The flavourless flavour of business school

Photos by Marie-Pierre Savard.

Why you should think twice before attending JMSB

I pass through the heavy glass doors and feel the immediate urge to shed my identity and kowtow to the corporate overlords. I start speaking in a strange vernacular where I use the words ‘cash flow,’ and ‘capital,’ as dark visions of materialism and greed fill my mind.

Photos by Marie-Pierre Savard.
Photos by Marie-Pierre Savard.

I observe my surroundings and see that everyone looks the same, adhering to a certain aesthetic. Their business uniform seems to be bought from Zara, as they reek of expensive perfumes and Gillette razors. Their phones constantly illuminate with LinkedIn notifications, while each student is constantly trying to think of something witty to write on the CASA-JMSB Facebook group (it’s essentially filled with memes).

This is my perception of John Molson School of Business, and after spending nearly two years at the prestigious institution, I can definitely say the environment was sterile, conformist and vapid.

I’ll never forget the day I received my acceptance letter to JMSB; it was comparable to when Harry discovered he was going to Hogwarts. Excitement filled my hollow soul as I naively imagined my new life as a business student.

Photos by Marie-Pierre Savard.
Photos by Marie-Pierre Savard.

I should admit that I never truly wanted to study business, and I agonized to choose between the arts and business for months leading up to my acceptance. I knew that I always wanted to study history, but my parents kept telling me I’d be a poor arts student with no prospects after graduation.

One of my first memories in JMSB was in a class called business communications (the course was a complete sham). I remember the professor was giving the class advice on how to make your peers look stupid in a group interview setting. Initially shocked at this apparent ruthlessness, I turned to the girl next to me and shared my disbelief, to which she harshly replied, “business is not some fairytale, David.”

I also remember all of my professors telling me that I had to wear formal business wear for all presentations—which proved to be extremely uncomfortable. As someone who’s used to wearing muted all-black ensembles with bedhead hair, I felt like I was constantly being told to relinquish my identity and conform to the standards of the school. I even showed up to one presentation dressed in my everyday clothes and lost marks because I didn’t “obey.”

Photos by Marie-Pierre Savard.
Photos by Marie-Pierre Savard.

To make matters worse, I despised all of my courses because they were so bland, and there was absolutely no opportunity to express any creativity whatsoever. Even when it came down to PowerPoint presentations, we weren’t allowed to push the boundaries without fearing academic consequences. My creativity suffered immensely during this period, as I suddenly felt like I wasn’t able to express myself properly. I began to experience a lot of anxiety due to this constant repression.

I’ll never forget the countless hours I spent memorizing volumes of statistics, accounting tables and business theories, just to regurgitate them on exams like a mindless robot. I was in pure hell.

I cannot deny that my grades suffered during this period, simply because I was stuck in an insipid environment that I grew to despise. I finally took the plunge after 18 months and switched to my true passion—the arts. Although I felt like I was giving up an opportunity to make money in the future, I knew I was better suited going down this path.

 

Business is not for everyone and it certainly wasn’t for me. I know I’m not alone in sharing these sentiments, so The Concordian conducted interviews with JMSB students to see what they thought. Check out the video below.

14 comments

  1. I’d like to know why this was posted under “Opinions” and not “Editorials”, as the author is an editor.

  2. Suck it up, buddy. aw, you’re feeling “repressed” because you’re being forced to dress appropriately for a business setting? How tragic, a business school is trying to get you ready for the business world. What a victim.

    If you don’t see value in the program, switch. Oh wait, you did!Doesn’t mean no one else sees value in the program. I was originally a Psych student and switched because I felt the program didn’t suit me well.

    I didn’t, however, write an article bashing the program that other people found valuable and engaging.

  3. I went to the McGill business school so trust me when I say I know a thing or two about assholes; this guy is an asshole. The people I’ve met and work with throughout my career that have had the privilege of going to JMSB have been bright, brilliant, inspiring, intelligent, CREATIVE, thoughtful, diverse, passionate, caring (I could go on) and have thankfully never let a turd on the underwear of humanity like the author ever tear them down. I have a great respect for all of Concordia grads – knowledge is power, and I welcome the day it will be my privilege to work with you.

  4. well
    Business is not for everyone as Arts is not for everyone. Political
    science is not for everyone and Medicine is not for everyone. Nothing
    new ….

    As for the creativity, is up to the
    student to be creative in his own time, with the associations or
    creating its own project. You can also be creative in group project. As
    for the courses it’s mostly theoretical, and therefore does not give
    much space for creativity or thinking. Classes are most of times fill up
    with 250 students so debates are seldom.

    Finally,
    as for wearing a suit for presentation I find it normal. I have seen
    people wearing their hats in class or pajamas which is disrespectful.
    Unless few positions within few companies, there is always a dress code
    to respect. Something it is suit and tie something is not.

    You will feel more confident about yourself wearing a suit and a tie even though the first time might be weird. smile emoticon
    Welcome to the business world. It is not for everybody, studies is not
    for everybody, working is not for everybody, and Arts is not for
    everybody.

  5. I agree, but I can’t blame JMSB. Business school prepares you for the reality of the Business world. The truth is people like Nicholas Talbot have a good chance at being successful because they’re entitled jerks and they know how to bully people into getting what they want (they also likely know the right people). Having said that, I would trade anything (including “success”) to be as far away from people like Nicholas Talbot or the others that can’t stomach an honest critical word. The reaction to this article really says it all

  6. Hey, listen. I also debated history or even creative writing before going to JMSB, so I get where you’re coming from. But I think you’re confusing problems in business school with problems in university.

    Yeah, it can be superficial at times, and yes classes can stifle creativity, but business school isn’t a prison; you have these things in any major. It’s simply the nature of school, and if you’re critical about that then I don’t blame you, but JMSB isn’t the culprit.

    You say courses are bland, but what do you mean by that? Under-developed, or just uninteresting? If the latter, maybe you just aren’t interested in business topics. There’s no harm in admitting in, not a lot of people are. I personally liked the theories of Comm 210 and the skills taught in 212, and had excellent professors in both. I can also tell you no one ever told me to make my peers look bad (jeez man, was Donald Trump your prof?)

    As for creativity, well…you kinda have to be creative. Of course there’s restrictions, but some people see that as the best part. To find ways to inject your personality in circumstances that don’t encourage it. But no one’s stopping you dude, I can tell you from experience (I’ve had some pretty crazy presentations).

    Ultimately though business school isn’t for everyone, just like medical school isn’t for everyone. People still love it, and people like myself do like JMSB just the way it is. If you don’t, we get that, but please don’t parade your personal negative experiences as the standard for an entire faculty, because it’s simply not true.

    The moment you stepped through those glass doors and felt the urge to needlessly shed your identity and bow down to these overlords, you shouldn’t have spent 18 months feeling miserable. You should have walked out.

  7. Go fuck yourself you hippie idiot. JMSB is hard work and I’m more than happy that you’re not part of it. Your childish idiocies need to stop. Just because you’re some editor shouldn’t mean u should bash your own school. What the actual fuck?

    Get a real job, and stop playing with urself. You’re really pissing me off, you John Molson reject.

  8. For some reason…………..you seem to think school is not a training ground for the real world. If you can’t handle the expectations in a training environment like school, then how do you think you’d do working for a company? And unfortunately, in the real business world you have to conform even more. Ever heard of corporate culture? guess what? you better fit with the culture or you’re out.

    Your points are weak at best, and typical of this generation, we blame others for our problems/decisions. At the end of the day you went where YOU wanted to go, and that’s the beauty of life, you can change your mind when you want but don’t degrade an entire program because it didn’t fit with your ideals or world view. It’s reckless, immature and actually quite divisive.

  9. Dear David,

    I’d like to introduce myself, I’m a student, like you at this great university where we chose to further our learnings to become smarter and more engaged citizens of the world. After reading your recent article I wanted to share my story with you, but I’d like to set the record straight; I do not pray to the “corporate overlords,” I choose not to wear Zara as I believe that fast fashion is destructive and disgusting, I shave with a straight razor as I’m fascinated by the timeless art of shaving, and that cologne you smell is from a small perfume maker in BC. I’m proud to say that I’m a student at John Molson, and I am also proud to say I know many other unique people, whom I’ve met through JMSB and outside, as I’ve taken classes outside this “sterile environment.” But I’m not writing to criticise, I’m writing to share my story; like you I followed in a path which I was hesitant and reluctant on, I stuck it out for a while but knew I had to change. So last August I moved back to Canada and decided to get my BCOMM, not because I thought I could capitalize on my degree and buy that matching yacht to my cottage, but because I was curious in how the world works. True, there are some courses which are questionable and want you to conform, but I’ve never felt like I couldn’t think objectively or freely. I know that some courses must be taken to get where I want, because like life you can’t always get what you want, but if you keep your true north aligned you have something to work towards. I do not want to work in a large multinational conglomerate or a fortune 500 company, rather I want to be a part of an organization that strives to actually make a difference, whether it’s an NGO, NPO, a start-up or even on my own, I have that choice. It’s that choice that makes students like you and I, and all other students lucky to have the opportunity to pursue university. I’m happy to know that you are liking your new area of study, and I’d like you to know that I like mine here at JMSB, rather than build this divide of “us and them”, let’s celebrate our differences, look past our choice of majors and meet in the middle as students of Concordia University, share a beer and shoot the shit. I look forward to meeting you.

    From,

    A JMSB student

  10. Regardless of the topic of conversation, you’re actually a terrible writer. I hope you can handle criticism, maybe that’s something you would have learned in business school if you stuck around long enough.

    Your article is nothing but anecdotal evidence, which is fair considering it’s an opinion piece. However, you follow this up with nothing but clichés and stereotypes; focusing on elements such as clothing and the CASA-JMSB facebook group. Let’s look at those things closely;

    1) Clothing – look at it from the perspective of an uniform. Any profession of your choice will require you to dress yourself in the manner that is traditional to that profession. Even on this aspect, most business places have begun to modernize and allow for more casual attire… it’s slow but it’s happening. You could have discussed this, but no you didn’t bother to actually put in some critical thinking in writing this article. Also… no one has to wear a suit every day to class. Some do it because they come directly from work, others because they have presentations and projects to present. The great majority wear normal clothes every day, but that would not have fit your narrative so you resorted to ignoring it.

    2) Facebook Group – I don’t disagree, that group is a cesspool of worthless memes. And yet, in stating that as absolute, you’re ignoring the hundreds of posts daily that have students asking for tutoring, requesting help for their assignments, and asking for tips and advice on different academic and professional related matters. Here again, you didn’t bother to look beyond your nose, and it’s truly the laziest form of writing.

    I know this post is starting to get rather long and winded, so I’ll end it on this note: I’ve graduated from JMSB and participated in almost every possible opportunity that is offered in that school. I enjoyed my time there, I made some of the best friends there. But I admit that business school lacks something… I can’t put my finger on it. I also felt disenfranchised by some of the classes, as if it was a waste of time (it probably was). I truly feel sorry that you begun to feel dejected and repressed by the brand of academia at John Molson, and I hope you find another avenue for your creativity, education and personal growth – that’s what matters in all of this. That you end up making choices that benefit your future and make you happy. But please, don’t write articles that lack substance, scratch the surface and fail to deliver any insight to your readers. You’re wasting your time and ours.

    Regards,
    Mr. Chicken

  11. Knowing what you want to do with your life is never an easy task. It requires maturity, experience, and a lot of time luck.

    Unfortunately you didn’t like JMSB, you didn’t like the courses (I’ll give you a point that 212 is a sham), the people, the business casual attire, Linkedin or the overall idea that student take business studies seriously because they want to become a better business person and a better citizen in general. I’m sorry that you didn’t enjoy your experience because as a 3rd year student I didn’t see MY school like that. Let me put the emphasis on the MY school part, university life is what you decide to make it. Some student university life is going to class and then going straight back home, and that’s fine by me. Some student university experience is to be in COOP and to experience real life experience before graduating, some students university experience is to be involved and make a real changes in the everyday life of student. University life is what you make of it, JMSB is great because unlike other school JMSB gives major emphasis on the Student experience. Without the students there is no JMSB.

    I think it’s easy to generalize and to see your post as another JMSB vs. the rest of Concordia. I’ll try to be on the optimistic side and see that purely as a bad personal experience.

    Happily we live in a society where every opinion matters but I’m disappointed that a fellow Concordian opens fire on his school based on not knowing yourself at that point. I’m more than happy that being an Art major is satisfying your intellectual curiosity and is a better fit for you. But to be franc with you David I still don’t understand your text. Instead of talking about your personal taught process that led you to understanding you passion and interest better(which would certainly be an interesting article) you open fire on a School helping over 8,000 students fulfilled their intellectual curiosity and that’s a shame.

    I’m not passionate in Art history, not at all. I’m sure that if I get in the Art history faculty I would be able to write a review of the faculty that would communicate the same negative message as your text did. But I won’t one because I’m not in Art but most importantly is that I understand that everyone has their own passion and it’s none of my f***** business to judge someone’s passion and interest.

    One of the major skills we learn in JMSB is analyzing a situation / business/ person and I hope next time before you open fire on your own school you take a look to analyze why you’re writing such a text. Sometime it’s too easy to blame the school/ society/ colleagues / any other reason for our own failure.

    And BTW, I’m not a fan of the suit and tie also but a lot of profession require an uniform ( firefighter, actor, doctors ect).

    Wish you all the best and I’ll pay you a beer at Reggies.

    Pierre-Olivier Paquin

    Concordia University

    Bcomm student at the John Molson School of Business

    Major in Business Technology Management, Minor in Finance

  12. I see where you’re coming from, but every faculty exudes its own idiosyncratic form of pretentiousness – JMSB’s happens to be oriented towards image and career advancement. Obviously people want to look good, network, and do well in their classes: they are success-oriented. If you don’t like the words ‘capital’ and ‘cash flow’………… then don’t study accounting. Nobody was stopping you from wearing sweatpants to school (hell, I do it all the time).

    Chastising disciplines that are rigid by nature is analogous to an arts student complaining that he/she doesn’t get to do enough math in class. I personally cringe whenever I hear an arts student or pseudo-activist condemn consumerism, materialism, and private enterprise. Arts students use Facebook and Google – platforms supported entirely by advertising – on their iPhones while using Adobe programs on their MacBooks. Humans are consumers by nature: you consume food, alcohol, movies, friendships, and whiny self-righteous student articles. The reason your quality of life is so high is because of businesses moving the economy forward, so when you criticize an institution trying to advance this cause, you come off as naive.

    Furthermore, you seem to think that a rigid, outdated way of teaching (which I’ll be the first to admit needs to change) can somehow be tossed into the same bag as people’s fashion choices. Where’s the link?

    Don’t be bitter just because you chose to study something that doesn’t interest you. Maybe if you had the courage to come out of your shell and connect with your classmates you’d see that beneath the expensive outfits and attention-seeking CASA posts are human beings just doing their best to get by. You seem to insinuate that JMSB students are all followers, but by recycling insults that every JMSB student has heard before, I’d say you’re follower as well. Everyone’s trying to impress someone – I hope this article advances your personal agenda.

  13. To be completely honest, as a business student, this article is a bit offensive. It attempts to emphasise the negative stereotypes of business school by using the opinion of someone who really didn’t ever seem to have a passion for what they were studying.

    “To make matters worse, I despised all of my courses because they were so bland, and there was absolutely no opportunity to express any creativity whatsoever.”
    Personally, I don’t think the article really embraces the different kinds of creativity that exist. It’s actually quite ironic and just further emphasizes the author’s inability to think creatively/critically…

    Creativity isn’t just the ability to come up with a clever advertisement or paint an amazing picture. It’s the ability to think outside the box. JMSB first teaches students what the box is, and once in the upper level classes, challenges them to step out of the box.

    Step into the doors of a case class, listen to a re-branding pitch, a stock pitch, or into the intricacies of an MIS project. Speak to the students who represent JMSB internationally, or the ones who just won Canada’s Next Top Ad Exec. Don’t stereotype business students by the words of someone who didn’t ever try and step out of the box. This article sounds more like anti corporate propaganda than anything else… something I guess we as business students are just starting to get used to hearing.

  14. David, your experience at JMSB was, it appears, not ideal. This is unfortunate and I’m glad you’re enjoying the arts more. That said, it’s a shame you decided to express your experience with this insightless opinion piece. You had an opportunity to write about how’d you’d improve the school and its curriculum, as it certainly isn’t perfect. I’m disappointed you did not take that path.

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