“All that glitters is not gold” – You must have heard it a million times but you hardly remember it when you need to. Well, this is neither an angst-filled rant nor a failure story. This is about the trade-offs you make in life, sometimes when you’re hardly aware of it.
This particular girl named Sara was the topper in class. She always has been. It has been her crown of pride throughout her childhood and it continued to gratify her even as she stepped at adulthood. She was an adept multitasker. She exhibited her dexterity in a myriad of art like painting, poetry and music whilst maintaining good grades in college (under-graduation). She was so self-confident that she traded her high paying job to buy freedom. She wanted to take some time off and introspect. And, so she did.
She was still indecisive about her career when she thought of appearing CAT. It appeared almost impossible to crack one of the most competitive exams in the country with a preparation of fewer than two months but this little girl seemed to have a magic wand. She managed to get a seat in one of the most prestigious B-schools in the country.
Her confidence was at its zenith when she stepped into IIM because up till then, fate had been extremely generous to her. But then, it had to be fair too. This was the time to bear the not-so-good things that were in store for her.
IIM is the abode of the 99+ percentilers of the country. I am sure every person in this haven had felt victorious on the day of announcement of the result in the same way as a marathon runner feels triumphant on crossing the finish line. But alas, it was not the finish line for the achievers in CAT.
For the first time in her life, she felt she needed to prove her existence. From fighting for a chance to speak in class (because, well, there are marks for class participation) to slogging the entire day with assignments and projects, she constantly elbowed her way to meet the set expectations.
She hardly had time for extra-curriculars which used to be a major part of her routine before that. But she didn’t complain until her grades were announced. It shook her hard to see “average” grades in her report. Average was something new to her. All her life she had aced exams and this tag of mediocrity somewhat became a major setback.
What is more remorseful is that it clung to her. No matter how hard she tried to get rid of it, it stuck to her like a parasite. Thanks to relative grading, her performance was not just hers, it was the result of the cumulative performance of the entire class.
Life at IIMs is a continuous battle. You are constantly pushed towards this crowd of mediocrity – the nameless and the faceless called the “average”. The saddest part is that most people give in. They measure their self-worth with grades, salaries and packages. They become complacent because, well, you get great jobs anyway.
The point here is not about the hard life at IIM. The world outside is even harsher. The ‘IIM’ tag brings responsibility. You would always have to fight for set benchmarks and outperform them. So, see this as an opportunity and do not succumb to being an “average”. You are special and you do not require proof for that.
Want to know what happened to Sara? She freed herself from the shackles of mediocrity. She couldn’t get better grades but she revived her taste in arts. She involved herself in many extra-curricular activities and found that she was, indeed, no “average”. She was happy.
Sara is just a name. She is among you and me. Whenever you pass the lonely roads in IIM campuses, you will see many of her wandering clueless or maybe some of them inside their hostel rooms or libraries, trying to absorb the indefinite knowledge that the prestigious management course claims to offer.
If you recognise her, help her and if you find her in you, I hope you now know what to do!
*Featured image credits - Seanwes.com