“In a B-School, you’re a grown up” … Siddharth’s IMT-G Experience

It was a Sunday afternoon when I first entered the gates of the Institute of Management Technology (IMT), Ghaziabad. Having studied in an ordinary engineering college for the past four years, the most overpowering emotion I felt was nervous pride- making it to one of the top 20 B-Schools made me proud, and the nervousness stemmed from absolute uncertainty about the times that lay ahead of me.

I diligently found out what hostel and room was allotted to me, and started to walk towards it. My room was on the first floor in one of the hostel blocks. I had stayed in Chennai for the last four years, probably the most conservative city in India, where some engineering colleges forbid boys and girls from being anywhere close to each other. Strict rules are formulated, and worse, they are strictly implemented.  So, I was shocked when I heard the sound of girls talking in a group in a boys’ hostel room.

I learnt that there isn’t a warden system. And I never knew there’s something called a “warden system”-wardens without hostels seemed like a penitentiary without an in-charge. And that was my first lesson- in a B-School, you’re a grown up. Well, at least you’re assumed to be one. You’re groomed to fit into the real world, with all the accompaniments- loads of pressure, incomparable exposure, and all the freedom you want.

After we were done with registrations on the first day, we were asked to assemble in the library. Thus started our orientation week, that time of B-School when the grueling schedule pricks the most. We had lectures, guest lectures, speeches, alumni lectures and a lot more during that entire week. Our days used to start at eight and end at 4 the next morning, if we were lucky enough. The campus of IMT, like most premier B-Schools, is extremely vibrant. There are, in total, 20+ clubs, committees and other student bodies in IMT. Every night, starting around 11, these clubs and committees made presentations before us, so that we could get better acquainted with the usual college proceedings. 20-plus presentations in 5-6 days..you do the math!! We had to be attentive, because recruitment for these clubs and committees were to begin right after the orientation week. And thus began our post-CAT competition, our first after step towards a competitive world.

The presentations used to get over by 2 AM. And then we had to attend ‘PDP’ sessions by seniors..these sessions were interactive, and used to help us know our seniors better, and was aimed at building our network, getting to know what B-Schools are all about, and learning a lot about B-School life. These sessions used to be held anywhere in the campus, in clusters- footer grounds, bady courts, basketball courts, rooms, anywhere..and it was like the proverbial box of assorted chocolates-you just didn’t know what’s in store for you!!

By the end of the first week in college, we started getting used to a simple fact– in B-School, it’s all about working in a time crunch. We knew we’d have to brace ourselves for hectic days, loads of work, less time, lack of sleep, and everything that we were not very comfortable with. But then, we gradually got used to it. And what’s more, we started to enjoy it. For what’s life without these crunches, loads of work and deadlines staring at your face? We knew that the two years that lie ahead include, among other things, practical lessons on resource optimization. And that time will be our biggest resource.

When the recruitment season for the various clubs and committees began, I applied to the Entrepreneurship Cell of IMT, which is one of India’s best Entrepreneurship Cells. The recruitment process had four stages, and all four were equally grueling. God knows how, but I got through. I won’t reveal information on some of the procedures, but have you watched those reality stress shows? Now multiply the toughest by ten. The goal of course is to prepare you for future interviews, not to discourage you. So, now I wasn’t an NCC (a commonly used acronym for No Club Committee), and was happy at being inducted into one of the most creative student bodies of IMT, where the accent is on fostering entrepreneurship.

Nobody cared what time we went to bed, but the classroom doors were bolted from the inside 5 minutes into every lecture. With an attendance requirement of 90%(lenient by B-School standards), you couldn’t afford missing early morning lectures. The library is open  22 hours a day, the remaining time designated for maintenance work early morning. Canteens are open 24 hours, and so are computer labs. The campus never sleeps. Now, if you’re a fresher (no work experience) or if you weren’t in an IIT or an NIT, it’s likely that you might be slightly overwhelmed by so much freedom.

IMT has an open-air amphitheater, my favorite part of the 15-acre campus. It’s not just a place to chill out, but a venue fit for seminars, discussions and even partying. When bestselling author Rashmi Bansal recently visited IMT, she was jubilant at the fact that her talk was arranged in the amphi, and not in the indoor auditorium. She was here as a speaker for Start-Up Fair, an annual event conducted by the Entrepreneurship Cell, IMT-Ghaziabad, for providing a platform to new ventures so that they come face-to-face with India’s Venture Capitalists and pitch for funding.

The party atmosphere at B-Schools is definitely something to write home about. The weekdays are hectic, but then usually there are parties on weekends—and well, sometimes on weeknights too—to compensate for them. And a crowd as diverse as a B-School crowd definitely adds to the table in terms of classroom discussion and learning- but they also know how to party!!

Weekly quizzes—two weeks of classes, sailing smoothly-or so you think. Coz then come the quizzes. At IMT, unlike the usual surprise tests, you have surprise quizzes. You’re made to sit in front of a computer screen, and random questions pop up. You’re given 10 minutes (at max) to answer 10 questions. And since it’s relative grading, quizzes are a major determinant when it comes to your final grades. And quizzes end up giving an ugly jolt to most of us.

The final term exams came very soon-as always happens. We had to spend endless hours in the library to revise and make head or tail of what went on for almost four months in class. Word of advice- be friends with those who pay attention in class, if you happen not to. I also learnt that the concept of open book exams is quite deceiving. You end up spending a lot of time on a source that will most likely not give you what you’re looking for.

So, if you’re up for some learning by real life situations and hands-on experience, and if you’re a stickler to bending rules and being flexible, trying out new avenues and options, if you’re a non-conformist of sorts—then well, MBA is definitely your thing. Not that it isn’t, otherwise!!

- Siddharth Panicker