When Theory Meets Practice: My MBA Journey at Great Lakes
Last updated on: 5th May, 2026 | Student Experiences | Sakshi Adenwala | PGPM Co'26 << back to blog
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Published on: 5th May, 2026
The first few weeks at Great Lakes hit fast. Juggling tight deadlines, multiple assignments, and a packed events calendar was a pleasant surprise. With a non-tech background in HR, my goal was to broaden my analytical toolkit and understand business strategy from the ground up. Subjects, which I thought I wouldn’t be able to handle, like finance and statistics, quickly became manageable, driven by faculty who always had time to explain concepts and batchmates who embodied the true meaning of peer learning.
The real turning point of my MBA occurred when textbook frameworks started coinciding with my own professional instincts. I saw this firsthand when our team became national finalist in a case competition focused on today’s new professional trends and impact of the same on businesses – for instance, our presentation was based on how Moonlighting is shifting today’s business mindsets and journeys of professionals. Suddenly, my past HR experience wasn't just context; it was the strategic engine behind our solutions. Conversely, I pushed myself entirely out of my comfort zone by taking on a heavy, quantitative project on loot optimization for my consulting course. It was the ultimate moment of theory meeting practice, bringing together consulting frameworks, financial concepts, and operational strategy into one actionable solution. Rounding this out with an international immersion in France allowed me to see how these converging business dynamics play out on a global stage.
But an MBA is as much a test of practice as it is a theory. Being a member of the Placement Committee and managing a major consulting event with corporate leaders served as a real-world crash course in operating under pressure and managing diverse stakeholders. At the same time, activities like Sanjog and Karma Yoga kept me anchored. They helped us break the ice and build the kind of genuine, lasting relationships that you can't learn from a case study.
Now that the journey is complete, I look back at the sleepless nights and milestones with immense gratitude. Great Lakes wasn’t a pause to learn theory it was an intense lab where ideas were tested, challenged and shaped by real experience every single day. I am stepping out not just with an MBA, but with a strategic mindset, a profound network, and the quiet satisfaction of knowing I made every moment count.