IIMA Beckons - My 2010 HalfTime Story

Aah, at last !!! just more than six months it has been and concluding the chapter of vibrant last few months which has seen a mix of the most volatile engineering days (last semester) clashing with my CAT exuberation and its aftermath perspiration (read interviews) to start a new chapter in a new city in a new institute (yey IIMA) with the old memories still all lying fresh in my heart..

Thought of dropping a line here at the beginning of the year when there was everything but all I could hear was the placement buzz, later when the deadly CAT results chose to pick me, then about the interview sessions, about the sleepless nights, about the train journeys, ah the sad wait-lists, the last sem thrills (guess you got the point), or jlt as a counter to a friend who started his blog; LOL people even asked me to jot down my own interview experiences and my cat preparation - none of 'it matters, atleast for me they didn't; And here I am today getting myself all packed up to leave and now after a couple of my friends warned me about not being able to squeeze time through the responsibilities 'm bound to face next to write a blog, I thought of writing one small (or big, whatever) note - a note as a remainder for myself of the drama that life can offer rather than as an obligation to my friends.

How great the days have been - when did I first thought of CAT, when did I change my earnestness from GRE to CAT (guess i know this one, the day i completed my GRE exam :D). Solid prep in my ps2 days - thanks to my Broadcom mentors for their absolute cooperation, a virtual reality has been grounded upon me. The day still rings fresh when my dad called up and informs me of my 99.48%ile (yea heard it wrong :( it was 99.94%ile) while i was happily enjoying myself in the Baga beach.

IBM - A lone company that could identify my hidden engineering potential :P, offered me a job, which I had to reject now but would have easily become my only choice if not for the CAT needs a special mention in my story

Essays, Group Discussions(GD), Personal Interviews(PI) probably the only things in my mind throughout March and for the most time in April. Attend mock sessions but do listen only to what you want to - attended a couple of them, one by going to Mumbai n between.. aah one mock interviewer directly asked "do you really want to get into any IIM or is it that you have some other job/idea in mind?" What were they thinking or rather what was i answering; Never understood how the interviewers decided the fate of shortlisted guys by a 10-20 minute interview which had the highest weightage among the three. Asking a girl out looked much easier (which was the toughest thing for me till now :( ). Slowly things have changed and I too got used to the shouts, screams, outcrys of the GDs where u need to be calm and listen, but still should have made your point, to the interviews where you need to be honest but never tell them the true reason behind choosing their institute, essays where you can write as much as you want in a single sheet or in a 10minute leisure. To add to the agony of them, the journeys literally squeezed me out - the Train travel chain should suffice to make one understand:
Goa-Mumbai-Goa-Bangalore-Delhi-Bangalore-Vizag-Bangalore-Goa-Bangalore-Hyderabad-Goa

Party time in the institute with everyone(most of them) being placed in some or the other company(treats scale independent of the offer scale). The campus suddenly felt alive at 11:30pm in the evenings(yea evening), as everyone returned to their respective hostels in their own inexplicable styles.[skipping the goodbyes part - there is nothing good in a goodbye]

Amidst the FIFA world cup '10 (waka waka), trembling earth quakes, results blunders thunders, I seem to be in a different world of my own, feeling sad for leaving a few behind, never knowing when to meet again, not knowing what the future has in store for me(definitely 2010 turned out to be a hit till halftime for me) in this continuous game of life of races. Ready for the battle, hoping for a few (silly but important)things now
* good internet connection (no blocking fb please)
* sleeping my standard 8hours a day(used to b 10hours at BITS); 1st step in my wish taken already - IIMA introduces afternoon classes for its students on alternate basis (and me in the 1st slot :) )
* cheap std call package
* good accommodation and food; no KFC :(
* one good club to join (no interviews again please)
* hmm... forgot the rest


Yea almost forgot to add
My Website created this summer :)
http://sn.im/yvsajay
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