(Beware! Extremely lengthy Post, one of the lengthiest so far!)
After a short stint in the Corporate world it was time to get back to the student life and what better way to start that off than interacting with 83 fresh minds (few of them straight from the corporate world and others still fresh enough). Before the academic session began, it was indeed fun to have the (Official) Ice Breaker session with the new entrants into the campus. Ice breaker session was a success and flop in itself, success in the sense that it broke some ice among the juniors or at least among the seniors around and the juniors (few of us at least) and a flop because it was not that well planned due to lack of time and spontaneity, but I strongly believe it was fun and everyone enjoyed a lot minus my jokes. Then it was summer internship presentations which spanned across for 5 days, it felt even hectic and tiring than having a faculty speak for hours... Jokes apart all my friends had done really nice projects and had put in a lot of effort to bring out the best reports but listening to so many people continuously on different issues ranging from renewable energy to stock market to weather insurance would get any one sleep in the speed of thought. But overall it was an extraordinary learning experience for most of us, especially for the once who entered the corporate world for the first time.
While things were settling down again in the campus a lot of activities and interactions were happening and being planned with the juniors in the Campus including introducing them with the norms of the institute, giving them an overview of the activities and events that happen in the institute and much more. But two most interesting things happening were the innumerable ice breaker sessions that were being conducted at anyone’s discretion and convenience and the hi-drama Book Review presentation (I was unavailable for which Sigh!). The Book review thing was indeed something which changed life in the campus and its aftermaths can still be felt day in and day out without any doubt. Lots of things spoken off and lots of them ignored; faces, names and thoughts seen and understood. Still I would just say whatever that happened was not good and things could have been dealt with a bit more carefully if at all there was no “I” factor which without any doubt was existent. All said and done, life moves on!
Amidst all this drama and experience there was other important stuff happening which was choosing electives for the term and the puzzle of why this and why not that. At the end of all the speculation in the mind I had selected 5 of them which everyone had to and I think those were the best 5 I could have had from the options available. Let’s see how I faired in each of them or how much justice did they do to me.
International Finance – It was indeed an international experience, almost a world tour from a single place. And no, I can’t ever forget the group with which I had to do the Project. The process and approach followed to choose the project topic, the methodology of doing it, the ways of reasoning things, it was quite an experience and all of us did realize and understand it. Overall it was No Pain, No Gain.
Project Finance – High expectations I had of this elective but dint put the required effort so dint gain to the extent I wished to. Things got a little boring beyond a point of time and most of it must be attributed to the laid back attitude towards the elective. But overall a really important one and it did make sense.
Financial Derivatives – Started off in a great way, infact this was the elective I was looking forward to in the term, but dint actually get a hang of various things, quite a few reasons behind it including more questions than answers, dint have the fundas at place when most required i.e. during exams (still fear that I may be screwed). Over all not a huge value add as expected but surely did make various things clear and improved understanding of certain things.
Asset Pricing – The expectations from this elective was quite unclear when it took off and still remains the same way. But the elective surely did teach about the trade off between incentive and work (the incentive to attend the last class was, there was a quiz + an assignment to be submitted + an article to be read when there was FD exam in the same morning). The course covered certain aspects some of which made sense and the rest seemed to be just another model. Overall a good paper in terms of theoretical application, I dint find much practical orientation but was a nice experience.
Product Management – This is the one elective where I was a unique fellow in the batch, no other Finance majoring student dared or wished to take this elective for reasons known to all. But I infact took it more as a challenge and dint want to miss on the learning opportunity of such an important paper. To my mind it definitely made sense apart from all the GAS and it did add value and at the end of the course I was and am Glad I chose this elective. The most important aspect of this elective with regard to me was, I spent most of my time on this elective than the total time I spent on the other 4 electives, that shows the level of interest it generated in me, but there were hiccups in this paper as well including the re-do mania. Overall I felt this was the best elective I had taken in this term.
Overall all the electives were thought provoking and did add value some way or the other minus the lack of effort from my side.
During Freshers Party '08
Beyond all the academic activities, there was much more that I was involved in both in terms of organizing and participating. And these activities consumed most of my time in the past few months. To begin with was the Fresher’s Party ’08 “Rang De India”, which I was completely involved in organizing as well as Hosting, yes I was back in the hosting arena and I enjoyed it thoroughly. It was fun hosting the event with Rashmi, though most of our preparation had to go for a toss because the juniors turned up just 2 hours late and there was so much on the platter that we had to cut down on a lot of fun filled stuff! But over all it was a wonderful experience minus the lack of participation from the juniors in a few games which took a lot of time for us to make sure that at least the required number of people participate in every game. I still can’t forget the final meeting we had in my class to decide about the fresher’s party and after so many long and short discussions and plans we got this one finalized and hosted.
While all this was being planned there was another thing we were involved in which was something new at IFMR, the interviews to select representatives for Clubs was a new way our batch opted for to get the best people for the job. It was even a learning experience for us being on the other side of the table, just made us realize how difficult at times it could be even to be on the other side(as interviewer) of the same table. With all the speculation and hype around it I assume we did a decent job without any prejudice or bias what so ever.
Before I go any further I couldn’t resist sharing the dream which a few of us saw but weren’t able to realize before this term, it was about the CEO Summit which we planned about for more than 2 months, lot of ideas, too many meetings, innumerous obstacles and obviously speculation, the result we weren’t able to organize the so called “Varchaswa” (not sure if the spelling is right). There are few of them who worked damn hard for it and also got screwed at places but the lack of certain essentials had lead us to drop the idea completely and I was one of them who suggested to call it off looking at the situation we were in, but still it remained a dream, something we thought we could pull off some how!
What if we weren’t able to pull the CEO summit off, we still have Abhyudaya to show all our charisma and zeal. So the juniors rightly started off work on Abhyudaya early this time, at least earlier than we did. The work has been going on at some pace which I feel is a bit slower; work is going on well though. There have been a few ups and downs with Abhyudaya even by now and things look quite complicated at the moment looking at the condition of the world economy and financial markets. But I can tell you, as ever Abhyudaya is coming up with newer and nicer events and I hope we make it lot better this year too. Will surely come up with more on Abhyudaya soon! This must have made it clear to an extent that I am game for Abhyudaya even this year, without any doubt.
I haven’t ever mentioned about TEC earlier, I think I can do that now; it’s the entrepreneurship club at IFMR, started a few months back by some 20 of us. It has been on my mind for quite some time and I have been trying to get something productive and new out of this initiative, though we haven’t done anything special so far apart from a couple of events, never ending number of meetings which only quite a few attend and a couple of issues of the magazine which was ought to be issued every month. It has given quite a few learning’s to me personally as well, I initiated the idea with a lot of passion and commitment which I think I have at the same level even now. But without contribution and collaboration nothing succeeds is a major learning in the last 8 months of my endeavor for TEC as its representative. I would not blame anyone for not being active or so, but it’s true that something of my interest and passion might not be of someone else even if they have committed to do things. So I had to slow down my pace and am trying now to somehow keep it as active as possible and there are at least few whom I can name in a moment who are quite active and supportive and I am sure they will take it ahead and not let it die once I am out.
There’s another thing which I and a few others have been driving hard in the campus, which faced a set back early this year and since then even after various attempts the few of us haven’t been able to set it back due to lack of effort (I wont say lack of time). I feel bad that for the past 2 months or so we haven’t been able to do much about it, but still are trying to get it back while something else has caught up in the campus. Am not naming what I am talking about since its still a conspicuous thing for most of them in the campus that I am involved in, and am not being a coward by not disclosing it, I am just trying to maintain the level of privacy involved so that it does not become that easy for people to actually know, though most of them know who and what, and can also say by reading this what I am talking about. I still remember the days when I heard left and right about this particular thing but did not mention a word that I was a party to it, but again I wasn’t being a coward, was just trying to maintain the professionalism we had decided as a Team (the few of us), but yea I will surely talk about it some time soon, though it doesn’t make a difference even if I do that now, but I don’t want to spoil the fun.
Between all this how can I forget the high profile meeting that we had which spelt out a set of new rules in the campus, I couldn’t resist my laugh for rules like going home before 9pm and taking permission if one wanted to stay back beyond that. I couldn’t even compare this with my school days where I used to go home only beyond 6 after all the sports and activities while classes used to get over by 3 or 4. While here the amount of group work and activities involved at least don’t give me an opportunity to go home before 9 most of the times (for those of u who think I don’t do either of it, we can talk about it later)
And when we talk about meetings, my favorite and all time best meeting in the last 3 months without any doubt has been the one on the Clubs issue, I know the outcome of the meeting has been interpreted in a different way than I would subscribe to, but that’s part of the system and am game to take all that comes up. But as I have been making clear time and again to different people, my intentions and agenda were clear and I put forward what the right thing was so that people don’t confuse things. But I also know quite clearly that if things don’t work out the way they are expected to, I am the one who’ll be looked for just because I was the one who drove the issue forward and I still stick to my point, as I had just put across the facts and never initiated the talk on vitamin M or the quantum of it to be precise. But as known it was and is being seen as my victory and not of the issue in hand something which I don’t subscribe to, but yes I agree that I played a major role in the overall dialogue but never bothered about the quantum of vitamin M, I just stressed on the need and the why part. May seem like I am defending myself or what so ever which I don’t need to anyway, but still it makes me relaxed if I make my point clear.
After Convocation with Seniors and Friends
Leaving aside all the controversial stories there were few other important occasions that happened in due course including the Convocation of my seniors which saw the presence of biggies like Mr. Vaghul (Chairman ICICI Bank and IFMR) and Mr. Sundaram (Director, Hindustan Level). The seniors were all merry after getting their graduation certificates and just gave me a feeling of how close I was to this moment in my life (assuming I would clear all, ha ha). The alumni meet was another joyous day with a new record set of the maximum attendance so far at IFMR, it again required a lot of thought and effort to pull it off well and the few of them involved did it really well apart from the issues they had to face till the end. I would still like to mention here that, the plans for it were initiated long ago than the actual plans began by the authorized team, but again due to some lack of action and response it lead to the death of all those ideas and plans. But yes the one that was conducted received a lot of praise and acclaim which it absolutely deserved and I am hoping next year when I am supposedly an alumni it would be even better and bigger.
In a Jolly Mood after the Alumni Meet
Issues of placements have been on a high all through and will be the same way till all of us get placed, but so far things have been quite complicated and this is something which everyone is bothered about unlike other things and strangely this is something I am (at least so far) least worried about unlike other things. So hoping for the best, don’t want to put salt on what ever has happened and take names and issues from the past. So I am just wishing things to be smooth and easy, and not as hyper tensive as they have got.
Participation in the event of NITIE on MAK lubricants was really fun; the overall experience was really exciting as it made us (Bharat & me) think in real terms for the first time and not getting selected was not that disheartening because I did expect that and the meeting with the BPCL official couldn’t be forgotten.
The visit to New Life Charity also was a refreshing experience, the time spent with the kids was really special.
Outside New Life with Kids and Friends
To sum things up I have got a new name in the campus which most of them address me with, all this is the result of the amount of interaction I am involved in and I know the importance of all that as most of u know too. And thanks for the new nick folks! But trust me you may not call me that way soon! Over all the first few months of the final journey at IFMR have been fabulous, days are just passing like hours and I have thoroughly enjoyed the journey so far and hope to keep it the same way! Adios till next time.
P.S – This write up was not to highlight any particular issue, it’s just a usual practice which I have been following of summarizing all that I have been involved in and share the same, so if anything in the above has hurt you or made u happy or something, please leave a comment LoL, am expecting a few at least to this article.
After a short stint in the Corporate world it was time to get back to the student life and what better way to start that off than interacting with 83 fresh minds (few of them straight from the corporate world and others still fresh enough). Before the academic session began, it was indeed fun to have the (Official) Ice Breaker session with the new entrants into the campus. Ice breaker session was a success and flop in itself, success in the sense that it broke some ice among the juniors or at least among the seniors around and the juniors (few of us at least) and a flop because it was not that well planned due to lack of time and spontaneity, but I strongly believe it was fun and everyone enjoyed a lot minus my jokes. Then it was summer internship presentations which spanned across for 5 days, it felt even hectic and tiring than having a faculty speak for hours... Jokes apart all my friends had done really nice projects and had put in a lot of effort to bring out the best reports but listening to so many people continuously on different issues ranging from renewable energy to stock market to weather insurance would get any one sleep in the speed of thought. But overall it was an extraordinary learning experience for most of us, especially for the once who entered the corporate world for the first time.
While things were settling down again in the campus a lot of activities and interactions were happening and being planned with the juniors in the Campus including introducing them with the norms of the institute, giving them an overview of the activities and events that happen in the institute and much more. But two most interesting things happening were the innumerable ice breaker sessions that were being conducted at anyone’s discretion and convenience and the hi-drama Book Review presentation (I was unavailable for which Sigh!). The Book review thing was indeed something which changed life in the campus and its aftermaths can still be felt day in and day out without any doubt. Lots of things spoken off and lots of them ignored; faces, names and thoughts seen and understood. Still I would just say whatever that happened was not good and things could have been dealt with a bit more carefully if at all there was no “I” factor which without any doubt was existent. All said and done, life moves on!
Amidst all this drama and experience there was other important stuff happening which was choosing electives for the term and the puzzle of why this and why not that. At the end of all the speculation in the mind I had selected 5 of them which everyone had to and I think those were the best 5 I could have had from the options available. Let’s see how I faired in each of them or how much justice did they do to me.
International Finance – It was indeed an international experience, almost a world tour from a single place. And no, I can’t ever forget the group with which I had to do the Project. The process and approach followed to choose the project topic, the methodology of doing it, the ways of reasoning things, it was quite an experience and all of us did realize and understand it. Overall it was No Pain, No Gain.
Project Finance – High expectations I had of this elective but dint put the required effort so dint gain to the extent I wished to. Things got a little boring beyond a point of time and most of it must be attributed to the laid back attitude towards the elective. But overall a really important one and it did make sense.
Financial Derivatives – Started off in a great way, infact this was the elective I was looking forward to in the term, but dint actually get a hang of various things, quite a few reasons behind it including more questions than answers, dint have the fundas at place when most required i.e. during exams (still fear that I may be screwed). Over all not a huge value add as expected but surely did make various things clear and improved understanding of certain things.
Asset Pricing – The expectations from this elective was quite unclear when it took off and still remains the same way. But the elective surely did teach about the trade off between incentive and work (the incentive to attend the last class was, there was a quiz + an assignment to be submitted + an article to be read when there was FD exam in the same morning). The course covered certain aspects some of which made sense and the rest seemed to be just another model. Overall a good paper in terms of theoretical application, I dint find much practical orientation but was a nice experience.
Product Management – This is the one elective where I was a unique fellow in the batch, no other Finance majoring student dared or wished to take this elective for reasons known to all. But I infact took it more as a challenge and dint want to miss on the learning opportunity of such an important paper. To my mind it definitely made sense apart from all the GAS and it did add value and at the end of the course I was and am Glad I chose this elective. The most important aspect of this elective with regard to me was, I spent most of my time on this elective than the total time I spent on the other 4 electives, that shows the level of interest it generated in me, but there were hiccups in this paper as well including the re-do mania. Overall I felt this was the best elective I had taken in this term.
Overall all the electives were thought provoking and did add value some way or the other minus the lack of effort from my side.
During Freshers Party '08
While all this was being planned there was another thing we were involved in which was something new at IFMR, the interviews to select representatives for Clubs was a new way our batch opted for to get the best people for the job. It was even a learning experience for us being on the other side of the table, just made us realize how difficult at times it could be even to be on the other side(as interviewer) of the same table. With all the speculation and hype around it I assume we did a decent job without any prejudice or bias what so ever.
Before I go any further I couldn’t resist sharing the dream which a few of us saw but weren’t able to realize before this term, it was about the CEO Summit which we planned about for more than 2 months, lot of ideas, too many meetings, innumerous obstacles and obviously speculation, the result we weren’t able to organize the so called “Varchaswa” (not sure if the spelling is right). There are few of them who worked damn hard for it and also got screwed at places but the lack of certain essentials had lead us to drop the idea completely and I was one of them who suggested to call it off looking at the situation we were in, but still it remained a dream, something we thought we could pull off some how!
What if we weren’t able to pull the CEO summit off, we still have Abhyudaya to show all our charisma and zeal. So the juniors rightly started off work on Abhyudaya early this time, at least earlier than we did. The work has been going on at some pace which I feel is a bit slower; work is going on well though. There have been a few ups and downs with Abhyudaya even by now and things look quite complicated at the moment looking at the condition of the world economy and financial markets. But I can tell you, as ever Abhyudaya is coming up with newer and nicer events and I hope we make it lot better this year too. Will surely come up with more on Abhyudaya soon! This must have made it clear to an extent that I am game for Abhyudaya even this year, without any doubt.
I haven’t ever mentioned about TEC earlier, I think I can do that now; it’s the entrepreneurship club at IFMR, started a few months back by some 20 of us. It has been on my mind for quite some time and I have been trying to get something productive and new out of this initiative, though we haven’t done anything special so far apart from a couple of events, never ending number of meetings which only quite a few attend and a couple of issues of the magazine which was ought to be issued every month. It has given quite a few learning’s to me personally as well, I initiated the idea with a lot of passion and commitment which I think I have at the same level even now. But without contribution and collaboration nothing succeeds is a major learning in the last 8 months of my endeavor for TEC as its representative. I would not blame anyone for not being active or so, but it’s true that something of my interest and passion might not be of someone else even if they have committed to do things. So I had to slow down my pace and am trying now to somehow keep it as active as possible and there are at least few whom I can name in a moment who are quite active and supportive and I am sure they will take it ahead and not let it die once I am out.
There’s another thing which I and a few others have been driving hard in the campus, which faced a set back early this year and since then even after various attempts the few of us haven’t been able to set it back due to lack of effort (I wont say lack of time). I feel bad that for the past 2 months or so we haven’t been able to do much about it, but still are trying to get it back while something else has caught up in the campus. Am not naming what I am talking about since its still a conspicuous thing for most of them in the campus that I am involved in, and am not being a coward by not disclosing it, I am just trying to maintain the level of privacy involved so that it does not become that easy for people to actually know, though most of them know who and what, and can also say by reading this what I am talking about. I still remember the days when I heard left and right about this particular thing but did not mention a word that I was a party to it, but again I wasn’t being a coward, was just trying to maintain the professionalism we had decided as a Team (the few of us), but yea I will surely talk about it some time soon, though it doesn’t make a difference even if I do that now, but I don’t want to spoil the fun.
Between all this how can I forget the high profile meeting that we had which spelt out a set of new rules in the campus, I couldn’t resist my laugh for rules like going home before 9pm and taking permission if one wanted to stay back beyond that. I couldn’t even compare this with my school days where I used to go home only beyond 6 after all the sports and activities while classes used to get over by 3 or 4. While here the amount of group work and activities involved at least don’t give me an opportunity to go home before 9 most of the times (for those of u who think I don’t do either of it, we can talk about it later)
And when we talk about meetings, my favorite and all time best meeting in the last 3 months without any doubt has been the one on the Clubs issue, I know the outcome of the meeting has been interpreted in a different way than I would subscribe to, but that’s part of the system and am game to take all that comes up. But as I have been making clear time and again to different people, my intentions and agenda were clear and I put forward what the right thing was so that people don’t confuse things. But I also know quite clearly that if things don’t work out the way they are expected to, I am the one who’ll be looked for just because I was the one who drove the issue forward and I still stick to my point, as I had just put across the facts and never initiated the talk on vitamin M or the quantum of it to be precise. But as known it was and is being seen as my victory and not of the issue in hand something which I don’t subscribe to, but yes I agree that I played a major role in the overall dialogue but never bothered about the quantum of vitamin M, I just stressed on the need and the why part. May seem like I am defending myself or what so ever which I don’t need to anyway, but still it makes me relaxed if I make my point clear.
After Convocation with Seniors and Friends
In a Jolly Mood after the Alumni Meet
Participation in the event of NITIE on MAK lubricants was really fun; the overall experience was really exciting as it made us (Bharat & me) think in real terms for the first time and not getting selected was not that disheartening because I did expect that and the meeting with the BPCL official couldn’t be forgotten.
The visit to New Life Charity also was a refreshing experience, the time spent with the kids was really special.
Outside New Life with Kids and Friends
P.S – This write up was not to highlight any particular issue, it’s just a usual practice which I have been following of summarizing all that I have been involved in and share the same, so if anything in the above has hurt you or made u happy or something, please leave a comment LoL, am expecting a few at least to this article.
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