When I think about the time I got the admission letter for PGDM-GM from XLRI, I just can't express the emotions I experienced. The thrill of coming through and getting a chance to go after your dreams is unbelievable.
Almost a year ago, in June, I had started from my home town to Jamshedpur, to kick start the journey, which I hold very close to my heart. With excitement on the high, I, along with 100 of my batch-mates, went on an expedition, which we never thought would be so beautiful.
The journey was nothing like I imagined. Attending five classes a day, then hurrying through dinner to sit together for assignments, working hard through the night and going to sleep with the first rays of sunlight hitting the earth. It does seem to be hectic, but you have got to be there to enjoy the experience. That's how our first two terms were. We had to squeeze time out to spend on things other than studies, but then it had the charm of its own.
I felt so proud to be a part of the XLRI culture. We got a chance to learn from the best professors in our country. Classes taken by Father Ozzie, Prof. Sabyasachi Sengupta, Prof. Indrajit Mukherjee, Prof. Shantanu Sarkar, Prof. Gaurav Vallabh, and many other equally passionate and reputed professors made the experience not only memorable but also life-altering. We got to see the world entirely from a different and more holistic perspective, which we will treasure for the rest of our lives.
Apart from the classes, the late-night dinner at Bishu da's, the egg-Maggi at the campus cafe while the night is still young, and going through the next day's pre-reads at the same time, we all had our moments, which we will cherish forever.
XL had everything to offer, and once you make it past the first two terms, you will have all the time in your hands to do anything you want. I used to get so much free time that I had to split time between badminton, table tennis, cricket, and going out roaming the city.
XLRI, being one of the top B-schools in the country, upholds its reputation very firmly. We got one of the best study curriculum and faculty panels in the country, and we all saw the truth in this when we experienced it ourselves. The GM course has changed me as an individual and has made me realize my inner potential. The environment forces you to come out of your conservative comfort zone and become a much confident individual.
The course offers you a strong base of Core management studies and then a considerable number of options for choosing electives so that you have a chance for following your area of interest. The Placements are in-line with the reputation XLRI has. The process for placements is a rolling system, unlike the Two-year MBA programs at XLRI. It starts around the middle of the course and ends along with the class. Many prestigious companies visited the campus, during our time, to offer roles according to our work-experience. There was a very vast pool of opportunities offered to every student of our batch, and all it took was an elaborate preparation beforehand, to crack the interviews.
There were several student committees formed by the students of our batch, and the entire batch democratically elected all of them. The one committee which stands out among them was the placement committee, which worked along-side the college placement cell to bring companies for recruitment. The other committees were The Career Development Committee, The Alumni Committee, The Branding Committee, The Leadership committee, The Sports Committee, The Cultural Committee, and the Infrastructure Committee. I was myself a part of the Career Development Committee, where we worked with the Career Development Cell of the college to prepare the students of our batch for the placement processes. Conducting mock interviews, CV workshops, lectures, and talks on various topics trending in the market, etc. are just the tip of the iceberg as far as our responsibility towards the batch is concerned. Being a part of the committee gave me an enriching experience which I would revere throughout my life.
The course was over for us a few days back. We lost two months, which we could have spent on campus because of the COVID-19 situation in the country. Though we regret losing the time on campus, at the same time, we cherish every memory we made. A friend of mine used to say that because we were visionaries, we clicked so many photos. We knew that we would adore each of those moments by seeing the pictures for the rest of our lives.
It was one of the best decisions of my life to choose XLRI's PGDM-GM course for my post-graduation degree. I am now a transformed, confident, and much more intelligent human being with a broader perspective of all things, after the time I spent at XLRI. I feel proud that I was part of this program and would wholeheartedly recommend this program to others as well.
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Also Read: An XL-erated Year Of MBA | Ft. Mahak Kapoor, XLRI Jamshedpur