First few weeks at Joka pass by and one wouldn’t know that its already been weeks since one has slept for more than 5 hours. And the weeks turn into months before we realize we’ve adapted to a very hectic lifestyle. Being at the premier institute of the country, it has its own pros and cons. And I was once overwhelmed to see the talent pool here and got scared of getting lost. But the upside is there are PGP2s by our side all the time. I remember a time when I met a senior at 2 am, with a ghastly look saying that I don’t feel too good facing the toughest competition ever of my life. Yet, she meekly smiled without a hint of disapproval and let me in her room, talked to me for an hour and calmed me down. I laugh at myself for whatever transpired and its only been six months that I’ve changed from someone who couldn’t tolerate competition to someone who can take it head-on. But the operative point here is the accessibility of the seniors in this campus.
‘At Joka, we leave no one behind’ resounded in my ears as I walked back to my room on that day.
It’s a feeling one can’t scientifically describe. How can a batch of 900 people function with one common goal of excellence and helping each other out during the toughest times and partying together hard when it’s the time to celebrate each other’s successes? I never thought such a thing can exist. But I know now that it does.
Placement season at IIM C is another big-time one can witness the Joka Tribe in full form. Every person present on the campus would be seen either helping the prospective students or managing logistics for smoothly completing the process. PGP2s help out right from the beginning of Placement process.
After all the gruelling first few months, we get to meet our older alumni - during Reminiscence. One has to see the absolute delight they have in recounting their life stories. I was amazed to see Manu Jain of Xiaomi walking through the corridors of our hostel (OH) with his kid. A year ago, I would’ve gone crazy with the idea of seeing someone in person. Now, we come across stellar people and they all talk how they miss OH and Joka. The rich alumni base of IIM Calcutta with all its batches integrated as one Joka Tribe is remarkable and maybe no other IIM has that. That’s what life here feels like.
‘At Joka, we leave no one behind’
I write this with a nostalgic feeling of having spent 2017 and ending it big. I might take a walk in our campus, look at those beautiful lakes and reminisce at the famed Jetty for a while and dream again. Dream to be as important as the other alumni of the Joka Tribe have become. Dream to be as resourceful as my PGP2s were and dream to be a better human during my time here.
Joka is not a place. It’s an experience.
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