This is in continuation to our series ‘
The Special Ones‘ ,where toppers from the finest Business Schools talk about their first year experiences. This time, we have Pankaj Kumar Thakur from IIM Indore Mumbai Campus giving you some interesting insights about how life is at the premier B-School of the country
1.
A brief bio
Being an army kid, I have done most part of my schooling from Army Public Schools in different cities. I have completed my B.Tech from MSIT, Delhi in Electrical and Electronics Engineering. I have worked for about a year and a half at NIIT Ltd before joining MBA.
My childhood spent in army cantontments has played a huge part in shaping me. I got the opportunity to explore a number of states - from J&K to Maharashtra - which brewed an interest in me towards travelling and exploring new places. Staying in various cities during my childhood and interacting with people from various backgrounds/regions has helped me gain some quintessential networking skills. In terms of sports, I like to swim and play Chess.
2.
How and why did you decide to pursue a management degree?
During my short stint at job after graduation, I realized that to get to the top management of an organization I would have to instill much needed attributes in me and an MBA seemed just the right course to provide me with the same.
3.
How has your IIM Indore- Mumbai Campus journey been so far?
I have had the time of my life at IIM Indore Mumbai Campus. The journey has been extremely enriching in terms of learnings. The fast paced start of the first term prepares one for the hectic corporate life ahead. When I compare Pankaj of today (5
th term) to the one who entered campus a year and a half back, I find I have gained more self-confidence and ability to present myself. I have also developed a macro level view of understanding anything.
Additionally, being amongst the best of minds in the country has inculcated a lot of peer learning. Also, the plethora of student activities which keeps the campus abuzz, makes the time here very interesting.
4.
What were your expectations before joining this college and how different has the experience actually been?
The campus has exceeded my expectations. The campus life here isn’t like a typical IIM with a campus spread over hundreds of acres but it provides you with the much needed exposure to the “financial capital” of India. Being situated in Mumbai, we get to interact with a lot of CEOs and other esteemed industry experts who visit the campus to interact with the students via guest lectures. This helps us gain insights and stay updated about the current industry trends
5.
The first year of PGP is really hectic. How did you manage your time effectively?
The first year is extremely hectic and the only way to deal with it is to toil hard. Though, I feel that being prepared with the cases before class and paying attention for an hour and fifteen minutes inside the class, has helped me save more than four hours of time I had to put on the same topic otherwise.
6.
Can you state a few qualities or habits that have helped you thrive in your first year?
The only things I can think of are the same as mentioned before:
- Being prepared with the cases and pre-reads
- Paying attention in the class
7.
What were your favorite subjects/area of academic interests during first year?
I have liked a few subjects from various academic areas. To name a few I liked Finance-2 as it instigated an interest in finance for me, I also found Marketing-2 interesting. Though, I strongly believe that it’s more about the Professor and his style of teaching that generates the interest in the subject than the subject itself.
8.
How was your summer internship experience?
I interned at IMRB International. Experiencing a lot of what you read in theory being executed in practice and trying to learn the intricacies of “what to do in what scenario” was an enriching and learning platform.
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First Year MBA toppers