“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”
Every word of the above quote by Seneca reflects my journey and in fact everyone’s journey of life. We need to leave back our last chapter of the previous season to begin with the new season. Here comes the time when I head back to college life after four years of my corporate life. It’s difficult to adapt yourself again to the Gurukul environment leaving back all the freedom but yes, it’s all about life and dreams.
I wondered what a B-school life will be like. Will it be like engineering? Will it be like my high school experience? Will I be able to handle it? Will it be fun and exciting? Will it be scary and nerve wracking? Well, hopefully, I got all my answers after joining IIFT.
It was 25th of June when I entered through the gates of IIFT, bit apprehensive about the things that await next. Little did I know that it was going to be the start of an amazing journey.
It has been, just over two weeks since I first set foot into one of the premier B-Schools of India, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade. It has been a journey of extremes so far, with an extreme amount of work pressure and at the same time an extremity of partying. I could easily say that these have been, two of the most memorable weeks of my life. From a week-long “Parichay” (Personality Development Program) to dancing till midnight during the fresher’s party, every single moment has given me a sense of what’s in store for the upcoming two years. The crux of the past two weeks at IIFT has been socializing. In a period of fourteen days, our whole batch has developed a sense of unity and bonding towards one another, which is quite remarkable considering the fact that our batch strength is a little over hundred and seventy.
As any MBA-aspirant in this country would agree that, getting into IIFT, Delhi was a dream come true. After days of waiting for the final shortlists when it actually happened, the feeling was surreal. Rounds of congratulatory messages and phone calls went around and the feeling of finally achieving what I had been toiling so hard to do made me and my family glow with joy. As the date of joining neared I was filled with a mixed bag of emotions and after days of preparing and packing the day finally came when I landed in Delhi with a bag full of clothes and dreams. What struck me most about the campus was its rustic simplicity; I instantly felt at home. After the basic orientation session was done, our first informal interaction happened with the senior batch i.e. the second year MBA (IB) students and that was just the beginning of the various layers we eventually uncovered off them. With each interaction, it got more and more clear that they had one motto clear in their heads and that was to help us do well and make most of our time at IIFT in a way that not just we get benefitted but the institution gets benefitted from our success as well. The feeling of pride that they took in being IIFTians inspired me; the unity their batch displayed was something to be learnt from. They changed my perspective from which I looked at my batch mates; from being smart people from across the country they started appearing as friends and ones that we would eventually rely on for the coming two years for support and help of any and every form. The selfless efforts they made towards getting our batch ready for the challenge that is an MBA was commendable and it was clear that their only motivation behind it was making sure that we identify ourselves as proud IIFTians and feel a sense of responsibility in making sure that our institution retains the glorious image that it has built over the years. This pretty much sums up the heart-warming experience I’ve had at my campus which has started to feel like home.
I do not know how to start writing about my experience in IIFT Delhi. Let me start with one instance from two years back. I was residing near IIT Delhi and came to Lakshman Dhaba in front of IIFT Delhi to meet my friend doing MBA from nearby college. We were discussing about MBA colleges and I told my friend that how the academic rigour would be there in IIFT and that I wanted to join this college. Coming to present when I cleared IIFT exam, secured admission, being one of top 1 percent of 62000 students who gave the exam, that whole conversation at Lakshman Dhaba became fresh in my mind, and I thought that it was destined for me to take admission in this college. If I talk about the life at IIFT for first year students, it is very demanding. Even after having work experience of nearly three years, I found the initial week very rigorous. There were very instants where we were checked for our mental as well as physical strength. Many changes occurred in our lifestyle like from sleeping 8 hours a day to become a night owl for submitting assignments and PPTs, luxury of eating food at home is replaced with sharing food with batchmates so that everyone can eat full and did not miss the classes, feeling of companionship gradually developed between roomies and loomies where each person looked out for the other, woke up each other on time so that no one missed the classes. There are various programs, events conducted at IIFT that bring the batch closer and make them future leaders. Once as part of marketing assignment, my team and I went to Connaught Palace (CP) in Delhi and sold water bottles, earrings, flowers, offered palm reading. One of the team member played guitar for the couples. We earned close to Rs. 2800 and the feeling was unexplainable. It was first time that I did something of this type in the crowded market breaking all my inner inhibitions. We all went as individuals and returned as a team. Coming to classes, it was all new experience. Attending three two hours classes daily is itself a challenging task, that too on some day converted to four classes. During my under graduation, we used to have maximum of one hours classes. It was hard for most of the batchmates to adopt to this schedule. Many students have learnt to sleep with open eyes in the classroom initially. However, as time passed everyone had adopted himself or herself to the rigour. In addition, the interest of studying financial accounting, marketing management, business statics and business economics, which are very new and exciting subjects, keeps our engine going. The faculty and students at IIFT are very interactive and we have highly productive classes. Overall studying at IIFT is a learning process with various fun filling experiences and memories.
On one beautiful Sunday morning, with Resfeber (“Traveller’s Anxiety”) in my heart and determination in my mind, I began my journey of student life again. The cool breeze of Sanjay Van and the bells of Karmapa Buddhist Monastery pulled me to the gates of IIFT. Pumped-up, I decided to explore the surroundings because this was it- my new home for the next two years. After walking for some time, I found myself in the sports arena. However, all my excitement went down when I saw a dispiriting scene- the basketball court and the volleyball court falling prey to space demands of the bikers. Even the most sheltered place in Delhi had not been left out by “parking-hunters”. With a heavy heart, I returned to the college hostel. Alas! The materialistic world had once again taken the advantage of the busy students and left them with no option to rejuvenate after long hours of work.
A hot sun, warm winds lashing our face and tiny droplets of sweat trickled down my face. As soon as I set my first foot in the city, thousands of hopes flashed by my eyes. The city greeted a budding IIFTian with smiles and drizzles by evening.
“Every new beginning comes from some other beginning’s end.”
Every word of the above quote by Seneca reflects my journey and in fact everyone’s journey of life. We need to leave back our last chapter of the previous season to begin with the new season. Here comes the time when I head back to college life after four years of my corporate life. It’s difficult to adapt yourself again to the Gurukul environment leaving back all the freedom but yes, it’s all about life and dreams.
I wondered what a B-school life will be like. Will it be like engineering? Will it be like my high school experience? Will I be able to handle it? Will it be fun and exciting? Will it be scary and nerve wracking? Well, hopefully, I got all my answers after joining IIFT.
It was 25th of June when I entered through the gates of IIFT, bit apprehensive about the things that await next. Little did I know that it was going to be the start of an amazing journey.
It has been, just over two weeks since I first set foot into one of the premier B-Schools of India, Indian Institute of Foreign Trade. It has been a journey of extremes so far, with an extreme amount of work pressure and at the same time an extremity of partying. I could easily say that these have been, two of the most memorable weeks of my life. From a week-long “Parichay” (Personality Development Program) to dancing till midnight during the fresher’s party, every single moment has given me a sense of what’s in store for the upcoming two years. The crux of the past two weeks at IIFT has been socializing. In a period of fourteen days, our whole batch has developed a sense of unity and bonding towards one another, which is quite remarkable considering the fact that our batch strength is a little over hundred and seventy.
As any MBA-aspirant in this country would agree that, getting into IIFT, Delhi was a dream come true. After days of waiting for the final shortlists when it actually happened, the feeling was surreal. Rounds of congratulatory messages and phone calls went around and the feeling of finally achieving what I had been toiling so hard to do made me and my family glow with joy. As the date of joining neared I was filled with a mixed bag of emotions and after days of preparing and packing the day finally came when I landed in Delhi with a bag full of clothes and dreams. What struck me most about the campus was its rustic simplicity; I instantly felt at home. After the basic orientation session was done, our first informal interaction happened with the senior batch i.e. the second year MBA (IB) students and that was just the beginning of the various layers we eventually uncovered off them. With each interaction, it got more and more clear that they had one motto clear in their heads and that was to help us do well and make most of our time at IIFT in a way that not just we get benefitted but the institution gets benefitted from our success as well. The feeling of pride that they took in being IIFTians inspired me; the unity their batch displayed was something to be learnt from. They changed my perspective from which I looked at my batch mates; from being smart people from across the country they started appearing as friends and ones that we would eventually rely on for the coming two years for support and help of any and every form. The selfless efforts they made towards getting our batch ready for the challenge that is an MBA was commendable and it was clear that their only motivation behind it was making sure that we identify ourselves as proud IIFTians and feel a sense of responsibility in making sure that our institution retains the glorious image that it has built over the years. This pretty much sums up the heart-warming experience I’ve had at my campus which has started to feel like home.
I do not know how to start writing about my experience in IIFT Delhi. Let me start with one instance from two years back. I was residing near IIT Delhi and came to Lakshman Dhaba in front of IIFT Delhi to meet my friend doing MBA from nearby college. We were discussing about MBA colleges and I told my friend that how the academic rigour would be there in IIFT and that I wanted to join this college. Coming to present when I cleared IIFT exam, secured admission, being one of top 1 percent of 62000 students who gave the exam, that whole conversation at Lakshman Dhaba became fresh in my mind, and I thought that it was destined for me to take admission in this college. If I talk about the life at IIFT for first year students, it is very demanding. Even after having work experience of nearly three years, I found the initial week very rigorous. There were very instants where we were checked for our mental as well as physical strength. Many changes occurred in our lifestyle like from sleeping 8 hours a day to become a night owl for submitting assignments and PPTs, luxury of eating food at home is replaced with sharing food with batchmates so that everyone can eat full and did not miss the classes, feeling of companionship gradually developed between roomies and loomies where each person looked out for the other, woke up each other on time so that no one missed the classes. There are various programs, events conducted at IIFT that bring the batch closer and make them future leaders. Once as part of marketing assignment, my team and I went to Connaught Palace (CP) in Delhi and sold water bottles, earrings, flowers, offered palm reading. One of the team member played guitar for the couples. We earned close to Rs. 2800 and the feeling was unexplainable. It was first time that I did something of this type in the crowded market breaking all my inner inhibitions. We all went as individuals and returned as a team. Coming to classes, it was all new experience. Attending three two hours classes daily is itself a challenging task, that too on some day converted to four classes. During my under graduation, we used to have maximum of one hours classes. It was hard for most of the batchmates to adopt to this schedule. Many students have learnt to sleep with open eyes in the classroom initially. However, as time passed everyone had adopted himself or herself to the rigour. In addition, the interest of studying financial accounting, marketing management, business statics and business economics, which are very new and exciting subjects, keeps our engine going. The faculty and students at IIFT are very interactive and we have highly productive classes. Overall studying at IIFT is a learning process with various fun filling experiences and memories.
On one beautiful Sunday morning, with Resfeber (“Traveller’s Anxiety”) in my heart and determination in my mind, I began my journey of student life again. The cool breeze of Sanjay Van and the bells of Karmapa Buddhist Monastery pulled me to the gates of IIFT. Pumped-up, I decided to explore the surroundings because this was it- my new home for the next two years. After walking for some time, I found myself in the sports arena. However, all my excitement went down when I saw a dispiriting scene- the basketball court and the volleyball court falling prey to space demands of the bikers. Even the most sheltered place in Delhi had not been left out by “parking-hunters”. With a heavy heart, I returned to the college hostel. Alas! The materialistic world had once again taken the advantage of the busy students and left them with no option to rejuvenate after long hours of work.
A hot sun, warm winds lashing our face and tiny droplets of sweat trickled down my face. As soon as I set my first foot in the city, thousands of hopes flashed by my eyes. The city greeted a budding IIFTian with smiles and drizzles by evening.
