SIBM, Pune experience: The best moments
The lovely SIBM campus of lavale
It all started on a Sunday. Sunday, the 21st, in the chilly month of December. People call it SNAP day, I call it the day when I touched my dream, the dream of being in one of the best B schools in India. Symbiosis was not an unfamiliar word for me from the childhood, one “bhaaiya” from my neighbourhood had done MBA from Symbiosis some years back, and I still remember the huge respect he had in the neighbourhood for that. And so when I sat for the examination with a determined face, clenched teeth and butterflies inside stomach, I had one dream, to study in SIBM Pune, the cream of Symbiosis International University. Then the percentiles came, and with that came the GE-PI call in SIBM Pune. One more step closer to dream, it was do or die. And the moment I stepped down from the bus on this hilltop campus, every moment started fighting with each other to be the best. The serene beauty of nature, the red and white architectures portraying the perfect blend of modern and traditional, the bright volunteers guiding through the whole process – it was such a welcome relief after a tensed morning on bus. And the moment the final selection list came out with my name imprinted on it, wasn’t it a tough contender for the best moment? The problems in getting a railway ticket or ironing my whole cupboard stock for three days before packing could not hide my excitement of being in one of the most prestigious colleges for anyone doing MBA in India.
The moment I stepped in to my well decorated fully furnished hostel room and met my roommates, my closest pals from those very first days, that also qualifies for one of those very bests. Their charming personality, their dedication for being the best was enough inspiration for aiming for the top shelf. And if that was not enough, the motivations the dignitaries showered upon us during the well-designed induction program were the icing upon the cake. The induction days were full of best moments; all those learning, fun and frolic during those team activities, in-house and outbound programs; those will be engraved in my memory till I don’t know when. Being first in the very first teamwork activity in my management education during the induction, wasn’t that a best moment too? The warmth I received in this B School in Pune, I never felt away from my home in Assam.
People say classes are boring in B Schools, I am sure they haven’t experienced the classes in SIBM Pune ever, and definitely not Manasi mam’s classes. The energy, the enthusiasm, the dedication the faculty members bring to the classes are enough for students to keep their eyes stuck on the board for hours. The classes for our batch started with Manasi mam’s class, and it couldn’t have been a better start. It could not have been a better moment, because it was already the best.
Academic rigour is a feature of MBA education in India, and SIBM Pune is also not an exception. But those after class tea parties in front of the mess lost in the nature with friends around, that definitely is one of the best moments here. The late night chai and hot paranthas in the night canteen with friends during assignment breaks- that also counts in long list of best moment till date.
Love is very common in this lovely campus, and I will be surprised if I turn out to be an exception. My best moment list is already quite long, and I am looking forward to many more to come in my next two years, maybe with my loved one too! Maybe this is just the beginning, the journey is too beautiful to visualise just right now. For now, I am signing off with a smile on my lips and a lot of dreams in my eyes, and promise to be back soon with more.
