Virtual MBA At Home: A Student's Account Of Adapting To The 'New Normal' || Brijesh Goyal || IFMR GSB, Krea University

By IFMR Graduate School Of Business, Krea University

The IFMR journey, this far, has been an experience like no other. What began with the trepidations of choosing the right B-school and filling out applications in early 2020 is now filled with anticipation and excitement for the next term. In the face of the pandemic, IFMR GSB seamlessly shifted to remote working and learning without compromising on the quality of delivery and mode. Embracing this new form of classroom learning has been a surreal yet insightful experience, with due credit to the management, staff, and student councils and committees. Always committed to helping students whether on campus or otherwise, the IFMR student council has been a huge pillar of support who has always been at the forefront of various activities, frequently answering each of our questions with patience and rigor.

Extraordinary times like these certainly put a lot of difficulties on getting to know each other. However, our first Informal City meet took place in early July, and it worked out as a brilliant opportunity to virtually meet each other. Everyone got to know more about the faces behind the screens through interactive games and regular calls and updates. Let me give you a glimpse of all the fun things in Term - I.

The Orientation Week

The journey was divided into phases, with the first phase ending in June 2020, and the second phase beginning in July. The second phase was a true picture of the MBA life. For the orientation week titled ‘Prarambh’, everyone was decked up in formals and logged in together, interacting with each other on one common platform. Little did we know that this was the beginning of our MBA student life journey, experience from afar, in the comforts of our home. Contrary to what one would expect, the orientation week had management and seniors ensuring that we ease into this different style of learning, bearing our comforts first and often giving us some much-needed motivation through positive messages and stories of inspiration.

The initial stages of the MBA program were just the tip of the iceberg. Regular events, projects, quizzes, and submissions kept us on our toes. Days were filled with busy activities, either in the form of 4-continuous classes or 2 separate ones in a day. However, we couldn’t have gotten through without the help from seniors - ever ready to come to our rescue!

Celebrating camaraderie and new beginnings

Fiesta De Amigas - which means ‘party of friends’ - was organized by Laasya, the cultural committee of IFMR GSB. From online treasure hunts to a lovely line-up of various talents put together by the other committees in IFMR GSB - the virtual event focused on taking some pressure off and encouraging us to have a good time amidst a busy schedule.

Interestingly enough, both academics and fun never stop here. The ending of this event led to the next event - Markaz. I’ll admit that Marketing isn’t my cup of tea. However, the Marketing team at IFMR GSB ensured that their 3-day virtual event was inclusive and designed in such a way that everyone could have fun.

At IFMR GSB, the learning never ends, be it academics or learnings from living a thriving campus life, whether it’s on-campus or virtual! I hope that my account of all the significant events of my Term-I at IFMR GSB has helped you get an inside view of this unique B-school.