Becoming A Student Again At 53: The PGP MAX Journey

July 2023 was filled with fear, uncertainty and doubt. As I filled out my application for the PGP MAX, my mind was crowded with questions. Will I manage this alongside a full-time job? This is a crucial year for my children, so why should I choose to study now? At 53, do I really need a postgraduate programme, especially when my son is preparing to do one himself?

I did not have clear answers. What I did have was an overwhelming desire to finally address a three-decade-old itch. I wanted a programme from a world-class business school. So I went ahead. When my application was accepted, and in August 2024, I became a student again, it felt surreal.

This week marks the end of a 15-month journey of academic rigour, unlearning and relearning. I now stand here as a freshly minted Post Graduate Programme for Senior Executives at 55. My career in sales taught me to trust my gut. This programme taught me something deeper. The gut works far better when the brain understands the frameworks behind the decision.

Ironically, what I feared the most turned out to be what I thrived on. The academic rigour. Each term brought two subjects, and reading the well-written case studies from several global B-schools, including ISB, was genuinely enjoyable. The cases prepared us for what was coming each term, but it was listening to professors who had spent decades mastering their craft that truly expanded my thinking. I uncovered gaps in my perspective that I did not even know existed, and discovering those unknown unknowns was a joy in itself.

As part of the PGP MAX experience, the international immersions took us to London and INSEAD, while sessions with faculty from Wharton exposed us to varied teaching styles and global classrooms. The use of simulators and gaming-based learning added another layer, making the sessions both exciting and deeply engaging.

This journey did not transform me overnight. There were long hours of hard work. Late nights. Long drives to Hyderabad. Even longer flights to Europe. Case study readings seemed endless. And more than enough self-doubt to test my resolve. But alongside that came genuine friendships, endless conversations, laughter, dinners, late-night walks and shared reflections. The cohort became family, and then something more.

I did not come to ISB to collect a certificate. I came to genuinely learn, and ISB delivered. What the programme has given me, above everything else, is perspective. Yes, I learnt many things. But more importantly, I unlearnt the belief that experience alone is enough, or that it guarantees certainty.

That shift alone made the entire journey worth it.

And to my cohort, thank you for the respect and love you showed.

Synopsis:

In this reflective blog, Srikanth Natarajan shares why he chose PGP MAX after three decades in sales and leadership. He writes about returning to the classroom at 53, navigating academic rigour, global immersions, and self-doubt, and how the programme helped him unlearn certainty, strengthen decision-making, and gain a lasting perspective beyond experience alone.