Vritaanta Volume 2 Issue 1 August 2015

White White Collar Collar1Hilltop HeroesSIBM Pune has consistently produced dreamers, winners and achievers… and the tradition is set tocontinue for years to come.You thought getting into business school can we learn to adapt to our changing circumstance —was hard? Just wait until you step onto the first step in an education in business.this sprawling 300 acre, all-natural campuson a Hilltop.Saying No and Prioritising are KeyHeavy workloads and high expectations are just part ofUsed to working 50 hour weeks? Start preparing forthe pressure cooker for first years. The tempo can also90-100 hour weeks.be overwhelming – and it’s not just because of the academicload. “Little could have prepared me for the deli-Graduated near the top of your class? So did most ofthe members of your cohort. In fact, I’m sure you’re cate academic, social, and professional balance thatprobably muttering, “So much, so fast” after the first takes place at SIBM Pune. The number of activities andweek. Let me just say this: the pace doesn’t relent, events happening during any week is astounding”, admitsVaibhav Gupta (MBA I, Innovation and Entrepre-certainly not in the first gruelling year. One simply hasto adapt to survive.neurship). Indeed, saying ‘yes’ to most opportunities is a“The hardest part of business school is realising thateverything you thought you knew about prioritisation,mental stamina or your relative level of intelligenceis basically false. It’s humbling, but all too true.For instance I had to redevelop and adjust myselfreally quickly; all while being bombarded by the firstround of coursework this semester”, says ShreyasiMehta (MBA I, Marketing).Needless to say this transition leaves many shellshockedand riddled with doubt in the beginning. Thesooner this realisation occurs, the better and fastertemptation that most MBAs succumb to – initially, atleast. But one has to admit eventually that it takes a toll.“Saying aye to everything though can eventually catchup and leave you stretched way too thin at times”, saysSwati Gupta (MBA I, Marketing). To get by, many studentsmake trade-offs – ones that prepare them for difficultdecisions they’ll soon make when they return towork. After all every decision taken has an opportunitycost attached.Having said that, participation in such events does indeedreap rich rewards. There are behemoths that providethe opportunities for India’s best and brightestminds ranging from improving their strategising skills ina simulated ‘War Room’ (Mahindra & Mahindra), daringto dream out ‘LOUD’ (Godrej Industries) and case-studycompetitions such as ‘Interrobang’ (ITC Limited).August 2015