Hello.....
Suggest Joinasb seems to be a really frustrated guy/gal..... But may I suggest that he/she is not necessarily correct in almost all the points raised. My friend Karunakaran has given a reply as comprehensive as it is possible and I have very little to add.
Some of the issues (like the plate issue) are really laughable, i must say. Why cant he/she make sure that his dahi and pickles and other stuff don't get mixed up? After all they keep them in different vessels... And btw, washing one's own plate is not such a big task, is it? (You are required to wash only one plate, if you use only one..I promise! )
As for the point no: 1 , I cannot remember ASB not being a separate building, honestly. Its true that everything there belongs to the University and you have to take permission to use the conference hall etc., but I don't remember a case where it didn't allow us to hold our meetings on time.
Point no: 2 is spot one with the Neelkamal chairs. But I for one believe that what is happening in front of you is more important than what is supporting your hind part.... Not allowed to talk to girls??! Gimme a break, yaar....are you telling me that I spent half my time in ASB with creations of my imagination? No cultural progs??! Unless you are a fan of DJ parties, you won't have too much to complain about. As for internet, students don't get access to the Wifi network, but you can always get a Reliance or Tata Indicom modem to go with your lappy (I had a Reliance Modem, which I rarely used)
As for the food, I agree that it is not to the liking of most Non Southies
and even some of the Southies, but its not as horrible as it is made out to be... But then, we told you upfront that if you cant put up with south style veg food, please dont go there, didn't we?
The hostel accomodation is one of the best you can get among comparable b-schools. Single rooms, bathrooms which rarely run out of water, 24 hour power supply etc. make them worth the money.
Its true to some extent that the security at the gates will treat you without much appreciation (esp if you turn up drunk). But then, it is not entirely unexpected in a campus which houses an engineering college as well. And I must add that Amrita has a strict NO RAGGING policy. Retribution will be swift. (You will see seniors who are scared of the word 'ragging' )
As for placements, I can only say that a B-School is only as good as the job market. If IIMs can find it difficult, so will tier 2 ones. Our batch was fully placed before we left the campus, but some of us (including yours truly) lost their jobs in the aftermath of the global economic meltdown. But to blame it on the BSchool will be childish. If you are good enough to get to Amrita, you are good enough to get a job outside as well....
And to add to all these minor points, what we really learned from two years in ASB was more than the sum of its parts. I am not really a devotee or Ashramvasi, but I believe that the two years I spent in ASB is the best thing to happen in my life. I don't know how to explain it, but I must confess that Amrita does leave an impression upon you......
PS: To all those who have joined ASB and wondering whether they did the right thing: Please keep an open mind and proceed towards ASB. Its not the building or the chairs or internet hubs that makes an MBA.....its you and the people around you. And you will undoubtably find some great people out there.. All the best.
Mayan R
ASB Batch 2006-08