I have a story to tell. It is engrossing, engaging, emotional and entertaining. It is my life experience and which has shaped me who I'am. By telling this story, I will relive those days. Who knows, there is a lesson or two in hindsight.
They say when you want something so badly in life, cosmic forces conspire to help you achieve that.
I'm a guy with above average intelligence and a sprinkling of common sense, so I considered myself lucky when I triumphed with flying colors in my IIT-JEE exam. I was good at studies so like everyone else I took science and dreamt of being an engineer. One year of preparation and I was inside the largest engg campus in India (IIT-BHU) whose hostels are bigger than some of the colleges. I was told to study hard so that I get a good placement which (if you fast forward it to the next 5 years) is considered as a precursor to a good and comfy life ahead.
Coming out of a cocooned atmosphere of home, here I was in the company of the smartest students all standing on the hallowed land of Kashi. A new life beckoned me and I had to embrace it.
We all fondly remember our college days and I'm no different. I learnt lots of life's lessons in those 4 years of engg. I can summarize them as under:
1. Life is not about grades but wisdom:
Within the first month being on campus, I realized it is a melting pot of wisdom in which pearls of learning are waiting to be taken, you just need to choose which one you want to take in the limited time you have at your disposal. Some chose how to come 1'st in the batch or how to make that perfect weed or etc etc. I chose to let myself float and flow with the moment and enjoy these four years like there is no tomorrow. I studied, played, read and made some really good friends. I opened my eyes to a whole new world slowly unfurling in front of me. I was happy and optimistic about what future would hold for me.
2. The word FRIENDS got a new meaning:
They say that your bond with your college friends is like Fevicol - the strongest. I Was fortunate to forge some really close friendships which have stood the test of time. College friendship is pure, unbiased and without hatred. It is unconditional, full of life and always equal. It teaches you your first lessons and helps you to explore new horizons and realize your potential.
3. Chem Engg is not my cup of tea:
After my 1'st year (though passed with decent grades), I realized that I'm not meant for working in a petroleum company or some chemical/fertilizer plant. It didn't excite me, so I decided that for the next three years, I would enjoy to the fullest and in the process decide what I want to become.
4. Quizzing:
Since I didn't use to study daily (apart from exam days), I used to play cricket, read Agatha Christie thrillers and English newspapers. I always had this habit of reading newspapers from the back - since it had sports news and I made a resolve to try reading it from the front like a gentleman. In the meantime, I also got interested in Quizzing - especially corporate & business quizzing. Two of my batch mates were really good at that and this is how I developed my interest. I started reading business magazines, business sections of newspapers, stories of companies on the internet and general trivia. Inspiring stories of entrepreneurs and their businesses started to interest me. I was really amazed to read stories of people who dropped out of college and created multinational corporations of today. I wanted to understand their rationale of doing so, their motivation, their conviction and their resilience against all odds. I wanted to feel that feeling, that passion, I really wanted to be like them.
5. MBA:
By the start of fourth year, I was damn sure I wanted to do management. I had read enough and had known enough and nothing could change my conviction. I decided to try for an MBA so that I get some good corporate experience, save enough money and then I can think of starting on my own. On paper this plan looked unbeatable and perfectly sensible. After IIT, next step was to MBA from IIM (Can't settle for less you see). I started preparing for CAT (like others in my batch), gave exams but alas, my percentile wasn't enough to get me an IIM seat. I was surely disappointed. This sudden brush with failure really affected me for some time. Oh, in the meanwhile, I gave campus interview in Infosys and I got selected. I came to know from seniors that life at Infy is pretty relaxed and a lot of them chose this company so that they get a good brand as a launchpad and they can prepare for MBA simultaneously. Since I got the job at the start of the year, the entire last year seemed to pass in a blur. No more interviews, no more stress. My planning was clear.
But life is not so simple. Life at Infy was to start another chapter in my life.
Stay tuned for the second part.
They say when you want something so badly in life, cosmic forces conspire to help you achieve that.
I'm a guy with above average intelligence and a sprinkling of common sense, so I considered myself lucky when I triumphed with flying colors in my IIT-JEE exam. I was good at studies so like everyone else I took science and dreamt of being an engineer. One year of preparation and I was inside the largest engg campus in India (IIT-BHU) whose hostels are bigger than some of the colleges. I was told to study hard so that I get a good placement which (if you fast forward it to the next 5 years) is considered as a precursor to a good and comfy life ahead.
Coming out of a cocooned atmosphere of home, here I was in the company of the smartest students all standing on the hallowed land of Kashi. A new life beckoned me and I had to embrace it.
We all fondly remember our college days and I'm no different. I learnt lots of life's lessons in those 4 years of engg. I can summarize them as under:
1. Life is not about grades but wisdom:
Within the first month being on campus, I realized it is a melting pot of wisdom in which pearls of learning are waiting to be taken, you just need to choose which one you want to take in the limited time you have at your disposal. Some chose how to come 1'st in the batch or how to make that perfect weed or etc etc. I chose to let myself float and flow with the moment and enjoy these four years like there is no tomorrow. I studied, played, read and made some really good friends. I opened my eyes to a whole new world slowly unfurling in front of me. I was happy and optimistic about what future would hold for me.
2. The word FRIENDS got a new meaning:
They say that your bond with your college friends is like Fevicol - the strongest. I Was fortunate to forge some really close friendships which have stood the test of time. College friendship is pure, unbiased and without hatred. It is unconditional, full of life and always equal. It teaches you your first lessons and helps you to explore new horizons and realize your potential.
3. Chem Engg is not my cup of tea:
After my 1'st year (though passed with decent grades), I realized that I'm not meant for working in a petroleum company or some chemical/fertilizer plant. It didn't excite me, so I decided that for the next three years, I would enjoy to the fullest and in the process decide what I want to become.
4. Quizzing:
Since I didn't use to study daily (apart from exam days), I used to play cricket, read Agatha Christie thrillers and English newspapers. I always had this habit of reading newspapers from the back - since it had sports news and I made a resolve to try reading it from the front like a gentleman. In the meantime, I also got interested in Quizzing - especially corporate & business quizzing. Two of my batch mates were really good at that and this is how I developed my interest. I started reading business magazines, business sections of newspapers, stories of companies on the internet and general trivia. Inspiring stories of entrepreneurs and their businesses started to interest me. I was really amazed to read stories of people who dropped out of college and created multinational corporations of today. I wanted to understand their rationale of doing so, their motivation, their conviction and their resilience against all odds. I wanted to feel that feeling, that passion, I really wanted to be like them.
5. MBA:
By the start of fourth year, I was damn sure I wanted to do management. I had read enough and had known enough and nothing could change my conviction. I decided to try for an MBA so that I get some good corporate experience, save enough money and then I can think of starting on my own. On paper this plan looked unbeatable and perfectly sensible. After IIT, next step was to MBA from IIM (Can't settle for less you see). I started preparing for CAT (like others in my batch), gave exams but alas, my percentile wasn't enough to get me an IIM seat. I was surely disappointed. This sudden brush with failure really affected me for some time. Oh, in the meanwhile, I gave campus interview in Infosys and I got selected. I came to know from seniors that life at Infy is pretty relaxed and a lot of them chose this company so that they get a good brand as a launchpad and they can prepare for MBA simultaneously. Since I got the job at the start of the year, the entire last year seemed to pass in a blur. No more interviews, no more stress. My planning was clear.
But life is not so simple. Life at Infy was to start another chapter in my life.
Stay tuned for the second part.
