[kaptivate]

:smilecol:Hi,

The Xpressions Committee meeting got over some time back. It was quite an interesting session. We had a round for Anagrams, a quiz and then a Presentation on My Obsessions.


The winning team of the BIM Trichy Quiz team, the Mocking Birds, were there challenging our grey cells.

One of the team members is also the coordinator of this club. He conducted a quiz based on his interest of music, sports and cars. The quiz was really tough. But our First year Section A team came first and there was a tie between Section B first year and Second Year team.

The Anagrams were a mix of easy and tough questions. The Second year team performed brilliantly and won the maximum chocolates.

Finally there was a presentation by KG.He spoke on how we should devote time to our interests despite the hectic schedule on campus. He loves to go for outdoor adventure trips.

I have always wanted to learn pottery and salsa. Now I m seriously going to make inquires about how and where and when to do it.

[kaptivate]

:smilecol:Hi,


I don’t like apples. I find their taste revolting. Pretty bitter actually!! However during the break time, a session of 15 minutes, my friends manage to get me APPY always. I don’t mind the fruit juice. I think they manage to better the taste of the core product, the apple, a lot through this drink:rolleyes:.

Most of my friends love appy here. Fast work you see, rip the silver lining and gulp it,, nutritious and tasty.

Products have many levels. So there is a basic need, being satisfied by a core product. The levels increase to expected, potential, augmented and so on. I think I got the levels right. Don’t want to check Kotler for that abhi!!

So let’s say you are an apple. Sorry thr,,cant mange to write without analogies!! What is your basic need?? Some kind of transformation, that makes you more appealing to the consumer!!! But you are not an apple, you may be a prospective B-School applicant or an existing one.

So what’s your need as a student? I give top marks to learning. Any B-School is the medium that transforms you, polishes you, and hones you for the outside world.

There is a particular scene in Harry Porter and the Order of the Phoenix where Hermionie asks Professor Umbridge, “What about using spells, how will we defend ourselves in the outside world” The Defense against the Dark Arts Teacher says, “But why do you need to prepare for the outside world? You will for sure not be attacked there”ha:


The Corporate life is not bad or ruthless but the Survival of the Fittest (and the Healthiest; pun intended) is a must. So what do we do as students to prepare for the outside world? I quite like the IM-NU pedagogy for this. We have live projects, cases, theories, presentations!!

The idea is not to be combative in these as Harry Potter would say. Well our worlds are different and we need different weapons. The idea is to prepare oneself accordingly. I think IM-NU is a great place for all specializations:bigups:. Our family business students are going to USA, Australia and China this year. There are regular conclaves, meetings, seminars etc.

Evaluation as Professor Umbridge said is about seeing how well one knows the ministry approved concepts in a controlled environment:confused:. At IM-NU it is about using concepts in a dynamic way. So think out of the box, present well and get you’re A+. Well if you don’t work a D or an F awaits you my dear.

So let’s say that the drink is ready and the core product has changed its form. In short you students are ready for your consumer. Any Organization is a consumer. It consumes your services and compensates you accordingly. IM-NU with its past 11 year record has placed all its students very well.

But the post is not about the placement. The post is about the journey. So next time you people look at nay B-School evaluate what you will be after 2 years.

My journey is still half done.

By the way, I love Harry Potter,, I love JK Rowling!! Hogwarts is the best,,, wish it was real so I could enroll there and like Rita Skeeter, use a magic quill to pen all pg posts for me:angel:.

[kaptivate]

:smilecol:Hi,


“While sitting on a bench one day,
I thought I heard a young man say,
all poems must have rhythm,
they have to have a rhyme,f
or any work without a flow,
is just not worth the time."

I promptly stood at once and said,
great poems may have rhyme,
but son, do not go lose your head,
you'll never make the climb.”

We are the Lords of the Last Benches(LOTLB),, and yes Lordess exist as wellha:. I was “sitting on the last bench one day” and I realized hey I am not on the first bench!! So you’ll say what’s the difference dude???


Fark to padta hai, the guy on the first bench at IM-NU (second year at least) is the poor soul who has managed to come late to class and since all seats are full, has to manage on the front row:neutral:. But with all due respect my batch ka toppers sit there only!


Does that make me punctual??? U bet it does!! We have a clique. We reserve seat”S”. So a pink Business Standard on a chair is actually a symbol of “reserved”!! and dare you remove the paper and sit thr!! The fury of the incumbent shall destroy you. This post on pg is dedicated to a considerable portion of my life, spent on the last benches at IM-NU.


So what exactly is a typical day in the life of the LOTLB?? Well we study. You have to dude. Else the Profs will not appreciate it. But we also do other things. For instance the maximum newspapers in class are read in the 3rd, 4th, 5th benches. Also we have the best Sudoku players in these benches. Often we keep time limits. The one who finishes a Sudoku in that period gets the waah waah of the entire gang


The LOTLBs are famous in the college for some of the most amazing answers given in various electives. You see we are not about wasting time. We actively engage in issues like how can an answer be made more creative. So you have our Profs reminding all “naughty” LOTLBs to concentrate!!!

Beauty lies in the eye of the beholder
Creativity lies in the tongue of the speaker
And a spark lies in the eye of the last bench ka seater(I mean the last bencher)!!

Bad shayari that was!! But, sometimes the best shayari in between 2 sessions cums from these seats.


The last bench has its own charm, its own stories!! Sitting there I am the king of the class, arre baba simply because in a semi circular arrangement, these last rows are on the highest elevation so that the prof can see all the class. We have the flat classrooms too. But the Semi Circular ones rule the roost!!Life is one crazy drama in the last rows u see.


We admire everything;people talking, people sitting, people pretending to listen, people questioning, people eating, people gossipingIn a space where only 5 seats can come, we bada dilwalaas, rhymes with the Mumbai dabawallas , accommodate about 8 people. I say about because sum ppl are visible only in between two souls!! There is room for everyone.


We never refuse anyone the pleasure of enjoying what the Last Bench offers:angel:. So in case any prospective junior reads this, try the last benches. I am sure you will realize that the last bench is in a world of its own!!

Here’s raising a toast to all LOTLB’s !!


Cheers!!:bigups:

[itsmerusty]

great post kaptivate abt the LOTLB
we the facchas (as u say) are maintaining the tradition of LOTLB...
And i too believe that sitting on the last bench has its own charm...
The prof seems to be very big when u sit at the first bench...Oh My God!!!
i donno abt the second year, but we ppl at times also take a small refreshing and rejunavating nap at the last bench...

Here’s raising a toast to all LOTLB’s !!
Cheers!!:bigups:

[kaptivate]

:smilecol: Hi,


"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;”


And since I was "one traveler" I came to IM- NU. It did take some time for me to convince myself to come here. It wasn’t an easy decision. You see with so much Information Symmetry, it’s really difficult to select between B-Schools.ha:



But silly, this post is not about that,,its about the Sarkhej Gandhinagar Highway , where our home , IM-NU is. The SG Highway as it is popularly called is a fast lane where traffic never stops



“Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,”




So I ll take you through what this highway is all about. Well we have 3 main stops, Gota , Thaltej and then Fun Republic ! So if you take an auto or chagda they’ll ask you, kahan jaana hai boss??



Gota comes first if I move from my college to the city. You get real yummy eggs there. More importantly we have this dhaba called there Rajasthan Sadbhavna. Ill say it is the place to be at if you are at IM-NU:satisfie:. During summers our students went their practically everyday for food. You get non veg as well as veg food there at real affordable prizes. So you’ll have a multicast on ip every few minutes at night,, “any body going to rajasthan?”



Thaltej is the point where we get down mostly. It offers the first link to the city. You have autos there. So you can use a shuttle facility or go alone. I find Thaltej very colorful. All the hoardings there remind one of how fast Ahmadabad is developing.



“And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back”




So if you leave from thaltej the road till Fun Republic is definitely not taken. But let me take you till FR too. On the way a lot of people can be seen waiting for the chagdas to stop. So you may not really be comfy in ur seat. We have The Grand Bhagwati on the way. Guys awesome food, real cool ambience, but damn expensive.But for their Chocolate Moose ,,, I can go their and eat it every day!!




“I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.”



So finally we have landed at FR. We have Big Bazaar, FR , Globus mall in that area. So you may want to get ur daily stuff from Big Bazaar, see a movie at FR and then eat at Globus Mall food court. A little further is our dear Crossword. Not a bad deal to have a cuppa at the Cafe Coffe Day store at Crosswords and read something as well!!




PS – the poem is by Robert Frost, “The Road Not Taken”. It was the piece that admired me to write this post on pg. also if you see the SG Highway ,its a long road , never ending, leading one to IM-NU from the city. I quite like the idea of taking the road less traveled by and landing at IM-NU. It defines me and my identity!!

[kaptivate]

:smilecol:Hi JingBangLot,


(this post was typed last night at 2.30 and posted today at 12.30)

My eyes hurt as I write this one. I mean constant looking at the screen can be a mammoth task. So what do I do then? Do I stop working? Besides completing this post I have to also wait for a friend to come online somewhere around midnight,:sad: complete my consumer behavior assignment, write an article on some idea I am working on , play CS , have a cuppa in sometime and also read for tomorrow’s services class


So welcome to my world; its dark corridors, filled with the ever looming, impending world shall welcome you with open arms. I think MBA teaches us a lot of things. Multitasking is one of them. So between class breaks I manage to run to faculty lounge, placement office and administration for work, meet 5 people, ask 10 questions, and take permissions.



Did I tell you that queries cum in bundles, creatively crafted to challenge your grey cells.
1) So you have a junior asking what specialization to go for?? Aaa…. Slightly early to answer that ,,,,,wait for some time
2) Does a particular prof mark strictly?Well all of them do in case you mess up your assignment.
3) Does a black tie go with a white shirt?? Will it come well in the formal photoshoot??
Ayioooo…. I am walking back in time:rolleyes:.. As seniors sometimes we take these things so lightly. We ask them to chill. Relax. Take it easy.




On our way back some of us also discuss what the particular junior said and whether it fitted in our scheme of sensible questions or not. Let me now come to the crux of this post. I think as seniors we have to be extremely responsible Insti-zens( a combo of institute +citizens)



A formal orientation into a system is fine and cool. But what about the stories and the legacies of a place, the vivid symbolisms and the remnants of a fleeting past:confused?


I think our IM-NU is a good place to practice Instizenship:idea:! I say that because this informal chit chat in the corridors makes us move really fast into a world so distant from the regular sirs and ma’am of an alien society! What’s the big deal if a junior does not call you sir or ma’am? Does one sirring define your identity???no baba



So let me put down certain things that we do at IM-NU to practice Instizenship. Maybe you could add what you do at ur B-School. Wow! pg can be such a great forum to learn about B-School best practices.



The rules are,
1) Train them , then let them fly
In short empower them, even if they are new. We are doing it for all our Industry interaction sessions. We train them and let them compeer and coordinate. Its fun actually seeing that they do so well. Trust my dear is the key here


2) Talk to them , then let them Communicate
In short tell one person what needs to be done:sleepy:, let him get his gang and pass on the message. We do it by inculcating leadership qualities in them from the very beginning. It brings in accountability too


3) Tease them, then let them Create
In short, ensure that you talk about their super seniors. This will make them conscious of their legacies and their culture. After that let them set new standards in work and appreciate them


4) Tutor them, then let them Score
In short, you may have people who are shit scared about accounts or quant. Teach them if you are good, you have plenty of time for that in second year. Let them score and build their gpa’s


5) Toughen them, then Challenge themha:
In short, engage positively with them, have regular club meetings, ask them questions and make them participate in events where they win and bring back laurels. We conduct quizzes, presentation in clubs so that they get a hang of how to handle the prizes when they win them!!


So dear juniors keep working hard, you guys rock the place:bigups:!!


PS: eyes still hurting, friend still busy with his work,:neutral: not online, second article will begin in 10 min, may have a field visit tomm, do not want to study
Pleasure of writing this post,,its PRICELESS:infinity:!!

[kaptivate]

:smilecol:Hi JingBangLot,

I have a friend who is a place com member. This post is dedicated to him.

"Mirror Mirror on the Wall,
Who is the Busiest of them all???"



Well since I cannot mention his name, let’s say his name is x. So dear x if you read this mail and manage to understand that the erudite kaptivate is dedicating this post to you, please buy me a kit kat!


“All men are equal, some more equal than others”:vamp:
X is the second type, the loved one of all the junta, he manages to attract work like bees get attracted to honey. He messages me on ip that he’s busy and if I am up he will ping me later. So I thought I might as well dedicate this one post, to the time I spend waiting for mr x to return and solve my queries.



When I met x for the first time, I was not impressed:neutral: But today I know what were they looking for when they selected him in placecom. So x is a 17o+ cm guy. He was standing in the institute with some ppl when we first met. I found him patient. I say that because he waited till my work was done and then approached me



Later as days passed and I got to know him better, we did a presentation together. He has really good communication skills. Half of the batch was there waiting to listen to him. During the course of the presentation I realized that he was absolutely awesome in selling his ideas to people. His convincing powers are really good. X, I think that is cauz of your age. And I know you’ll kill me if you see the age thingee here:(



X is an active member of the batch. He helps damsels in distress, gives people ideas to do there work better, manages to win prizes and national competitions, is not only limited to extra currics and does a host of other activities. He also has prior work ex.I think x is a fairly good judge of people. Though some of his decisions (like taking xtra work), I do not approve of.



X is restless as well. He does not stand straight. He keeps moving. Sometimes he looks like a zombie cauz it has been days since he has last shaved. Yet in spirit, he’s like a 2 year old kid. Call him up at dawn, and he is there for you. X multitasks. So even if he has 3 assignments lined up, he will always have time (though even in that people ask him to come back immediately)to listen to how my day was.



More important than anything is the fact that x is passionate about his work. People enter his room at 5 in the morning:-?, he gets up from bed and chit chats with them. After they leave, he sleeps or does his work. What I am trying to say is that he is everyone’s agony uncle. So he will knows what troubles people, what do they expect from placecom and what should he do to reassure them.



The only thing that x does not do is take care of himself. So you have dark circles coming under his eyes now:nervous:. Running around in the campus, helping in a variety of works, X’s innovative ideas are respected by all.



The purpose of this post was not to discuss x . It was to tell any prospective junior vying to become a placecom member that being x is not easyha:. Trust me, it’s a process where you will make friends easily but you will be a vacuum, juggling between tasks, catching glimpses of these people as they’ll alternate between you and your tasks. So at 9 tomorrow, when you have your paper, you will still have a batch mate curious to know if you have thought about how to get a company y on campus. No I am not scaring you. All I am saying is that the life of a placecom member is not a constant. It’s a dynmic multi hued virtuous spiral.



Today x told me, “kaptivate you asked me to apply for placecom”. I did x, I did .And I am so glad I did. Maybe the next batches will be able to understand what responsibility is, from you, but also that accountability is an intrinsic value, it comes from within and that you a heady concoction of the two



Cheers to you!!

[kaptivate]

:smilecol:Hi JingBangLot





“Abou Ben Adhem (may his tribe increase!)
Awoke one night from a deep dream of peace,
And saw, within the moonlight in his room,
Making it rich, and like a lily in bloom,
An Angel writing in a book of gold::angel:”




All of us at times complain that the system we are a part of needs to change. It is a manifestation of chaotic, incongruent, random rules that are not conducive to a holistic development of any individual:sad:




But what we forget that any system is a 2 way mechanism, a virtuous spiral, that can reciprocate in kind. Often what one needs to do is work accordingly, mutually and try for what can be done. So as post graduate mba students, perhaps this poem by James L.Hunt can be a big inspiration.




“Exceeding peace had made Ben Adhem bold,
And to the Presence in the room he said,
"What writest thou?" The Vision raised its head,
And with a look made of all sweet accord
Answered, "The names of those who love the Lord.ha:"




A system records, logs data, has eyes and ears. No I am not saying that you work for your records to enter the system’s MIS. Be yourself. Be natural. Work, as for the next of your life, this system, will be a part of your identity.




"And is mine one?" said Abou. "Nay, not so:dontgeti:,"
Replied the Angel. Abou spoke more low,
But cheerily still; and said, "I pray thee, then,
Write me as one who loves his fellow men.:satisfie:"




More importantly work for the common good, the good of the land (ur batch). Trust me collective development leads to increase in productivity and performance.




“The Angel wrote, and vanished. The next night
It came again with a great wakening light,
And showed the names whom love of God had blessed,
And, lo! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest!”

-- James Leigh Hunt



So as you move out and new tribesmen take your place, tell them about how as a part of the system, you all were constantly churning a new process, inside out. Sometimes that’s all you need to do. Abou will be remembered not only by God but also his tribesmen as he loved them

You shall be remembered as a person who worked for the batch and redefined what the institute stood for!

Cheers!!

[kaptivate]

:smilecol:Hi JingBangLot




When the sun rises, I go to work.
When the sun goes down I take my rest,
I dig the well from which I drink,
I farm the soil which yields my food,
I share creation, Kings can do no moreha:.
- Chinese Proverb, 2500 B.C.

This post is dedicated the juniors at IM-NU



Well for the ignorant lot; let me say that Talent Night is one of the most sought after events at college. It’s the time when first years put up a cultural program for the faculty and the senior batch. This time TN is on the 18th, which is Saturday. With just about 5 days in hand the pace of activities has increased on campus tremendously



So “when the sun rises” these fucchas get up for college. Hardly sleeping these days, one can hear people practicing till the wee hours of the morning:bigups:. Today however the section b folks did not preread and now they have a rescheduled lec!!



Anyways , even the profs, though strict at times, really love all of them. It’s such a nice batch. i have heard that there is a play, some dances, songs planned for the evening. Did I tell you it was a 4 hr show???



However this post is not dedicated to TN solely. It’s dedicated to the extremely sincere boys in first year. I mean trust me, they manage the time to study, attend classes, finish work, and also choreograph the dance for girls. That’s really cool



So we have one mr y who has managed to impress all the boys in the boys’ hostel with his dance. Today morning in ERP class, someone was talking about him. Well good going mr y :wink:!!



So as these kings and queens create magic on 18th in the IM-NU auditorium, all of us are surely in for a great time.

PS- The Cornetto Chocolate Cone:icecream: is absolutely awesome. Just had one

[kaptivate]

:smilecol:Hi JingBangLot

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY. Its 15 min past 12 as i type this



Spanish Proverb:
Habits are at first cobwebs, then cables.
This happens because they are consistent, often unconscious patterns and constantly, daily, express our character. So it’s up to us what habits we inculcate.



As I always the environment you are a part of goes a long way in shaping your habits. It is this journey from the extrinsic to the intrinsic that shapes you as a person. All of you have some or the other habits. However I really wonder why we indulge in certain of these in the first place?



For instance I was Re-introduced to pg by a friend. The habit of posting regularly each day has its own merits. I plan my day, keep looking for ideas, and keep aside half an hr to type it, edit it…



The purpose of all the posts that I write, as this friend exclaims, gets clear after the subtle clutter of advice is sieved:whatthat:



So for all of us, I think its very important to cultivate habits. More so because once we leave this place, the secure realms of or B-schools, it will keep us sane and close to our eternal selves.



I think there are a variety of things that one could do to be busy yet keep time aside for personal development. Yes habits can be a very creative way for getting good grades as well. ;-)



For instance all the 3 pointers of my class are voracious readers. A new book, a new article, ideas, thoughts, dailies... These lords of the A grades (LOTAG) read as if there is not tomorrow. It is indeed a very good practice you see. Not only does it prepare you for your placements but also the applause that one gets in class for discussing a new point is great



One of my friends spends some hours daily reading research papers on databases. Indeed a very good practice again. See whatever domain you want to specialize in, these papers are a very useful way of getting in touch with the latest happening in that field.



Finally as Charles Reader says,

Sow a thought, and you reap an act;
Sow an act, and you reap a habit;
Sow a habit, and you reap a character
Sow a character, and you reap a destiny.

Sow habits that shape you as a person when u leave your B-school.

Ps: My mom is after my life to have juices. She says taking good care of your health is the most important habit. So I tried Real’s litchi juice today. I found it really nice!!