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Greeting to everyone! I am Nivedita Barui from Durgapur, (and also Kolkata), West Bengal. I did my +2 in Durgapur and moved to Kolkata for my Bachelor’s. I studied B.Sc. Microbiology hons. at Scottish Church College, the oldest continuously running Christian liberal arts and sciences college in the country. In this article, I am going to talk about my journey of being a science graduate with specialization in Microbiology to an incoming PGP (2020-22) candidate at IIM Kozhikode.
So, ever since I wanted to pursue Microbiology in my undergraduate degree, my aim was to get into research in medical microbiology. During my bachelor’s, only in the 2nd year I had started to realise that research might not be my ultimate calling! Upon reading up on management practices and roles, I felt interested towards it and wanted to give it a shot. I started preparing myself for an entry level HR opportunity and before writing my final year papers, I had a few offers to choose from. I joined my first organization the day after my finals got over. Once I was stable in the new office environment and was starting to excel at work, I wanted to set the next goal, of management education. I wanted to work for a few years and then proceed towards MBA. As of now, I have 5+ years of experience in HR Operations, with prominence in Recruitment, Training & Development. In Feb 2019, I wanted to give a shot at CAT and other management entrance exams. 2019 was phenomenal in the way it has moulded me for the better.
I consider myself very lucky to have found an amazing mentor, Pabitra Sir, at Kestopur, Kolkata. He made it so convenient for me to start preparation while working full time at the world’s largest IT services company. He accommodated all my irregularities in the batches such as changes in shift timings, work load etc. I just followed his instructions to the maximum possible extent and trusted him in the process. With changing projects and clients, it was not a cakewalk to sail through but he kept me motivated and made sure I put my best foot forward. The classes at Pabitra Sir’s institute was so enriching as the batch used to be small and he could give attention to all of us. He even helped me immensely post CAT, for the GD, WAT and PI prep in the batch. Many times, I myself was on the verge of giving up and wasn’t sure of what to expect, but he believed otherwise. I am happy to conclude that I have received admission offers from IIM Lucknow (PGP-SM), IIM Kozhikode, along with all the new and baby IIMs.
I want to emphasise on the following points for everyone who has a goal to achieve:
o Allow yourself to have sky high dreams, to be ambitious
o Don’t get bogged down by negativity, put blinders on them
o Remember that hard work will pay off in some way or the other
o In tough times, remember the cliché “This too shall pass”
o Take inspiration from people around you and stay kind
o Trust your instincts, but not always. Sometimes, it plays tricks
o Try to have good grades consistently, it helps
About my journey from here on, I am excited to meet my batchmates and seniors at the “Kampus”. Ours is one truly diverse batch and it will just get better once we commence the curriculum. Wishing 2020 CAT takers all the very best!