The first year just flew by

It was May 10th last year, I had just walked out of the movie theatre when I received the e-mail that I was selected at IIM Visakhapatnam, at that very moment I knew that a life and new challenges are awaiting me. Usually we find that it’s easier to describe sad moments of life and not the happy ones, so imagine the hard work I need to do to find all the right adjectives and still not be able to express the happiness when months of hard work and patience finally got me closer to my dream. I was excited and nervous at the same time because the first thing IIM does is it humbles you. You are in a room with people who are smarter and more talented. But first coming to the fun part, we had a great first week, full of pranks and midnight masti. You make friends from different backgrounds and places. You get to know about all the different cultures and everything which makes them unique. We celebrated every festival, we sang, we danced and made every single day memorable. You get the opportunity to try every hobby whether its singing, dancing, acting, photography or playing sports. IIM Visakhapatnam is full of opportunities. The study part is very different from what I had seen previously, you need to work with your groups more often and learn concepts together. Even group studies are fun. It’s as simple as they say, enjoy the journey and you will eventually reach the destination. Another important thing: Remember how you studied the only night before the exams during engineering? It will work here too but with a lot of commitment. Life at IIM Visakhapatnam is fast, months pass by quickly while one is totally busy with all the assignments, competitions and extra-curricular activities. These tight schedules help you grow and learn new things. Oh did I mention that my hostel is situated by the sea and we watch beautiful sunsets every day. So, if you love mountains and beaches, you would love Visakhapatnam. The weather is pleasant, and people are friendly. I am someone who loves nature and this place is like a dream to me and I am more than grateful that I decided to join IIM Visakhapatnam. In the past year, I was fortunate enough to listen to great minds from the industry who shared their ideas. I have enjoyed participating in various competitions, the environment here has helped me develop my problemsolving skills further. Learning in MBA is basically getting to know how the world around us functions and it is very fascinating. Every day you learn something new, from the professors, from your peers and you become a better person. This place has changed me and for good. When I look back, I can say that my decision to join IIM Visakhapatnam was right. So, going forward the mantra is “Work hard, make the most of every opportunity and the city of destiny will take care of everything else” 

By Vedant Bhalerao

IIM Visakhapatnam PGP 2019-21