“One good teacher in a lifetime may sometimes change a delinquent into a solid citizen” -Philip Wylie
When I entered IIM Ranchi, I had expectations regarding placements, overall personality development, and new connections. Needless to say, for shortlisting the college, students go through a series of permutations and combinations of average packages offered by institutions. However, for me, faculty was by far the most important criterion while selecting the college. Having an experience of three years in Byjus and Swiggy, MBA was an opportunity to have an experience beyond the boundaries of conventional learning. By providing new challenges and critical learnings every day, it allowed for both personal and professional growth. I also knew that the diverse group of faculty and peers would help me gain insight into various aspects of different fields.
This year was different for all of us. The first class of the 2022 batch was online. Despite the overwhelming consequences of the pandemic, the professors were very adaptable and resilient to the change in pedagogy. Each professor had something unique to offer- from spectacular industry experience to scholarly research papers; they had an ocean of knowledge on every topic. The professors are not just teachers but a mix of consultants, researchers, and trainers.
Since I came from an engineering background, finance was always a nightmare. Yet, the professors taught with so much ease that the most complex and confusing concepts became a cakewalk. Later on, it also motivated me to choose minors in finance. Despite the online infrastructure, the faculty continued with the “Case-based Pedagogy” and “discussions” method. This allowed me to my point of view and an opportunity to listen to diverse perspectives on the same. I remember a professor putting me on the spot and asking me to defend the “Why” in my opinion. This initially made me a bit nervous but in retrospect, it helped me to develop better reasoning in my answers. Staying true to their obliging attitude, the professors devoted time to discuss doubts outside the classrooms. I could freely approach them for discussing academics, career goals, or life issues. They have time and again extended their helping hand to remind students that they support them.
The teachers of IIM Ranchi have beautifully transitioned into an online mode of teaching. They have transformed every traditional learning method into an online approach - be it surprise quizzes, online presentations, using apps to engage students, or inculcating group discussions; they have a solution to everything. Most importantly, the one quality that loomed out is the considerate and empathetic nature of professors. During unprecedented times, professors have made sure to check on the well-being of students’ mental health. I remember faculties extending the deadlines because of lockdown, being considerate about attendance due to network issues, and always providing enormous emotional support and understanding. They have counseled us to become more empathetic and mature while integrating social, emotional, and mental growth - and this is something that I am going to carry my entire lifetime. There is a saying -
people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel - the faculty of IIM Ranchi has made an impact in the hearts of students by going to incredible lengths to help their students and we, the students are enormously grateful to them.