The Quintessential Outsider

Do not jump to conclusions from the title of this post. I do not intend to give a day-by-day account of my days here at WIMWI. All I want to do is keep posting on my blog as and when time and mood permits. And the title is just because I can’t think of anything better right now.

Well, so far, life here has been good – hectic but good. The biggest difference from IIT and any other undergrad place is that you are expected to study everyday – in advance for next day’s classes. The upside is that you hardly need to study when exams come around, or so they say. And we have only six courses right now, some of which are teaching us stuff we already know, so it’s quite manageable. But come September (or maybe even earlier) and we’ll start feeling the heat from the best (and might I add, strictest) profs in this part of the world. Eight or nine courses at a time, and we won’t be seen outside our rooms, except for classes, quizzes, or pre-placement talks by companies. The glee in the tuchchas’ voices as they say all this is menacing, but as my friend Vishu says, “What’s the point? We’ll all be dead eventually!”

It is commonly said that the A in IIMA is not for Ahmedabad, but for Acads. But there are other things to do out here as well – loads of clubs etc. It might not be a big deal compared to what IITB offered, but at least it offers you something when you need a break from studies.

Another big difference is the emphasis on discipline during classes. You can’t be late for them, cannot let your cellphone be heard (even through the disturbance to the cordless mikes, so it’s better you don’t carry it at all to classes), have to prepare in advance, cannot sleep or talk, have to be ready to answer any question that might be thrown at you, and most importantly, DO NOT copy, whether it is an exam, an assignment, or even a small quiz. Most of the quizzes are surprise quizzes, though generations of students have built their own mechanisms of predicting when they will be held. And this emphasis on discipline, coupled with the doctrine of “collective responsibility”, makes life here different from anywhere else. I’ll not say more about collective responsibility just now, but as an example, if you get up in time for class in the morning, you should also wake up your neighbours. A minute late to class and the prof will say, “Sorry, you are too early for the next lecture”.

But in the end, it teaches you how to manage your time better. That is as important a part of your managerial training as any academic courses or projects. And it might sound all grim, but there are ways to have fun in this place. Just as there are ways to get booze in this dry state.

More later… when I feel like it.