Should I ride "The Wave"?

Israelis call it “the wave”. It is the phenomenon created by thousands of adventure-seeking Israelis, usually after finishing their military obligations, who invade (in the touristic sense of the word…), such continents as South-America, looking to travel, party and conquer mountain tops and short-term romances. Since arrival to “the continent” is usually aligned with such events as the famous Carnival in Brazil, a “wave” of “Muchileros” (back-packers) is created. “Riding the wave” means that, during a trip lasting several months, you would meet the same people, again and again, all over the continent.

“Riding the wave” helps a lot. You meet Israeli all the time, receive great tips regarding where to go, where to stay, who’s who and what’s what. It makes the traveling experience in an un-known land much more comfortable and accessible. On the other hand, the wave´s resistance claims, with much logic, that you shouldn’t travel across the world and then look for people who came from the same place and the same culture - the same type of people you would probably live with during the rest of your life.

Then what should you do?! What does it have to do with your MBA experience?!
Since you’re an MBA hopeful, and therefore extremely smart (and if not, don’t tell anyone!), you’ve probably figured-it-out by now. Many MBA hopefuls apply to MBA program that are popular in their countries of origin. Even though it is an understandable process, aren’t we missing something? A very significant aspect of going abroad to get your MBA is the cultural exposure. We all think that and we all talk about it in our heavily-invested applications. But then, after being admitted, do we actually go-out and expose ourselves?! Watching many of my classmates during my first year and speaking to Israeli MBA’s, I would dare to say that many of us don’t. All of us arrive with all the intentions to “internationalize” ourselves to death. The problem is that once pressure hits, and we find ourselves drowning in assignments, deadlines and interviews, we need something to hang-on to, something that will make this experience more familiar, more easy to handle, less uncertain… get it? Many of us find ourselves mingling with our kind. All the pressure around is too much as it is and we don’t need to add cultural barriers and communication complexities to the mix. That’s why any MBA alumnus will tell you that, sure, in his/her class there were the Japanese group, the Mexican gang, the Indian colony and, in some schools, the Israeli band.

During my first year at McCombs, I didn’t have that choice. Not because I mindfully chose that, but rather because there aren’t any more Israeli students in our program. Reflecting on my first year while using the great tool called hindsight, I think I gained a lot from it. In a sense, it is like traveling alone: you are much more inclined and open to interact with other people. You don’t have your “band” to fall-back on. At times it is a little harder, but eventually it is very rewarding. Today, I think that my wife and I are enjoying a great group of good friends we’ve made during the last year. These friends are as culturally diverse as a UN council and it adds a lot of color and flavor to the our "MBA recipe" (believe me, the cooking that’s been going-on around here has been AMAZING….).

So, what’s the bottom line? Should you reject schools that enjoy a large number of students from your country of origin? DEFINITELY NOT!!! Then what? Well, mainly, don’t reject programs that don’t have that. Look at the diversity of your future class and ask yourself whether the mix that you see makes you intrigued and excited about being part of it. Don’t be afraid not to ride the wave; don’t be afraid to go for a quality program that’s not as common in your country of origin, whether you’re Israeli, Chinese or German. The people you’re going to meet are going to make this time very exciting and an MBA is an awesome opportunity to go beyond your own borders and be exposed to other cultures. Not by sitting with people from other countries in the classroom, but by really becoming friends with people who may have different perspectives regarding the world we live in, the music we listen to, the politics we take part in and, oh yeh, the businesses we’re all going to manage soon enough.