I feel kind of bad. After my last post about the personal difficulties I’m anticipating when this ride finally stops, WAY too many people have been approaching me with such comments as “So, it’s almost over, huh?” I hope this is not my fault. Because it’s starting to drive me crazy. I’m wondering if my observation that many people have mentally already begun moving on from INSEAD is having a somewhat self-fulfilling effect. If so, fuck…I’m sorry.

The career hunt cloud that allegedly terrorized this campus for P4 has apparently lifted, but has been left in its place? Where’s the desperate energy to milk the last sweet drops of careless socializing and zealous interrogation about nothing in particular? Or where are the last minute probes about future opportunities: social, professional, and all in between? And if all this is still going on…..how about a phone call over here???

I remember my mother telling me about some INSEAD literature where a student described their first period here as “drinking out of a fire hydrant.” Cute metaphor, reasonably apt. What I see more and more (if I may be so bold as to carry on from a metaphor I have esteemed as “reasonably apt”) is that people have quite successfully divided that jet into lots of little streams, and picked their favorites/most necessary. Which is one of the lessons of this program for sure. I think we are all much better at either a) prioritizing or b) just doing a hell of a lot more. But I think it’s a good idea for people to go out and get a little taste of some of the neglected streams (I know, I’m completely abusing an already-shaky literary device here, but it’s too late to turn back now, so please just play along) and give them one last go. [Wow, I’m glad that’s over.]

So ok, if you have a job, what else is there for you here? I hope there’s a good answer. And if you’re still looking (or just don’t care) what else is there for you here? Basically, what are you going to miss in 6 months, what are you going to miss in five years, and what are you doing about it?

Comments appreciated.