Life at an IIM

“Life in an IIM is a completely different ballgame when compared with the life before it. If normally you are progressing at 50 KMs per hour, after joining an MBA college, things start happening to you at 200 KMs per hour. It’s that much different.”

I still remember the day I was offered admission from IIM Kashipur for their MBA(Analytics) Program and I was on cloud nine because doing an MBA in Analytics was my long-fetched dream.

Well, I feel everyone has his or her definition of how to make the most of the two years in a B-school. So there is no fixed rule.

While I was working I always thought peer-learning was overhyped, but now I think every word of it was true. The class discussions, study group assignments, and in-general interactions take the learning to a completely different level. The sheer diversity in backgrounds and profiles opens so many avenues for learning which, at times, are far more profound than the in-class exercises. MBA is the only platform where you find the perfect amalgamation of fresh graduates sharing desk space with professionals having five years of work experience, or commerce grads rubbing shoulders with engineering graduates.

An IIM offers enough chances for students in two years. It is also necessary to use time in the best possible way. It’s a place where there’s no space for the average. So you ought to manage your priorities to be the best person in your field. And it can only happen when you are diligent towards whatever is assigned to you. One common thread connecting all B-schools is that there’s always a lot to be done. Along with academics, you get involved with corporate and inter B-school competitions, corporate projects, festivals, committee and club work, internships, and many other activities. It’s very important to prioritize what you want to do and chalk out a plan for yourself based on your interests and skills early on. This will help you navigate the MBA with a purpose. Apart from that, networking, honing skills that give you an edge, staying updated on current affairs are a few things that you are expected to do throughout your course. Once you acquire the knowledge, you will gain self-confidence and that will hold you in good stead for your stint of two years in a B-school. Interacting with the professors is a good idea and that will help you not only with the academics but also get a glimpse into the industry you are headed for.

MBA is more about getting knowledge at a broader level. Your success during and after MBA is determined by how well you can connect the dots distributed across various functional fields. The first year covers the core courses and gives you business knowledge. Second-year allows you to experiment by offering loads of electives. The middle of the second year is packed with semester exchange programs that are very interesting. It’s crucial to identify the functional areas of business and explore them. Don’t consider your peers as competitors; treat them as your companions in your journey because after graduating these very people will give you an extensive network of professionals spread out across industries. Networking is important especially when you move into executive positions or you begin to start-up because you leverage your contacts to get business.

The final advice I would give to all the budding managers is that enjoy every minute of your life because, at the end of the day, when one looks back, one would want a lot of good memories to ruminate over.

-Sakshi Poddar
MBA (Analytics) Batch of 2020–22