Aha! A call for admission from the B-School of your choice! Now come the good wishes and inevitably loads of advice from your friends, colleagues and relatives. As you wade through the information overload you'll find most of it is people advising you what you should be doing at B-School. A few, however, tell you what you should not do in a B-School. Adding to this pile of advice BLonCampus has listed down things you should not be doing while you are on campus.
Don't copy assignments: You will always be rushed for time in school. You'll find yourself taking your assignments to the wire. Don't choose the easy way out, it may simply put you 'out' of school. Not to scare you, but most top B-Schools have a stringent policy against plagiarism, and repeated offenders can be asked to leave on account of copying assignments or research papers from the Net or from other students.
However, most B-school assignments are group projects to be carried out by a bunch of students ranging from three to 10. Thus, it won't be as tough a deal when you have buddies sharing the load. These assignments also bring a lot of learning in terms of team work, and getting access to multiple views about a situation.
Don't give proxy attendance: As attractive as it may sound to sneak out of burdensome lectures and classes, don't do it. If caught, you will be penalised by the disciplinary action committee that most B-schools have. Not just that, you will be missing out on the education you paid for in lakhs.
Many B-schools have moved on from conventional 'shout-out call' attendance system and have graduated to biometric attendance systems. But many professors still insist on the good ol' 'shout on call'; it helps them familiarise themselves with the students’ faces and is a more effective deterrent to proxy practices.
Don't sleep more than 5-6 hours: There are exceptions, but if you are sleeping more than five hours in a B-school, you are definitely missing out on something or the other. It could be your pre-reads, assignments, a game of football at midnight, or committee meetings. B-schools prepare you for a tough life ahead in a corporate career, so make the most of it.
Don't hesitate to join committees or clubs: If you are not an active member of any committee or club, you are definitely not making the right moves. Your learning experience will be incomplete unless you put yourself in something that is not studies. Committees organise events; carry out campaigns; deal with multiple stakeholders like faculty, students and industry; this is too big an exposure to miss.
Make sure you are part of any committee, preferably one of your choice, and work well for it. It will not only add to your learning but look good on your resume too.
Don't just stick to the syllabus : B-school years are exciting, don't spend them getting bored. Try your hand at something new, as it is the time you can explore your offbeat interests before becoming part of the rat race again. Some people take up photography; some participate in film-making; some become part of the college band; and some make great stand-up artistes. Take your pick and go for it!