It is hard for me to believe that I graduated from SIBM in March 2015, packed my boxes, moved to Gurgaon, and re-adjusted myself into the working world. The professors had told me that things would move fast and they did move so much fast, that it was shocking at times while amusing at others.
So, here it goes.
Nearly a decade after MBA, I can still connect very much to the learning and experiences at SIBM-B in several aspects of my profession. I was one of the few students who opted out of placements in college. I became an entrepreneur instead. I co-founded a Creatives agency and bootstrapped it from scratch to a healthy level in a span of 5 years.
You think you know all about life until you enter an MBA college. There are few words that can encapsulate that overwhelming realization of the number of diverse paths which exist. It is quite a culture shock for some, how the tiny things we take for granted don’t have any space in the lives of others. There are North Indians unable to tell the difference between various South Indian languages, Engineers who tilt their heads in confusion while in conversations with the students of Accounts, 21-year olds fresh out of college learning alongside experienced people.
It is one of those times when most of the first year students in the premier b-schools of our country are perpetually high of sleep deprivation and are trying to find a meaning of what is happening to them. And it won't be an exaggeration if I say that few are contemplating about leaving the b-school and going back to their work life, which, for the most, was far easier than life at a b-school. The quest for being the best or rather getting the best (company) is on a high among the over-achievers, and a few like me, are concerned about somehow ending up with an internship. It's the beginning of a long race from places like Jamshedpur, Lucknow, Kozhikode etc., to places like Seoul, Amsterdam, NYC or Tokyo, and no one wants to be the last. If you ask me about my experience, I feel like I am living Dante Alighieri's 'Divine Comedy' in reverse. The end-term is the 'Paradiso', the few days between the SIPs and end-term would be the 'Purgatorio' and the SIPs would definitely be the 'Inferno'.
‘What do I do after I’ve decided to opt for an MBA degree?’ was one of the questions that kept running in my mind while preparing for competitive exams & filtering colleges that fit in my list from financial and personal aspects. Being a fresher not only has its own advantages in knowing the current need of the students around but also it has disadvantages of not having work experience and on-field knowledge.
The relationship between teachers and students can never be put into words. A teacher is a mentor, a friend, a guide. It is perhaps the strongest relationship, built over years of hardships and efforts that a teacher puts in to make the best out of his/her pupil. We, at IIM Shillong, acknowledge this effort, and hence, just like any other festival, every year the 5th of September is celebrated with vigour and enthusiasm. This year too, the students put up a great show, to show their love and respect for their beloved teachers.
There was a bevvy of guys standing in line trying to do a ramp walk in a cramped corridor. While some were looking at them screaming with laughter and giving them some even crazier ideas, there were others who were lost in the world of music, listening to their favorite playlist on their phones. Another bunch of sleepyheads were drowsing away completely oblivious to the pandemonium around. And then there were those savants trying to read a case study or an article not at all discouraged by the veritable bedlam around them. For those of you wondering what exactly I am trying to describe, let me clear the confusion – I am recounting how the bus ride from Suchana Bhawan to Khelgaon is like once the classes get over. It is a journey where creativity touches the pinnacles as new games are invented to while away the time and where bonds are strengthened as we get to know more about each other during this madness.
