IIM Shillong – What Makes The Campus In The Clouds Unique

Attending IIM Shillong is a daunting and at the same time, a rewarding task. The first year is the toughest. The class is grouped into sections. A section attends the same courses, taught by faculty from both the academia and industry. Right away, you have to learn a new method of learning, as faculty is just a facilitator and the cases designed for study can have multiple potential solutions. One has to prioritize and prepare accordingly (and pray the cases once has skipped wouldn’t end up reflecting in the grades for a lifetime).

The classes are discussion heavy and these can get quite heated among the students as each student brings his own experience and understanding of the business problem at hand and its solution. Note taking takes a hind seat as class participation forms the core of learning.

Arguing with classmates is a common site, in a way, it helps one get to understand the other side of the coin. Friendship is different from graduation days and the spirit of competition prevails in every sphere (even the kopda cup organized yearly on the pretext of IPL). One can find that the students are smart and come from diverse backgrounds. As time passes, one comes to like and respect them for who they are as people and you learn from what they have to offer.

In the second year, the prospectus reverts to the more traditional bid and study elective course format with a flexibility to chose the are of majoring, and although the teaching method remains the same the attitude is a lot more relaxed. When it comes to job opportunities, your status as an IIM Shillong student gives you a lot of credibility and many companies make the trek to the hills of Shillong to interview. Placements are a season of rigor and one has to give in everything to land a job amidst the competition.

Possessing an IIM tag can make one live in a bubble of irrational exuberance! When 180 optimists spend all their time together getting told that they’re the future leaders of the world, it’s easy to get carried away with grandiose dreams. This is where the rigour of the system helps one make amends with reality.

If I had to summarise my experience at IIM Shillong, it would entail:-

- A chance to spend two years interacting with some very smart people - The prestigious tag of belonging to an IIM, the institutes of national importance - The 2 years of Shillong weather. The greenery is a sight for sore eyes of a Metropolitan Dweller Mudit PGP 2nd Year IIM Shillong