The Journey Of A CAT Aspirant To The Land Of Cherry Blossoms, IIM Shillong

Our life draws more from nature than we imagine. The changing seasons of the year are symbolic of the various phases in our life and the lessons that they bring along itself. Mirroring the life of a CAT aspirant is the flourishing of cherry blossoms, one of the many gifts that come along with IIM Shillong.

It starts from the season of health and wellness, where the aspirant decides to take an examination which will catapult their careers to the next level and help them in climbing the ladder of corporate success. There is not much to differentiate here from the prospering stages of a Cherry Blossom tree where the shining green leaves are brimming with motivation and inspires the courage to take the first step of preparing ourselves for an examination that can be testing even for the best of us. As seasons change, times become more and more challenging. The initial enthusiasm of achieving our academic goals is met with the grilling times of boring routines and tough discipline. That is the phase when the leaves of the cherry blossom start to wither, this is the time to burn the midnight oil and struggle through the disciplined routines of the preparation mode even if it is testing the limits. Everyday routines look colourless, much like the blank branches of the cherry blossom tree. This is the season of autumn; it brings along the dryness of challenging times but holds an equally important position in order to help us learn the valuable lessons of growth. Autumn has its own beauty; in the essence of adversities lies the beauty of perseverance. This season instills in us the values that will help us get through all the difficult times ahead. It is the season of Autumn, that inspires hope. In the falling leaves of trees, there is a glimmer of hope that a new season will follow and that the only thing which is constant, is change. Each day comes wrapped up in values and memories for us to cherish and share for the rest of our lives. It is the gruelling days of our preparation leading to this examination which make the journey all the more enjoyable. So, it may seem ironic, however, even in the colourless days of autumn, there are hues of hope.

In the final countdown to the day of results, there are several short-lived phases flooded with emotions. All these energies are leading up to the day where your hard work meets your destiny. The day you step into the boundaries of your college, the legacy that its brand carries and the sense of belongingness that comes along with it cannot be quantified in words. This exhilarating feeling can only be felt in the sight of cherry blossoms in the beautiful land of Shillong, which houses this hub of excellence called the Indian Institute of Management. It is within the boundaries of IIM Shillong, that the final bloom of the cherry blossoms is witnessed. It is the bloom that comes along with the peace of achievement, the satisfaction of learning and the excitement of new challenges.