THANK YOU !!
Those two words are an attempt at expressing gratitude to all who have taken time from their immensely hectic life the past year to share.. It has been through you all that we've begun to experience life at ISB much before setting foot there..
Whether it's applications, interviews, day - to - day living, placements or partys.. there's always been posts about it.. posts that we as admits have spent several hours reading...
I know there are many out there.. the future members of the classes to come who, I am sure, will greatly miss the posts... So it is in this tradition that we "the class of 2008" open-up our blogs.. a window to ISB 2007-2008... Hoping that we will be able to do what all of you have done so well in the last year...
So here's a toast.. To all of you..
Do look into our blogs, we'll keep you updated with all the happenings...
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Friday, March 23, 2007
Some borrowed gyan..
The other day, i was with some friends, all MBAs except me.. I had a hard time catching up with them.. They were so full of fundas and theories about practically everything under the sun.. And there i was hapilly listening to their BSchool stories.. Dreaming on..
One interesting piece of advice that i got was:- Give a lot of GYAN. So my friend says, Chandan, there are four types of people; the smart ones, who always keep giving gyan to others. Not my type.. I thought. So i asked what is the second type.. He says the dumb type.. Ok. So i must me the third type then. I asked again what is the third type. He says the lazy type. He quickly added, that the ISB selection process elminates the dumb or the lazy types..so i must be the fourth type.. the crazy type.
He reasoned that only the crazy spend 97% of their money on 3% of their life.. you see, i will be 31 when i graduate. so one year is 3% of 31. and i would have spent 97% of my money for tution in 3% of my life duration. So i must be crazy.
I did not want to agree with him..so i did something very intelligent. I called my mom. I explained that i need some gyan so that i can show off to my friends. and you have to help me.
So she asked me.. Why are you goin to ISB? I said i have three reasons.1. a good friend circle, 2. knowledge and 3. some sense of achievement.
So the first gyan was about friendship:- "Between today and graduation day, you will have to go through hell. you can't make it on your own. So dont forget, when you need it, ask for help. Dont let pride, or inhibition come in the way. It is the exchange of favours, a small economy in itself, that builds bonding. But you have to make the first step. Trust me. There is always someone who is smarter than you. If you are stuck, just ASK FOR HELP! And slowly and slowly, you will have the friend circle on which you can depend on throughout your life."
The second gyan was about knowledge:- "The biggest impediment to learning is EGO. Dont let your ego stop you from learning from a younger guy. So my mother said, Chandan, in any argument, just shut up and listen first. You might be wrong. Never assume that you are right, just because you come with some experience, or have been successfull in your past."
The third gyan, was about accomplishment:- "The grades that you earn in this one year will stay with you for life. So stretch to your peak. And then stretch some more. This is one fine oppurtunity to redefine your standards of excellence. Dont blow it. Work hard."
So with this borrowed gyan, I WISH YOU AN ASTOUNDING YEAR AHEAD. Welcome to the Class of 2008.
Chandan Panda
Type:- Crazy
Class:- ISB 2008
One interesting piece of advice that i got was:- Give a lot of GYAN. So my friend says, Chandan, there are four types of people; the smart ones, who always keep giving gyan to others. Not my type.. I thought. So i asked what is the second type.. He says the dumb type.. Ok. So i must me the third type then. I asked again what is the third type. He says the lazy type. He quickly added, that the ISB selection process elminates the dumb or the lazy types..so i must be the fourth type.. the crazy type.
He reasoned that only the crazy spend 97% of their money on 3% of their life.. you see, i will be 31 when i graduate. so one year is 3% of 31. and i would have spent 97% of my money for tution in 3% of my life duration. So i must be crazy.
I did not want to agree with him..so i did something very intelligent. I called my mom. I explained that i need some gyan so that i can show off to my friends. and you have to help me.
So she asked me.. Why are you goin to ISB? I said i have three reasons.1. a good friend circle, 2. knowledge and 3. some sense of achievement.
So the first gyan was about friendship:- "Between today and graduation day, you will have to go through hell. you can't make it on your own. So dont forget, when you need it, ask for help. Dont let pride, or inhibition come in the way. It is the exchange of favours, a small economy in itself, that builds bonding. But you have to make the first step. Trust me. There is always someone who is smarter than you. If you are stuck, just ASK FOR HELP! And slowly and slowly, you will have the friend circle on which you can depend on throughout your life."
The second gyan was about knowledge:- "The biggest impediment to learning is EGO. Dont let your ego stop you from learning from a younger guy. So my mother said, Chandan, in any argument, just shut up and listen first. You might be wrong. Never assume that you are right, just because you come with some experience, or have been successfull in your past."
The third gyan, was about accomplishment:- "The grades that you earn in this one year will stay with you for life. So stretch to your peak. And then stretch some more. This is one fine oppurtunity to redefine your standards of excellence. Dont blow it. Work hard."
So with this borrowed gyan, I WISH YOU AN ASTOUNDING YEAR AHEAD. Welcome to the Class of 2008.
Chandan Panda
Type:- Crazy
Class:- ISB 2008
Monday, March 19, 2007
Strange palms....
Hmnn... I wonder if anyone realises how I am feeling at the moment?
I guess I am feeling just like how another 400+ Great Individuals out there are feeling. Yet, I feel there is a spring to my step. A bounce when I crash on the bed....(err, bad example), a croak to my voice that comes from knowing that soon I am not gonna be in this country anymore.
I am gonna take a flight from Gate 13 and a half, and then have horseless carriages take me to Hog-....(err.. ISB?) where I would be spending the rest of my year cramming up on studies. There would be points when I am told how to cast magic effectively(marketing), how to keep track of what i cast(finances), how to make others cast spells for me(human resources), how to be a good spellcaster(ethics), how to cast faster and spend no energy to lift the damn sword out of the rock when Arthur isn't around.
I know currently I just feel tempted to use the One Ring. I know at many points in the coming year I would feel the temptation of using it. Knowing full well it is wrong to do so and that it would corrupt not only myself but also everyone around me into using their own One Rings. It lets us become invisible and draw away from the world around us. We say it is to gather our thoughts and keep our sanity, but who are we kidding? In loneliness shall madness creep ever faster to claim its prize; the mind.
If only I could find my Fellowship that supports and nurtures me and encourages me to cast away my One Ring. My mind shall be whole. It happened once when I was not looking during my undergraduate years. One blink and there was my Fellowship standing by me. =) No matter Muggles or Ents, everyone was in it to make the other shine his / her best!!~
Let it happen once again!~
-from the disjointed memoirs of Frodo Potter-
I guess I am feeling just like how another 400+ Great Individuals out there are feeling. Yet, I feel there is a spring to my step. A bounce when I crash on the bed....(err, bad example), a croak to my voice that comes from knowing that soon I am not gonna be in this country anymore.
I am gonna take a flight from Gate 13 and a half, and then have horseless carriages take me to Hog-....(err.. ISB?) where I would be spending the rest of my year cramming up on studies. There would be points when I am told how to cast magic effectively(marketing), how to keep track of what i cast(finances), how to make others cast spells for me(human resources), how to be a good spellcaster(ethics), how to cast faster and spend no energy to lift the damn sword out of the rock when Arthur isn't around.
I know currently I just feel tempted to use the One Ring. I know at many points in the coming year I would feel the temptation of using it. Knowing full well it is wrong to do so and that it would corrupt not only myself but also everyone around me into using their own One Rings. It lets us become invisible and draw away from the world around us. We say it is to gather our thoughts and keep our sanity, but who are we kidding? In loneliness shall madness creep ever faster to claim its prize; the mind.
If only I could find my Fellowship that supports and nurtures me and encourages me to cast away my One Ring. My mind shall be whole. It happened once when I was not looking during my undergraduate years. One blink and there was my Fellowship standing by me. =) No matter Muggles or Ents, everyone was in it to make the other shine his / her best!!~
Let it happen once again!~
-from the disjointed memoirs of Frodo Potter-
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
Thursday, March 8, 2007
ISB - Washington, DC Meet
Hello All -
Finally some of us in the US did get together !!!
Watching classmates from Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi have frequent get-togethers and partying etc., made the envious admit@US also try and do the same;). While plans were underway from almost early Jan, nothing really materialized successfully. Every time when a meet was planned the weather Gods frowned upon us and played spoilsport. There was either heavy rain or snow or both. So the planned get-togthers of New York/New Jersey and later at Philadelphia/Wilmington were canceled. A Washington, DC meet was planned once R2 results were out, but that fizzled out as usual, thanks to a horrible snow.
But we did not give up and finally 4 of us from the DC area met at Bethesda, Maryland yesterday March 7, 2007. Our friendly weather Gods did shower snow again - but we stuck to our plans this time. Dining at the Delhi Durbar, we had so much to talk from our edu/work backgrounds to ticketing/shipping to India to pre-term tests!
Inspite of the bitter cold travel and the parking ticket souvenir (that I was awarded with), we all felt excited to meet at least once before we met formally again as classmates at ISB..
Finally some of us in the US did get together !!!
Watching classmates from Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi have frequent get-togethers and partying etc., made the envious admit@US also try and do the same;). While plans were underway from almost early Jan, nothing really materialized successfully. Every time when a meet was planned the weather Gods frowned upon us and played spoilsport. There was either heavy rain or snow or both. So the planned get-togthers of New York/New Jersey and later at Philadelphia/Wilmington were canceled. A Washington, DC meet was planned once R2 results were out, but that fizzled out as usual, thanks to a horrible snow.
But we did not give up and finally 4 of us from the DC area met at Bethesda, Maryland yesterday March 7, 2007. Our friendly weather Gods did shower snow again - but we stuck to our plans this time. Dining at the Delhi Durbar, we had so much to talk from our edu/work backgrounds to ticketing/shipping to India to pre-term tests!
L -> R: Siva, Anurag, Gaurav, Shrishti (Gaurav's wife) and Himanshu.
Inspite of the bitter cold travel and the parking ticket souvenir (that I was awarded with), we all felt excited to meet at least once before we met formally again as classmates at ISB..
Monday, March 5, 2007
Dont know why, but just felt like sharing one of my essays (part of IIMA PGPX application). Hope you guys like it.
Describe the single event that has significantly influenced your life.
One fine Sunday, way back in 2004, I had taken my mother to a "satsang" organized by the most popular spiritual guru in India. My mother is a devout believer. I, however tend to be skeptical of such god men. It was a huge crowd in Ram Lila ground in Delhi, easily tens of thousands of people. I was happy to see my Mother happy. I tried to endure it through the day, playing games on my mobile to pass time.
Towards the end, I grew more amazed by the rapt attention that the guru enjoyed from the masses. Strangely enough, the huge crowd was seated very patiently and was actually listening to every word. One would expect more chaos. I had to give the guru some credit.
Finally the "satsang" ended. By then my mother was so emotionally charged that she was almost bursting into tears every now and then. It was eerie. It is difficult to explain that feeling. When almost everybody around you is so emotionally moved yet you don't feel anything. On their way out, a few people fell over each other. Suddenly a huge section of the crowd started to panic. For a moment, I was terrified. Images of stampedes flashed by. A lot of noise, many people toppled over each other, I most certainly felt that I was going to die.
Then something happened. The guru took the microphone, laughed out loud and then started singing something. Instantly the almost stampede situation turned into a peaceful procession. Slowly everyone moved in queues, singing along and through the exit. In some strange chemical way, the way these things happen, I had a realization that is slowly but surely transforming me as a person. How could one simple old man literally transform an impeding stampede, into a peaceful procession, almost instantly? Over the days that followed, I became increasingly aware that the limits of human potential are far stretched than what I had originally thought.
Things that I had been conditioned to perceive as being difficult, started looking worth another try. When the fundamental paradigms through which you see everything change, the impact is profound. I quit smoking. I changed to a more disciplined lifestyle. Each small success encouraged me more. I got a 95 percentile in CAT, 98 percentile in GMAT. I put together a personal project "Staircase". One of its deliverables is to find myself an ulterior purpose in life. I realized there is not much point in living a life that makes no meaningful impact. If it turns out that the maximum impact that I can make is leave behind nothing more than a fat bank balance, so be it! But maybe, I could be the next Narayan Murthy. How would I know unless I try hard enough?
My wife finds it difficult to see the connection between this incident and my realization. I tell her that it does not matter. Sometimes, it makes sense not to try to make sense of everything.
One fine Sunday, way back in 2004, I had taken my mother to a "satsang" organized by the most popular spiritual guru in India. My mother is a devout believer. I, however tend to be skeptical of such god men. It was a huge crowd in Ram Lila ground in Delhi, easily tens of thousands of people. I was happy to see my Mother happy. I tried to endure it through the day, playing games on my mobile to pass time.
Towards the end, I grew more amazed by the rapt attention that the guru enjoyed from the masses. Strangely enough, the huge crowd was seated very patiently and was actually listening to every word. One would expect more chaos. I had to give the guru some credit.
Finally the "satsang" ended. By then my mother was so emotionally charged that she was almost bursting into tears every now and then. It was eerie. It is difficult to explain that feeling. When almost everybody around you is so emotionally moved yet you don't feel anything. On their way out, a few people fell over each other. Suddenly a huge section of the crowd started to panic. For a moment, I was terrified. Images of stampedes flashed by. A lot of noise, many people toppled over each other, I most certainly felt that I was going to die.
Then something happened. The guru took the microphone, laughed out loud and then started singing something. Instantly the almost stampede situation turned into a peaceful procession. Slowly everyone moved in queues, singing along and through the exit. In some strange chemical way, the way these things happen, I had a realization that is slowly but surely transforming me as a person. How could one simple old man literally transform an impeding stampede, into a peaceful procession, almost instantly? Over the days that followed, I became increasingly aware that the limits of human potential are far stretched than what I had originally thought.
Things that I had been conditioned to perceive as being difficult, started looking worth another try. When the fundamental paradigms through which you see everything change, the impact is profound. I quit smoking. I changed to a more disciplined lifestyle. Each small success encouraged me more. I got a 95 percentile in CAT, 98 percentile in GMAT. I put together a personal project "Staircase". One of its deliverables is to find myself an ulterior purpose in life. I realized there is not much point in living a life that makes no meaningful impact. If it turns out that the maximum impact that I can make is leave behind nothing more than a fat bank balance, so be it! But maybe, I could be the next Narayan Murthy. How would I know unless I try hard enough?
My wife finds it difficult to see the connection between this incident and my realization. I tell her that it does not matter. Sometimes, it makes sense not to try to make sense of everything.
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