Change

Some things in life don't give any signals. They come suddenly from somewhere, catch your attention, take your breadth away and engulf you into its own world. Something similar happened to me.

To cut a long story short, I have begun my full time MBA program at Warwick Business School, UK. Seems like a dream as the UK was never a choice for me and I was always attracted to the US. Also with some rejections in the backyard, I was seriously contemplating of getting an advanced degree in management science or rather a technical/management sort of program to leverage my engineering background.

So what attracted me to Warwick of all the places? Quite, a few I must say

1. A one yr program which meant a fast paced study schedule and I could go back to working quickly.
2. Its ranking in FT and EIU (A respectable top of the line). WBS is also ranked the fourth best business school in the UK.
3. the Coventry factor, which meant that the cost of boarding/lodging would be at least 30% cheaper than London.
4. The brand!! While researching, I realised that the Warwick brand is extremely recognizable in the UK, US and many Asian countries. Warwick is one of the few universities which has not one but two representative offices in India (Mumbai and Delhi).
5. Warwick's MBA program costs GBP 21,400 as compared to at least GBP 30 - 35K for a MBA program at LBS, oxford or Cambridge.
6. Average experience of the class at WBS is close to 8 yrs meaning more matured candidates, more peer learning and also "mid-career profile" perception by employers.

My decision to finally apply was taken rather late (Mid may). While the deadline for applying was 31st July'09, I finally submitted my transcripts and essays on 23 July' 09 and then things started flying. Interviews, arranging funds, loans, visa applications, office wind-ups, shopping, good byes, parties and many things to be done within the extremely little time left. Since, this was my first visit to a foreign country, there were some anxiousness and vague information on the net made things all the more hazy. My two cents on people coming to study in the UK

1. Visa application needs to be dome by going to the India VFS office located at different cities. You need to fill a form and hand them the following documents (application form, bank statements, loan document, college admission letter, passport, photographs according to specified rules). Please use this as a guideline http://in.vfsglobal.co.uk/
2. For students taking a student loan, please remember this is quite a lengthy process and can be a deciding factor. Indian banks take anything between 40 to 45 days to actually sanction the loan. If possible, get the paperwork done earlier. Things like getting the property valued by the bank (No one else) if you are using house/land as collateral can save valuable time. Also remember, the student has to come to the bank during the final sanction. Banks do not give the money to the students directly but send it to the college. If you happen to stay off-campus and need to use a part of the loan as living expenses, it takes some serious convincing to make the bank send some money to your personal account. Also remember, the banks charge anywhere like 10- 15% as margin money, meaning you will not get the total sum you ask for loan as part of the final disbursement.
3. FOR STUDENTS TAKING LOAN, PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THE PROVISIONAL LOAN APPLICATION RECEIPT BY THE BANK IS ACCEPTABLE TO VISA OFFICIALS AS PROOF OF FUNDS. I had a harrowing time, thinking about my funding documents, since my loan was sanctioned very late and I did not have nay sanction letter to show the authorities.
4. Winters in the UK are bad. Normally the temperature in Sept-oct typically when students come is about 10-12 degree celcius with high wind blowing throughout the day. Rains are erratic, but it really dosen't rain but, drissles. The problem with raining, is that due to the wind, an umbrella is pretty much useless, so its just better to be indoors. A good quality leather jacket, some mufflers, caps and gloves are enough. Jackets in the UK are normally available from 25 pounds to 60 pounds and it is advisable to not bring too many woolens and unnecessarily making your baggage heavy.
5. for Indians, please make sure to get a couple of universal adaptors as plug points here have rectangularish sockets.