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THE FTGMP DIARY
Raison D'etre:
It's been over 6 weeks now and probably a little late in the day
to be writing a diary abt the FTGMP experience. But let's just categorise it as
Memoirs and be done with the 'why now' part of the story. If this page gives you
a feeling of deja-vu and brings back the joys and pains of the 10-weeks spent in
IIM-B, then the mission of this article has been accomplished.
The initiation into IIM:
Starting off with an inauguration on a Sunday afternoon, 1 hour
after checking into the IIM-B campus, wasn't exactly my interpretation of a warm
welcome. And after a quick mandatory intro about the philosophy ('we wanted your
moolah'), objective ('we will get your moolah if you have not paid already') and
disclaimers('we are not into the hospitality industry, so shut your trap for the next 10-weeks'), the first installment
of textbooks and additional reading material was dumped in our laps. Infact as
the course progressed, these surprise appearances (text-books/materials) became
almost an expected phenomenon everytime we returned back from our tea breaks.
Case Studies:
Initially it was awe-inspiring to be reading case-studies from
Harvard and Stanford Business Schools. Gave us a pseudo-sense of pride, almost
making us think we were on the same IQ level as the Harvard geeks. But the
enthusiasm was short lived once we started struggling to wade through these
torturous mammoths that almost resembled mini-novels.
Of course some of the home-grown cases were far easier (almost
entertaining) to read. The IIM-B profs get full-credit for that.
The Pace:
The first week's pace seemed nerve-racking, as our poor brains
fought hard to come up to speed. As the profs had promised on the first day, it
took us just about a week to come get used to the pain. Most of the core
subjects, some re-christened with exotic names, were taken up in the earlier
weeks. The back-to-school mindset slowly eased into the routine and started
enjoying the idiosynchrasis of the teachers. That's how the
Golden-words (insert link here) series of mails made it's entry.
Bottlenecks:
As the Fully-residential clause wasn't mandatory, most
participants from B'lore had chosen not to stay on the campus. This made it a little tricky to co-ordinate the team
meetings for case/assignments/project discussions. Unlike a full-time 2-year
program, the individual objectives and motivations of the participants wasn't
exactly in the same line. Probably this was precisely why, the first get-together planned wasn't
really a spirit-lifting experience. After a few pegs lubricated the parched
throats, the vocal-cords and lungs of the group generated sounds that weren't
the best way of ending a get-together. Some guys felt, maybe the outburst was
long-overdue. The silver lining was that the veil of politeness and formality
were shattered in that one night.
Yoga to the rescue:
All this chaotic activity mix desperately longed for an outlet,
which it saw in the form of the Yoga classes that were being conducted in the
mornings/evenings. The residential species were luckier coz of the timings. The
charm of acrobatic postures and the hope of health concious babes, pulled in the
crowds in large numbers initially. Once reality (and bone-twisting pain) struck, the numbers dwindled down to a handful
of sincere ones.
Yercaud outing:
Probably the directors felt sympathetic towards us after 7 weeks
of non-stop action. After thrashing out the options for the outing location, the
choice zeroed in on Yercaud. (More details about the trip to follow.)
Bonding:
Unfortuantely, the much hyped bond that develops between
participants of medium to long term programs was conspicuous by its absence,
in the first few weeks of the program.
Blame it on the non-mandatory nature of the residential clause. Some attempts
were made to set the stage - Team dinners, common IDs, Tommy's booze/pasta
bashes. But the effects were far from exciting. But somewhere around the halfway mark,
things started changing for the better. The Yercaud trip acting as the catalyst.
PGP kids:
During the stay at MDC, the brief encounters of the PGP (2 year regular program) kind
provided a few insights into the insane pressures, schedules and aggression that
they are subjected to. An executive program seemed like a walk in the park,
comparatively. Almost each of the PGP guys maintained a biological clock that
defied conventional wisdom. And to note that they managed to stick to it for
months consistently was both awe-inspiring and scary.
The Profs:
This being a sensitive area, let's keep it fairly diplomatic.
But seriously, most professors were really good. Almost all were very well read and abreast of
the latest trends in their respective fields.
The Campus:
The IIMB campus is located a little outside the main city area,
making it almost an ordeal for people who chose to commute back and forth daily.
Those that opted to stay inside the campus had the luxury to attend morning Yoga sessions.
And more importantly, Zero commuting. Well, that's if you belong to the species that believe
commuting is an activity that requires some association with wheels. And, Oh Yes!, the flora and fauna
(not the 2 legged-variety) around the Campus made every minute of the stay there worthwhile.
The Food:
Someone out there in the canteen, strongly feels that cooking oil is going out of fashion
and insists on making hay while the sun shines. Thanks to the generous helping of grease and lubricating
products in the food, my joints have stopped making the 'Krreeak' sound that I had grown to accept over
these years. My only source of protein being the occasional ant or fly that fell in my food.
I am still trying to explain the weight gain during my stay there.
All said and done, if I had to do it all over again, would I do it? Absolutely!
Going back to school after almost a decade of being away from it all was a great feeling.
Contributed by - Sameer Kamat