Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Preppies are in...

The preppies are in and the campus rocks....just got d LAN settings...An intangible feeling it was...the first day...actually I'd say 'a bit lost' would b the mot juste for it!! What with the red brick walls all around thou :) :)...

All of us've been dispersed among scads of Dorms in both New n the Old campus... Place is very humid...u walk n u start sweating...u stand, u still start sweating...I wonder If they've deliberately put AC only in the classes n Comp centre..lolzzz

evenings r free n v generally have a get-2-gether at night...little bit of entertainment...lot of diversity in d present prep batch itself..2 docs, 1 from army (self), mixtue of comm/engnrs...with n sans work ex....

As per d FPM guys in our dorms, this iz d only time u get 2 enjoi on campus...Well!! v sure are..
batch is goin for a movie at 6 today...

Rest of thou...enjoi at home n do come here with lots of goodies...

Monday, May 28, 2007

Was it all clockwork carefully wound by Him???

Two years hence life was so different. Try this... I was one of those fortunate kids who graduated from College of Engineering, Guindy, Asia's oldest technical institution. I had no regrets for missing out on the IITs probably because our college was ranked in the Top 10 and our Alumni held equally prestigious positions worldwide. Yet little did I know that our college had been losing its sheen in the recent past and that the onus of putting our college back on the world map was solely on us students. By the time I realized the changes in the New World Order, it was too late. The so called IT boom had taken its toll and was successfully luring some of the best talents for 'virtually' well paid jobs. Needless to mention I was one of its victims too.

As electronics engineer I had short-listed four career options. While an IT job was almost guaranteed, searching for a core job was still a herculean task. Realists gave their GREs and managed admits from America’s famed institutions. A handful of geeks even decided to do it the tougher way dreaming to do research in IISc and IITs. There was a fourth kind who took over their father’s business or joined b-schools. While I had no interest in doing research I was damn sure that taking an IT job was suicidal. So I decided there was no harm in giving GRE as a backup plan. But within a month's time the placements season started and I was destined to convert my very first interview with Tata Consultancy Services. I distinctly remember the way I felt about my first success that I often cherish and laugh my ass over it till now.

It’s very interesting to see how your career decisions get skewed when you realize you have a well paid job in your basket of options. Thank god I didn’t get placed with Biggies like Microsoft for I wouldn’t have realized the real ‘me’ then. Hailing from a not so wealthy family I can understand how many Indian dreams get buried under a pile of cash. Suddenly GRE seemed a costly affair and too uneconomical at least for my family situation. I didn’t want to join TCS either. It was at this juncture I had to do a serious self-introspection and was surprised why I had ruled out going for a b-school. I could ascribe three reasons for not having considered it. One, no one in my family lineage was a businessman. Two, I didn’t know what MBA can do to a person and Three, securing a seat in IIMs is the toughest of endeavours one can fancy(At least that’s what people think). I was also aware of the fact that from now on whatever silly decisions I took was to decide my entire life. After serious deliberation and consulting from well wishers it seemed that I was way behind from what I would do with my life and an MBA would be a professional way to identify my real passion.

Everyone knows that a work experience can always come handy and is mandatory in the west for getting admitted in a b-school. But having decided to work one has to decide what kind of experience will add value for an MBA. Now that explains why TCS suddenly became a god sent gift. I believe the kind of learning a prospective MBA aspirant gets in a services company like TCS is no less than what I would have gained in Microsoft except for the technical excellence which is of no importance to me. Of course I don’t deny the fact that a Microsoft in my profile would land me better jobs even after a MBA.

Two years have gone past and when I deliberate on the events that have shaped my recent past, I am overwhelmed. I couldn’t have asked for more from God and I am about to embark on a historic odyssey to discover myself shortly. After having decided my career there was no reason to turn back. I went on to enroll myself for the best coaching available and I made sure I left no stone unturned since it was a make or break situation to me. There was no room for second chance. Now my hard work has paid off and here I am scripting my success story. :)

If you didn't know, companies like TCS and Infy are the breeding grounds of future leaders. One won't be astonished to find someone from the next cubicle sitting for CAT. One gets to meet different people from different cultures and different walks of life with different needs and wants. TCS is the place to understand Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs. You get to decide what you want to be there. You will find achievers yearning for big things in life and poor souls dreaming for onsite( no intention to hurt anybody) co-exist with seamless integrity. The corporate experience has indeed been earth shattering and enlightening as well. In the sense, it has given me a taste of the real bad world out there.

Was it all clockwork carefully wound by Him?? Or is it a mere coincidence that things have been getting better and better? According to Second Law of thermodynamics things left undisturbed should get more unordered everyday. In short the entropy should always increase. If my guess was right the day Murphy wakes up should not be too far. By the time he does I should be inured enough to take on any uncertainties in life.

Thursday, May 24, 2007

Made it in, at last :)

A dream come true. A dream that had its genesis sometime in 2000 (yup, circa 2000), is at last bearing fruit, a wait period of about 7 years, just like any of the innumerable govt saving schemes that abound!!

This journey from Mumbai to WIMWI took me through the plains of Bangalore and Hyderabad to the Texan oilfields to the British Midlands.
Quite a circuitous route (or in US terms, the "scenic" route", but I am there at last!!
A little bruised and battered, but I am there at last.
Maybe a dent here or there, maybe a few kilos more here or there (now thats an understatement), but I am there at last

I am sure that the next 2 years of our lives would be the nearly THE best time that we would ever have!!

So here is to Class of 2009 at the WIMWI!! :)

Monday, May 21, 2007

Hopping onto WIMWI !

I have jumped onto many a roller-coaster. Kept my eyes open for some and closed for the rest, felt the world falling apart, and then stepped off and disappeared into the mystic mist.

As I hop onto the WIMWI roller-coaster, I am not quite sure what to expect. Hindsight's taught me not to buy too much on expectations but let life take its course, but as with so many of life's lessons, you just don't learn. You keep making them again and again.

Well, before I step on this time, I am going to come in with an open mind. My expectations? Fin/consult/marketing/operations?? No, I don't know and I am going to pray that I would get some time off to stare out at the stars and let them answer these and more. For today, I can only hope that I get a chance to choose a profession where I can put in that extra drop of sweat with a smile!

Great Expectations, Charles Dickens would be impressed!

Sunday, May 20, 2007

Welcome onboard

A warm welcome to everybody here on this 2yr long trip on this ship called WIMWI...
Itz gonna b tough, at times just swell, at times d most happening place 2 be...
Whteva it maybe, these 2yrs are going to b the most memorable times of our lives. This blog is the place where the next batch n others r gonna find whtz rife at WIMWI n v'll mk it happening...

As for me, I'm the only fauji (I guess), in d batch, haven't even seen college life ppl (NDA..thtz why....}wanna see tht too...
So once again, ciao dudes n dudettes...Welcome 2 d Second home!!

ciao
.

The New Life

Wow! It feels so wonderful to be posting here. Like me, almost all of us were just dreaming that they would get a chance to study at WIMWI (at least when we first started preparing for CAT).. Seemingly impossible at the outset; just a wish may be..
But now here we are; ready to embark on the most memorable journey of our lifetime. I have already made friends with a lot of prospective batchmates and the interaction so far with seniors has been wonderful too.
This collaborative blog is a great idea where we can share our experiences and put down our opinions on anything that may concern us. We can use it for discussing the happenings on campus, any social, political, economic, sports (blah blah) issues, or just for plain gossip. There need not be any underlying theme on the posts here.. Let the blog flourish on its own. :-)

Happy Blogging and Congoz to everyone on making it to WIMWI!

Test

Testing the post

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Thanks,
Sumant.