Standing in my hostel room’s balcony with a cup of hot coffee in the evening, I saw the bold red Symbiosis’ “S” shining all proudly, ‘symbolizing’ a heritage of excellence. Yes, I have reached the hill top, my dwell for the next couple of years as the 38th batch of SIBM (Symbiosis International University). Honestly, the climb was not that easy and it started with SNAP, the national level aptitude test followed by a number of interview rounds. The day I entered the campus, the thing that captivated my mind the most was the campus itself. Sitting in the laps of the beautiful mountains of Lavale engulfed with misty clouds and light drizzles, the campus makes one wonder if one is at a resort or at one of the Best B-Schools in India. Where ever one goes, there’s a different scene to see each surpassing the one seen before. The campus has everything, games, health centre, swimming pool, you name it. The campus’ beauty doesn’t just end there. SIBM is surrounded by 3 more sister colleges, SIMC, SSBF and SITM. Knowledge is in the air. The campus is literally, “beauty with brains”.
I started my exploration with the hostels. The room and hood is truly amazing with a bunch of super talented people, with so many diverse and creative thoughts vibrating awesomeness and learning opportunities. The hostels are at a walking distance from the main campus although cycles are also provided to traverse. During one such cycle ride, I noticed the analogy between the rides and the life here. The harder it was to reach the top, the smoother the ride later. But undoubtedly this will be one of the most amazing rides.
Day 1, The induction started off black and white, literally, with each one wearing and carrying the same clarity in minds of what they aspire to be. The director sirs’ dynamic presentation was an icing on the cake with four more eminent speakers including founder and chairman of Symbiosis society, motivating each one of us to the core. The induction continued for two more days with alumni drawing a clear picture of how it works in industry, roles in different sectors and what to expect and what not to. The next day ice-breaking sessions continued with various activities and ended with a task of talent round announcement which was our first project. The very next day each team presented their talents reaching new levels of uniqueness and efficiency. This was followed by a visit to an industry and see the ground level work during the day. That very evening the windy sky was lit with sky lanterns by the students. The week ended with a quiz proving there’s everything on the platter and not just fun. Come Monday, the classes started and the faculty continued to depart knowledge for the week with some very interesting interactions and discussions making me ponder more than ever. The super intelligent peers and faculty will continue to inspire me for the years to come.
Soon, the seniors have started to head back to the campus and interactions have become much more fun. The choice I made of opting for SIBM is now substantiated with live examples by seniors. True, MBA in Symbiosis, the B School in Pune, is not just about learning conceptually, it is lot more than just that. Now, after yet another beautiful day, I sit in my room, penning this article and mind walking through the last two weeks spent here, I wonder if two weeks into the course can shake things up so much, will I be the same person after two years? I am very positive, a better version of me will be heading out of the gates after two years.
Reema Ghosh First Year MBA student @ SIBM, Pune
