The NUS MBA Diaries: Hithalli Chawla’s MBA Story

December felt disorienting in a way I hadn’t quite anticipated.

After months of running at full speed, the MBA suddenly pressed pause. One day it was packed schedules, constant deadlines, and switching from one class to another meeting. The next, it was almost nothing. It felt like going from 100 km/h to 10 in the span of a single day – abrupt, unannounced, and honestly, slightly unsettling.

In theory, it was a break. Relaxation became the only thing on my to-do list, and I found myself trying, quite seriously, to do my best at it. I slept more, slowed down, and gave myself permission to switch off. But slowing down after such sustained intensity isn’t as effortless as it sounds. There was a low-level restlessness that followed me through the month, a feeling that while I was deliberately standing still, the world around me hadn’t paused in quite the same way.

What made December interesting wasn’t the absence of activity, but the mix of emotions that came with it. There was relief in finally having space, no urgent deliverables, no constant mental context-switching. At the same time, there was an underlying discomfort. The break felt long. Too long, at moments. I caught myself itching to get back, craving structure, momentum, and the familiar hum of being busy. It was an odd contradiction: wanting rest while also feeling vaguely left behind.

The VCIC practice sessions were the only real anchor to the month. They punctuated the quiet, reminding me that the MBA hadn’t truly stopped, it had simply shifted shape. Those sessions, often at rather interesting hours (accommodating for 5 different time zones), felt less like work and more like reassurance. They kept me connected to a sense of purpose and progress, even as everything else slowed down.

What December ultimately highlighted was how deeply the MBA has recalibrated my sense of pace. Intensity has become the default. Movement feels normal. Pausing, on the other hand, now requires intention. The discomfort I felt wasn’t because I didn’t know how to relax; it was because I had grown used to operating at a certain velocity, and suddenly found myself without it.

This month didn’t bring dramatic insights or neatly packaged learnings. Instead, it offered a quieter realisation: growth doesn’t always announce itself through visible action. Sometimes it shows up through restlessness, through the tension between wanting to slow down and wanting to surge ahead again. December was less about doing, and more about noticing – noticing how far my internal baseline has shifted, and how eager I am to re-engage.

As the year turned, that eagerness felt like a good sign. Not burnout, but readiness. Not impatience, but momentum waiting to be released.

If October was about acceleration, November was about absorption. It was the month the MBA asked me not just to participate, but to pause – to digest, rethink, and reimagine where I’m headed.

The month began with teamwork at the centre of everything. Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC) training sessions took over my calendar, and suddenly my weekends revolved around investment memos, startup analyses, and meetings with seniors who had competed before us. Their stories were equal parts inspiring and cautionary – a reminder that venture capital looks glamorous from the outside, but up close, it’s grit wrapped in curiosity. It’s less Shark Tank and more long-term conviction.

The VCIC practice sessions were the only real anchor to the month. They punctuated the quiet, reminding me that the MBA hadn’t truly stopped, it had simply shifted shape. Those sessions, often at rather interesting hours (accommodating for 5 different time zones), felt less like work and more like reassurance. They kept me connected to a sense of purpose and progress, even as everything else slowed down.

Parallel to that, my Managerial Economics group assignment gave me flashbacks to my undergraduate degree – only this time, the cases had faces. It’s strange how theories that once lived in textbooks now feel like decisions real founders actually make. Elasticity wasn’t a graph anymore; it was pricing strategy. Marginal utility wasn’t a definition; it was customer retention. Somewhere along the way, the MBA stopped being academic and started being applied knowledge.

Then came the shift – exams. Suddenly, the cohort that once thrived in events and conversations became silent, caffeinated islands buried behind laptops. WhatsApp groups turned into lifelines. Everyone oscillated between panic and productivity. Studying wasn’t just about grades – it was about proving to myself that I’m capable of mastering the language of business, not just navigating around it.

Amidst exam chaos, there were still moments of magic.

The Marketing Club event, where students shared advertisements from their home countries, was unexpectedly emotional. It reminded me that brands are universal storytellers, and stories travel beyond borders. Ads aren’t mere visuals, they are identity, memory, nostalgia.

Then came the Private Equity Sharing Session with Joseph Khoo. Until then, PE felt like an intimidating black box, defined by billion-dollar deals and opaque jargon. But listening to someone who has lived its highs and lows made it human. PE isn’t just numbers, it’s judgement, timing, relationships, and resilience.

As the semester ended, the noise faded, and that silence was louder than anything else this term.

It hit me how far we’ve come. On day one, we introduced ourselves with rehearsed biographies. Now, we introduce ourselves with clarity. I know what I want more than I did in August. I know what I don’t want, too, which might be even more valuable.

Career wise, November opened new doors in my mind. PE and Growth Equity, once abstract, suddenly feel tangible. Corporate Strategy, something I never imagined I’d consider, now feels aligned with how I think. The MBA didn’t give me answers; it gave me sharper questions.

If October was exploration, November was consolidation.

And if someone asked me what I learned this month, I’d say this: The MBA isn’t shaping my career. It’s shaping me.

I’ve started to notice something about myself this month. The NUS MBA isn’t just teaching me frameworks, case studies, or industry jargon – it’s teaching me who I want to be in the rooms I walk into. October felt like a swirl of activity, but beneath the busyness was a quiet transformation that I didn’t quite expect.

The month kicked off with the NUS MBA Student Council Meeting, a very meta moment where the people responsible for orchestrating our MBA experience tried to figure out what, exactly, makes it meaningful. As we discussed events, club collaborations, and what value looks like to a diverse cohort, I found myself reflecting on the kinds of events I, personally, enjoy. The truth? I like conversations, not monologues. I enjoy spaces where I can speak to people, exchange insights, and be part of something rather than just sit and consume. I left the meeting with a question echoing in my mind: What makes something worth our time?

Then came the NUS MBA Alumni Association meet-up, which felt like peeking into a crystal ball. Alumni stood in front of us, successful and composed, casually sharing how they’d reinvented themselves after graduation. It was surreal. The ceiling I’d unconsciously imagined over my career suddenly dissolved, turns out, there isn’t one.

Speaking of ceilings being shattered, the Grab Product Games took things to another level. I walked into that competition with no tech background and came out realizing that product development wasn’t just a skill, it was a mindset. I ran surveys, understood user problems, explored regulatory constraints, and participated in prototype development. Somewhere between writing product specs and realizing consumers don’t care about features, only about solved problems, something clicked. Product management isn’t that far from venture capital or entrepreneurship; it’s just a different angle of asking the same question: Are we building something that matters?

The TikTok MBA recruitment event reinforced that idea. Walking through TikTok’s office was like visiting a playground built for ideas. For a moment, it felt like anything was possible. Tech roles didn’t seem intimidating anymore, they felt like mini startups. The thought that I could do this didn’t feel audacious, it felt… obvious.

Networking became a theme this month, first at the big NUS MBA Networking Night, where I deliberately chose depth over breadth. One meaningful conversation can be worth more than twenty business cards, and I’m proud that I showed up with intention rather than anxiety.

One of the highlights, emotionally and intellectually, was the Venture Capital Investment Competition (VCIC). My team — Avi, Panida, and Ryu (sadly, Luisa could not join us) were brilliant. We worked on the case for an entire weekend and were declared the runner-up. Unexpectedly, I got the opportunity to join the team to represent NUS at the regionals. Leaving my team was heartbreaking, but they were incredibly supportive and kind and with their blessings I was able to embark on this journey. We are now learning to evaluate founders, dissect business models, and trust our instincts.

But October wasn’t just hustle. There was joy – real joy. Like recording a podcast with Sybil and Maho where we talked about “niches” and somehow ended up laughing about how absurd it is that we’re supposed to have one. Or the self-defense workshop, where eight women learned punches alongside giggles. Or Diwali, a burst of colour, music, and belonging. It wasn’t about careers, technically, yet somehow… it absolutely was. Character and careers are more intertwined than we admit.

My favourite academic moment was the Root Beer Game in Operations. Nothing humbles you like supply chains and the bull whip effect.

We ended the month with the Entrepreneurship Club + Sustainability Club event, featuring founders building impact-driven ventures. Watching them was like watching the word purpose breathe.

Looking back, October didn’t just expand my knowledge, it expanded my perspective. It reshaped the way I engage with opportunities, perceive career pathways, and articulate value. If the MBA was once a map, October turned it into a compass. If September was about settling in, October was about stepping up, about finding the rooms where I don’t just exist, but also belong.

After the fast-paced start of August, September brought a welcome shift, a chance to pause, reflect, and explore new directions. It was a month defined by curiosity, collaboration, and rethinking what entrepreneurship means to me.

The month began with recruiting the core team for the Entrepreneurship Club. I wanted our team to reflect the full spectrum of entrepreneurial interests, from student founders already building their ventures to those eager to start something new or explore the investment side. Once the team came together, we mapped out our vision for the year: to introduce our cohort to the many ways of engaging with entrepreneurship, as a builder, operator, or investor. What I hadn’t expected was how reflective this process would be. Planning for others prompted me to think deeply about how I wanted to engage with entrepreneurship myself, not only as an investor but as someone who could one day create and lead.

Our first club event featured Professor Kazuaki Oda, who spoke about risk-taking, conscious entrepreneurship, and the pace of change. His insights on building with intention rather than urgency resonated deeply. It reminded me that entrepreneurship is as much about reflection and purpose as it is about ambition.

Later, I attended a “Careers in Finance” workshop organized by NUS BizCareers. It expanded my understanding of the finance world, revealing many opportunities beyond venture capital. I set a personal goal to strengthen my financial management and modeling skills and to explore roles outside my usual domain. The workshop was a reminder that exploration begins with awareness.

That same week, I joined the Tesla campus recruitment talk and found myself intrigued by the world of product management. The parallels between managing a product and building a startup were striking — each product felt like a mini venture within a larger organization. It sparked a new curiosity about innovation from within.

Another standout event was Failure Fest, hosted by the Sandbox Club, which aimed to normalize failure as part of growth. Listening to honest stories from peers and alumni was refreshing. It reinforced the idea that progress, not perfection, is what truly drives success.

I also attended the NUS GRIP Showcase, where I met founders from the latest incubator cohort. The continued focus on sustainability-driven ventures, despite a more cautious funding environment, was encouraging. It reaffirmed my belief that meaningful innovation often comes from conviction rather than convenience.

The month concluded with the NUS–NTU MBA Mixer – a particularly special event for me as an NTU alum. It was both nostalgic and energizing to reconnect with old peers while building new relationships across both programs.

September was, in many ways, a month of rediscovery, a period to broaden perspectives, challenge assumptions, and stay open to new possibilities. It reminded me that growth doesn’t always come from speed, but from curiosity and reflection.

August 2025 marked the start of my MBA journey at NUS, and with it came a month filled with learning, discovery, and reflection. From orientation to leadership training, competitions, and classes, each experience offered new perspectives on growth, both personal and professional.

The journey began with Orientation Week, where I met classmates from around the world, each bringing distinct experiences and motivations. The sessions were thoughtfully designed to introduce us to the program and to one another. What stood out most was the diversity of thought in the room represented by consultants, engineers, entrepreneurs, and professionals from various industries, all united by a shared purpose of transformation. The day felt like the start of something genuinely exciting.

This energy carried into Launch Your Transformation Week, an immersive leadership development program that quickly became the highlight of the month. Working within my “cell” team, we were placed in simulated business scenarios that demanded quick thinking, negotiation, and collaboration. The experience was both challenging and deeply rewarding, offering practical insights into how I lead, communicate, and make decisions under pressure. My biggest takeaway is the mantra that led all our thoughts and actions that week and will stay with us for the rest of the MBA journey – High Challenge, High Support.

A memorable part of the week was the fireside chat titled “From Startup to Exit – What It Really Takes,” moderated by Mr. Nalin Advani and featuring NUS alumnus and entrepreneur Mr. Prantik Mazumdar. Having spent the past few years in venture capital, hearing Prantik share the unfiltered realities of entrepreneurship, the setbacks, pivots, and perseverance required to build and scale a business resonated strongly. It reinforced that successful entrepreneurship is not just about vision but about adaptability and resilience.

Soon after came the Student Club Elections, where I decided to run for President of the Entrepreneurship Club, alongside Avi as Vice President. Preparing for the campaign was an opportunity to reflect on the kind of community we wanted to build and how my prior experience in venture capital could translate into value for my peers. Winning the election was both humbling and motivating.

The first week of classes brought another pleasant surprise: discovering that Operations and Analytics quickly became one of my favorite subjects. Coming from an early-stage investment background, I did not expect to find operations so engaging. Yet, the course revealed a new dimension of problem-solving that balances logic, creativity, and structure, a reminder that the MBA is a space to explore unfamiliar interests and challenge one’s assumptions.

Later in the month, I participated in the TNB Aura Venture Capital Case Competition with my extremely talented teammates. Although we did not win, the experience was deeply enriching. Exploring the cybersecurity investment landscape exposed me to frontier technologies far beyond my previous domain, and collaborating with such a talented team was rewarding in itself.

The month concluded with the Investiture Ceremony, where club leaders were officially appointed. Standing there, I realized how much my perspective had evolved. I entered the MBA viewing entrepreneurship primarily through an investor’s lens; now, I see a broader landscape, opportunities to operate, strategize, or lead fundraising efforts within companies. The possibilities feel endless, and each builds on the skills I already have, in entirely new ways.

In reflection, August was not merely an introduction to the MBA program, it was an introduction to growth. Every event, class, and conversation has shaped how I see my career, my leadership style, and the kind of impact I hope to make in the months ahead.