LIFE @ SCHOOL OF RM FROM STUDENTS PERSPECTIVE
SHIKSHA GOYAL
UR19099
MBA-RM
Life at XIM University- A Continuous Evolution
Evolution? Have I heard it right? Yes, My friend. The life at XIM University is a continuous evolution of your personality. You start changing as being a person who wakes at 8 am to being a person who sleeps at 3 am and again refreshing herself at 6 am. While at the initial days when homesickness is on its way, a burden of huge list of assignments make a situation even more pathetic for a fresher like me. And then a question pops up……Are we in the right course??? Answering this question after investing a handsome fees turns out to be a sore point. But it is not the culmination my friends. Relax!! And do remember, when the going gets tough, the tough gets going.
Here comes the turning point to our journey of this 2 year residential campus, as after breaking the shell of the comfort zone in which we are surviving for the last 20 years( it may be more, in my case it is) we start enjoying the life here, assignments are no more a pressure rather becomes a self-challenging task of proving yourself, that see, I can complete them before deadlines, when group assignments become a reason behind meeting, chilling and at the same time studying, the life starts becoming entertaining. This rigorous timetable may prove to be harsh at the beginning but don’t forget it is the pathway of making you as a professional and churning you as a person. You start making friends, you start socializing more and you start building connections and with this process the homesickness behind a fresher starts evaporating as now he has a family here too, A Family away from a family. You start concentrating more on enhancing your skills and starts participating in each and every competition that goes around because now you have started thinking from the point of view of making your CV the strongest, and now as I have told, here comes the evolution in thinking pattern.
The formals become your favorite dress and mails replaces your WhatsApp significance, making connections on LinkedIn becomes far important than accepting the friend requests on Facebook, you start experiencing this beautiful journey. The interaction with seniors and seeking their advice on various matters lend a helping hand in understanding the framework around which the college works. In XIM University, we are also provided a mentor in the form of a senior to whom we can share the things starting from homesickness to Time Management and can also ask questions like, how to study the particular subject and sail through it. Quiz, the word which before you got to listen occasionally, now becomes a regular phenomenon for you. The events like X-Capade again restores your faith that fun is also a part of this journey and provides you a platform to showcase your hidden talents and at the same time provides a break from this hectic schedule as it is rightly said, creativity and intelligence goes hand in hand.
In all these stuff you don’t even realize a month passes away and now it’s a high time to start preparing for the mid semesters and final exams. In a nutshell, it is a journey full of thrilling and entertaining surprises, a gift full of sweet and sour memories, sharing the experience till now what I have come into contact with and eagerly waiting for discovering more and more new adventures which will change me as an individual as I previously said, it is an evolving process and will make this journey of two years the most memorable one.
ANURAG DAS
UR19007
MBA-RM
Every institution doesn’t build itself upon the bricks and mortar, but the very essence of what we call experiences and memories that lingers within the four walls. There are moments which seems never ending and some which you don’t want to. It’s a whole package of flashbacks which takes you through a rollercoaster which you will cherish for the time to come. Since its inception, School of RM has been a very dynamic school of XIM University which gives you the podium where you orchestrate your 2 years of MBA experience in a very holistic manner, having an numerous ineffable moments as it is rightly said…”MBA-plus programme” indeed. Here along with the normal MBA courses you get to see another part of yourself which you never thought, would have existed. It transformed me into a much more reflected person of what I was, my personality and my perspective towards society changed a lot, as it brought the human inside me. Here I got to learn how and what I can be more than a mere commercial package ready to be delivered to the corporate workshop.
Starting from the beginning of my journey, School of RM has sculpted me to see what potential I had and what can be used by me for the betterment of the society. Being a rural manager, it’s my duty to give back to the society in a very managerial way. School of RM provides us with all the resources and the ambiance you need to flourish in your career as well as in your personal life. Its pedagogy is such that it makes you to explore yourself from different angle, introspect and channelize that energy to become what you want to be in future. It has a broad spectrum of business and development courses in its curriculum which is being taught by veterans in various domains with the right balance of industrial and ground level exposure, which is essential for a rural manager in progress. The vibrant culture of the school is what makes you fall in love with the place, with kinds of emotions and actions hustling within the campus life. For me, it has been a wonderful relationship with the school for which I am glad, that I got converted and opted to cherish my MBA life as a rural manager.
Education is not preparation for life, education is life itself, so live to the fullest…. “Carpe Diem”
SHASWATI SAHU
UR19042
MBA-RM
“MBA is not like any other post graduate course where you go a step further with your academics, it is about growing as a person in a holistic way”- I could feel these words after joining School of RM resonating within me. Being an electrical engineer with 2 years of work experience in the IT sector refined my technical knowledge. It made me understand how electrical machines work and later on gave me the idea about how coding can be done to automate those machines. Those big buildings filled with machines and computers disconnected me from the human side of the industry. For a techie like me, joining MBA-RM in School of RM comes as an overwhelming surge of feelings which engulfs you and throws you in the reality, the real India. School of RM introduced me to rural India, its real problems and its unimaginable and untapped potential. School of RM has taught me how to be a human manager where I need to understand the human psyche before doing business. It made me socially responsible. It made me human again.
Well, School of RM has not been all rosy for me too. Though as a software engineer, I have worked in multiple shifts, but what hard work actually is, I understood after joining this B-School. MBA-RM being an “MBA Plus” program requires effort-plus from you. The never-ending days with sleepless nights started feeling normal though once I found equally dedicated students and faculties around. The student-run committees give you an understanding of how you need to manage a bunch of teams and work as a team at the same time to achieve a certain goal. That vibrant committee culture of School of RM introduced me to RRAC (Rural Research and Analysis Committee). Being a part of RRAC made me realize my inclination towards data analytics and visualization. The research environment drives you to work harder in the field of academics and give your 200% because everyone else is doing so.
Long story short, School of RM has made me realize my potential to the fullest along with keeping my humane side intact.
SASWAT PATTNAIK
UR19040
MBA-RM
When the term MBA is heard, many of us think about business and management. For me it is always Multiple Balancing Alternatives. “MBA is not only about academics” is a common phrase heard in most of the B Schools. For me it is a way to manage one’s academics and integrate it in the real scenarios around us. I am a commerce graduate and served as a commercial analyst in TESCO before pursuing my post-graduation. The first year of hardship in my B School has come to an end and the key take away for me has been making choices. After a hectic day of jam packed schedule, all one need is some time spent alone, but welcome to the world of B Schools where you hardly have any time for yourself. It trains you to compete in the real world and conditions you well enough to become a spontaneous decision maker.
My journey in School of RM has been a hell of a ride, where I found sanctity in classes and thanks to the group assignments I learned how to collaborate with people having different opinions. MBA in Rural Management is not one of the regular courses and therefore some amount of extra effort is required to cope with the course. Thanks to the faculties and the people around me, I learned the art of managing my time more efficiently. There are extra-curricular activities and committees which keeps us occupied all the time. I am a part of the Rural Research and Analysis Committee (RRAC), which has helped me to grow academically and helped me build skills for my future. Sometimes it feels really frustrating, but that’s the fun part which we realize after the completion of the task. A feeling of achievement is something one can have many a times, given the opportunity one gets in School of RM. Hopefully the remaining one year is as fruitful to me as it was in the first half of the course.
POOJA DASGUPTA
UR19027
MBA-RM
For someone who had been out of academics for six years, the brick walls of XIM University, Bhubaneswar felt like a welcome change on the very first day itself. Bustling with fresh energy, ideas and positive vibes, this place has its own charm – the blooming walkways, the open skies, the tangible and intangible exchange of knowledge.
Being a student of Rural Management, I can vouch that this university provides an excellent academic culture. Contrary to popular belief, Management education is highly research oriented, but is not just limited there. This place has something to offer for every sector, field of interest. The academics are a good mix of classroom and practical learning with enough room for engaging fresh ideas and out-of-the box thinking.
Besides credited subjects, this place ensures that we learn and holistically develop through various other activities and conclaves. It lives up to its values by ensuring that we are socially responsible and environmentally conscious. The various committees play a significant role in this.
SHABARI SATYARUPA
UR19041
MBA-RM
“The purpose of learning is growth, and our minds unlike our bodies can continue to growing as long as we live” – by Mortimer Alder.
To keep learning and keep growing is what motivated me to join MBA. Being an agriculture graduate I always had an inclination towards the rural India but the urge to know the it at its very grass root level pushed me to join this MBA – RM course at School of RM. My journey here at School of RM has been a roller coaster till now. It has made me nothing but stronger in every aspect, as I look back to the earlier version of me, I feel more confident, composed and most importantly organized. All this is because of the school’s rigorous curriculum. The rigorous academics combined with the extra-curricular activities made me learn how to manage time efficiently and the student driven campus skilled me on how to handle a team and pull-off an event. The sleepless nights completing assignments, daily quizzes presentations all felt normal when we see the enthusiasm of the faculties. Every faculty here is very proficient at their respective fields. Innovation, creativity and thinking out of the box has always been encouraged in the campus. Classes are lively and interactive where we share and respect everyone’s view. This MBA – RM course offered by School of RM is an MBA plus course wherein along with all the aspects of MBA we learn sensibility and empathy towards others. To me joining MBA – RM at School of RM had been the best decision of my life as it succored me in exploring and realizing my potentials and using it to the fullest.
ASHWAMEGHA PAI
UR19066
MBA-RM
So what is life at XIM University all about? Is it about those classes that leave you mentally drained but content? Is it about managing the submission of the assignments just a couple of hours before the deadline or is it about walking around the lush green campus just letting things take their course without thinking about the ‘ifs’ and ‘buts’? So what is it really about?
A schedule that is set to sail you through the course; an entire week that is filled with sessions, meetings and leadership talks or seminars. There is barely any time to waste, the majority of the time you will be somewhere, running around the campus trying to figure out quick and efficient ways of completing your assignments in limited time. Life at a B-school is like a sand glass, for the time starts ticking right from the moment you enter the campus, you need to learn to manage your time and resources well enough to overcome all obstacles and make the most out of your course! However, in between such a demanding schedule too, you need to master the art of sparing some time for yourself, which you can use to nurture your hobbies and skills. With a hectic schedule comes great stress, but the whole game is about taking mini time-outs in between to recharge or refresh yourself, and Hobbies are a path leading to the same!
Never had experienced hostel life before. Growing up in a fast and furious city like Mumbai, I could only imagine how living in a silent, serene environment would feel like. XIM University has become a second home for me. The lush greenery in and around the campus is to die for. I could experience the beauty of every season, especially rains in winter! (A rare phenomenon in Mumbai). XIM University has given me a plethora of opportunities to hone my skills and grow as a professional. It is truly a home away from home and has given me a family (friends) away from my own family. A lot many things to learn right from academics and life skills to understanding the value of ‘Ghar ka khaana’!
Nevertheless, every single day brings up a new challenge, a new adventure in itself and a whole lot of love from the doggos and pupperinos on the campus!
PRAGATI ISHA
UR19084
MBA-RM
It was not an easy decision to quit my job of three years and then come back for studies, but one thing that was very clear to me that I have to pursue MBA. With all enthusiasm I was ready to return to a student life. Right from preparing for exams till boarding to the college, every moment is unforgettable. The journey started with a mixed group of people, few belonging to my age group, few younger and few elder to me. That itself made this journey different from rest. Knowing people with different perspectives and learning from them, sharing ideas, making presentations, meeting the deadlines, group activities, sleepless nights all became the part of this journey. Since I belong to engineering background, so initially it was difficult for me to cope up with the subjects that were new to an engineering student like me. But gradually it helped in getting a vast knowledge of so many things.
The best part of MBA is here you will get everything to learn which is relatable to this real world, be its economy or sociology, all the subjects helped me to learn a lot. Teachers coming with different background really helped me in enhancing my skills and knowledge. Now coming to the life apart from Academics I was lucky to have good friends and without them i can’t even think of surviving in this college life. Thanks to the late night x-walk, night mess which were the boosters to our daily life. Lastly, it’s a totally different journey not like other masters, though hectic but a value addition.
SOMDUTTA DAS
UR19046
MBA-RM
Memories can make you smile or fill you with terror. In a time when the visual stimulation of the daily life that I am accustomed to, is missing. My mind is flooded with memories, some beautiful and some to be forgotten. A particularly recurring one fills me with joy and loudness at the same time, and everything is as clear in my mind as the table in front of me now.
The most important day of my life until then, I had just got the offer letter from XIM University. Within a few days, I took off for the magical place where my dreams were supposed to come true. Walking through those gates for the first time, I was nervous and terrified but all the hard work flashed before my eyes and I walked in with my head held high and a smile on my face.
Life took on a new course and pace after that, managing studies, attending classes, assignments, organizing events, committee tasks and every other thing possible to cramp into twenty-four hours. I was very curious about the hostel life at the college, as it would be my first time living in such a hostel and with each passing day, I could not have been happier. The competitiveness, the chaos, and fun everything happened there. Campus life in XIM University gave me the exposure to things I have never experienced before. The classes that start in the morning till 6 in the evening was tiring enough, but each class has something different in it to keep everyone goes. “The life at a B-School starts at 11 p.m.”…This saying is so true. The late-night walks, the assignments, projects, committee meetings, games, and sports. Being a shadow member of the functional committee of the School of RM, I learned what responsibilities mean. A platform to utilize the skills that had never seen the light of the day, discovering more talents that I thought I never had and developing them daily. This indeed is a magical place, that doesn’t only make the dreams come true but inspires to dream bigger.
The School of Rural Management is a premier school in the field of Rural Management which helps a student in building a path to the future. RLLE, the 45 days Rural Living and Learning Experience in an interior village of Manipur was a first-hand experience for me and it showed me a part of life that I had never known the existence of and the experience was serene. RLLE would always be a lifetime experience and which I will cherish throughout my journey.
And ever since I walked in through those gates, every day has been my best day.