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1 August, 2017

4 minutes Read

The Life And Lies Of A B-School Student

*Red sparks* The Priority Matrix: One of the greatest gifts one can receive as a part of the “How to survive Term One” kit, this goes a long way in ensuring that your mind is clear and your ultimate goal a little more visible.

Step 1: You “swish and flick” your pen on a sheet of paper so you have four quadrants.

Step 2: Say the incantation - Label your quadrants as “Urgent, Not Urgent” and “Important, Not Important”

Step 3: Magic! Once you allocate every single task you have on your mind into these four categories, you’ll see how brilliant this tool is, because humans have this uncanny tendency to burden themselves with things they don’t need to do at present and waste a lot of energy in the process.

It is, however important to note that you put everything on your mind to paper. This means, all the subsets of tasks like socializing, academic workload and daily chores must feature. Then, the only thing left to do is to select things that are urgent and important - and our favourite part, dumping all that’s neither urgent nor important. However, it must be remembered that the wand is only as good as the wizard.

While not completely fool proof, it is alright to feel lost or take things slow in the beginning or try and make sense of this crazy world of possibilities - everyone does it, albeit secretly sometimes. Speaking of possibilities, the past month would count as a reality check of potential in both extremes. You might often feel like Ron Weasley - a sense of mediocrity about yourself sets in, and it doesn’t always feel great to be surrounded by Hermione Grangers and Harry Potters. Or, on those magnificent occasions, you could surprise yourself and realise that you did something amazing all by yourself (without Felix Felicies). And suddenly, the world seems right and b-school is a great place to be. The point is, this could be something as trivial (to some) as finding your voice to participate in class, or make small talk with strangers or get a tricky question in an (N-1) quiz right. None of this is going to matter in the Grand Design of things, but the truth is, these small victories could, in fact, lead you to learn from failures and give you the courage to live a little more today for tomorrow’s dream. For, “It does not do to dwell on dreams and forget to live”.

Because when the euphoria of landing up where you did fades off, past the days when you ask yourself what it is that you really signed up for, there is life - a life that hundreds spend their every waking hour dreaming of. There is a family you’ll find among strangers, a sense of freedom in a remote campus, a capacity amidst a sea of eccentricity.

Then you’ll know that the saying was true - You only B-School once.

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Comments

Vijay Chawla

Financier and Investor

Insightful and engrossing.

1 Aug 2017, 04.44 PM

+Read Replies (1)

Riddhi Kalra

Likes to appreciate the brilliance in mediocrity and the beauty in humility. A banker by the week and writer by the weekend. Alumnus of IIM Trichy (Class of 2019)

This means a lot, thank you :)

2 Aug 2017, 08.28 PM |

Bhoomi Kalra

Insightful

1 Aug 2017, 06.23 PM

+Read Replies (1)

Riddhi Kalra

Likes to appreciate the brilliance in mediocrity and the beauty in humility. A banker by the week and writer by the weekend. Alumnus of IIM Trichy (Class of 2019)

Thanks :)

2 Aug 2017, 08.44 PM |

Sadhana Kukreja

Magically realistic !

1 Aug 2017, 08.08 PM

+Read Replies (1)

Riddhi Kalra

Likes to appreciate the brilliance in mediocrity and the beauty in humility. A banker by the week and writer by the weekend. Alumnus of IIM Trichy (Class of 2019)

Thank you, means a lot !

2 Aug 2017, 08.37 PM |

Lilian Jasper

Well thought out and interesting

1 Aug 2017, 08.41 PM

+Read Replies (1)

Riddhi Kalra

Likes to appreciate the brilliance in mediocrity and the beauty in humility. A banker by the week and writer by the weekend. Alumnus of IIM Trichy (Class of 2019)

Thanks ! Means a lot coming from you :)

2 Aug 2017, 08.29 PM |

daniel jasper

Good article

1 Aug 2017, 09.06 PM

+Read Replies (1)

Riddhi Kalra

Likes to appreciate the brilliance in mediocrity and the beauty in humility. A banker by the week and writer by the weekend. Alumnus of IIM Trichy (Class of 2019)

Thank you very much :)

2 Aug 2017, 08.36 PM |

Roshni Chandar

Very Relatable and now, we have trick for time management.

1 Aug 2017, 10.00 PM

+Read Replies (1)

Riddhi Kalra

Likes to appreciate the brilliance in mediocrity and the beauty in humility. A banker by the week and writer by the weekend. Alumnus of IIM Trichy (Class of 2019)

Thank you for the appreciation:)

2 Aug 2017, 08.36 PM |

Pavani Kavala

So true! Very well written

1 Aug 2017, 11.26 PM

+Read Replies (1)

Riddhi Kalra

Likes to appreciate the brilliance in mediocrity and the beauty in humility. A banker by the week and writer by the weekend. Alumnus of IIM Trichy (Class of 2019)

Thank you :)

2 Aug 2017, 08.45 PM |

Vikas Chawla

Very Enlightening!

3 Aug 2017, 10.20 AM

+Read Replies (1)

Riddhi Kalra

Likes to appreciate the brilliance in mediocrity and the beauty in humility. A banker by the week and writer by the weekend. Alumnus of IIM Trichy (Class of 2019)

Thanks !

4 Aug 2017, 08.21 AM |

Neeta Bajaj

Interesting article !!

3 Aug 2017, 10.45 AM

+Read Replies (1)

Riddhi Kalra

Likes to appreciate the brilliance in mediocrity and the beauty in humility. A banker by the week and writer by the weekend. Alumnus of IIM Trichy (Class of 2019)

Thank you :)

4 Aug 2017, 08.22 AM |

neeraj asrani

Good work ,,,, liked it

3 Aug 2017, 10.49 AM

+Read Replies (1)

Riddhi Kalra

Likes to appreciate the brilliance in mediocrity and the beauty in humility. A banker by the week and writer by the weekend. Alumnus of IIM Trichy (Class of 2019)

Thanks a lot

4 Aug 2017, 08.24 AM |

Jyothi Kalra

Excellent .

3 Aug 2017, 01.55 PM

+Read Replies (1)

Riddhi Kalra

Likes to appreciate the brilliance in mediocrity and the beauty in humility. A banker by the week and writer by the weekend. Alumnus of IIM Trichy (Class of 2019)

Thanks :)

4 Aug 2017, 08.23 AM |

Haresh Keshavlal

Fun loving caring

Nice use of words.. engrossing article..

3 Aug 2017, 10.50 PM

+Read Replies (1)

Riddhi Kalra

Likes to appreciate the brilliance in mediocrity and the beauty in humility. A banker by the week and writer by the weekend. Alumnus of IIM Trichy (Class of 2019)

Thank you for the appreciation!

4 Aug 2017, 08.22 AM |

Pandi Durai

Excellent Article.

3 Aug 2017, 11.02 PM

+Read Replies (1)

Riddhi Kalra

Likes to appreciate the brilliance in mediocrity and the beauty in humility. A banker by the week and writer by the weekend. Alumnus of IIM Trichy (Class of 2019)

Thank you so much!

4 Aug 2017, 08.24 AM |

Subhi Neelamegan

Very well written

4 Aug 2017, 08.02 AM

+Read Replies (1)

Riddhi Kalra

Likes to appreciate the brilliance in mediocrity and the beauty in humility. A banker by the week and writer by the weekend. Alumnus of IIM Trichy (Class of 2019)

Thank you !

4 Aug 2017, 08.25 AM |

Gayathri Naga

Fabulous.....

4 Aug 2017, 10.26 PM

+Read Replies (1)

Riddhi Kalra

Likes to appreciate the brilliance in mediocrity and the beauty in humility. A banker by the week and writer by the weekend. Alumnus of IIM Trichy (Class of 2019)

Thanks!

8 Aug 2017, 09.35 PM |

Anish Raheja

Very well written !!

5 Aug 2017, 12.22 PM

+Read Replies (1)

Riddhi Kalra

Likes to appreciate the brilliance in mediocrity and the beauty in humility. A banker by the week and writer by the weekend. Alumnus of IIM Trichy (Class of 2019)

Thanks a lot :)

8 Aug 2017, 09.35 PM |

AMIT BAJAJ

God bless you dear , be an inspiration to all your junior s

5 Aug 2017, 10.44 PM

+Read Replies (1)

Riddhi Kalra

Likes to appreciate the brilliance in mediocrity and the beauty in humility. A banker by the week and writer by the weekend. Alumnus of IIM Trichy (Class of 2019)

Thank you so much !

8 Aug 2017, 09.36 PM |

Chitra Sundar

I am JC and I am a home maker residing in Chennai .I luv music and reality shows...I luv cooking...I luv to keep.my surroundings happy and lively.....I really appreciate ur work and my best wishes to u..

Very interesting....keep rocking...my best wishes...

6 Aug 2017, 06.50 PM

+Read Replies (1)

Riddhi Kalra

Likes to appreciate the brilliance in mediocrity and the beauty in humility. A banker by the week and writer by the weekend. Alumnus of IIM Trichy (Class of 2019)

Thank you :)

8 Aug 2017, 09.36 PM |

Saravanan .sundar

I am Saravanan a business man

Interesting and thoughtful

6 Aug 2017, 07.04 PM

+Read Replies (1)

Riddhi Kalra

Likes to appreciate the brilliance in mediocrity and the beauty in humility. A banker by the week and writer by the weekend. Alumnus of IIM Trichy (Class of 2019)

Thank you

8 Aug 2017, 09.37 PM |

deepak gaba

Hard working, easy going person.

Interesting

7 Aug 2017, 08.55 AM

+Read Replies (1)

Riddhi Kalra

Likes to appreciate the brilliance in mediocrity and the beauty in humility. A banker by the week and writer by the weekend. Alumnus of IIM Trichy (Class of 2019)

Thanks a lot :)

8 Aug 2017, 09.37 PM |

Simran Chugh

Good Article

10 Aug 2017, 09.49 AM

+Read Replies (1)

Riddhi Kalra

Likes to appreciate the brilliance in mediocrity and the beauty in humility. A banker by the week and writer by the weekend. Alumnus of IIM Trichy (Class of 2019)

Thank you:)

16 Aug 2017, 11.44 PM |

nishant vurla

****

Wow, as a Harry Potter fan I really enjoyed reading it. I wish I had a time turner necklace to rock. Haha Btw can we find Albus Dumbledore there?

20 May 2018, 03.07 PM

+Read Replies (1)

Riddhi Kalra

Likes to appreciate the brilliance in mediocrity and the beauty in humility. A banker by the week and writer by the weekend. Alumnus of IIM Trichy (Class of 2019)

I’m glad you liked it, and about Dumbledore, I’m going to leave you with this: “Of course it’s happening inside your head, but why on earth should it mean that it’s not real?”

26 Jun 2018, 05.07 PM |

GOURAV AGARWAL

Intrigued. Inquisitive. Interrogative. Once described as "The fool who didn't know it was impossible. So he did it."

This is beautifully written! :)

21 May 2018, 04.36 PM

+Read Replies (1)

Riddhi Kalra

Likes to appreciate the brilliance in mediocrity and the beauty in humility. A banker by the week and writer by the weekend. Alumnus of IIM Trichy (Class of 2019)

Thank you, Gaurav :)

26 Jun 2018, 05.03 PM |