What PaGaLGuY.com means to you! Contest Over - The thread lives on...

[harshasaripalli]

"Anybody can pilot a ship when the sea is calm.....!"

It was november 2006 already....!....and i still haven't cleared a single AIMCAT(all the three sections simentaniously)......

where ever i go ......wat ever i do.....frdz around me always talkin about stratagies to crack the CAT.....all of them were stalwarts in their own style and were ready to attack the CAT.....but me...frustrated... ....

head down....shoulders dropped.... smacked down in hot summers of chennai......

dejected and depressed...went back to my native .......decided i am no more a hunter of cat ......

5 days to go for the D-day.......all stalwarts sharpein the blades of the axe......but me planned to atleast start preparin for gmat.. ..so started googlin
......

accidently i came accross this pagalguy and out of temptation started readin slowly some of the cat forums.....

thanks to all those signaturessssssssssssssssssssss........!

Man they really changed me...........inspired me like a helllllllll.......!
"When all others can do it....y the damn cant i......?"

no more dejected,neither depressed nor out rated.......my heart beatin fast...n my fingers on keyboard movin quick.......

And i never looked back in those crucial 5 days..... ........

it was not orkut......it was not yahoo......but its pagalguy.com ...i started off with,each time i switch on my system.

And now i have 96.4%le...........never ever dreamt like gettin such a decent(if not good) score b4 i saw pagalguy.com.......

i repeat... "Anybody can pilot a ship when the sea is calm.....!"

any coachin institute or any other website can guide SUCCESSFULLY highly talented ppl.....but for confused average ppl LIKE ME only pagalguy can enchance the value of the bugs......!

mannn.....u puys really rockkkk......
thanks a lottttt for all those posts which helped me to keep my head up.....

IN SHORT....If No pagalguy , i would have been one more rat to this deadly dangerous cat....!!!............



me hopin to be active in this forum as along as my fingers are active.......!

[beldcat]

Finally a chance came when i can write up at least some thing ab8 my feeling ab8 this loved place of mine PG land.....this is one site which always kept me hooked to my pc...my internet source for every thing let it b digi cams or mobile phones i find them here....any kind of movie review,books reveiw or blogs address i type pagalguy.com and here it is.....
the story starts some where back in oct 2005 when some body told me there is a site called pagalguy who is by the managers from xl and IIms who meet and organize some work some thing like this ....as usual i just logged in and made my id with my own name soamaansh took me around 3 weeks i was not able to understand the working....left visiting the site thinking it a complete waist of time ,time passed then here comes 31st oct...when i read an article in Times of India bell the cat....and some reference of pg in it......so it was bound for me to log in again and create a new id...i made it beldcat and the journey begun......month passed ..and sb was down nvr knew wats sb is all ab8 ......thinking thinking and Sb was started again ....after technical up gradation...and i was introduced to few friend of mine whom i found on SB and prep agenda 2006 thread,its_kul,samsite,deepu.....candy .....and many more......
There after its been PG is my home page ...though it made me internet addict but i have no regrets for that.....the love for pg is growing ..the kind of help it has given me......the best part was interaction with so many IIM ppl....it made me so confident that i used to have each and every info b4 any body in my group got.....The part of mods have been gr8 they are as always helpful....and are doing a wonderful job......I feel like without this forum my life would not have been of such a kind as it is now...the words...called THREAD and FORUM for me are now PG...The kind of motivational experiences i have from here i don't think one can get from any body..the help from fellows who are pg users and are in IIMs is one thing which make u hooked to this place...there is one thing i believe i cant live without internet in future its because i cant live without PG.....its like u live where ever what so ever b ur town any backward area in our country but if u have PG with u ,u have every thing u require to b a manager.....u have the right kid of exposure u want to b a manager...let it b the material...the right approach...the right relaxation ...every thing ..exists in these infinite threads.....guys i think any body of us can write pages ab8 this place which has made my surfing worth....
Best of luck to u all....Keep rocking

[candybean$$$$]

*candybean enters on her swanking new B.E.A.N and lands into the thread and realizes her writing talent can be of some use to PG*


I joined PG in early 2006. Didnt know a thing about the forum then - how it works, who posts and what kinda people are here. Not to say that I had no clue about how a forum works .

My first posts usually rattled off on the Agony Aunties thread . Courtesy - My never ending mood swings causing a plethora of never ending problems. The feedback and the help that I received was amazing! Didnt think that so many people can be so helpful without even knowing me.

That was what started my journey on PG and am still going strong!!!

But the real journey started in June last year. The first time I visited SB! People are overwhelming in their enthusiasm! Naach gaana 24*7 Kya life hai!!! Oh yea and well..nice TP for office waala's

Thanks to PG I have my resident Agony Aunt! And my Agony Uncle aka Neelabh! I can call him at 3 AM to cry and laugh!

PG has given me friends for life!!

One occassion that is important to anybody is his/her birthday! 61 people wished me on PG on my birthday!! Touching! And a wonderful feeling

Coming to what the forum is about! YemBeeAye Prep! The punchline says it all! Its a haven for people prepping for MBA! You find people from virtually every B skool in India and abroad! I have met people from IIM A/B/C, MDI, JBIMS, IITs, FMS etc etc etc... none of these people have any attitude problems(something I presumed B Skoolers come attached with ). I have made extremely good friends with them! And have received gyaan to last a lifetime . And unlike what C.R.I.M.E told me..errr! I cant crack the exam if I dont study 6-8 hrs a day, I cant do it cos I aint an engineer etc etc! Puys just told me to take it easy be determined and I will survive

During my CAT prepping days -which unfortunately started in August - I used to be down and out most of the times! But everytime I used to log on to PG there were people who were always around to boost my morale and to tell me that I can do it! there's no point of losing hope, CAT is just another exam which has just been hyped by coaching institutes etc etc! Of course pep talk makes anyone feel better! ..

And the 'All I wanted to speak about CAT' is one thread which makes me cry everytime I read it Its just as someone attaches the entire meaning of life to this one exam and then when the results dont come as expected everything just shatters but well..as they say life never stops! CAT comes every year and every year brings a renewed energy and enthusiasm to crack the exam . Its a wondrous joyride to read what people have done to reach where they are right now.

Most of my fast track prep was done through posts on PG! VA, DI, QA ..the forum is a Pandora's box of information! Find it and you will be blessed!!

In the last week, I repeatedly went through the Last Minute Key Posts on CAT thread! It was my lil bit of doing something about my pathetic QA

Even though my CAT score was pathetic ( to say the least ), my crying marathon evoked calls from all of my good friends on PG- it was comforting! And it made me forget about this temporary failure and move on to prepping for other exams!

Even now when I am down and out, all I have to do is logon on PG and move to SB! The entertainment never stops there! Thanks to Mahip, Bugs Bunny, BuzzeG, Rani, Pendyal, Pooja, Nikhil, Mansoor and Bullet waale FC Unkill And of course hawasthi's occasional shouts!

I love PG and even though I quit some days back, I came back. Hell! Isnt it better to read the posts as a member rather than as a guest

There have been days when I think where my life would be had it not been for PG!! PG has made me smile in my most trying times! It made me believe in myself when my mock scores came at a pathetic 37 %ile. It has given me gyaan from some of the most intelligent people I have met in my entire life -- words of gold u see .

PagalGuy is not a forum! More than it, its a community which is so close knit inspite of the geographical barriers! Rock on people!!!

[bindlishsonia]

I landed up at PG as most of us do..as a “confused” MBA aspirant whose life seemed to go nowhere…
Was one day surfing CL’s prepzone forum..n there I saw this link talking bout yet another site www.pagalguy.com
n I was like..wat the hell..dont ppl have much better thngs to do..”pagalguy” – koi aur naam nahin mila kya??
But den with nothing to do…juss thot of loggin into dis unknown site..made a user ID..
went thru cat related forums..didnt evn go thru newbie’s guide..
n yet again a thought rushed through my mind wen ppl were discussin bout their GD, PI experiences….are ppl so “selfless”..cant they post something wrong juss to deviate some1’s mind…after all u r gonna be an “MBA” – u gotta be ‘selfish’
so I refrained myself frm posting…remained a silent spectator for a month – asked my queries n logged out after getting my answer..
But I dunno..one fine day wen I was browsing thru a thread..i came across someone’s questn to which I had an answer…solved his/her query.. n one “thanks” from that puy changed my thinking…
I started posting, gt into discussions, made frns … PG became a part of my routine..abhi tak newbie guide nahin pada tha maine..n my surfin was limited only to cat, snap n other xams walah sections…SB, Chit Chat toh suna bhi nahin tha maine..bt yeah the “addiction” had startd to build in..
Kahin admission nahin hua..ek k baad ek exam barbaad hua…phir nazar padi..chit chat aur SB pe…I still remem the first time I shouted at SB n mahip said “sonia..u on sb ” – a little bird had started to spread her wings!
No calls yet..aate bhi kaise..poora time CL bunk jo kia tha..sat for college placements..gt thru the written n interview round of MCKC (nt dat I want to tell all dis, bt its related to PG).. n in the interview..i was asked wat do u do in ur free time..i answered, I surf internet, chat..the interviewer asked which site n dis was my answer “pagalguy dot com, google..dats it”..
N the interviewer goes like dis “ pagalguy wat???, can u please spell it for us”
me – ya sure sir, n I did dat…I was rejected ( MCKC jana bhi nahin tha mujhe..mera hona bhi nahin tha ”
interviewer met me outside after the selections gt over..made me write bout the pg site link again on a sheet of paper…n said “will go home n surf dis one..it sounds different”
The site to which I had looked down upon once..had by then become a lifeline..


The forum, the people, frns , everyone is so awesome…u ppl rock
From shouting on SB to attending PG meets...frm postin on cat related threads to chit chat section..i have enjoyed my stay n will always do…

There’s so much to write n I know dere’s no wrd limit prescribed for the posts here..bt den I want ppl to thank me..groans are welcome tooo…after all I have written the truth..n it has gt some nt so good thngs in it too…

One last confession – till date I have not gone through PG’s newbie guide
Sorry!

Love ya puys
Sonia

[pagalguy]

Belief in people & humanity. PG allows me to believe in all that and more and dream more and be more. The days when we used to have 12 people online to nowadays when we see 600 people online - the one thing that hasn't changed is what the people mean to each other.

PG means more to me than what I can convey in a few words or sentences. PG is an extension of my belief in what people can do and also it allows me to believe in the power of the community. In the last year or so, we've built an office, have the bestest of people working at the PG HQ and we've so many more plans. It has then become a dream for many more people - least of all me. People come in to work at PG, people browse PG - both of them dream of a better future. I dream of a better future. I dream to build a company that lasts. I dream to lead a life that I can only dream of at the moment and PaGaLGuY.com has allowed me to do that and more.

For all the moments I've taken myself too seriously, I come to PG and end up grinning like an idiot seeing the lives we've been able to touch. It makes me proud to be a PGite and today the site has grown upto a point where it teaches me more everyday than I can lead it. Friends, fame, life, dream, vision and a future insane life - that's what PaGaLGuY.com has given me. I pretty much grew up here.. Starting this site when I was 21, till today when I am sitting pretty at Wharton, it has been a helluva ride and its all been due to the people I've met here.

Being a PaGaLGuY is a way of life - we all are pagals and this is what binds us all together

[chuck_gopal]

This is going to be a long, long, long, post... So please bear with me.

I'm not doing this to win a tee, I already have one. I just want to get across what this wonderful site means to me.

March 2003: Decides to try for an MBA

April 2003: Wonders if the IIMs is what he really wants. After all, advertising was an interest...

May 2004: As if sent from above, MICA features on the front page of an IMS magazine. Read it, fell in love.

Nov 2005: Wrote CAT.

Jan 2005: Got 95.5, as expected. MICA call for sure.

THE EARLY DAYS...

At this point of time, 8th Jan 2006 to be precise, while frantically searching for MICA gyaan on the net, a certain invention by S. Brin and L. Page helped me stumble accross a forum... Sounded funny, but hell, it looked good!

Got in, and just read through... And it was incredible - people who shared the very same feeling as I did about MICA - People who knew it meant something more than an amorphous element - people who thought like me!

I wasted no time in registering... And being a part of the community.

So that's how I came to know about PG. What has it meant to me, since?

Early on, it was a way to interact with people who wanted exactly what I wanted - a great place to exchange gyaan, meet similar-minded people, and share our experiences... It was wonderful... We had people from ad background, media, MICA seniors, and of course, the usual truckload of engineers all aiming for the same thing... To me, this was amazing... The power of the internet, a wonderful forum and a lot of insanity...

Along came the MICAT. And the enthu was palpable... It felt so bloody amazing to be part of the insanity...!

And now that it was all over, I decided to see what else was up on the forum - and I was taken aback. You had threads for so many things... So many interests... So many crrrrrrrazy people...!

THE RESULTS...

And when the MICA results came out, I was devastated. For two days, I couldn't bring myself to open PG... And then... I got onto the site, and I see people asking, What about Chuck, did he get through? I looked at this and thought to myself: Crap... If these guys have so much faith in me, why am I losing it?
I allowed myself one more day of mourning, and decided the past was past.
MavericK messaged me after MICA, telling me to listen to my 'five favourite songs' - an obvious allusion to a post on a thread of the same name a few days back.

THE RECOVERY...

I got back onto PG... Making more friends, making more PJs, helping out people whenever I could, and - oh okay - spamming
It felt wonderful... Everyday, I'd meet someone new... Someone crazy... Someone dedicated..!
Many of my best friends today are people I've never met... Whenever I get a fresh PJ, I forward it to the PG list I have on my phone first

AND TODAY?

And today... When I look through that list of friends I have on my phone... nikhilkulk, ninja_talli and BUGS are my favourite PJ victims :P

estranged_gnrs sent me a tee shirt for which I still owe him a treat

Mahip gave me the best birthday post ever
With uRmad, CATrix, somname, stormrage, catch-it, Arun MAK, Baby, rpradeephere, guy_next_door82, Hanuman, karthik_h65, prahalad, maverick_srikan and a few others... We had a Chennai meet (with some of the above) and I forged relationships with the rest... (Guys, the GD meets after work idea is still on ) ... It felt great... Something I lacked in a small town like Thrissur was junta to practice GDs with... And when I landed in Chennai, I made sure that I wouldn't let the opportunity slip.

PaGaLGuY taught me humility. I got 95.55 and was expecting a MICA call. Big deal. Move over, buddy, there are guys with 99 and applying for MICA.
I read two issues of Pitch. Big deal - there are guys who can rattle off agency names faster than Akhtar can bowl.

I got 98.xx in a mock. Screw you, pal, there are 2000 people above you.
Not that I got an inferiority complex
But when you share a community with some of the best minds around - guys like Apurv Pandit, Rohit Awasthi, Allwin himself ... Guys like Grond, j0... You know that you're rubbing shoulders with the best... It teaches you whatever you do, there are guys better than you. In the words of a Lowe copywriter, "You won an award. Remember, there are guys who've on thousands. So what are you, peasant?"

THE PRESENT

To me... PG is now life. Guys who've looked at my phone wonder what that odd yellow sticker is doing at the back. People wonder how I had the guts to wear a black tee with the pic of a smiling devil at the front (yes, estranged, that was the factory defect wala thing )...
One of my proudest moments was getting out of the cab at the CAT center and hearing someone remark.. "Hey! A guy from PaGaLGuY!" after seeing my tee-shirt...!

I proceeded to do crazy things to make sure Rohit's banner made it to all major entrance exams in Chennai.
PG is so much a part of my life my parents know what the initials mean.

And today, when I log on to PG... I see the madness... The desire... The sheer helpful nature of some people... PG to me is not just a community... It's not a website... It's almost a part of me now (which part? :satisifie... The PJ threads... The birthday threads... The arguments on the rock threads... Oh and can anyone forget my hoax 'CAT results out' message during the PG Mumbai meets?

PG also helped me improve my writing, but that's another story

Thank you, PG daat caam.... For everything... The support, the gyaan, the relationships, the fun, the pain, the everything.

Insanely yours,
ChUcK

Added as an afterthought: TIME named 'You' as it's person of the year... Because of 'Your' contribution in the new web - YouTube, blogs, etc did what traditional media couldn't. In this same way, I would say PG gived MBA aspirants what formal coaching instis cannot.