I was working as a senior consultant with Infosys before coming to ISB and I have over 11 years of experience as a tech consultant. Coming to ISB at this point in my life was challenging in more ways than one. Two and a half years ago, I became the father of a little bundle of joy, Samroz, and the experience was life changing. The sheer joy of raising a child and watching him reach small but very significant milestones of his life, has been beyond words.
Even while I was preparing for the GMAT, it was difficult for me to imagine being away from him for a year. ISB was the only B-School on my list and luckily I got Mohali campus closer to my family in Chandigarh.
Not surprisingly, it’s been quite tough to get back into the grind as a parent, that too in an academically rigorous program such as the PGP at ISB. It’s been a little unsettling for Samroz and me, as we cannot spend as much time with each other as we would like to. This was something I knew beforehand and I thought I was mentally prepared for it but it still feels like a challenge.
However, my family has been very encouraging and supported me throughout this transition. In fact, when I was contemplating whether I should go back to school or not, my in-laws told me, “If you really want to do this, we are there to raise your son.”
My wife is pursuing a PhD and my son doesn’t stay on campus yet. So either I visit them or they visit me every two-three days. We feel much more comfortable having our son on campus instead of taking him to a mall or some other market nearby. It feels very safe, there are so many lawns for Samroz to run around and a very thoughtfully-made play area. The thoughtfully designed infrastructure of the campus, friendly staff, security, housekeeping and even families with kids on the campus makes it an apt place for us to spend time with families and kids on campus with a rigorous class schedule.
But Samroz’s favorite place is Jujus Cafe. Even though the board games in the café are not meant for a toddler, he likes to play around with them while my wife and I have tea and snacks. He also likes to go inside the swimming pool and I am thinking of teaching him swimming soon. I am really glad my son enjoys spending his time on campus and I’m sure he’ll grow up having fond memories of the school.