The Encounter

Hi..

This post here, is as narcissistic as it gets. Now this is something which really happened yesterday. So here it goes. It has become a daily ritual that there are a couple of young boys and girls sitting at the reception in our institute filling out their admission forms. I got into a casual conversation with a few of them. They probably assumed that I was there for the same reason, the forms. So they started telling me about their experience of CAT and eventually asked me about mine.

It was then that I told them, I am already studying here and not there to fill out the form. Man, that was the moment to be there. Their eyes became a little bigger, mouth opened a wee bit wider and I could feel the awe in their voices. Damn!! It feels good, to know that people envy you because of what you have accomplished. They believe it's an achievement and they respect you for that.

After five months of being in the institute, surrounded by people who have been self driven all their lives. Listening to them aiming far higher. I had started looking only upwards trying to achieve everything and forgot about looking downwards to appreciate all that I have already got. This had driven me to the point where I had really started questioning the purpose of all the hard work we are putting in. When after working all my life, I seemed to have hardly achieved anything. Thanks to those kids, they seem to immediately have put it all again in perspective.

And yes it felt really really good to see the look of appreciation in their eyes.

If you have some suggestion for the name of the article..please do leave it in the comments..

Besides these..LBSIM's Alumni foundation recently launched it's new all revamped website. www.lbsimalumni.com. So have a peek at it and if you are an alumni. Please do register as well.

CAT and Bells..

They say..More than half 115 billion of India is young..young and ambitious. To me, as a young man from a hard working parent. Being ambitious means, a big fat pay check. Not an all on the line entrepreneurial venture, but the relative safety of a job.

And as every college student in India knows..If you want it big, and want it early..CAT is the way to go. And now that CAT is in the season..I sat down to actually marvel at the ingenuity of Percentile (or %ile as I like it).

Percentile is all about Normal distribution curve. Okay, CAT is also for commerce graduates, so let me talk non gibberish. Normal distribution curve simulates the way our world is. Like in any class most of the students score around a certain score, say like 65%. The farther we move from it in either direction, the fewer are the people we find. Just like in a bell.

So the people holding this bell of the future of hundreds of thousands of young people, slice and dice it into a hundred pieces each having an equal area.

Having equal area means that the first part or top 1 %ile (the leading edge of the bell, towards the right) may have a range of 10 marks or more, where as when we travel towards the mean or the 50th %ile. A fraction of a number may be enough to get you several notches below that next fellow. Same happens as we start travelling below the mean. The range starts getting bigger.

This ensures that, if there is one freak genius. As there usually are several. (You just can't help these number crunchers from IITs) Everyone else does not end up with a sorry figure. One of them could have got in upper 200s and the next one barely a double hundred, but if there is no one in between. The second fellow still is better than everyone else, and so both of them end up getting the top percentile.

So young men, and beautiful women (Yes, its biased. And I decide who is beautiful.) As they say it. Go out and have fun. BELL the CAT.

Take care everyone *peace*

Happy Teacher's day..

Class Representative please manage your classmates. All the students please respond to the roll call. Dr. S K Mishra, Prof Ashish Garg, Prof Mahima Thakur..

Yup this was the way the Teacher's day celebration commenced. Today the faculty were playing the students and the students were the task masters. The day was not going to be easy for our students of the day. There were several lessons lined up for them. And the momentry masters of the show were relishing the opportunity.

After the attendance the first lesson for the students was about being organised. Five of the students were called on the stage and they had to take down some notes, put their laptops alongwith the chargers in the bag, notebooks and pen. All in their proper places. Results being ruled by Prof ............

Now that we were through with the lesson on being organised, they needed to be taught to be presentable. So the next set of five students on the stage please(See we are polite, we talk to the students with a please). Now let's see who is the quickest one to tie the knot. Oops!! It was not the knot, but the tie. Tie a tie. 5..4..3..2..1..go.. Damn!! this was not supposed to be a lesson on team work. Why are two of the students working together on the tie. Something is wrong. The two are disqualified. So the results stated Prof S K Jain is most presentable while Prof Megha and Prof Kirti, you are debarred from any further exams.

Innovation and perseverance are two most treasured traits of any MBA graduates, specially when today we are targeting to train entrepreuners. So lets see if these are abound in our students. Students please transfer the popcorn from the first glass to the other glass with the help of a single straw and you are not allowed to touch the glass or the popcorn rang out the instruction. The puzzle was cracked soon enough. One of the students started sucking his lung full, it seemed he wanted to drink the popcorn with the straw. But now the popcorn was stuck to the straw and the race on its way. Others immediately caught up and the popcorns started moving around. Prof ........... was declared the most perseverant.

Management is not a one man show. You need a team which understands your signals without you ever having to voice them. Or thus goes the wisdom. So, let us see if our students are good at communicating. Five pair of students on the stage please. And plaeas do not form PAIRS. And the students were playing dumbsherads. Jung, Lagan, ...... Gosh!! we need to work on their comm skills. Only two out of five could read it correctly. Sounds like Prof ........... was the best communicator.

Finally we know that any MBA graduate cannot be successful unless they are given the taste of personal success making them driven to achieve lots more of it. The graduation degrees were at stake. Let the Bulls eye roll out. Guys you got to hit the pile of rocks and girls please master the hoops. The condition was, the more you hit the better will be your degree/diploma. The ball, literally was set rolling. Rocks were strewn around..Hoops got battered. And the fun reached its cresando. There was wild cheering at every success. Both students for the day and the students were engrossed alkie. But as every class comes to and end, every good thing in life passes. The day had to end. So we dispersed after a small prize distribution ceremony for the winners of the events.

Perseverence..

Damn!! It's been one busy schedule. Project submissions..assignments..presentations and to top it all we had mid-term assessments. Tommorow Corporate Finance class test with almost entire syllabus. The day after Organisation Behavior assignment with the basic instruction..Beg, borrow or steal but assignment has got to be on the desk in time. Saturday brings along the submission of Bussiness Communication (or Bizz comm) assignment.

The teams go out for the 'Outreach' on friday evening. Mostly returning on next week's Sunday..some on Monday. Hope they enjoy it.

Take Care everyone *peace*

Day 23..The cultural week commences again..

Cultural week started where it was left off, after the sudden demise of Lalit. All of us had our faces painted. Woow..It was great fun. During the lunch, the entire classroom seemed to be a makeup room of some theatre group. There were people going about in all kind of colours, literally. And there were several getting their faces painted, while still others were having fun painting their faces. So, without much ado..entertainment shuru kiya jaye..

Will post the photographs from the other days of this party as well. Till then have a great time.

Take care people. *peace*

A day to a month..

It was late afternoon in the early summers, that the first time I met her. For a few hours that we were together, I wooed her and with a hope to see her again we parted.

Now it was early afternoon in the late summers that I got 'THE' call. Telling me that she liked my efforts and wanted me to try some more. And thus I was admitted to LBSIM, to woo the lover I had been preparing to meet for last entire year. PGDM.

Despite all the preparations, it has been an experience unlike any before. My lover has already taught me that she is difficult to tame, demanding a constant effort. May be that is why they say,

Doing MBA is easy, Being one is not.

Still I will not trade her for any other, because with all the hard work. She is also great fun. Now its been nearly a month since I joined the institute and me with all my colleagues have shared some great moments of fun and some grave moments as well. It was in these moments that I learnt, we are a family and we will always belong to this place.

Once a part of LBSIM, it becomes a part of you.

Take care everyone *peace*

Day 16..Condolence..

It was right at noon, that the auditorium at the top floor of LBSIM was full to more than its capacity and there was not a single voice to be heard. The only sound which could be heard was of more than three hundred and fifty people breathing in unison.

The condolences to our departed friend Lalit Singh were paid. Though most of those grieving had never known Lalit for more than a brief passing by in the corridors of the institute or exchange of pleasantries. But the death had been too unexpected and the grief was all too palpable. The display of brotherhood was poignant. In that one instant I knew, I would always belong to this group of intensely compassionate people.

Take care everyone *peace*

Traditional day at LBSIM

Day 15

Today we had most of our classes suspended and tomorrow we have all of our classes off. Both us and the institute are mourning the loss. Lalit all of us will miss you.

Day 14..A cruel reminder..

Today life doled out a very brutal reminder of how insignificant and expendable all of us are. While most of us were having great fun dressed in all that we could think of, for the standout day. One of our batchmates, was lost. Lost as in dead. The reason for this sudden demise is unknown but as the grapvine told us, today till after 230pm, Lalit Singh, was sitting in the library reading up something. People saw him resting up, but when he woke up in a few minutes..he said he was unwell. The realisation dawned that those few minutes he had been unconscious. He was rushed to the hospital for a checkup, although it was expected to be nothing more than a dehydration in the severe heat of Delhi. And at five, we were told that he had passed away. Cause of death was as of now not known.

I can't still believe it. Though I didn't know him personaly, but I know he had worked at CRPF for three years and was a sub-inspector before joining the insti. So, I assume he was physically extremely fit. Life has cruel ways to remind us, how fickle it can be.

Jo bhi udhar upar hai. bhagwan, god, allah, anyone. Please take care of him. I know you couldn't bear to be without him anymore. But, now that you have him. Please please please do take care him and give his parents, relatives and friends down here the strength to carry on without him.

Take care everyone *peace* Live while you are alive. Don't wait.

*Photographs from the two days of carnival, will be hosted in the next post.

Day 12..Need, want and demand..

Hey people..I am sorry for being off the cloud for so many days. A week, i fear. PGDM is taking it's toll. And so the post today is also about the idea I found most interesting amongthis week's classes.

The idea I had was about talking of the mission statements of the firm's in general. A mission statement is what guides the long term plans of a company. It does not and should not focus on short term goals. It is to act as a beacon to simply guide the ship away from the rough waters and not guide it home.

The mission statement should focus on the needs of the people, like the firms in the business of public or private transport should have a mission to move people from one place to the next. Without focusing on the wants or demands of the people. By wants I mean what people believe that they need, like to satisfy the need of going from place A to place B people may believe that they want an easy to drive, fast, efficient and if possible enviornment friendly private mode of transport. These wants should be found in mid-term focus statement because probably this will be what the demand will be for, in five to ten years from now. But immediate or short-term goals is only what should focus upon the demand. Like with economic slowdown, the demand may be only for a Maruti 800 but focussing on it's demand even in mid-term period is going to see the firm in deep financial crisis.

Khair..for now I am too tired. Will post again tomorrow.

Take care everyone *peace*

Day 7..Celebrations and gaffe.

*Sorry about the Day 6 and Day 7 back to back..but I didn't post yesterday. But was too enthralled upon meeting my companion from childhood (the lanky fella, called Alladin) not to mention him in a post. So, here goes day 7.

Okay, the topic says celebrations first. So, lets talk of the celebration. One of the fellas from general stream got the call from IIFT and thus he was leaving the insti. Although I didn't know him much but we had crossed paths during the ppts seniors had given. So, I got a treat as well. Along with the seven others. I don't pass a good treat, so a diet Pepsi with some samosa. (That is all the canteen had to offer then. And he wasn't in Delhi till the evening. So, no going out later.)

Now, today was supposed to be CID (as we fondly call, Corporate Interface Day). Anyway as this was almost our first week so we didn't know what to expect and enquired from our course co-ordinator yesterday. He said that as the classes had barely started so we won't be doing anything on the CID this week. Although next week onwards, it would be pretty busy. So, we came home yesterday. Many hoping to catch up on some of the assignments we got yesterday. Would you believe, by the end of first lecture on Managerial Economics(ME)..we have four chapters to study and multiple case studies to go through. Besides the privilege of one chapter each from Marketing management(MM) and Business Communication(BC). phew!!

I spent the entire day today in the library, started up on the MM. But after a while it got intolerable, so I shifted to Above Average by Amitabha Bagchi. Okay none of this was bad, I enjoyed the book. But then around 430pm I came to know that while all the time I had been sitting in the library enjoying myself. CID class had been conducted by our seniors. And now I have to prepare and submit a presentation tomorrow in the college, by 5 in the evening.

Then we have a guest lecture and also a grid meeting. Help me..

Take care everyone *peace*

*Waise tonight I am watching the first India WI game. Whatever happens tomorrow. ;)

Day 6..Introduction to the Alladin..

Yup fellows, this is the same Alladin and the genie. He suddenly appeared in our class today. Naah..not in flesh. But as an example. What the hell! What has Walt Disney got to do with management. Seems it does, after all.

The reference was to the quintessential magical line spoken by the lovely blue genie, right out of the chirag, and sometimes from inside the chirag too (Yup I saw him do that too a couple of times, when he was feeling too pally with Alladin, and it was to early in the morning. Lazy lazy genie).

kya hukum hai mere aaka?

And the lesson was, even tough the genie could do anything in the world, all that Alladin had to do was to ask. Still the genie could not read Alladin's mind. So, the most important thing that makes a manager into a successful manager, is. His ability to properly communicate. Both, while explaining his rationale and while listening to other people's opinions.

And thus started the journey, to becoming a manager..a successful one(This was how our first lecture started). I am listening..Post your comments.

Take care everyone *peace*

Day 5..

Today, even tough constantly disrupted by the long hours of power outage and the generators tripping because of the over heating. The seniors managed to finish their presentations. It was a nice experience. Now the classes start in full measure tomorrow. 9am onwards, the timing sucks. Couldn't they have made it a little late, like 1030 or 1100. hehe.

Though it was not all that boring. After the presentations for all the batches were over, we had our first management grid meeting. (Management grid is basically a group, or organisation which is maintained by the second year PGDM students. They act as an interface between the students and institute. Several seminars, guest lectures, cultural events and so on, so forth are also organised by this group.) In this meeting we were told, how PGDM at LBSIM is not all slog. We have several clubs and societies for, drama, music, dance, social engagement, college band and even debating. And all of these are over and above the various academic clubs for finance, marketing, hr, general management and entrepreneurship.

Gosh!! these people saved the best for the last. We are gonna have a fun week next week probably or the one after that. Face painting, heer ranjha and a few others. An event each day. Followed by a weekend (saturday) gathering with all our seniors.

I am waiting for it. Hope to get some clicks. hehe. They said not to be using cell phones in the premises, they didn't say anything about digital cameras.

Take care everyone *peace*

Day 3-4..

Hi. This week has been a little different.

We have not been having any scheduled classes, but we have not got any days off either. :( Basically our seniors have returned from their summer trainings in full force. And they are presenting their reports to the faculty (slide shows).

We are made to sit in during these presentations, so that we can watch what is it that we are going to be doing a year in the future. I have watched dozens of seniors giving thier presentations. They have been to a varied range of firms. Some of them have worked at stock exchanges, others at private portfolio management firms, while there were several of them who have worked at banks, tata steel and all different types of places.

The one place I liked most was the firm doing private equity management. May be I will like to be there at the end of the year.

Tomorrow is not going to be much different either. Tomorrow is the final day of presentations. And then the classes start.

* I tried to do some studying today, in the college library but after several hours of power cut in Delhi, the power generators simply could not take it anymore. So, had to leave early. And didnot get any study done.

* Tried the food in the canteen as well. And to my delight, it actually is good.

MBA Stress..

hiya people..

I don't know how many of you manage such stuff, but I just managed to wake up to the realization that I will be giving my first trimester in just over two months. Normally this would only make me to turn over and sleep again, so that by the time I woke up. I had forgotten all about any such nasty stuff. And you may ask any B. Tech. graduate, they would have said the same.

We engineers are a group of sturdy people who would have gladly said, kya hai yaar..agar do mahine baad ke exam ki chinta karne lage, to masti kab karenge. alas har six months mein to ek semester hi aa jata hai. But, the lingering thought that. This time I am not about to give the exam for the usual 5 subjects, but rather seven. And more importantly, I have no idea about any of these subjects that got my attention.

Where is the book someone told me about, for time management. Gosh!! there is no time even to read this one. Wish me luck people.

Take care everyone *peace*

Day 2..

And it keeps getting better.

Today was the day when we first met our seniors. (Until now they were out on summer training, working at a range of companies.) To the spoiled brat from an engineering college like me, it sounded most incredulous that the seniors could be so polite. I know I am gonna keep liking my stay at the place.

Though, by today itself. (My second day in the college, for the uninitiated.) One thing was almost clear to me. The stay was going to be anything but easy. The pressures in the classes are relentless. Not one class to be missed, by us or even the faculty. (Today one of our faculty members was at the site of our new campus where we are to shift in a few months. So, instead of his class going vacant. Other faculty members took up the opportunity to teach us some more. And I got almost mashed up, because janta thought I called up this faculty member.)

Still as they say, Work hard and play harder. (I am going to make my introductions with economics. So, ciao.)

*Before I leave, something about yesterday, I skipped over one tiny incident. I almost walked in into the girls restroom. hehe. Basically, I had not bothered to look at the sign, and as soon as I opened the door. Something felt amiss, the arrangement of the restroom was unlike any I had seen before. It was then that I realised. There were no urinals. I managed to get out before any harm was done, there was not a girl in sight. And I was not caught either. :D phew!!

Night people.

Take care everyone. *peace*

Day 1..

I entered the campus to a sight of all my faculty out there on the lush green lawn in front of the college building, and doing breathing exercises with great discipline. In that moment, my biggest complain against the teachers was void. Is the discipline meant only for students? And I knew I had made a good call.

The day was a complete surprise. And it kept getting better. As I walked up to my third floor classroom, I passed a couple of notice boards. Where besides the class routines and the welcome letter for all the students was posted. There were announcements from all the clubs and societies informing everyone about their existence and looking for new members. Someone had pinned up a look-out for someone to carpool with. There was even a festive poster listing all the birthdays, for the month of June.

The class itself was good as well. AC, public address systems, overhead projector, computer for the projector. Single seated chairs with space for notebooks.

All of this..and it still was getting better. A mix of students from all the different parts of geological span of India. Kanpur, chandigarh, manipur, assam, rajasthan, delhi, kolkata..healthy ratio of guys to girls and almost half the class is having work experience.

Faculty had a diverse range as well. And all of them certainly sounded like they knew what were they talking about, with most confidence. Most of them a PhD holder, and the rest were pursing theirs, right now.

Okay, I missed out on exploring the canteen during the lunch break. Because I had just realised that the campus was fully wi-fi enabled, after someone took out a laptop in the break. And I was too busy, fussing over the lovely Sony Viao.

The best part certainly was, saved for the last. That was when I crashed in, into the library. Big spacious library, with a lovely carpeting(I realised to appreciate the carpet, because we had to remove our shoes before entering the library and as soon as I stepped on the carpet. The cool mushy carpet relieved me of all the strain of the day, in absolutely no time.)

Phew!! I hope this love affair lasts a life time..

Take care everyone *peace*

Piyush..Got hitched..

Hey people, thanks for all the lovely support and love you showered upon me all this while. But now I am taken.

Naah, people. I am not talking about a girlfriend, and I am not gay..so it's not a boyfriend either.

I got admitted to LBSIM, that is Lal Bahadur Shastri Institute of Management. So, now this blog will take on a newer character as well. About how the PGDM, Post Graduate Diploma in Management affects an engineer. I have never in my life studied finance or accounting and now I will be doing a major in Finance. I guess, I got the shark after me (Ain't this correct, Broca).

The admission was an altogether different surprise.

It was regular enough, but like everything in my life. There was nothing normal about it. CAT, GD, PI..wait listed. That was about it. Even till noon yesterday. It was just after noon that I got the call from college, classes had started from 17th and one of the students had not joined. So, if I was still interested. By, six in the evening. I had been to the college admission office and the bank four times already, collecting, correcting and re-correcting documents for an education loan.

After a complete morning in the bank, I was back at the college's admission office by 4, paying the first installment of my fees, amounting to a little over a lakh rupees. And now I will be in the class by o900 hours tomorrow. Phew!! That was quicker then I could say, Are you joking with me?

Wish me luck people..

Take care everyone. *peace*