Author: iimkashipurblog

The decision for opting for a management career was something I had to take after a lot of thought processes churned with my family as it was a great deal of decision making when you come from a family where business is the primal source of future for everyone around you. I was sure and firm of my decision and that self-belief made me even more concrete when I decided and stamped my parents’ decision to join IIM Kashipur. Entering the new phase of my life with different assumptions altogether had no connection with reality. Knowing my peers through WhatsApp and other social media paved the way for the interactions that started happening on Google Meets. Those late-night conversations hold more gossip and stories than any of those groups who can’t stop their chit-chats regardless of the context.

I was sure of one thing that an MBA is not an easy life decision, but what hit me the most was the rigorous induction for 12 days, having more than 30 PPTs, team formations, WhatsApp groups, mail follow-ups, midnight meets, and a day ending with more despair than fewer hopes. The things got even tougher because of COVID times and everything being shifted online and being a 90s kid, it was more of a shocker to me than a real and unexpected surprise. But in the end what makes you perform outright? Your survival and fighting spirit. I would lie if I say that the scrupulous and tiring induction hasn’t definitely made me question my decision for an MBA, but by the end, those 12 days also firmed my decision even more to join an MBA. The journey of MBA is all about management and the techniques which are used for the purpose of solving critical situations in life. This was turned into reality when we faced numerous presentations in a day allocated with other group members whom we barely knew. Those struggles gave us amazing memories when we cribbed about our situations while performing the tasks together. The classes started and we could learn from the best of the professors available and this garnered a sense of responsibility and utmost sincerity to match my level and intellect with what is expected from a student at IIM Kashipur. Life at IIM Kashipur is no less than a busy day in a metro city, where a delay of just one second can end up missing our train to our destination. Similarly, the deadlines are sacrosanct here and the hustle is to match the quality content with the given timeline. One thing which makes this institution an exception is a student-run campus. Having more than 40 clubs and committees, be it an efficiently run mess serving hot and tasty meals or to cater to all the requirements of the students staying in hostels, the student bodies across the campus make the place a worth living, growing, and worth remembering one and also the experience that one gain working for them is commendable. It not only allows you to learn but also polishes your personality and aids in your entire growth.

When multiple projects and assignments are running overtime and we are already burned out to our capacity, this is where we have to look out for a different approach to the problems as we see that others are in similar positions and that, at the end of the day, everyone is coping to overcome the situations. The sense of belonging here motivates us to tackle any scenario and provides us with the energy to match the mood and personality required at IIM Kashipur is indescribable. The only way to see life at IIM Kashipur is through the eyes of a student who is turning fantasies into reality.

It’s been 6 months in IIM Kashipur now and a lot of things have changed. The journey which was looking tough and hectic in the initial days is now a habit. There is a common saying, “Wine improves with age, the older it gets, the better it tastes” which is exactly implied in my journey here in IIM. As time went by on campus, I gradually got a hang of it, and of course, a lot of things have been changed a positive change!

My 5 key takeaways from the IIM Kashipur journey till now:

1. Honouring Deadlines: “Goals are dreams with deadlines.” ― Diana Scharf 

One of the sacrosanct rules at IIMs is “Punctuality”. If you’re going to a project presentation or placement process, login/arrive early. Don’t miss deadlines, not even by a single second. If you have a deadline approaching, make sure you have enough time on hand to avoid being unable to submit due to sluggish internet. Sometimes it would feel too hectic but this is how I refined my time management skills which will later help me incorporate handling multiple projects and reports within deadlines. 

2. Leadership and Teamwork: IIM Kashipur is a student-run campus where from academic to non-academic things, there is a student body. Being part of such a student-driven ecosystem helps you to mold yourself into a team player and ability to take initiative.

3. Being Easy to work with: Being easy to work with is such an underrated skill but very crucial when you work in a team. While working on group projects, I acquired this quality by sharing information openly and promptly and keeping team members updated as the project progressed. Active listening and accountability during group projects helped me to improve my productivity through teamwork.

4. Turning knowledge into practice through Live Project: “Knowledge is of no value unless you put it into practice.”  –  Anton Chekhov. IIM Kashipur strongly believes in ‘Learning by Doing’ via frequent industry interactions and live projects. MBA is not a normal bookish degree were reading things a day before the exam will help. Management is all about what you read and see around every day. That’s why implementing what you learn in business problems is important. IIM Kashipur provides this business problem-solving exposure through live projects. I have done two live projects till now, one with TDG Partners where I learned how to launch a new product, and one with elearnmarket.com, a financial courses platform where I learned to implement referral marketing strategies for growth strategy.

5. Quality peers: In IIMs you learn more from your peers than regular books and classroom teaching. I gain a lot of knowledge through sharing my views with others and participating in events where I may learn from my peers. I met people from different backgrounds and studies with different points of view who helped me in every aspect of my life here at IIM. So today if I need help, I just need to call someone out of 350 batchmates and my problem will get resolved. This quality group of peers is also important when you participate in corporate case competitions in groups.

Finally “IIM in the North” – IIM Kashipur is somewhere I’d like to spend as much time as possible and witness the breezing lush green campus with advanced infrastructure. I want to learn everything I can from the many different experiences here to be a better, more mature person who can balance his personal and professional lives.

About the author

Coming from a business background, I have always been enthralled with the idea of working in a corporate environment. So, after my graduation in finance, I thought of joining an organization as a Content Development Writer. The work environment taught me a sense of responsibility and also felt a lot about the work ethics and work culture. After 2 years of working, I decided to join an MBA college so as to broaden my aspects of learning and make a remarkable impact on my journey. 

Giving CAT amidst working and also the COVID-19 situation was a task in itself.  Having contracted the virus a couple of weeks back was a challenge as the tough study schedule was heckling my routine. Still, after months of hard work and perseverance, my CAT exam went pretty well. I focused on my office after the D-Day, which was on 29th November 2020. After a month, I saw a post that the CAT results are out. I opened the results and saw that it was pretty decent, but not up to my expectations. I was a bit despondent and thought of waiting for the shortlists of the colleges, which were of course IIM. This is why I did not give any other entrance exam other than CAT. 

After a couple of weeks, I saw a mail in my mailbox, stating my selection for the CAP interviews. I was filled with complacent feelings of excitement and started preparing for my PI from that day. I started strategizing my routine and optimizing it to gain full proficiency from my busy schedule. I used to work in the daytime and thereafter prepared for my CAP interview during the night after I completed my shift hours. The hectic schedule and the constant juggle between my office deliverables and my preparation journey taught me a sense of time management and this gave me an idea to handle stress under pressurized situations which were standing in front of me.

My interview for CAP was scheduled for 27th February and that was the ultimate day for the decision of my entry into IIM. The main area of focus was keeping myself updated with the recent elections which were going to happen in West Bengal. This was because I hailed from Kolkata and I had to keep track of each and everything going on in my state. Adding to the list of things that needed urgent preparation was the new budget that was released in February. 

I prepared for my PI questions through self-check and wrote all the answers with the help of the PI Kits available and also verifying them with my mentor. I gave 2 mock PIs before the actual interview date. I used to memorize the answers, record them, listen to them, and find flaws whenever and wherever it was found. I used to record videos of me verbally phrasing my answers for the generic questions which were asked in the interviews.

The primary thing to ace the interview is being confident of what one is speaking. I learned that the major factor which often leads to the success of the interviews were knowing the content that you are speaking and this is how you will let the interviewer know that you are knowledgeable. Confidence merged with hard work and dedication and preparation indeed bore the results of my way into the Indian Institute of Management Kashipur. Writing my experience is a way of nostalgia of all the weeks and months of constancy and devotedness to make myself a human being, who is successful enough to contribute to society and achieve my dreams. 

About the author

Why MBA? This is the very first question that any MBA aspirant faces in many of the B-School interviews. And most of us answer this question by saying that MBA provides us with great networking opportunities. “Great” – what gravity does this word hold in this sentence? The networking opportunities that are provided by any of the B-School when seen through the lenses of an MBA scholar are actually the needles that weave the future of any student.

Peer learning is one form in which we network with people. MBA is known for the diversity that it offers to its students. From engineers to dentists, from experienced to fresher, a B-School welcomes everyone with open arms. Coming from different backgrounds, we come with different areas of expertise. Some are well versed with the consulting frameworks, some read balance sheets as mere fables, some are geniuses in analytics and similarly, everyone has their own set of subjects in which they are comfortable. But MBA doesn’t work in your comfort zone, it is actually a degree that forces you to stretch your horizons as far as you can.

How much you stretch depends upon how much you can gain. The lectures in MBA are not just limited to classes and guest lectures. Peer learning is actually the way out to deal with the overload of academics. You cannot be the master of everything but you can master everything if you have the proper support. You will often see a group of friends studying together or a person teaching his/her batch mates the subject that he/she is comfortable in, this is the beauty of MBA, you learn how to grasp everything without just mugging up. You will be learning a subject today from someone and you will be teaching another subject to that person tomorrow. This is how peer learning works in a B-School.

This learning is not just limited to your friends but you get multiple opportunities to learn from your seniors or from your colleagues as well. While working in any student body, you make friends and you learn from them. During the interaction with seniors, the experience and learning pass on to you. Even sitting in the mess and having a meal with someone is the chance to talk and get to know what the other person’s view about MBA is. The diversity of the batch and inclusivity make us learn more than just what academics offer.  This is how the learning ladder is constructed in a B-School.

Peer Learning is not just restricted to academics but you prepare for interviews, group discussions, and quizzes together. It is true that when you leave a B-School you become a different person. You learn a lot throughout this journey and this learning is never done alone but is done with the people you rely upon.

A statement that is heard more than anything else in an MBA course is “Your network is your net worth.” And this is no lie that collaboration is the best way to do that. When you extend a helping hand to someone, you get one for yourself too and this is how holistic development in an IIM takes place.

About the author

Numerous people told me that getting an MBA is difficult when I said that I would be considering it. ‘Getting an MBA is tough from the onset,’ I assume they meant. The primary obstacle was not passing the entrance exam and securing a place in the country’s premier college, for which thousands compete, but it began after that. The road of self-realization and how you handle all situations in the MBA journey carve you into the person you’ve always wanted to be. I decided to pursue my MBA studies in the subject of Finance after completing my Bachelor of Management Studies in Finance. I researched at all of the institutions that offered the program, and IIM Kashipur’s MBA program piqued my interest enough for me to apply as a fresher.

I’m immensely proud of my decision and delighted about the course’s all-encompassing character now that I’ve spent the previous six months successfully at the institute. The MBA program at IIM Kashipur offers a comprehensive approach, with a unique combination of studies in business statistics, decision modeling, financial modeling, big data, and other related fields.

As I sit down to document my emotions and thoughts for MBA and my journey here, I realized that one term sums up all of my sleepless nights and foggy mornings, fighting to get out of bed and attend classes: ‘A Roller Coaster Journey.’ The first two semesters taught me time management because the real struggle was getting to the mess as soon as the classes ended and then returning to class. The list goes on to say that I used to sleep as late as possible and that the major goal of the challenge was to get up and attend the first session of the day. The highlight has without a doubt been experiencing an on-campus corporate culture with my colleagues and receiving assistance from the incubation center, which has provided a variety of business insights and networks. Multiple group projects, live projects, and assignments have been used to increase the use of business tools such as Power BI, Advance Excel, and other theoretical components.

All of these elements work together to offer a comprehensive picture and lay the foundation for a promising future and the program’s frenetic speed shows no signs of easing.

The journey so far has offered me several experiences in which I have been surrounded by people who share my energy and desire for being a long-term manager. Needless to say, I meet some wonderful people here who I can endorse. As semester three begins and the new term begins to take shape, now is the ideal opportunity to reflect on what has been one of the most significant decisions of my life thus far.

There have certainly been highs and lows, as well as many sleepless hours spent either studying or anticipating something, something good our ways. As I write this piece on one of the most serene mornings in the lap of the Himalayas, I reckon that the notion of crossing the finish line provides enough motivation to accomplish the impossible, and that hard effort betrays no one.

About the author

Someone might mistakenly believe that an MBA schedule is as hectic as Mumbai locals on Monday mornings. Yes, it is. However, if you have a passion and believe that you would lose it during your MBA programme, you are greatly mistaken! Lectures, assignments, case competitions, and presentations are only a small part of an MBA programme. It refers to a variety of activities that take place on a daily basis and allow you to explore yourself, overcome your fears, and emerge as a completely different and better person.

An MBA not only provides an opportunity to sustain and nourish hobbies, but it also gives a chance to explore new ones. Terms like “peer learning,” “holistic development,” and “diversity” are as applicable in this context as they are in the context of academics. An MBA course provides the platform and an environment where you can be the sportsperson, dancer, singer, or debater that you have always wanted to be. Sometimes, hobbies can help you become more confident, which in turn triggers success in academics and other activities.

As a person, I’ve always thrived in situations where my schedule was not restricted to just one task. I’ve always found it simpler to concentrate when I can engage in a variety of activities that stimulate different bits of my brain. Music, athletics, and reading are common examples of these activities. These activities not only help me to improve and be productive with other daily responsibilities, but they also provide me a respite from a repetitive routine.

More importantly, I’ve discovered that while pursuing my interests, I’ve established some of the best contacts of my MBA journey. I’ve had the opportunity to meet and connect with individuals I would not have met otherwise if we didn’t share a common purpose. The MBA college provides exposure and opportunities to interact with people with shared interests.

Besides the campus facilities, many student organizations organize activities that attract big groups of students. The events are planned in such a way that more people become involved with events and become a part of them together in a way. As a result, participants are encouraged to be competitive, which encourages them to stand out from the pack.

In such an environment, I got multiple opportunities to pull myself out of my comfort zone and come out as a more versatile person, which is a desirable attribute in a manager. By pursuing my hobbies, I got a window to look out to the world and, hence, look within myself. In this way, taking an MBA as a course not only helped me learn management skills but also provided the fuel for my vehicle of confidence.

About the author

Perhaps the single greatest quality which is of prime importance to ensure smooth functioning of any business, organization, or life, in general, is a brilliant command over people skills. Nothing is as complex or tricky as understanding the thought process of so many people around us, more so if they are involved as a group. People behave in a variety of ways in different settings, both overtly and covertly, which makes it a huge find difficult to make decisions and convey ideas effectively to get our thoughts across the table.

Keeping in mind this clash of perspectives, it becomes necessary to ensure inclusivity of ideas while simultaneously avoiding the domination of a particular thought. Diversity of thoughts is a luxury at times but tends to become a challenge in case of quick decision-making. Many situations do not allow gelling of multiple perspectives and require a rigid line of thought. In such cases, groups encounter friction which eventually comes to the forefront if confidentiality is compromised.

When polarized thoughts come together, tensions are bound to occur. At this juncture, the ideal way forward is to compromise over a ‘middle path. But here comes the catch, the middle path is not always the middle exactly as finding a perfect mix of both sides of ideas is near to impossible. This makes the middle path slightly polarized towards one end of the idea(s) and one of the parties tends to compromise a bit more than others.

Well avoiding a crossroad of perspectives is near to impossible as group behavior is highly susceptible to surrounding situations. Many externalities, both directly and indirectly impact the views of people and in such cases, it becomes the responsibility of each, and every person involved to invest more thought into understanding the other side(s) of the story. While this makes decision-making a tedious process and brings in an attitude of lethargy and procrastination, it does allow more breadth of thinking which helps include alternative solutions.

It is not always easy, possible, and feasible to comprehend a situation by looking into it from multiple lines of thought putting oneself in the shoes of others, and understanding their perspective. Trusting and backing one’s decision is of prime importance to bring about significant change as not everyone is good at making hard choices and facing resistance for the same from various stakeholders. But accepting and adjusting to multiple ideas is equally important to broaden one’s thinking and experiment with unconventional ideas which might bring unforeseen results.

About the author

Most of us aspire to be in a premier B school, to have a life at an IIM or preferably other top management colleges. I dreamt the same after my graduation and started working for it. But the journey was not that easy but yes, it’s worth sharing. As a working professional my job used to revolve around Sales & Marketing, and it made me travel a lot. Even weekends were occupied, but still, whatever time I got I gave it to my CAT preparations.

I was hell worried and nervous that I am not able to justify my efforts. Somebody has rightly said, “God helps those who help themselves”. Thus, what then became a disaster for the entire world gave me hope. Yes, I am referring to Covid. It was around in late March that nationwide lockdown was declared keeping in mind the rising covid cases in the country. It gave me an opportunity to stay at home and work towards my dreams. I promised myself to utilize this period to the fullest in achieving my dreams. After giving several low-scoring mocks and putting in all the hard work to improve them finally I was able to get a good percentile. And then when the results got declared that moment of joy and extreme happiness cannot be described in words. Finally, I made it one of the most prestigious B-Schools of our India also known as “IIM in North” – IIM Kashipur.

Cracking CAT with a good percentile and converting an IIM made me and my family proud of myself and a different level of satisfaction seeped inside me. But at that time, I did not know that it was just the beginning of phase two of the MBA life. Soon after the admission, the induction process started followed by the commencement of academic sessions. The induction process fully gave me an idea of how the roller coaster next two years is going to be. The group activities helped me to make new friends and get comfortable with them. Initially, all seemed hectic but slowly I was off a beautiful MBA journey and started enjoying the process.

If I talk about what has changed for me over the last few months in this MBA journey. It will be that now deadlines – are a more important part of my life and I have started learning to prioritize things. Now I know how to work under pressure, be smart and be competitive at the same time. Though I am still struggling to balance my sleep, social life, and grades -all three at the same time, but still, I can manage it. Also attending guest lectures, batch meets, the club meets, and interacting with peers and learning from them is a new ritual for me. It’s just the initial few months of my MBA journey and I am turning a little more conscious about myself and those dreams which I had before joining the college. I can surely say that the teaching pedagogy and the case study analysis approach have broadened my perspective of how to see the things happening in the real world, and how to approach and evaluate them. Still, it’s a long way for me. But yes, the start cannot be more beautiful than this getting into a dream Summer Internship placement. 

At last, I would like to tell you all that life at the IIM campus may be hectic, frenetic, tiring but it is never dull. You will face challenges, but you will learn to overcome those obstacles. That’s how you are groomed to be highly professional and organized in your life.

About the author