What do you get when you add child-like enthusiasm with a sudden need of seriousness? The first day of MBA. But that’s another post. How does your experience from day one stick with you forever?
It was half-past seven in the evening, still trying to recall names of people I met, here I am, whiffing the scrumptious food filled with excitement and awe outside the gates of the banquet hall.
What followed this excitement led calling was no less of a surprise. Beautiful people and Good music. Two things that can instantly transform your day long stress and fatigue into magic.
While I was presumably participating in the games and humming to the music, it occurred to me that most of the life-moments that your remember happen on day 1. Your first day of college, your first love, your first time going abroad and your first time drinking alcohol even. This evening was instantly added to one of the many firsts that would shape me into the person I become in the future.
Not to mention, SDA Bocconi’s initiative in thinking through every student’s experience and recognizing the value a mega dinner could add to their learning curve. I truly believe food, music, and travel is conversation starters. I found myself, on several occasions running into conversations like, “Hey, why the salad? Are you dieting?” “Are you a vegetarian? “Man, the chicken here is one of a kind.” These, from people you don’t know to make you reinforce the value of food as conversation. I bet, the management and the seniors here recon to this idea.
The dance, how can I forget, did a lot of character building and now suddenly, I could associate values and attributes to faces, the people I just met now had a new ascent. Fond of dancing myself, I enjoyed shaking a leg with my new found friends.
Surprise is a factor in our lives. I am a person who likes it. I like the unexpected, things that are always on the edges. The opening day dinner wasn't expected until before with we told and it serviced my excitement. Simply put - It was a move that was outside of the rule book and highly appreciated. As they say, you live your life through moments and joy, this definitely makes the cut. So, the next time someone asks me how was day one? With a slight grin on my face, I can very well say - It was the food that made all the difference.
Which ABGP company would you like to join and why?
Aditya Birla Capital
As India moves towards a cashless economy, more and more money shall be parked in financial instruments. I am optimistic about the Indian BFSI sector as it grows by 20% YoY. There cannot be a better indicator. As far as Aditya Birla Capital is concerned, I am going to stay put and invest heavily in the stock. The country is undergoing a transformative change in its infrastructure and ease of doing business. Meaning, more business shall start in the next few years than they have in the last 5 years combined. And what does every business need to kick-start? Capital. And ABC stands on the receiving end of that. I cannot wait to see their balance sheet by the end of 2024. As far as working in ABC goes? Not so much. But I am putting my money to work here which is quite the same thing if not more.
-Kaival Parikh
IMB 2018-2020