Definition of Politics???

All you out there ... I am back at LUMS and it is at full boom now! doesn't take much time see! After a round of course test runs, I have finally decided the 5 rings I am going to jump through in the first half of the 3rd semester! One of these is Managing Organization Politics (MOP) by our beloved Dr. Farzad!
As usual, he swept us away by his way of reasoning in defining what POLITICS is! Long story short, whenever human choices are involved, the phenomenon of politics occurs! Whatever we do, think without having been directed by the unquestionable is ranked amongst the political acts! Whether right or wrong, formal or informal, evil or virtue, nice or bad, its POLITICAL and you are a POLITICIAN ;)

Random Scribbling

Sometimes it is so strange that first you have someone to talk to, but all of a sudden, it becomes just an echo, and the next thing you know, you can’t even hear yourself scream! It is like you are in a box with one-sided mirror as walls. And the mirror side is on the outside; People outside just see themselves but you think they are staring at you – you shout out, you try to break out, but the confinement is insuperable! Sometimes, you are sooo haunted by the dreams that even if you are really sleepy, you choose not to close your eyes! Sometimes you wish so hard and your mind wanders off to a place where you fail to distinguish between what’s real and what’s fake! In moments like these, one needs an anchor; someone who could reverse the chain from unheard scream to echo to something better. Lucky are those who find one!

Chicago's own killer diller promo!

A batch-mate and a good friend Muhammad Ali Ibrahim was not only busy in internship but also in producing a play "Chicago" ... check out the promo video right HERE

LUMS - Avoiding LPs

Well, sorry to say, but there is no proven way to absolutely avoid LPs, because one thing that may work for one person, may get the other person the perfectly opposite result ; guess one ingredient is always random - LUCK!
Anyways, still there are guidelines (unofficial) ... sticking to which you may get yourself through

• Slow and steady wins the race! Yes, be the tortoise in the marathon against LP! Study regularly. Don't leave too much for the end. The best thing about LUMS for me is that there is not tension of the exams, 'cause not much remains till then!
• Talk now, think later! is the motto to stick to! I have seen people along with me that they start thinking on an argument but the discussion is so fast that by the time they reach an answer, the class has moved on! In the first semester (at least 1st semester), try to speak your mind as quickly as possible. With practice, you'll learn to think quick as well
• The best form of defense is offense! You need to defend yourself from LPs, so be aggressive upfront! Go for CPs right from the word go!
• Lastly, study hard but study smart! Don't want no donkeys you see!

unfortunately, 10% of the class must get LPs, so keep yourself expecting, just to avoid the shock! Besides, Getting one or two LPs in a year doesn't hurt, but more than that, you already know :)

Men and women ... what they want

Came across this really interesting rather hilarious article ... check it out right HERE

First Annual Report of LUMS MBA 2009 Ltd

The first annual result for the year 2007-08 was announced for LUMS MBA 2009 Ltd. It was a mixed outcome ... with more weight on the gloomy side! According to the initial report, downsizing was done by the amount of 7, which is obviously horrifying. Some action might be taken to appease the situation but nothing can be claimed upfront. All are requested to pray that somehow the layoffs can be reduced, if not completely eliminated!

Becoming A CEO

Everybody want to be a CEO ... some of their own start-ups ... and some in the corporate world! But for everyone, this article is interesting! So, How does one become a CEO, check it out HERE

How to dress for success at work

Came across this interesting article ... worthwhile reading it (and following it!) Click HERE to access it

LUMS - The grading PHENOMENON

At LUMS ... its all about survival and the benchmark to compare against is ... of course ... grades! The good thing about LUMS is that ... two years is the maximum time you can spend in the MBA Program ... within two years ... the outcome is either you have the degree or you don't! I wish and hope that no one ends up with the latter!
LUMS MBA follows a relative grading scheme, so, to come out to the top doesn't just require you to do good, but better than others - and yes, the competition is cutthroat! There are 5 relative grades and two absolute ones; D, HP, P+, P, P-, LP, U! [D = Distinction; H = High; L = Low; P = Pass; U = Unsatisfactory!] D & U are the absolute grades; rest are relative! Approximately, top 10% of the class fall in HP and lowest 10% fall in LP! I think 15% of the people just below HP fall in P+ and 15% just above LP fall in P-; Rest sit pretty with a "P"! There are going to be two sections A and B and these relative levels are within one section - so, if a guy in the other section is doing better than you, it ain't going to affect your health! I am not sure how to get the absolute grades, but one important thing you should know is that U = 2 LPs! why is this important? Well, each semester has 5 full courses; The reason I attached a stereotype "full" with courses is that sometimes, instead of one course throughout the semester, you get to learn (lol ... yeah LEARN :P) two courses, each subject spanning half of the semester! Anyways, the total is 10 full courses in one year! Now, here's the catch! You are allowed at max 4 LPs in one year! If you are somehow able to cross that boundary, then start packing up your things! (by the way, LP in a half course is counted as HALF LP)! So, how do you like that for a grading system! See, it has its vice and virtues - Even if you do your best, you could still end up with an LP; but on the upside, even if you like sucked the whole semester, you can still avoid an LP! Interesting ... isn't it!
In the next post, I'll tell you a few ways to avoid an LP (not guaranteed ways of course - nothing in life is certain mate!)

Life @ LUMS - Initial Days

I am a real fan of the day I have spent @ LUMS ... uptil now! I cherish every moment! Though, it wasn't like a ride on a ferry by any means ... atleast not in the beginning. I have told you people a bit about the times during SOP. Let me just ease this a little for you! YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT A THING! being tense ain't going to help the cause.
When we started, we were like, come on, how tough can it be?!? We have done assignments before; we have given exams before; How different can LUMS be? But, SOP had set a whole new standard! raised the bar to right up there!! We thought, ok, it took us to complete the assignments about 2-3 hours before, how bad can it be ... maybe twice as much time. Well guess what, yes, just about twice as much time, BUT, for every single course! SOP is like a whole semester squeezed into a week's time! For those, who are already familiar with Statistics and Accounting (only the basics), and decent with the office applications shouldn't find this time very tough! for others, all I can say is GOOD LUCK :-D!! But hey, just enjoy the time before you come here - don't be a nerd and think about preps before coming here - trust me it ain't worth it! CHILL is the keyword here! Don't worry about your being rusty and existing lax habits .. it'll all be fixed in its own time! Human beings are an amazing creature - if you don't know this yet, you will definitely realized it soon! So brace yourselves to behold the evolution then!! Chao!

ps. but you do need to brush up your speaking skills! so if there is a shell you live in ... its high time that you get out of it now!