IIM Kozhikode

IIM Kozhikode Merit List Holder And BCG Intern On Life After You Join A B-School - Yashas Bhat

How do you bell the CAT? How do you master the infamous IIM interviews? Which IIM is right for me? There is a whole lot of data on what to do before getting in, however, what should be done ONCE you get in? How to ace the MBA degree and make the best out of it? Should you focus only on academics or do other things matter as well? To answer our questions, we have Yashas Bhat (IIM Kozhikode 2018-20 batch, Member of the IIMK Merit List, CA, CFA, FRM) sharing his story and how he does what he does.

1. Hi Yashas, thank you for agreeing to have a conversation with InsideIIM. Why don’t you tell us about yourself?

It’s my pleasure. I come from Navi Mumbai, spent most of my schooling and college days there. I decided to do commerce after school and ended up pursuing CA. Finance peaked my interest, so followed it up with CFA & FRM. Workwise, I looked to gain exposure in different areas, be it corporate finance, equity research, marketing and consulting. Currently, I am in 2nd year at IIM Kozhikode, trying to make the most of my last year of college life! I use my free time to pursue my hobbies, be it basketball or riding across Southern India. So yeah, that’s me.

2. How did you prioritize what work is to be done? You were clearly multi-tasking and excelling at all of them!

Two things really - nature & nurture! I grew up in an environment which encouraged the pursuit of interests. Right from my mom pursuing her love for yoga to my elder brother following his interests in music with his work, it was natural to look to pursue whatever excited us. But as the saying goes, “One for the kitchen, one for the soul.” I realised over time that having a bit of discipline and a lot of perseverance goes a long way.

Talking about my time at IIM Kozhikode, I actually thought about the things I wanted to work on in my time here. MBA was such an excellent opportunity to work on the things I wanted to achieve, and hence having a clear but flexible plan helped. Equally important is execution though, a little work every day goes a long way! To put it simply, if I want to enjoy my weekends off, I ensure all work is finished beforehand! It’s all about how you utilise your time really. Having said that, I am not too tough on myself if I fail to “complete my to-do list.” It is okay to have a few slow/bad days, but tomorrow is another opportunity to do something new.

3. What is your advice to the first-year students on acing the MBA?

“Storyboard” what you wish to achieve in your 1 / 2 years in an MBA college. While a lot of focus is given to getting that shortlist or acing your grades, there’s just so much more than an MBA college has to offer. I made a list of goals of what I wanted to achieve in my 2 years at IIM K, be it academics, internship, sports, hobbies or even working on my own self. Imagine these 2 years as a chance to experiment with whatever you want without real-world consequences. I never thought I’ll ever pick up biking as a hobby, but having tried it here, I realised that I love it! I reconnected with my love for basketball, even getting the honour of playing for the basketball team here at IIM K. I’ve met some pretty cool people here and got some breathing space to work on my own deficiencies. These things add so much more to one’s MBA experience!

4. What do you think helped you get into BCG? What were your learnings from the 2 months?

Well, a little bit of luck and a lot of hard work! My past experiences and credentials did help me get a shortlist, and then I was fortunate to find a group of crazy, smart and hard-working people to do cases within the one month of case prep! These guys made it fun and everyone was working collectively to get better, which was pretty awesome. Keeping my cool on the day of the interviews helped a lot as I kept a mindset of positivity and gratitude for getting a shot of sitting for the interview.

Working for those 2 months at BCG was a great experience as I got the chance to work with some of the smartest people I’ve met in an environment that is very fast-paced and dynamic. It helped me develop a more structured way of thinking and be a little more concise in my communication - two important life skills!

5. How has the MBA experience improved you? Would you recommend it to others?

MBA gives you a chance to work on whatever you wish to do, be it hobbies, acads, business ideas, make friends, network, anything! I have met some fantastic people and learnt so much from them. I have pretty much gone outside my comfort zone and pursued interests, sometimes even pushing my boundaries in terms of trying to balance acads and outside interests. I have grown a lot from these experiences, it has made me a lot wiser, a lot calmer and a hell lot happier. I would definitely recommend MBA to others if they can look at these 2 years from a much broader lens of academic, professional, extracurricular & personal growth.

6. Any tips for CAT aspirants on how to handle the pressure?

I used to draw comfort from the fact that the only thing I can really control is my efforts. I might as well double down on what I can control than worry about what the other ~2 lac aspirants would do to my chances. I was pretty myopic in my focus and gave my best! After all, things have a way of working out, one way or the other, right?

7. 8,000 km and an Instagram page (@thatvashiguy), how do you manage it? Tell us about some good memories you had

Ah well, when you love something, does it even look like work? A friend and I ended up going for the exquisite Biennale festival at Kochi on the 1st week of January, and there was no stopping after that! I was obsessed with travel - travelling every weekend in term 3. Biking served 2 purposes for me: it became my stress buster, a source of killing monotony while being a creative outlet to indulge myself in photography! It has been 10 months since I started travelling regularly, and it is crazy to think that I’ve covered 8,000 km in over 4 Southern states.

Not travelling in God’s Own Country is a sin really! I have had some amazing experiences during travel, seen wild life, met some really interesting people and got so much more clarity about life. I feel grateful that I got a chance to travel so much! If it was not for IIM K, I would never get an opportunity to indulge in both my passions – photography & travel! From riding alongside elephants, looking at nature at its greenest to meeting digital nomads, travel has fundamentally changed me! Not to say that I used to not carry some work to my trips, if you want to travel that frequently you have to balance that with travel. But hey, who’s to say you cannot have the best of both worlds?

 

Thanks a lot, Yashas for this lovely interaction. Hoping you ask me to join you on a trip next time :D

What Makes IIM Kozhikode Hatt-K

IIM Kozhikode, a proud member of the older IIMs is one of the most premier institutes of India. If you are a B-school aspirant, I am sure you know everything about its ranking and placement statistics. But a college is much more than that. Let me shed some light on things you MIGHT not be knowing about IIMK –

8 Things To Know About IIM Kozhikode

• A Campus To Die For
  There is not one single business professional, who has come to campus and not mouthed these lines – “I had heard your campus was very beautiful, but this is much more breath-taking than I ever thought.” And this is followed by “Tell me one thing, how do you guys study here?” Our campus is extremely well designed. A mixture of architectural genius and natural beauty, it is one campus which makes you feel at home. If IIMs ever go out of business, I vote to convert this into a resort.
  
• Bhooklagi
  How many successful start-ups do you know of? Let me re-phrase it a bit – How many PROFITABLE start-ups do you know? Well, Bhooklagi, a start-up owned by the PGP students of IIMK is one of a kind. It basically delivers food to IIMK students, through having tie-ups with various top eateries in Kozhikode like KFC, McDonalds, etc. The way to a student’s heart is through the stomach anyways :p
• Gender diversity
  IIM Kozhikode is a pioneer as far as promoting gender diversity is concerned. It was the first IIM to have a batch with girls MORE than boys, a feat very difficult to replicate for any college. To further bolster girl education, they have decided to reserve 60 seats specifically for them in the 2019-2021 batch. I think this is a welcome move and goes to show the commitment IIMK has towards education for all.
• Business Museum
  IIM Kozhikode is the proud owner of the first Business Museum of India. The museum, spanning over 23,000 square feet was inaugurated in 2013 by then HRD Minister Palam Raju. The museum intends to inspire budding entrepreneurs by providing the rich trade history of Kozhikode and about business in India. Many business houses, including Tata, Godrej, Reliance, Reserve Bank of India and Infosys have set up their pavilions inside the museum
  
• Going Digital
  With demonetisation and push of the current government towards digitalization, India is slowly moving towards becoming a cashless economy. And IIMK is not far behind in this game. The kiosks which serve tea, snacks and refreshments have biometric devices which ensure cash is not needed at all in the campus. The admission office takes Rs. 25,000 as a deposit for 1 quarter and all your purchases get deducted from that. Obviously, you get the balance as a refund. However, no interest in the capital is given.
• AF Matthews
  How many of you have seen seniors attend YOUR lectures sitting on the floor just to experience the lecture again? This is the kind of following this professor enjoys. Widely regarded as the best professor of India, Professor AF Matthews is an experience everyone should have. From religion, God, sex, patriotism to social issues plaguing India, he has an opinion on them all. As a part of his course, he makes you watch around 10 offbeat movies, each with a different message in the end. Legend has it that each and every person who has watched his movies has cried at least once. Did I cry? Well, let's move on :p
• Unique way of celebrating festivals
  Onam, Ganesh Chaturthi, Navratri, International day – We celebrate them all. From wearing Mundus (Lungis) and Saris in Onam, to going all out traditional in Navratri, special care is taken about the attire by our merchandising committee. To encourage our international exchange students, we have a day where we invite them to take over our mess and prepare specialities of their countries for the entire campus. This is followed by dance performances by them. “Athithi devo bhava” truly!! And we get delicious food so, win-win right? :D
  
• The PR Cell
  IIMK is one of the few colleges with an active social media presence. We have a special committee – The PR Cell, which handles all social media websites like Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. As far as Twitter is concerned, IIMK is one of the very few colleges in India which have a blue tick. Oh yeah, verified and shit! And guess what, the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi is one of our followers. Well, what are you waiting for? Follow us right away!

There are many more things I can talk about, but I guess I have made my point. Experience it to believe it :)

Also Read:

1. IIM Kozhikode Selection Criteria 2018
2. How good is IIM Kozhikode in comparison to other bschools?

IIM Kozhikode - Experience It To Believe It

29th June, 2018 - How it all started

I had just woken up. It was already 10:30. My mom was shouting at me in the background, concerned what I was doing with my life. My father had already left for office. A boiling hot cup of coffee was right by my table. Typical day right?

So I take my phone out of charging and unlock it. My girlfriend had sent me Good morning messages before leaving for office. What a cutie. I see a mail from IIM Kozhikode and my heart starts beating faster. The last waitlist was going to be out and I knew I had a chance. I read the mail and leapt in joy. I had made it. I had managed to secure admission to one of India’s best B-schools, IIM Kozhikode. It was finally happening!!

My journey to the Kampus

In the plane, a middle-aged uncle was sitting next to me. We smiled at each other. Soon, we started a conversation and he asked me about the purpose of my visit. I said I had been selected for the IIMK flagship PGP program and was travelling there for the first time. He looked at me, impressed and said something which will motivate me for a long, long time. He said “ Oh, then I am talking to one of the brightest people of our country.”

Entering IIM Kozhikode

Sometimes a week is enough to establish a connection and sometimes a lifetime also falls short. I walked in the campus a week back and it feels like this is where I belong.

The campus is absolutely breath-taking. I had already seen the pictures, but it looked even better in real. Situated between 2 hillocks, IIMK is a nature lover’s paradise. It creates the perfect atmosphere to learn. From the Arjuna Path to a freaking amphitheatre (yes we have that too!!), we have it all! Not to forget the huge library and auditoriums. The cherry on top? Our every own Business Museum.

Living Conditions

As far as living conditions are concerned, they are really second to none. With AC rooms, and multiple hostel mess, utmost importance has been given to the student fraternity. There are also numerous snacks and tea stalls throughout the campus. They have been so particular, that ramps have been installed everywhere so that even physically challenged people face no issues. There are options of single rooms as well double rooms. However, the room is just used for sleeping!! Rest of the time, the entire campus is our home.

How to describe a typical day at IIMK? Well, I cannot. Because frankly, no day is typical.

From the first peaceful and exciting day to pulling an all-nighter in the first week itself, it has been awesome. The seniors have been extremely helpful, a legacy which IIMK is known for. The professors have made us feel at home and inspired us to work harder.

A usual day starts by 9 15. We have 4 lectures of 1 hour 15 minutes each. Taking breaks into account, we end up by 3 45-4. This is considering no extra lectures have been scheduled. Then comes the assignments, case studies, cultural events, some partying, Placecom tasks, phew!! Wait, it is 3 o clock already. WHATTT?

All my notions of “8 hours a day sleep is required to function properly” have been busted. I have not slept for more than 5 hours a single night and this is just the beginning.

(Chaar baj gaye hai lekin Kaam abhi baaki hai)

To sum up, I would just say -

4 hours of sleep.

3 cups of coffee.

2 tired eyes.

1 common goal - IIM Kozhikode.

Experience it to believe it :)

InsideIIM Student Team 2.0 - Meet Your Team For 2016-17

InsideIIM stands for Quality, Creativity and Democracy, and in our continuous endeavour to achieve these three pillars as well as stay young and fresh, we have selected our student team for the year 2016-17.

This is the second year that the student team has been selected from various schools across the country. After reading hundreds of applications and scanning them through 2 rounds, a team of 14 students has been carefully handpicked. The student team will contribute interesting content and will be the student's representative across different campuses.

Our student team keeps the content on InsideIIM relevant. They also serve as great guides and mentors to the next crop of students about to enter business schools. This year's student team is from IIMs -  B, C, L, I, K, Trichy, Ranchi, XLRI Jamshedpur and TISS Mumbai. The InsideIIM student team is an unique proposition where students get to run an online platform while they are studying. They learn the nuts and bolts of digital marketing, analytics and user behaviour in the online world. Students get immediate feedback about their work based on user behaviour on InsideIIM. Unlike most projects where one gives recommendations and goes away, on InsideIIM the student team is actually involved in the execution.

(Read about the first student team here.)

Niteen Bali - IIM Calcutta

Niteen is a librocubicularist and a binge watcher with a knack for humour. He has variegated interests ranging from sports, movies, TV series, politics, history. He makes it a priority to maintain a refreshing perspective towards life. He believes that causality is the supreme power of the universe. He also believes that movies and books let him live a thousand lives in a thousand different places. In his words, "I am a down to earth person because of gravity :p I believe I am the eighth samurai".

 

Aroop Sanyal - IIM Trichy

Hails from the East. Lives in the West. Studies in the South. Remembers the North.

Aroop is a mechanical engineer by trade (BIT Mesra 2012), who believes an enthralling football game or an engrossing fantasy novel is the answer to all of life's problems; along with the number 42. He is currently pursuing his MBA from IIM Tiruchirappalli where he is the Club President at the E-cell. He is also a part of the fest committee.

 

Abhishek Tahlan - XLRI Jamshedpur

Abhishek is an electronics and telecommunications engineer from DCRUST Murthal. He hails from Sonipat, Haryana. He loves reading, writing and listening to music. He is interested in existential philosophy and his favourite band is Radiohead. He was the drummer of his college band as well as the head of the placement committee and literary society during his engineering days.

 

Aman Jindal - IIM Kozhikode

Aman Jindal, a Financial Economics enthusiast, is a FRM Level 2 & CFA Level 1 cleared second year student at IIM Kozhikode. InsideIIM has been instrumental in his B-school journey right from his CAT preparation days and he is immensely overjoyed to be a part of InsideIIM’s Student Team. He says, “The opportunity to hand-hold budding aspirants, express my creativity & work in a cross-country team were my prime motivators to be a part of this quest”. An avid reader of English Classics, he loves having conversations on topics ranging from philosophy to politics.

 

Priyanka Grover - IIM Lucknow 

Priyanka loves writing poetry, reading, travelling and watching English sitcoms. She is a big time Potterhead. Elon Musk, Ellen DeGeneres and Sarah Kay inspire her. In ten years, she wants to live in around 4 different countries.

 

 

Pooja Wanpal  - TISS Mumbai

Pooja Wanpal considers reading the sole aim of her life. She is obsessed with trekking, pani puri, and adores traveling. She is a freelance content writer, and has penned the novel, 'Love and Lokpal'. She is currently studying Human Resource Management and Labour Relations at Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.

 

 

Noel Roychoudhury - IIM Kozhikode

Noel hails from Kolkata and takes interest in music and literature. A Harry Potter euphoric, a  frequent switcher from glutton to anorexic and a mesh of emotional contradictions, she is a firm believer in miracles.

 

 

Aastha Sneha - IIM Lucknow

Aastha lives her life on the basic philosophy of courage, generosity and living-in-the-moment. She does not shy away from raising her voice against something wrong. 'Dramebaaz', trustworthy, accommodating, helpful, confident, happy-go-lucky, aggressive, one who holds grudges, easily hurt - are some phrases/words to describe her. She is a Special Class Railway Apprentice (SCRA), which means she has completed her engineering as a part of the Indian Railways. She joined the Indian Railway Service afterwards, worked for a year, then jumped across to do an MBA.

 

 

Nikhita Basti - IIM Ranchi

Nikhita is an engineer from B.V Bhoomaraddi College of Engineering & Technology, Hubli, Kolkata. She likes listening to music, engaging in social service activities, singing, writing short poems and articles and watching wildlife.

 

 

Abishake Koul - IIM Lucknow

Abishake graduated from BIT Mesra, 2013 and had a 2 year stint with Maruti Suzuki (R&D) before joining IIM Lucknow where he is a part of Media & Communication Cell. His hobbies include writing poetry and running.

 

 

Shubham Chakraborty - XLRI Jamshedpur

Shubham Chakraborty, currently a student in XLRI, is a mechanical engineer from NIT Bhopal. He is a history buff, a compulsive reader and traveller, who takes every opportunity to travel to any corner of the country whenever the opportunity presents itself.

"Having worked in the oil & gas industry before MBA, I have a deep interest in Operations and the parameters that move the world economy. This interest is what drove me to do an MBA. During my MBA preparation, I had searched extensively for articles & material relevant to MBA. InsideIIM gives me a unique opportunity of being on the other side of the search, to write on my topics of choice while sharing it with future aspirants, while sharing my experiences with them", he says.

 

 

Rinku Stephen - IIM Bangalore 

Rinku Stephen pursued Computer Science and Engineering just because she was fascinated by the law of cartoons. But later, during her course, she was smitten by the tech bug and went on to develop Peer to Peer Application for NFCs, automated healthcare claims process and solutions to clinical trials. She also had a brief stint as the IT consultant for a Startup – Praise Foundation before joining IIM-Bangalore. At IIM-B, she had the opportunity to intern at Flipkart as a Product Manager. Her project at Flipkart was about creating dynamic online advertisements that can be customized according to user preference. This required application from various aspects of Marketing – especially Consumer Behavior. For the high ownership she exhibited towards the project and her active participation in various internship engagement programs, she was recognized as the “Best Intern”. Setting the geek side aside, Rinku loves to trek, try new sports and of course.. GOT.

 

 

Nikhil Murthy - IIM Indore

Nikhil's interests include writing, basketball (captain of the college team at IIM Indore), DJing (amateur DJ) and travelling. He is also a member of the campus radio team at IIM Indore.

 

 

Deepika Mallyk - IIM Bangalore

Deepika is currently doing her MBA from IIM Bangalore. At IIMB, her major interests lie in Marketing and Strategy. Prior to this she graduated from IIT Kharagpur. She is a passionate dancer. Besides this, she loves oil painting and likes to take a shot at writing in her free time.

Please leave your comments below. If you wish to get in touch with the student team, please write to student@insideiim.com