December came and so did the results. CAT, below par. IIFT, 1400 students selected. I was there. The hope to land at top tier B-school was still alive. Now came the part which was, and perhaps still is, more difficult; the GD-WAT-PI preparation. My GK was a handicap, and I had around 15 days to turn things around. A mock-PI at a coaching institute dented my confidence due to below par performance. IIFT gives a form full of questions, to be filled for the GD-WAT-PI stage. Due to work commitments, I was not in India during the time results were announced, and my answers to the questions were not that diligently given due to time constraint. I slogged day and night to cover all the bases for the interview. My essay was good, GD decent and interview stellar. Results came out after 2 month of arduous wait, and I had finally made it to IIFT.
What you hear and what you experience in initial few months at a B-school have no intersection at all. First 3 months of my life at IIFT have probably been the hardest time of my life so far. You constantly have 4-5 things to do with approaching deadlines apart from attending classes and guest lectures of Industry stalwarts. I was used to sleeping for 8-9 hours prior to IIFT. In initial 3 months, my average sleep was 4 hours. In first 10-15 days my average sleep was barely 2-3 hours. Suddenly, you realize the importance of a power nap. There are plethora of business case competitions, numerous assignments, preparation for summer internship interviews and what not. But, that surely is one of most exciting times as well. You get to know your batch mates. You add one more meal to your daily routine which is at wee hours of the night as you are sleeping so late that you have to eat something before you sleep. Your room mates and floor mates become your family. They help you to the core in your thick and thin. A top notch B-school certainly gives you a good placement, but what it also provides is unparalleled peer learning.
Many myths about what specializations to take are broken once you enter a B-school. A Marketing enthusiast becomes a number cruncher. A Finance enthusiast garners interest in the Marketing strategy. It is better to come to a B-school with an open mind as there are plenty of things that might interest you.
I write this a day after I have completed my first year and 2 days before I leave for my summer internship. In a hindsight, being at IIFT has been an exemplary experience. One more year remains which will shape everyone’s future at IIFT and it promises to be one hell of a ride.
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About Me-
[caption id="attachment_70705" align="aligncenter" width="385"]
Aniket Kibey, student of IIFT[/caption]
A sport enthusiast, a movie buff and likes to stay abreast with the technology. Fluent in English, Hindi, Marathi and Sarcasm.
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