IIM Rohtak had shifted to its new campus this year, and the excitement is beyond expression. All the students were looking forward to stepping into a land where they have no externally imposed constraints. After going through the high-resolution pictures of beautifully designed buildings, students were flooded with energy to encounter the pure air at the peripheries of the city themselves.
In the evening, after crossing the populous city and speeding through the famous NH10, one can see many sparkling gold and silver lights from a distance signalling the shining campus of IIM Rohtak. The fresh-tarred roads taking you to the hostels become your darling in the first drive itself. The flat style hostels built in a circle surrounding a badminton court act as a cherry on the top as the moon shows up. As the clock strikes 9, the campus becomes lively. Students coming out of their classes and hostels to the common areas, playing badminton and debating on all sorts of stuff with their peers is a frequent sight.
It is 29
th June today. Same day, last year, I entered one of the top B-schools of India with a load of dreams in my eyes along with 249 other students. Same day, this year, I could see 250 students walking through the long corridors with bigger dreams in their eyes.
The first shower of monsoon welcomed the new batch, in the same fashion as it greeted us last year. The satisfaction of “having made it finally” gleaming on their faces is immensely difficult to describe in phrases. Each eye was cruising around to catch a glimpse of each part of the campus of IIM Rohtak. The walls of the mess with glass claddings showed a fascinating view of juniors advancing through the sloping lane towards the seminar hall. The sight of well-dressed students strolling in groups reminded us of our induction last year, dropping all the second-year students on the mess table to a nostalgic world.
The rush of an active induction process, heading to an even more strenuous schedule of club and committee selection along with a busy curriculum was not just a roller-coaster ride - It was the first roller coaster ride of a child who is acrophobic! A never-ending race to excel in each and everything continues until the summer internship placements, after which students feel relaxed or rather accustomed to the hectic schedules.
The whole ride flashbacks in the minds of every second-year student as they watched their juniors wearing the shoes they wore last year. The shimmering raindrops were echoing in everybody’s ears acting like a magic carpet taking them to mesmerizing worlds. The chirping birds in the lawns and the fresh air passing through the IIM Rohtak logo cut tiles were imparting a vigor to the new academic year. The rejuvenating memories slowly lifted and prompted us to get back to our routine assignments and classes.
The new campus will undoubtedly prove to be a new beacon of light for the coming batches, bringing in new opportunities and a free environment to grow and develop.