Have you ever reached a finish line only to realize it is a starting line for many more things to come? This is exactly how it feels to get into an IIM. Your dream of becoming part of the IIM fraternity comes true, only to open a Pandora's box with tons of surprises waiting for you!
I got into IIM Nagpur after a long hustle of CAT and interviews like everyone else. The thought of an MBA had been at the back of my mind for more than two years then. So the moment of receiving selection mail from IIMN felt just perfect! Husshh.. finally, an end to tides of hope and anxiety, I thought.
The bright orientation days of the ‘dream come true’ vibes vanished quickly. The IIM rigor kicked in. Tons of deadlines at 23:59:59 became commonplace. A week into it, and we all learned that actually, the day starts after midnight! Cases, pre-reads, submissions, clubs and committee orientations, competitions, our informal zoom calls, and cold calls during classes too. It was an insane rush. No amount of excel sheet or calendar planning could assure me that I am not missing anything. The FOMO was probably the most real thing in our virtual MBA.
It felt like water flooding through the gates of a dam in which I am at the center! Messages from my best friend remained unread for days; I missed wishing my cousin on birthday and forgot what a sleep cycle meant. I don’t remember talking to my family during those days; I hardly left my room, oppss.. my laptop screen to be precise.
If you are someone thinking about pursuing MBA, I have some ‘free ki advice’ for you - have some internal motivation for doing an MBA because IIM rigor will dry out your external motivation in no time!
The initial days at IIMN were the toughest than the rest of my life so far. But you know what, I learned a lot. I did many things for the first time - enacted a video, read my write-ups to the crowd, talked to strangers without a second thought, and many more. I tried multiple different things, failed at many while succeeding at a few. Result? I am a way too different person than I was before joining IIMN. I think I have evolved a lot in this short period. There’s so much to learn and miles to cross ahead, and I am sure that journey will be exciting with this ‘new me’! Now, it doesn’t take any effort to try again when I fail once.
If you ask me if it was easy – the answer is a big No. I doubted my capabilities like never before, quit at the end of many sleepless nights, questioned my decision to leave a good job ten times a day, and the list goes on. Now, if you ask me, is this worth it – the answer is absolutely yes. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to learn about yourself, explore the unknown, and embrace who you are. Life at IIMN is much more than a management course. It’s teaching me a way of life. I am exploring myself as I continue to survive through midnight deadlines!
About the Author:
Pratiksha is a PGP1 student at IIM Nagpur and an executive member of Eques – Strategy and Consulting Club. She worked as a software developer in a multinational IT company for 24 months before joining IIM Nagpur . In her free time, she enjoys reading and writing alike.