Goodbye IIMB, Hello world!

Officially, we have a little less than a week for graduation. But for all practical purposes, we are at the end of our B-school journey. For many of us, this marks the end of academic life (for good) and a shift in moorings. It only seemed right to end it with an important course component – Reflection.

Cliché as it sounds; it all seems like yesterday when we got together for the first time. It struck me the most when I sat through the next batch’s hand holding session – the ushering in process of the new class. We were on the other side just a while ago – asking questions, enthusiastically getting to know our batch mates and generally being inquisitive – the quintessential pre-MBA trait.

At the time, based on initial interactions, we fitted people into slots. As the year progressed, we shuffled the slots around a bit and moved people from one slot to the other as well. We learnt to endure some, and learnt from some others. With some, we made good company. All of it required some sorting out and in the process; I believe we learnt something about ourselves.

The outdoor stint at Pegasus was the real icebreaker, where many of us met and interacted for the first time. In the midst of all the fun and games, first impressions were made (only to be unmade and remade during the year). In more ways than one, the two day program was an eye opener.

During the initiation session, Professor Vasanthi had clued us in on how the first term would be like. Actually, that was pretty much how it turned out to be – The enthusiasm levels were soaring, class participation meter was running at an all time high and everyone seemed geared up about life in general…Till the first mid term results came out, that is….

Fortunately, the “animal spirit” in us was strong enough to help us recover from the rude jolt to the reality of academic life – Quizzes, Exams and Project submissions.

And certainly, nothing could keep us from playing…After all, all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.The EPGP Sports Meet was a much needed refresher.

Just as we patted ourselves on the back on having emerged unscathed from the first term and thought we had it covered, the second semester hit us. One of the most important lessons I learnt in that term was to never treat the Sleep God lightly. Those were the days when the precious Snooze was coveted….

Birthdays were always special at EPGP. Creative birthday cakes to make the person feel special and creamy facials were the norm. We managed to have some of the celebrations in class too!

Many of us would agree that we really got to know some of our classmates during the international immersion. The trip to Korea made for some great memories.(In addition, to some very interesting sessions on Korean economy, history, industry and society.)

Activities at Prayaas brought together many in the class to work for a cause. The achievements of the Prayaas committee have truly done us proud. They not only managed the annual eye camp and Jaipur foot event this year, but also adopted a village near Magadi to treat malnutritioned children and organized a paper presentation on sustainability.

During the year, we got a glimpse of the talent within the class. We seemed to have a fair share of it, whether it was singing, dancing, miming or writing…Events such as “Sparsh” – the annual alum event and the “Connect” felicitation were platforms for these creative minds to express themselves.

 The Seminar comittee got some truly inspiring speakers to come and speak to us.Henry Mintzberg ‘s talk on “RebalancingSociety” was a revelation. In addition to the committee work, the student-organized consulting club and the hi-tech club arranged for a series of highly informative panel discussions.

 In my opinion, the class would not have been the same, had it not been for the women power. 10 of the 74 were women, the highest number so far in EPGP history. Kudos to all the women who managed their homes and families in addition to handling the hectic schedule during the course. Hopefully, this is also inspiration to aspiring women students of the future!!

In true EPGP style, we finished the year off with a party, that I am sure none of us will ever forget!!!

The last year has been a crazy roller coaster ride. Most of us take back learnings that we hope to put to test in our careers, knowing very well that the world of academics can be significantly different from the business world. We also leave with new friends – friends for life. I was initially sceptical about how much I would learn in just a year, especially when two year programs are the norm in India. When I look back, I think that the one year is the perfect learning break for mid-level managers like me.

The batch exits the program on a high; with business knowledge and a new found attitude to make it to the top of our chosen careers.In the end, I am glad I chose the 1 year EPGP program at IIMB and look forward to a new beginning with a renewed sense of confidence and pride.