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| FROM Insead Admissions Blog: To BFP or not to BFP |
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One of the earliest decisions I had to make on my INSEAD journey was whether or not to go for the Business Foundations Program (hereon referred to as BFP). The program is a week-long intensive taken at an additional cost focusing on three core subjects: Finance, Accounting and Statistics. While I decided to enroll for it, I was nervous that it might be a waste of money. My second day into the program, I felt I had made the right decision, and by the end of the week, I had so much fun that I completely forgot about the money. I contemplated writing this post back when I had just completed it and the experience was still fresh in my mind, but I held on to it. I wanted to see if I would still think it was worth it a month or two into the actual MBA program and a whole period in I can truly say—it’s worth it. ![]() Let’s start with the academics. There is no doubt in my mind that I learnt a lot in that program; in fact, the first two weeks of actual classes were a breeze because I had just covered those concepts. While doing the BFP you might not feel that you truly understand what is being taught but in the core classes you realize the importance of exposure. Keeping up with the rest of the class became easier because of that foundation. Would I have been able to survive without it? Probably. But I wouldn’t have the confidence to ask questions in the core classes and argue (somewhat) intelligently. The BFP is a safe space where you can slow down the class as much as you want, giving you the chance to truly register these concepts. Furthermore, BFP is a great introduction to the MBA academic environment. Everyday there are back-to-back classes followed by a couple of hours of group work. You are familiarized with the infamous case method, and you get used to working in diverse groups in an effective manner. By the time core classes began, I not only had a good sense of what to expect, but P1 seemed less intense since the BFP in itself is probably the most intense week one can have at INSEAD—at least from an academic perspective. As with any MBA related program, BFP has its networking benefits. Once core classes start you find yourself spending more and more time with the same people, mostly those in your section or your accommodation. During the BFP, you get close to a group of about 45 students. These are people who are most probably also from non-business backgrounds and are facing the same issues as you are. In fact, I had a very helpful CV review session with a couple of my BFP friends to understand how they were changing their resume to be more business facing. While everyone at INSEAD is helpful, the support system from BFP is a little different and very valuable if you also come from a non-traditional background. But perhaps most importantly, the BFP was pure fun. The BFP group was the first friends I made at INSEAD and a whole period in we are still close with many inside jokes that continue to pop up on Whatsapp groups. We have organized several meetups this period with more to come. There is a lot of warmth and camaraderie based on the fact that we survived an intense first week of classes. By the time school started, we were already so well acquainted with the school, cafeteria, IT system, Fonty banks, and grocery stores open after 9pm that we ended up guiding others through the process: a one-week older senior class if you will. Everyone had immense amounts of fun, in class and otherwise. Is the program for everyone? Definitely not. If you just want to brush up on concepts you have learnt previously, this might not be for you as the classes focus on the ABCs of each topic. If you are someone with the discipline, drive and resources to be able to study by yourself, maybe the extra cost is not worth it. For me, a big part of BFP came down to confidence. The confidence of knowing several people before P1 starts, confidence stemming from knowing that there are others who have no idea how to take derivatives or know what an IRR is, confidence to ask questions in the first few P1 classes, confidence in being able to keep up with the rest of the group. If you are like me—where you don’t necessarily understand all the articles in Financial Times, you need to be ‘taught’ in a formal setting for you to learn effectively, you have absolutely no background in business and this is something that makes you nervous—then without a doubt take the course, you will not regret it. You will not only end up with confidence, but with several laughs and a larger personal and professional network to see you through your INSEAD days. |
| FROM Insead Admissions Blog1: To BFP or not to BFP |
|
One of the earliest decisions I had to make on my INSEAD journey was whether or not to go for the Business Foundations Program (hereon referred to as BFP). The program is a week-long intensive taken at an additional cost focusing on three core subjects: Finance, Accounting and Statistics. While I decided to enroll for it, I was nervous that it might be a waste of money. My second day into the program, I felt I had made the right decision, and by the end of the week, I had so much fun that I completely forgot about the money. I contemplated writing this post back when I had just completed it and the experience was still fresh in my mind, but I held on to it. I wanted to see if I would still think it was worth it a month or two into the actual MBA program and a whole period in I can truly say—it’s worth it. ![]() Let’s start with the academics. There is no doubt in my mind that I learnt a lot in that program; in fact, the first two weeks of actual classes were a breeze because I had just covered those concepts. While doing the BFP you might not feel that you truly understand what is being taught but in the core classes you realize the importance of exposure. Keeping up with the rest of the class became easier because of that foundation. Would I have been able to survive without it? Probably. But I wouldn’t have the confidence to ask questions in the core classes and argue (somewhat) intelligently. The BFP is a safe space where you can slow down the class as much as you want, giving you the chance to truly register these concepts. Furthermore, BFP is a great introduction to the MBA academic environment. Everyday there are back-to-back classes followed by a couple of hours of group work. You are familiarized with the infamous case method, and you get used to working in diverse groups in an effective manner. By the time core classes began, I not only had a good sense of what to expect, but P1 seemed less intense since the BFP in itself is probably the most intense week one can have at INSEAD—at least from an academic perspective. As with any MBA related program, BFP has its networking benefits. Once core classes start you find yourself spending more and more time with the same people, mostly those in your section or your accommodation. During the BFP, you get close to a group of about 45 students. These are people who are most probably also from non-business backgrounds and are facing the same issues as you are. In fact, I had a very helpful CV review session with a couple of my BFP friends to understand how they were changing their resume to be more business facing. While everyone at INSEAD is helpful, the support system from BFP is a little different and very valuable if you also come from a non-traditional background. But perhaps most importantly, the BFP was pure fun. The BFP group was the first friends I made at INSEAD and a whole period in we are still close with many inside jokes that continue to pop up on Whatsapp groups. We have organized several meetups this period with more to come. There is a lot of warmth and camaraderie based on the fact that we survived an intense first week of classes. By the time school started, we were already so well acquainted with the school, cafeteria, IT system, Fonty banks, and grocery stores open after 9pm that we ended up guiding others through the process: a one-week older senior class if you will. Everyone had immense amounts of fun, in class and otherwise. Is the program for everyone? Definitely not. If you just want to brush up on concepts you have learnt previously, this might not be for you as the classes focus on the ABCs of each topic. If you are someone with the discipline, drive and resources to be able to study by yourself, maybe the extra cost is not worth it. For me, a big part of BFP came down to confidence. The confidence of knowing several people before P1 starts, confidence stemming from knowing that there are others who have no idea how to take derivatives or know what an IRR is, confidence to ask questions in the first few P1 classes, confidence in being able to keep up with the rest of the group. If you are like me—where you don’t necessarily understand all the articles in Financial Times, you need to be ‘taught’ in a formal setting for you to learn effectively, you have absolutely no background in business and this is something that makes you nervous—then without a doubt take the course, you will not regret it. You will not only end up with confidence, but with several laughs and a larger personal and professional network to see you through your INSEAD days. |
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