Airports witness numerous stories, some with happy reunions, some with teary-eyed farewells and then there are some with hopeful beginnings. My MBA life started at an airport as well. With final admission offers from NMIMS Mumbai, Great Lakes Chennai, IIM Nagpur and IIM Vishakhapatnam, I chose to opt for the brand IIMs. And then my options boiled down to IIM Nagpur and IIM Vishakhapatnam. It was a tough call, but a wiser and strict look of the curriculum, pedagogy, mentor, faculty, hostels, interaction with some alumni and current students helped me in taking a final decision. That decision eventually brought me to the city of oranges. It was a huge change in my life and today after spending eight months at IIM N, not even a tinge of nervousness what I felt then exists. Initially, that change baffled me.
Let’s dive back to that nostalgic first week at IIM Nagpur when I found that the people, the language, the cuisine -everything was so different. I felt lost. But the feelings magnified as I reached the campus and joined my batchmates for a welcome dinner. People were so sure about themselves – their purpose. My seniors were teeming with the confidence of future leaders. So were my peers. I had a long way to catch up. It was intimidating. I felt I didn’t fit in and started questioning my decision for an MBA and for choosing an IIM, a place where the best business leaders first face the rigour that can break many others. At times I even thought of going back. But I realised after a sleepless night, that returning was not an option. I said to myself that when I have cracked CAT 2017 and made it to an IIM, then I must be a good fit amongst those beaming eyes of my peers and seniors. I regained my confidence, strength and the next morning walked towards the Chitnavis centre, for the induction ceremony.
It was a serious occasion, and I was a little more subdued as if it was to make us realise what we have signed up for the next two years. We got our first case study on that very day, and it was to be done in groups. I somehow managed to wrap it up by the evening. But when the time came for our instructor to evaluate, it was hilarious to note how I had managed to write an entire page of useless literature devoid of any logic or validation. I got a hilarious picture of my potential as a manager that day. After a grilling day, we finally had some fun and student activities. At night we had the induction of our cultural club. That gave a little respite. But the real overwhelming experience was the alumni meet. As our esteemed alumni gave us a glimpse of their journey as an MBA student, I could relate so much to them. They were achievers who belonged to different places, different culture and had different opinions. They all had their different fields of interest. But one thing was in common. They shared the same inner turmoil at the start of their journey which I was having right then.
With a somewhat positive feeling, the next day I joined my batchmates for a trip to Anandwan. How could I ever describe what the trip did to me! It struck me yet another time how often I engulf myself in self-pity. How often I complain that I haven’t had enough opportunity, even after being blessed with the power to see, feel, hear and sing, when there are people whose senses get challenged, yet they have taken their talents to a whole new level. And then the next two days were the ones to develop a strong bond. We had several fun activities, games and impromptu theatres. The aim was to make us feel like a team. Till now I had put all my batchmates in separate boxes inside my head. Finding out about each other’s life started breaking my initial thoughts into several other boxes whereas, it brought many of them in one single box as well. It was good to see some of us had so much in common.
So far I had planned myself a secluded life containing grades and placements as I felt that’s the reason I am here. But after connecting with 120 odd people, I experienced the real reason for why I was standing as a PGP candidate at an IIM. I came here to learn how to be a better leader, how to create opportunities for others, how to create a work atmosphere where EQ gets a higher priority than IQ. My first week at IIM Nagpur ended with a realisation that it’s not always about me. It’s about people who are there working for and with me. It’s about my TEAM.
About the Author:
This article is written by Proma Chowdhary, a PGP 1 candidate at IIM Nagpur. She completed her B.Tech from KIIT, Bhubaneshwar and then worked for 3.5 years with Ericsson at their Kolkata office.
