Before I head into the turmoil of P2, I thought that I could spend a little bit of time looking back at what INSEAD has brought to me, what I will be packing up when I move on the path of life...

- All our teachers were very good and displayed a deep knowledge of the course taught. Most of them were very enthusiastic about teaching, and most of them had a great sense of humor. I have been extremely impressed by the diversity and quality of their teaching. Most of the improvements lie in how such extensive knowledge is passed onto the students. All teachers were very open to comments and active dialogue with the students. In general, although MBA participants do pay outrageous amounts of money to attend B-school, they do not necessarily take advantage of the faculty as much as they could.

- Some of the courses presented models that pictured a very ideal world, as imperfections would complicate equations and concepts. They were necessary hurdles to overcome in order to gain enough understanding to tackle real life problems but limited the interest I took in the courses. Most of the reading material, the extra cases and projects captured the majority of my excitement - apart from OB and game theory which are two classes which delivered loads of pure clean fun.
P2 start off with follow up courses much more applied to real life, with a greater variety of useful models and tips.

- Parties: INSEADers are definitely party animals. I cannot recall one week without a party. Most venues are either a wealthy country house, or a gigantic chateau. All party have themes and people go to tremendous efforts to decorate the venue, to come up with stylish invitations and to offer a good selection of music, drinks and general atmosphere. Let me throw out some random party theme: Pirates At Tavers (costumed), Dangerous Liaisons, Halloween at Villecerf (costumed), Light My Fire

- Social events, gatherings, clubs: INSEAD offers a lot more than you could ever do, even if you disposed of a full 24hr day. All styles are catered for unless you are interested in setting up a club for pot smokers or car theft techniques.

- One of the most important technique that I learned coming here is time management. There is so much going on that it is quite impossible to do everything. Make sure that you are clear about what you want to get out of the programme, establish your priorities and act accordingly. You are investing a lot, only you can best decide how you are going to maximize the value of your time spent here - and the cost associated with some of your decisions.

- MBA Participants: this is what really blew me out. The school has a reputation for diversity and internationalism - is this a word? - and it is well deserved. Most of my now good friends are Indian, Romanian, French, Spanish, Brazilian, Australian, Korean, Canadian, Egyptian, Lebanese,...The INSEAD Campus does not feel like France at all. It does not feel like an airport. It does not feel like the world either as the creme de la creme is probably gathered here. The campus feels like a somptuous Indian meal. All the colorful and delicious dishes are gathered on the table, some clashes, some blend well. All provide the most incredible palate experience. The quality of the people here is amazing: from people who founded their own companies to mountain guides, through Tennis Star coaches. From star traders to World Bank managers, from engineers to directors.

It would be easy to casualize such diversity as the year goes on and forgets about how precious it is. Every day if I look around the amphi, my eyes stop on Israelis, Germans, Greeks, Scandinavians, Dutch, Japanese, etc...I surprise conversations over lunch in hindi, russian or chinese. I speak three languages every day. Everyone seems to operate in this environment, as though it were the norm nowadays, with abandon. But it is a special environment. It is a special place in which everyone holds theirs. Only in this world can I hear an Israeli tell me that he has come to like the Arabs. Only in this world do we have an Indian-Pakistan week. Only in this world do we have everyone gathered around a screen to watch the Rugby worldcup, cheerfully waving pints of beer.

I will walk out of this place into the real world with a long list of friends, with a head full of new concepts, with the desire to make a big impact wherever I go, with the courage of a lion and the finesse of a cat. I will also walk out of this place with an endless list of stories. Good and bad, funny and sad. All unique.

It is hard to walk on a journey to the different, to the unusual. It is especially hard in an environment where most people are put under so much pressure and competitive evaluation system.

It is hard but it is worth it.