cultural, special interests and sports clubs too as round-the-year student activities exist for community bonding, personal growth and networking says the institute.
Unitedworld School of Business is offering one year internship at its Singapore campus.
Extracurricular activities can empower students to make their own decisions and help them obtain vital encounter and skills to lead them on the path to their long term.
These days companies hire management consultants to solve their problems. Managements appear for such consultants only who perform a leadership part in their own existence informs Mr. Naresh Reddy, Alumni – IIM Bangalore.
MBA is really a Mind Brain Activation said Prof. Anamitra Chatterjee, Alumni of IIM-C and Prof Executive Education of London College of Business.
According towards the Montana State University, students involved in extracurricular activities are more likely to become leaders, more willing to complete tasks, more willing to voice opinions, and more likely to graduate from high school and have annual incomes of more than $50,000. Extracurricular activities are also a good way to explore social, political, and career interests.
Extracurricular activities help students obtain experience in a variety of areas that will improve their future. Through participation in sports, students discover cooperation, teamwork and time management. By serving as an officer in an organization, students discover obligation, problem solving and communication. Extracurricular activities can also help students discover hidden talents, meet people they might otherwise not encounter, and learn about things outside their own environment.
Extracurricular activities are excellent fun. At the time of college admission or job interview applications extracurricular activities reveal glimpse of students life-style and personality. Your list of activities will be a track record that tells something about students participation, but also about his or her commitment to a goal, depth of interests, and attitude.