We never run short of things to do at IIM Indore: Somya

IIM Indore

It’s the possibility of having a dream come true that makes life interesting.” – The Alchemist

Yes, that’s pretty much what I strongly believe in.

Mathematics has been my favorite subject since I was a kid and due to my inclination towards reading about technological advancements, I went on to take Science as my stream. The interest continued to grow during my undergraduate education, when I chose the Electronics & Communication stream (BTech). Robotics and Embedded Systems fascinated me a lot.

In the third year of college, I started to develop an interest in Management programmes, so I began searching and gaining knowledge of the same. The personality of the top-notch business leaders, and their analytical and problem-solving skills, left me awestruck. The amount of exposure students got in top B-schools was incomparable. The hands-on experience on various real life issues through live projects, and teachings at these colleges were something I was really looking forward to. I wanted to be in this “smart and upbeat” segment of the society. The interest grew so much that I decided to go for it.  This is why I started preparing for CAT, and here I am today, at IIM Indore.

How I cracked my college admission

I started my MBA preparations seriously after graduating in 2016. Other than CAT, I gave NMAT by GMAC and IIFT Exam. I signed up for XAT too, but couldn’t give the exam.

I used the study material given by TIME wisely for preparation, while also using Arun Sharma’s books for Mathematics, Verbal and Data Interpretation. For Logical Reasoning, the TIME study material was sufficient. I enrolled myself for the AIMCAT test series from TIME coaching center, and gave those tests seriously. To be honest, I struggled with most of them in the start and saw percentiles as low as 30%le at times, but I was determined from the beginning to work hard dedicatedly till the end, and hence, I tried improving the scores with every test I gave.

I used to sit down for around 2-3 hours after each test result and analyze it thoroughly to see what all went wrong and why. That, as per me, was the most crucial part during my preparation.

To work on verbal ability, I used ‘Word Power Made Easy’ by Norman Lewis. I used to go to jogging parks in the morning with my mom and sister, where they would jog and do yoga, while I would sit in one corner with this book.

In the evening, I preferred doing 2-3 caselets of DI (Data Interpretation) or Logical Reasoning as per my schedule.

I remember occupying one room in my house, where I didn’t let anyone come in since that was my preferred area for preparation. It was my all-in-one area for studying, sleeping and eating. I used to stick all my schedules on one wall, and the list of colleges I was aiming for on another wall. My dream college was FMS, Delhi, majorly because of its ROI factor. I even got a call, but I couldn’t convert it into an opportunity. My bad.

Nonetheless, I was obliged to get into IIM Indore, where my life has gone through an enriching experience so far. 

Life at IIM Indore

The campus life at IIM Indore is frenetic, exhausting and strenuous, but it never gets monotonous. We are loaded with numerous facts every day and still, we aren’t fully updated.

We never run short of things to do here. Assignments, classes, case studies, quizzes, clubs, committees, interest clubs, live projects, case competitions and what not.

The classes here aren’t like the usual ones we used to have back in school days. Instead of jotting down class notes and mugging up later, we work on real life cases and look at ways to solve them. The classes are spread throughout the day, some at 9 in the morning, some at 3 in the noon and others after 10 in the night.

Among all the competitions, and being on toes all the time, we still find the time to network with everyone we meet. We find time to practice our hobbies, be it dancing, playing a guitar or reading novels. I, in particular, like involving myself in sports. I remember people telling me that I won’t be able to manage sports with the hectic curriculum at IIM before joining. To their surprise (and frankly mine too), I managed both well from the first month of the first term. I played volleyball and throw-ball in a lot many events, and even won gold medal in all of them. I am a part of events such as Udaan-an IIM Indore marathon and Utsaha- the annual marketing fest of IIM Indore. Other than these, I am the coordinator for Spic Macay, IIM Indore chapter.

Everything we do here at IIM-I, clearly sets us apart from the rest of the crowd. And I am not talking just about studies. For example, the Rural Immersion Programme (RIP), which involves a week-long trip to various rural districts of Madhya Pradesh.

And then, in order to cultivate team-building skills and leadership skills, which cannot be imparted merely through textbooks, the PGP2s are sent for Himalayan Outbound Program (HOP) every year. I mean going to visit exotic locations as a part of the curriculum. Isn’t it just exciting?

The past one year has given me plethora of opportunities to grow, not just professionally, but personally too.

To conclude, I must say that life at ‘Planet-I’, as we like to call it, is one hell of an experience.

About the Author:

My name is Somya and I am a 23-year old Electronics and Communication Engineer, who aspires to be a successful businesswoman in the coming years. I am a classical dancer trained in Kathak for 7 years, and a volleyball player. I like exploring myself in different domains and looking at my past experiences, I consider myself as an optimist with a positive outlook on life. Also, I am an ardent supporter of animal welfare.