“The expert in anything was once a beginner.” -My favorite quote by Helen Hayes.
They say an MBA with prior work experience is the best. I am glad my journey as a fresher in IIM Rohtak helped me change this perception.
Hailing from the steel city of Odisha, I graduated as a mechanical engineer from CET Bhubaneswar in the year 2018. Enjoying my supposedly last vacation at home, I had no clue that I was about to undergo a transformational journey. Joining IIM Rohtak was never on my mind; I always thought two years of work experience and pursuing MBA thereafter could give me a hotshot to my dreams but now, when I look back, I am happy that I took the road less traveled. Like every parent’s dream, it was they who pushed me to take this up.
I still remember my day one as clear as crystal, so many faces around, some determined, proud, happy, along with some anxious ones just like me. I was moving around the campus with my father and hoped that one day, I would make my presence felt in that crowd.
Like every other B-School, we were welcomed to the tradition of the week-long induction, “Aarambh” and were showered upon with those sugar-coated words just enough to make us feel exactly like a fish out of its water. It was exciting to know that I had a chance to learn with the best mix of population there, be in terms of age, gender, background, and culture. We often associate MBA with the overhyped peer-learning, and after coming to IIM R, I think every letter of it is valid. The first few months were developmental and tough. “Deadlines are sacrosanct” was the new mantra for everyone. Varied tasks planned in accordance with the curriculum gave us the head-start to not just our classroom syllabus but helped to practice professional skills. In a batch of around 250 students, the only thing I wished for was to make myself visible like a tiny twinkling star in that starry night. And being in the top 20 of my batch during the induction gave me the much-needed confidence to set my goals and keep going.
Two months passed in a flicker of light, only to turn my world upside down. The news of the unfortunate demise of my father left me devastated. The campus suddenly became my favorite memory of him, as the last time I met him was on my first day at IIM Rohtak. He was proud of me, and I wanted to do it for him. And just four days after, I came back to the campus to prepare for my term exams that were in the next few days. The life is too hectic to keep you idle minded and allow you to think of your sorrows. Soon, I caught the B-School fever, which kept me awake day and night, attending the lectures, completing the assignments, and fighting the committee selections. Being a person who loved taking up responsibilities and challenges, I got into the Placement Committee that shaped me and the rest of my MBA life. Working in a team gave me a real understanding of all the terms that you could associate with the teachings of the MBA doctrine- team working, proactiveness, time-management, negotiation, discipline, leadership, sales, marketing, and I can go on, trust me. I was continuously rising on the learning curve, and there was no looking back.
I sought every opportunity I could to try my hands on something new. Public speaking had always been my fear, but I took it as a challenge, and TedX 2.0 gave me the chance to host and introduce some of the most prominent guests that evening. The appreciation from the audience and the Director boosted my confidence to another level and motivated me. The MBA experience is whatever you make it. My advice to anyone pursuing this would be to absolutely indulge yourself in everything that the course has to offer. Do not shy away to take up your long lost hobby or something that interests you. I never gave up on my passion and joined the dance society. Grooving on those beats was always a detachment from the pressing deadlines.
With much hard work and determination, a year passed by. I was very excited about my summer internship at TATA Steel, as it would have been my first hands-on experience. The exposure was enriching and gave me the much-needed direction on how to approach real-time problems.
The second phase of the journey began precisely how it was a year ago, but this time the tables had turned, and I was a part of the Aarambh team for the induction. Did I tell you, it was my dream from day one to stand on the other side and shower the same sugar-coated words? :D
Although this time, I was confident of who I was and had a stronger will to keep going. Soon, the placement season began, and like every other student on campus, I was uncertain of which company I wanted to go in and worried if I will get through. To my amazement, I got placed in my dream company on day 0. My happiness knew no bounds, and I was thrilled to bits. The only thing left unchecked on my list of things-to-do was to crack a case study competition. After several failed attempts, finally, destiny happened, and my team Apex Predators became the 1
st runners up of the wild card round of TATA Steel-a-thon. I was at the top of the world, and so were my teammates; and why not, we were the National Finalists. The experience was simply invaluable, and we only wished we had more opportunities left to try our hard-work and luck once again.
My story wouldn’t be complete without mentioning the den I belonged to. Section D is not just a division; it is an emotion. War of Sections gave us the name we boasted of the entire two years- we called ourselves the “Demigods” and “Dracarys.” We strived hard, and fought like warriors to get that shining trophy in our hands. And of course, there was no shortage of celebrations, parties, and everything in between. The bond we shared was unparalleled. That’s the KATHOR culture- We fight hard and stand strong with each other.
My life at IIM R is the most precious thing I have that no one can take away from me. It didn’t just give me a good job and a degree, but it has evolved me as an individual. It was an incredible and developmental experience that molded me into a person, both stronger and sharper (P.S.: I am 5’ 6” tall). The only advice I would want to give is not to sleep away the two crucial years of your life, do everything you wanted to, walk an extra mile just to cross the bar you had set for yourself. Explore the unexplored, and don’t you dare berate yourself because you are much more than you think you are worthy of. Keep growing; keep shining!