If I were asked to choose a memorable experience at MDI or tell someone what is undeniably unique about our campus, I would definitely pick our week-long induction process to narrate to them. It all started on one fateful night, on the 14
th of June 2018. This was when we were initiated to the life of an MBA (presumably) by our beloved student council. They set the tone right from the word go, and it has been continuing ever since. The most remarkable thing about this first interaction was that it was in total contrast of what everyone was expecting or had hoped for.
We spent the rest of our unending week at the beck and call of the council, shuttling ceaselessly between seminars, classes and council sessions like the ball in a very fast paced rally in tennis. But unlike the ball, which wears out, our entire batch stood resilient, adapting to the extreme changes that we were subjected to with extreme agility. And as the week progressed forward, our pains got that much easier, the days that much shorter and the council appeared that much friendlier.
We were learning to accept our new reality and not live in that dreamy MBA experience that we all had fantasized about. And strangely, we were beginning to like the people who were subjecting us to these uncomfortable situations or ‘atrocities’ as we had used to call them back then. Whether it was a manifestation of the Stockholm syndrome, or if we were imagining things all along, we do not know, for we were acutely deprived of sleep to perform any critical analysis of the situation that we were in.
The week came to an end, and the demeanour of the council changed. We were thrown a surprise bash, one in which they mingled with us like family. The seniors who weren’t interacting with us till then had started speaking to us like long lost pals. Everything changed, and the change seemed that much sweeter due to the hardships endured by us till then. We started to love our college.
The reason I hold this close to my heart is that it provided a very steep ramp up on what to expect in a premier B-school and on what is expected from a “professional” who graduates from its esteemed halls. It also created a bond, which somewhat started out as a strained relationship but later blossomed into a beautiful connection that I believe that everyone would cherish for life.
I would like to work as a marketer in the Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail Ltd. division of ABG as I believe that it would give me the exposure in working with dynamically changing markets that I wouldn’t get working in any other industry. It would also help me gather insights on people’s tastes and preferences when it comes to shopping.