Saturday, June 27, 2009
Welcome to SPJIMR-Road to Success
Monday, June 22, 2009
Serendipity
My living room faces the serene most part of our college -SPJIMR, Mumbai.... I pull up a chair on to my balcony watching those thunderous clouds calmly cover it with a blanket of dew drops....no aggression...no fidget. Just pure love and I call it love as I associate emotions to everything that’s beyond my understanding. And nothing so beautiful as a cloud pouring over a forest can define love. Unconditional love!
Nature is our elixir to living.. we have all read it some place…some where but today as I sit, open arms embracing it in me I know why it is said so…
I usually walked back home from my office...not tired but neither upbeat...nothing new..but today something was different and I feel this cool breeze flowing all over me…the same I feel when Its night 2 and the forest wind wishes to blow...it has a magic to soothe you…those who haven’t lived near one will never know the feeling of flying…slowly and calmly…
I was morbid that day…walking back home wasn’t that great either as I was preoccupied with my ever restless mind, asusual... I slammed the door as I entered…and I wonder how “coming back home to someone” seems entirely out of place when u start living alone…sometimes you are happy to find the solace of living out of the human mess that runs around you day in and day out. My hpstel room has glass shutter. So when it rains we pull those glass walls over and let the coolness come in, that day I just lay still.. lying on the floor of my room, drops of rain wetting me mildly… and I lay still…
I closed my eyes and like a movie reel everything ever happy to me flashed around me .
I saw me along with my two other friends playing football in the middle of the night with mud all over us...I saw my mom brewing coffee and me getting wet endlessly in my garden. I see swooshing all over the city up on a racer bike with my best buddy on the wheels…I see my dad painting intensely a snowfall in Russia…I see driving…driving farther and farther alone in an empty road when its 5 in the morning.
I see standing alone in a white sand beach with a boat sailing far east…I see walking and talking the world over with my sister…I see looking into the eyes of serendipity standing in the fields of my college…I see love holding a hand in pain…I see hope in a drop of tear for the unsaid affection…I see two mad friends bike racing….I see floating in the pool with night being bluest of blue and stars shining all over me….I see running … running behind a bus madly to follow it….I see anger for not forgetting the loss…I see passion to find Cassiopeia, the cluster of stars….I see faith in losing loved ones…I see me dancing in the high in trance…I see friendship beyond boundations…
And then I see me standing at the end of a road, my dad at the other end urging me to walk towards him…when I was less than three …. The earliest memory I ever had and the happiest I’ll ever have.
I open my eyes…
And I see nothing…no hope...no love...no fantasy...no fear…..
How beautifully my life has come to a fraction still…to a stillness that has no answer even to an anguish as deep as losing heart beats…to a stillness which is as black as a forest in the night. And how I wonder nature is elixir to us…
I know loneliness is surreal…it’s difficult to define. But it exists in love and hate…it co-exists till our existence diminishes into the sands of time. and there’s just one reason for it to survive within us to let us know what we are worth of…to let us know why we would still get up and walk back home every single night just to ‘hope’ that tomorrow we might live just another moment which we will never forget for the rest of our lives…which we would see when we close our eyes …no inhibitions…no regrets!
“And when I reach at the end of the forest, looking at the joy of following trees after trees...just like kids...counting berries and feeling the wing beneath my feet I know my walk Is done and I know that the walk was worth to remember all my life…
Your own!!
Indrajoy
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
The Inarticulate Man
i didn't get the opportunity of going through all the blogs ( i m a real lazy bum, my friend Hanoz will vouch for that ), but i did go through sum of them . it fills my heart with awe and a sense of inspiration of what people have achieved in such a short span of time.. the diversified roles that they have played, has inspired me to become an all rounder and not rectangular (both literally and figuratively), as what i am now.. which brings me to myself
well i m really an ordinary guy who just got lucky in getting admitted to this prestigious institute. as for my nature, you may call me an optimist with a touch of being unrealistic to sum extent . but then that the way i m. for those people who are tuned in to the tv series "Friends" , i m a bit like chandler :-)
well that's me .. whew cant believe myself that i had written so much about myself. i m not an essayist but i do sometimes write poems . here is one of them which i hope will summarize about me
my mind churns with ideas
i don't know where to keep them
if i open my mouth to speak,
i know i will be shunned then
through space n time
i thought i had traveled far n wide,
but when i look the people around me
i feel that i m just a child
but that day will come soon
when i will be known by everyone
be it bouquet of flower or string of verbals
i will be hated n loved by everyone
well that's it for now.. will meet ya on 18th
Sunday, June 14, 2009
The countdown begins....Prologue to our journey.....
& as has been the case in the past month….I always chose the 2nd alternative….
Thnx to all the wonderful pfc posts and doubts wala threads on orkut….I now exactly know where to book my seat during the pfc test….
Thnx to Larry page & Sergey Brin, the number of mails in my mail box is restricted or reading the mails wud in itself be a pfc…The mails on "new laptop" have put me 2 shame….if only these mails wud have come in 2 yrs ago before I purchased my laptop…I’d have known there were so many options…daaammnnn…
Somebody was touted as being the guy who’d decided to attend meets in all cities…..ended up attendin the hyd meet…bang meet…almost ended up attending the delhi meet…Unfortunately dat somebody was me …:-(
People who hav resigned from their jobs were busy adding up to their friends list and scrapbook…Except for the “ghanan ghanan” posts, thnx to all the other posts I now know
1) I don’t have 2 do ne laundry
2) how local trains in mumbai run
3) info for all guys who wore lungis that no lungis were sold in mumbai
4)whom I need to go to if I need a thread and a needle
5) and most importantly for me…whom to get to for an mp3 player….an umberella......dvd having friends season-8….they are all supposed to be in my room but I cant find them and I dont have to go searching for them now….My work ex certi is also missing…If only som1 had posted about dat :-(
The kudos mails were pleasing to the recipient but they did manage to bring out the inherent wrath in a few. “Yaar koi bhi ladki kuch bhi info ya mail degi tho hazaar log well done & thank u karke mails daalte hain…Wohi ladka mail bheja tho ek bhi thnx kuch nahin….bahut na insafi hai”….
For some life@sp may not be as rosy as it would be for the others…..
Like all manirathnam movies let me take you to the future a bit....
One fine Friday morning when at SP, our hero Raj is up and ready for the ordeal….
Raj : Darling zara gaadi ka keys dena….mujhe college jaana hai….
(jhaadu and belan come flying towards him flung by Mrs.Raj)….
Mrs.Raj : Barthan maajne ko bola tha…..ghar ki saaf safai karne ko bola tha…khaana banane ke liye bola tha....ek bhi kaam nahin kiya….aur sahib zaad college chale…..sab karke jaana ….hafte bhar ka quota….(Followed by a couple of kicks and punches by Mrs.Raj)….
This is the future…..For wat happened in the past check out the web vivaah invitation of our mate Rajesh….mate.. my sympathies are with you…
But your web invi was just awesome ….all the best :-)
Moving on, one fine day, I was in my usual slumber when suddenly ******* pings me…
******** : Abeyyy…breaking news....orkut main dekh…jaldi….ek nayi ladki hai jisne ekdum jhakaas threads start ki hai…
Me (deep in slumber) – hmmm
******** - Abeyy….mujhe lagta hai woh koi ladka hai fake id main…sp ke chaaron list main uska naam nahin hai….
Me (deep in slumber) – hmmm
******** - Kya kar raha hai tu….sooo raha hai kyaaa….
Me – Haan bewkoof….Cupid se meri baat ho rahi neend main….disturb mat kar
With reference to the “Single or committed” thread : Ronaldo and Shane Bond might have "ruined" a few chances but otherwise,Cupid takes no time to strike…Everyone's tryin to do a Chetan Bhagat by “finding their love during MBA”…"Some" have already convinced cupid…..I was no different in my quest to do so and hence the deep slumber I was talking of earlier…
Me : Cupidddd….Plz bless me…
Cupid (With a disgusted look) – Even YOU want to find love….Now that’s asking too much
Me (Sharmate hue) – Yaa…plzzzz
Generous Cupid : Ok…Here you go….I grant you your wish….As you have no love interests now here is the love I grant you…. you will fall in love with operations in the next 2 yrs…
How well cupid read my mind :-P
I’m glad thr are 2 varuns in our batch…..coz after this im sure he’ll take half of the kicks I deserve…Thnx mate….
Well…The countdown has begun…Hoping to have a gr8 2 yrs ahead with all the “fully faltoo pappus, lalloos, chattus, zoozoos, bond gals and bonds” out thr….
Looking forward to meet you all….
Cheers!!!
For all the light hearted : All characters in the above post are purely fictitious and do not bear resemblance to anyone living or dead....Any resemblance is however purely coincidental :-P
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
late lateef!!!
sorry for joinin in so late but im not the very blog kinds..
I am Anchal Gupta..a humble graduate(B.Com(H)) from Shri Ram College Of Commerce,DU.
This was my first attempt of cat..dint have a very gr8 percentile to make it to IIMs n all..but luckily sp happened for me..n that too finance specialisation..people have posted profiles here which can really be boasted about but ive a very simple list of credentials..acads have always been my forte..n thats the only thing i can REALLY boast abt..
so class XII was 97.5%
class X was 95%
Grad:73%(awaitin my final yr results though)
CAT:some 93.3 percentile(i kno its really bad)
XAT :some 97 percentile..
apart from that ive been a part of college societies like the commerce society,english literary society,book club etc..have been involved wid social service since school..
my other interests include reading-Paulo Coelho bein my favorite..i also enjoy swimming..
i guess i shld end this blog asap..before i ve stones welcomin me in sp..
heres sendin a warm hi to all my pals in sp..lookin forward to meetin u all really soon!!!
The Curious Case of CD….Who???
Hey everyone!! Finally i'm here...before I start with my Ram Lila:)…I would like to say, I happened to go through quite a few posts and my reaction wouldn’t be very difficult to imagine. I was like GOOD GOD!! What profiles!! N a plethora of script writers arriving at SPJ:)…now I know why SP rocks n why it would continue to do so…Anyways getting back to what I’m here to do…
Born n brought up in Hyderabad. Dad is from Punjab n Mom is from U.P. but I’m a hyderabadi at heart, minus the telugu though, could never really get a hold of the language. Have done my tenth n twelfth from hyd and my engg. from VIT (I’m talking abt Vellore Inst. Of Tech., not the one in Pune…I’m sure our very own Classical Pratul will get this one:)). Took up biotechnology as my stream coz I honestly don’t know why? Something just told me that this is what I have to do, but then after four years I’m glad that I did and hopefully I’ll be doing something related to that. I graduated in 2008, got placed in CTS…kyunki IT industry mein toh job kisiko bhi mil jata hai…tried for jobs in the biotech industry, but wasn’t getting a good profile n guess what?? CTS deferred my joining date and by how much, I’m supposed to join them on 28th Dec, 2009…now that’s called HARD LUCK! So happened to try my hand at various MBA entrance exams and now thanks to SP, I go around telling people I never really wanted to work in the IT industry:).
- Co-Authored a technical paper published in the journal “Current Science”.
- Authored a technical paper published in VIT IEEE Magazine.
- Participated in quite a few plays during my Schooling.
- And have done a bit of Social Work.
10th – 83%
12th – 89.5%
Engg. - 8.77/10.
Call- Profile Based (Marketing).
CAT - 92.48; a real bad day!! :(
XAT – 98.13
My SP interview will definitely be one of those experiences that I’ll remember for a long time. Though I had an edge coz before my SP interview I had already managed to clear IIFT-D. So was pretty chilled out…but I did not want to get rejected in the very first round. First round wasn’t really great…I really doubted my chances. But then I got through and it felt like I made it in, even before the second round happened. Second round was the weirdest interview I have ever attended:)…had no clue as to what happened in there…but I knew that I made my mark…and so here I am.
About my interests…well I’m crazy about football...just love playing the game. I hope I manage to find quite a few guys who share my enthusiasm about the game and we happen to find time for a few games as well. Am a fan of the Panthera genus…particularly Panthera tigris.
Really looking forward to meeting you guys at SPJ. Hoping that we’ll have a great time there.
P.S.: CD- Chetan Dhawan:)
The road to SPJIMR !!
What a year it has been!! … If I sit back and take account of the year 2009, I would slap myself more than a couple of times and give myself a pat on the back. Details on the same follow. But before I get there I must mention this. I spent the whole day in office today reading blog entries by rockstars, guitarists, violinists, karate champs, poets, singers, sportstars, debators etc. etc, not to forget the percentiles and percentages (which in some cases made me feel dizzy). Hail all!! Speaking of myself, the diversity stops at sports and music, just to make things clear, playing-sports and listening-to-music, NOT vice versa. I have tried my hand at everything, from kabaddi to golf. Some achievements here and there in related areas is what earned me a call from SPJ, yes I am a profile guy!!
Anyways, coming back to the year 2009, in my case it will not just be remembered for the SPJ success. Mine is a classical case where I will cherish the journey more than the destination. The journey has been long. Longer than it should have been. 4 years of preparation to get admission for a 2 year course defies all logic!! Okay, so let’s board the time machine.
CAT '07: The run up to CAT '07 was a tough one. Loads of work at office and little time apart from that. Had put my best foot forward inspite of all that. Screwed up DI. Got an offer to travel onsite. Accepted! Bunked all other exams. 2 days after I travel I get a call from SPJ. Alas!!
July '08 - Nov '08: Every single day I thought of getting down to pen and paper already having lost a lot of time. But it finally came down to the last 2 days.
CAT '08: Not much hope as I walked in. As an experienced campaigner, I didn’t find it too difficult to keep myself busy for the 2 or so hrs. Post exam the familiar "I screwed up" feeling followed.
Week after the CAT Sunday: An on-site offer yet again!! (Is this some kind of a screwing strategy?) This time with incentives added, one of them being a lot of friends from office travelling together. And just for 2 months. I gave the nod. Did not fill rest of the forms. But was sure of getting a call from SPJ keeping in mind the trend in the last 2 years. SPJ didnt disappoint :)
The fun begins ……..
Jan '09: Travel to China. Thought of preparing for the interview, but with a 9 to 9 office schedule it was like mission impossible!! Most of Jan I was sure that I would return much ahead of time for the interview.
Feb '09: Work started piling up and the chances of returning for the interview were fading real quick. Time for Plan B. The falling sick drama. It had to be serious and it had to be real. But there was a twist in the tale. I had tickets booked for a pleasure trip to Beijing late Feb. So the onset of the ailment had to be timed to perfection.
Late Feb '09: Beijing happened. Missed my flight on the way back!! A night at the airport, starbucks, Mac and a home made video of my random thoughts on anything and everything. (For all you guys, if u ever wanna record your thoughts, record it on cam. Its 1 helluva experience!!)
Mar '09: Time to execute plan B. What should the disease be?? (Lymphopsychoma of the intestine ?? he he …) Whatever it is it should be good enough to get everyone concerned! So I decided not to go too technical on the medical front and decided on "blood-in-the -sputum-don’t-know-what". The confession was followed by a medical test by a chinese doc who shoved like a 100 metallic instruments down my throat expecting to find an alternate source of energy there. Results negative!! Plan worked to perfection!! I had to go back to India for further diagnosis!!
Twist in the tale: Return date was decided as 24th of Mar, the day of my interview. Damn!! Damn!! I had to come up with another lie. On the spot!! And I came up with "I have to go see my family doc who knows my med history and he is travelling abroad on 23rd. So I have to be there by 22nd at least". A voice in my head kept saying "What the hell are you saying??". But they bought it!! Voice in my head says "Well done!!"
The return: It was the most unpleasant journey ever!! I lost my laptop. I knew where I left it. Just a 2 minute walk back to fetch it but I couldn’t. Bloody international borders!!
Even without any preparation, I had a feeling that a convert was possible!! After all, you win some, you loose some!! I had already lost enough. I guess God was just being fair and making up for the losses that i suffered. After reading the experiences on PG, I thought every1 had an equal chance and I was no hot-shot. But then came the first list and my name honoured the SPJ website!! So after 3 years of work-ex, 4 years of CAT-ex, innumerable mock tests from all possible coaching instis(and not to mention the lost hours of sleep on Sundays), a couple of sacrifices and a whole lot of lying, I made it !! The hangover still remains!! :)
Some facts and figures for those interested: %age 77, 90, 86.6. %ile 93.39(CAT), XAT bunked, no other calls. Extra curriculars include state level TT, and some prizes for sports in school. Award for paper on "Plagiarism detection" (inspite of 4 years of dedicated plagiarism in college ;)), scouts and some achievements at work. (not enjoying typing this boring stuff). I got no idea what got me in, but for now I am just trusting the interviewers better judgement!!
As a person, not an extrovert. Not really an introvert. Very very short attention span. Rebellious to anything that requires effort. Always game for an adventure. Love challenges. Daring for sure. Do first think later. Love travelling. Love eating (have had octopus, snails, frog etc. So nothing is beyond me!!) . Share an affinity for the unconventional. I goof up very often, each time bigger and grander than the last. (with the lost laptop the bar is set really high now, am scared of whats to follow). And yes, I generally make a very bad first impression.
See ya all at college :)
P.S.: This was my first attempt at writing. Please excuse me if I am not too articulate :)
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Living the dream...
Well, let me start off by sayin...since 21April & aftr interacting wit a few batchmates, i feel lik Santiago from d movie Goal2-Living the dream..playin along wit d likes of Beckham, zidane..4 real madrid(i m sure all d footies here mustve seen it, n hav a clue wat i m talkin bout)....
my story hasnt been any diffrnt, infact worse...coz santiago was atleast talented...
ya...thats d way i m..big time movie buff...alwaz relating everythng 2 some movie or d other...
So, i m living d dream....actually, as i m a fiercely independent person, getting 2 liv in a hostel on my own, is lik d icing on d cake....so its lik living two dreams.... :-)
I wont bore every1 wit my profile...any1 interested in it can ping me, i'l fwd my profile-sheet 2 em...;-)
I m d quintessential avg mumbai guy who slogs hard n parties harder...who luves his vada pav n swears by the reliance/efficiency d local trains ...who makes instant buddies wit d fellow hanging @ door commuters...is proud dat his 7:40 churchgate fast is the true spirit of a secular india, whre all dat matters is dat u get 2 ur destn. on time.
I m a littl bit of many things...i hav frnds who range rite 4m addicts, to MTech n NASA techies...can talk bout philosophy,spiritual elevation/detachment & sensual pleasures with d same dexterity...from sacrificing everyting 4 acads..to getting boozed out on goa beaches....from donating blood..to giving bloody noses(relax, it was a long time ago, swore nevr 2 repeat dat feat)...
i believe u gotta try diffrnt things get a hang of d bigger picture...i hate monotony...u tend to get so lost in a monotonous existance...that u bcum blind 2 d world beyond...
Coming bck 2 SPJ...I can totally relate to what aditi was talkin bout when she saw her name on d 1st list...in fact i kept refreshing that 1st list page all week...jst to make sure that i reallly indeed did make it...it took more than a week for the reality to actually sink in...coz it has been such a rough ride so far...with Damm Murphy's law kicking in everytime....take last yr 4 eg: be it big project deadlines jst b4 cat or breakups jst b4 xat...or anothr big project deadline jst b4 the SPJ GIs.
Anywaz..wit jst 90%ile in both cat n xat(talk bout consistency!!)..SPJ was nuthin short of a dream. Thanks go d 4 small mercies that they hav a profile-based call ka funda.....looks lik d few worthwhile things dat i hav done in life pulled me through....
Anywaz...i m realllly lookin fwd 2 d 18th..d big day...a new beginning...new frnds...new fundas...new stratergies...new challenges....
Its gonna b a big thing 4 an avg joe lik me 2 b sitting wit giants....hopefully i can emulate newton 1 day..n repeat his famous cliche..;-)
i hav known d SPJ campus since i was a kid, as my shcool is on d same campus...its gonna feel lik goin bck 2 school...
I dunno whethr 2 say more or not...bt i guess lets leave d rest 4 campus....;-))
Another vegabond on the loose...
Ok..so here I go again...jet setting once again from the cosy comforts of Delhi where I have been nestled for the last 5 years.. to Mumbai where I belonged for 13 growing years of my life...
Actually its almost written down some where...and so forces of nature transpire that every few years I get to skate board to a different location...from 'Bambai' (dts wt it ws called then...meri jaan!!)..to Jaipur...to Kolkatta...to Bombay(thanks to the swish town side crowd)...den came Delhi..and then finally back to where my heart always belonged..aamchi mumbai(Hail the MNS.. unite all:)..I of coz have to thank my dad for his sarkaari naukri for this;)
Yeah...so enough on my globe trotting expeditions..lets fast forward to the day i got the call from SP Jain......i thought..there was some error for sure..amongst the Stalwarts of finance...it was higly improbable that some one with such a "random" streak of arbit achievements would make it through in the Profile based call list..So..in a fit of excitement..paranoia...hyper tension...exhilaration...superr perspiration..n gawd knows wt al..i asked my parents to log in and check once again if it ws really my name or some "judwa behen" making an appearance at the most inoppurtune moment...!!
All confirmed...I decided it was a "random" stroke of luck...and went in for the GI...of coz needless to say I was highly optimistic of not making it...!!
Double whammy....!!!surprise..Gawd has actually decided to drop in the silver spoon twice...I made it in the First list for finance...for 1 whole day I remember being in a state of Shock...those around me couldnt believe..that i can actually be that quiet and non-"talkative" for sooo looong...(that was mean though;)!!!
Any way...all said and done..I hopped on board the SPJIMR Cruise..though secretly I am not at all looking forward to seeing the liner in the troubled waters unleashed by Mumbai rains..(i dont like them verry much...!!especially when the memories of wading my way through thigh deep gutter waters and then writing an exam like that flood my mind!!!)...
I am not taking the pains to mention any of my feats...they will appear miniscule and in fact would put the term "miniscule" to shame...(Yess....i have already read the posts below mine:)...I know I love to wallow in self-pity..bt like Ritika very rightly said..its just to hide the Verbosity under the garb of modesty..lol
I enjoy doing practically anything and evrything under the sun that can give me an oppurtunity to unleash my creativity...from drawing to painting(which comes alive extra ordinarily at the time of exams when i dont even need the Canvas or brush...just the pencil and empty spaces in the textbook do fine:) ..writing poetry...to creative writing...debating...talking for hours on end(i know it doesnt involve creativity in any form..but soo whatt..i loowwwe itt!!)...to playing the keyboard...dancing...just about any thing at random...!!
I am a very open person...enjoy interacting with people from different walks of life...I like to believe I am a very comfortable person to get along with...I am always joking around and nick named the "clown" for no reason!!......I am overtly realistic in life (gets taken for Pessimism)...Not aggressive at all...Would love to join Karuna and admit honestly..I am extremely "Lazy"(that explains the early arrival of this post;)....and I love putting the foot in my mouth:)
But what the heck...!!!
As long as I made it to SPJIMR....i guess i have done and do everything just right!!!!
P.S:- Kindly overlook the spellos...the author is majorly under the infulence of "SMS" Lingo symptom...that makes "random" appearance every nw n den...:)
Saturday, June 6, 2009
one fone call that changed my life...
I was pretty aware of the possibility that an impending danger may befall on me,starting from a falling tree,a thunderstrike,or a lampost directly falling on my head,such was the ferocity of the storm.Nevertheless,I managed to reach college in one piece and met my classmated and juniors.The treat was nice and warm,and though the weather played a spoilsport,a fair share of the passionate gourmets of our junior batches managed to turn up themselves,much to our delectaton and contentment.After the treat was over,i returned to the hostel and was chatting with my friends.It was 3 pm in the afternoon.The clouds were rumbling badly and the weather forecaster predicted the advent of another storm that night.Till 3.05,all that i Knew was,I am safe in the hostel room,and im leaving for Scmhrd pune on the 30th of june morning flight.Yes,if i had missd it earlier,i wud have joined the PGP course of scmhrd from june1.
The clock struck 3 and the gossip continued.The weather moved in its own sweet will.My fone rang.Normally ,my cell fone is always on the silent mode,but it was in normal volume that day.A person called to tell me,"Indrayan,Are u Interested in taking up the PGDM course in SPJAIN,u are in waiting list 1."...Presto...and voila..What followed was a quick shock and awe,followed by an anxious expectation that am I going to convert.Time passd quick,and a second fone call confirmed my admission by 5 that evening.A scream followd,an elixir of esctasy and delectation,necessitating the immediate need of hugs and congratulations from al the friends whom I was gissiping with.....I slept late that night..But perhaps the best sleep in 22 years.....[:)]
Friday, May 29, 2009
New Delhi 08 to Mumbai 58...the journey begins!!!
I am, in more than one way an alter ego of Ritika..:-) and i say this because we both are pampered Delhi girls who have never stayed away from the comforts of “home”...(you wouldnt disagree to this one na, Ritika)..I am both – looking forward to and slightly apprehensive abt this journey from New Delhi 08 to Mumbai 58!!!
I do not wish to “chaapo” my credentials and / or CV details here coz i promised to enter this blog in “style” (Refer comment on chinz last blog entry) and am sure there’s nothing stylish and unique abt my credentials. Kaafi bond log hai yahaan...Anyway...Just a li’l abt me..I am Karuna Hemrajani joining Finance specialization at SP..and this is after spending 2 years with KPMG in their Risk Advisory Practice (yeahh...i am quite a detective now ;-) !!) and 2 failed attempts at CAT.
I belong to a family of hardcore science professionals – my mother is a Doctor and father is a Software Engineer..but i decided to tread a different path and study Commerce at college..(the base for which was laid by my elder brother who did his Bachelors of Business Studies)
I really appreciate art in its various forms...have dabbled in a few art forms myself...did jazz for a bit (though i am still quite a non-dancer), taught art, craft and theatre to kids in school..and have a passion for painting..am all set to paint the SPJAIN canvas with my colours...:-)
I love baarish...and the smell of “geeli mitti”..i know i would be welcomed by this in mumbai..and I dont think the incessant and ‘bugging’ rain would do much to reduce my love for it!!
Since i have been talking abt “my loves”, its almost necessary to mention CHAI... I am a total “chai-addict”...i have withdrawal symptoms if I dont get my cuppa when i need it..be it 3 AM or 3 PM ;-)
Okayyyy...this blog entry is totally random and disconnected...but that is so ME...that is so MY STYLE ;-) !!!! And people...you will witness more of my randomness in the next 2 years...looking forward to seeing you all and discovering or rather re-discovering myself!!
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
IT IS WRITTEN
Sumit Srivastava
10th-87.2% ICSE
12th-88.5%ISC
Engg-8.9 Mech NIT JSR
CAT-91.5%
Achievements:
Member of Literary and Debating society in college
Took active interest in JAMS,Quizzes and other literary activities.
Few certis here and there regarding quizzes,JAMS,Event mgmt.
Professional cert:9i as well as 10g OCA.
Having fared not so well in CAT i wasn't expecting much but then SP came to my rescue giving me a profile based call and i felt vindicated.I always used to question myself the need behind those long hours burning the midnight oil..to improve my grades in engg...having placed comfortably in the very first company itself,what was the need to consistently set the benchmark higher at every stage of my academics...right from 10th to 12th to grad when all i needed was a decent percentile to scrap thru most of the IT/core companies which visited my college.Of what use where all those quizzing and jam certis which i had won in college when they didn't do me any favor at any stage of my life. But now as i am writing this ..i feel redeemed...as it was my this very hard work and profile which laid the foundation of my success.Feel elated to be a part of this Elite insti...and will do every bit of mine to be a good brand ambassador of it.
Coming to SP GI's..am a big time movie buff and cricket follower ...(sure of finding a lot many of u at SP with the same hobbies) and we were asked abt our views on the same in my round 2 interview (Rajesh b can vouch for that)... couldn't have thought of a better topic to speak abt.
Finally i can say that as they show at the end of the movie Slumdog millioniare ...so was it for me making it to SP ..it is written.
Ab tak...
Woaah..we are finished with first round of ‘Introductions’ and boy !! have we seen some ‘profiles’ ;) (they are not kiddin when they say they are givin’ PROFILE BASED CALLS) .. the ‘comments’ which can easily qualify for the preamble of ‘ Mutual Appreciation Club’ basically meant... “Aa saale SP mein batata hoon tereko...bada DEBATOR banta hai” but From 97 point holy 5 % !! in 12th to 75%, I think we have cover the entire IQ spectrum.. Engineers to people who have ‘grown up with Engineers’ all have ‘introduced’ themselves with the same panache ... some of them have been lazy enough to Ctrl C – Ctrl V their entire CV ( Mani has been cribbing a lot about it :P ) but some have given a whole new meaning to creativity(not to forget colourfulness)..
The ‘Metropolitan Meets’ have been real ‘ice breakers’ where ppl have spend just couple of hours with each other(where else but CCD) but have spend hours and hours on GTalk doing SWOT of every1 possible !!! (yeah i have an excel sheet on tht )..IPL has contributed a lot in turning the Van-der-waal forces into Covalent bonds and I think by World Cup, Ionic bonds will be ready to take their stance(non science folks..plz IGNORE :P )
The real revelation has come with..wait for it... GOOGLE GROUPS..my inbox always read ‘NO NEW MAILS’ till they happened and rest they say is HISTORY !! ‘PFC Thread’ who thought that it would be the King as Mayawati thought before polls could only get commensurations from Prakash Karat as the fluctuating LAPTOP ‘Or’DEAL took the limelight..It was the Trinamool and swept every1 of their feet and gave opportunity to ‘intellectual minds’ to show their intellect..this thing itself can become course in Decision Making..(I wonder why they have given us that stats book for)..and me?? well I was the Somenath Chatterjee to whom everyone talked but no one listened... If Michael Dell happens to see the rendezvous between ‘Think Pad Loyalists’ be rest assured that no one from the IM batch is joining Dell from the terror batch of 9/11 ;).. Even Chittu’s patience broke when he saw ‘well done’ mail being circulated..(btw there is a poll on community reg. the same.. PLZ DO VOTE :D )
People who have resigned from their jobs have got bored watching movies and sitcoms & others who are getting bored serving last week of their notice period are just hoping one thing “ koi unhe PFC padha de”..the SWOT tables from 1st meet is filled and junta is all set to meet again (now u know WHY :P :P :P )..
All said and done, I would say JOB WELL DONE...The camaraderie has well extended beyond Metro Meets and there is no stopping to that..and well the things to do :
1. --> Plz for Godzake finalise your laptops (they are all the same..trust me!! )
2. -->Either study PFC or book your seat near Anshul
3. -->Keep having fun and keep PINGING ;)
Cheers !
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Time to "Suit Up"
It’s a big hello to everyone! Here’s hoping this blog post doesn’t become a ‘Hell-Oh’ experience for you! This is Ritika, another addition to the list of people dreaming of becoming bigwigs in the world of Finance! Seeing the current scenario, what with the recession and all, it seems all the finance whizzes had their rationalities whiz past them! Let’s just wish SP teaches us to do better than that!!
Rewind to my past – born and brought up almost entirely in Delhi, I am pretty much what Delhi is known to be – the pampered one! All that is about to end now, but I made the most of it while I could :) I come from a rather diverse family background – a Punjabi dad who first worked for the Air Force *starry eyed* and now for the Government; and a Maharashtrian mom who’s a banker! This is what probably translated into very diverse interests for me – I was interested in politics (thanks to my dad), economics (thanks to my mom), classical dance (learnt Kuchipudi for about 5 years), sports (was on the volleyball team in school), the Youth Parliament (a youth organization, now called the YP Foundation), community work (taught in a school for underprivileged children) and many other things – all at the same time! I like to think I did well balancing all these things with my grades at school:
Class X : 85% (wasn’t very happy with that then but I guess it doesn’t matter now!)
Class XII : 89.2%
Fortunately the grades were good enough to do the course that I wanted to do at college – Economics! Yup, I’m one of the few non-engineers who got the chance to get into a premier B-School despite all ‘you’ engineers vying for ‘my’ seat (I remember cursing all the engineers in the world the first time I didn’t get through CAT for eating up all the seats – you’ve already got a professional degree – aren’t you satisfied?!) Of course I’ve grown up now and understand that engineers have an equal right to be there! :) Anyway, college was where I really evolved into an orgranizer and realized how much I enjoyed being one! I was part of the Economics Society all through college, organizing everything from intra-class events to our national level Eco Fest! And the best part – despite all this organizing and my other interests – I *finally* managed to give my parents an opportunity to brag about how ‘bright’ their daughter is! I topped in college! I was also among the top rankers in South Delhi Campus, Delhi University! It wasn’t a feeling I was familiar with – I had always done well in school but never topped! But I ain’t complaining :P
Graduation: 75.25%
While I think it was mostly a case of ‘luck by chance’, one factor that could have possibly contributed was the ‘reality check’ I had a few months before my final exams. I had applied for the Rhode’s scholarship and I *actually* thought I would get it – talk about thinking no end of yourself!! And no prizes for guessing – I didn’t! That was the real jolt that woke me up, shook me up, made me smell the coffee, and everything else like that! I guess that’s when I realized you don’t get everything you wish for if you aren’t willing to push yourself beyond what you think possible!
I passed out of college in 2007 and have been working at National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange since then. It was a curious choice, but I benefited from it far beyond what I expected! Details on that when we meet! (I realize the post is becoming endless, hence the mid-course correction on verbosity)
Quickly moving on to the ‘me’ section – I love to read, write, listen to music, sing, dance, watch cricket and tennis, cook some pasta, eat lots of pasta (and pizzas and north Indian food), watch some or the other American sitcom (current obsession: How I Met Your Mother), watch practically everything on Discovery Travel & Living whenever possible (noticed someone else wrote this too). Slightly obsessed with the English language – I like getting into the finer nuances!
About how I got into SP - after several non-serious attempts at MBA entrances, I decided to get down to it with some amount of focus this time. Still didn’t manage to clear my Math cut-offs in CAT or XAT to get into the IIMs or the XLRIs of the world, but did well enough to get into SP! And was I glad about that!!
CAT: 98.85 percentile
XAT: 99.58 percentile
Really looking forward to seeing you all.. and to the next 2 years being legend-wait-fot-it-ary!
PS: another caution/clarification that would be nice for you to know before you meet me – I tend to be reserved in the beginning – so don’t mistake it for arrogance!
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Farzi Engineer!
As of now, I don’t have any clear goals in sight, cleared JEE coz everyone made such hype about it, now doing MBA coz everyone else is doing it. I hope SPJIMR instills some sense of purpose with respect to my career goals.
I am extremely lazy person who has an aversion for doing anything that involves even a bit of effort, so haven’t done anything much unless it has been forced on me. That’s why I don’t have much to boast about in my profile, but here it goes:
Profile:
•CAT: 98.09 %ile (flunked in everything, I don’t know how I got a call from IIMS, didn’t attend the GD/PI)
•XIIth : 88.8% (CBSE)
•Xth : 89% (CBSE)
•Grad (IIT Madras) : 8.91/10 (Ranked 1st. might be the only reason for my call from SPJIMR)
Extra curricular:
•Placement & Internship Representative of Civil Engineering Department 2007-2008
•Elected Mess Secretary of my hostel in 2007.
•Have coordinated couple of events in the technical festival of IIT Madras.
•Made it to the finals of a business plan competition (Breakthrough) in Technical festival of IIT Madras.
•Certified in Financial Markets: Beginners Module (2008) and Derivatives Market (2008) – courses offered by National Stock Exchange (NSE)
About me personally, I am crazy about cricket. I can watch any match going anywhere across the globe. I am a foodie (mostly Indian), like eating on roadside stalls. Given a choice between a five star and a good roadside chat stall, nine out of ten times, I would go for the latter. I love getting drenched in rains, I love movies but sitting for 2 hours at a stretch is a pain, that’s why have shifted to sitcoms. I like chat rooms and social networking sites, mind you it is a good way to kill time. Have an account on every site you can think of. Love hanging out with friends, have put infinite night outs doing nothing except chatting with friends.
I think that is all about me. Looking forward to meet all you guys!
Cheers
Me & MBA - Rajesh
I am Rajesh and here goes my profile:-
Xth: 94%
XIIth: 95%
Grad: 82%, B Tech(Trical), VNIT Nagpur.
Work Ex: 34 months, Sr.Engineer - Sales & Marketing, L&T(Electrical Business Group)-Chennai.
Achievements at work place:
-Rated as Top performer and have been nominated for Management Leadership Program at L&T.
-One of the five engineers selected by Vice President to be a part of “Sales Effectiveness Team” sent to Malaysia and work along with Malaysian counterparts to assist in positioning the product in India.
-Analyzed cost competitiveness due to bought out business and presented the same to the GM (Business Unit) resulting in 100% implementation
Academics:
-Merit certificate holder & nominated for National Scholarship Scheme by Govt of Tamilnadu for Class X; Graded among the top 2% in the university
Extra-Curricular:
-Captained my School basketball team at various district level tournaments; Represented college cricket team at various intra and inter college tournaments
Positions held:-
-Founding member of Young Executive Fun Squad at L&T ;
-Elected as Placement Coordinator, Campus Placement Committee, NIT Nagpur ;
-Member of Organizing Committee, Axis’04, a National Level technical Symposium conducted at NIT Nagpur
3 Mistakes of My life:-
First Mistake (Std 12) :-
“Thanks to my tension, my long fingernails have been curtailed to shorter ones with my teeth doing the wonder. Got a call from my relative in chennai, who studied in some hi fi matriculation school and came to know that he had secured some 92%. Me a small town boy, studied in a govt school, hoping to get atleast something above 90%, was standing in the scorching sun outside a net center, waiting for my 12th std results.I could hear my hear beats beating loud, like in the climax scenes of Kal Ho Na Ho….
The netcenterwala handed me the chit with my subject wise marks mentioned in it…..I thought he had written only the maximum marks rather than writing the actual marks obtained….But after getting it clarified only I came 2 know that he was right and I was wrong….Yes!!!! Actual marks = Maximum Marks in my PCM(Phy, Chem, Math) …a 100%ger in PCM and 95% in Total…..I didn’t know how I was supposed to feel….It was a mix of happiness, surprise, pride n everything … dream come true types :-) !!!!”
Second Mistake ( Final Yr.) :-
“ NIT, Nagpur – Orange City, a makeover platform for me. Diff language, Diff People, Diff Climate ….so many different things…but still these were the times which helped to shape myself the way I dreamt me to be…Made lot of friends and learnt lot many things (other than academics)…Cricket & Basketball made me a known person for many…Nightouts and Sitouts at midnight made me even more crazier….Poha & Chai turned out to be the tastiest cuisines in the world….Movies and Novels took the front seat where studies sliced its way to the back seat….
Then came the final yr,….When the actual campus placements started, I was too finicky in choosing the companies cos of which I dropped many and after some point of time many started dropping me as well…Life was a bit dejected then…Then came L&T which is infamous for selecting people in single digit…Amidst the consistent toppers I too sneaked in….Had 3 rounds of written test , GD & PI….When ppl were anxiously waiting for the results, one old guy came and announced that the entire batch performance was dissatisfactory and the selected ppl are in binary terms(0 or 1)…Irritated with his sarcasm , I was moving back….All of a sudden I heard my name announced by somebody and in the next instant I found myself thrown in the air by my dear ones….Aamchi Mumbai embraced me with both her hands..(though got transferred to chennai later)”
Third Mistake (CAT 08) :-
“ “These Grapes Taste Sour” was my perception towards CAT and MBA….But still wanted to try my luck as colleagues in L&T gave lot of hypes when I made it through among selected few in L&T’s Management Leadership Program…
I was supposed to leave for a tender opening on the D day(Nov16th) to Mumbai…As I have attended only 4 of the 20 mock tests, even I was not interested in giving the exam….But Fate had its last laugh….My flight was wrongly booked(instead of morning one, evening one was booked) and I landed myself in the exam hall in the morning….Attempted 7Qs in DI, 8 in Quants and some 12 odd in VA….(have known only that much L)….finished the exam well b4 time and while leaving, got to know that many have attempted min 14-18 Qs in most of the sections…Unperturbed I proceeded for my mumbai journey..
On my colleague’s insistence checked my probable scores in TIME…To my surprise it showed 89% and suggested me to apply for Spjain, Kj som, Tapmi, Mica kind of colleges…I too applied though apart form Spjain, other colleges asked for min 91%le….Luck was doing all kind of dances….When the results came, TIME’s prediction went wrong and I found myself fetching some 94%ile with some 99%accuracy in most of the sections…KJSom, Tapmi interviews were cakewalk….Finally came the SPj interview…Me and KC went together…First round was awesome where I could relentlessly gas on ‘What ‘ll I do if become the prime minister kinda questions’….In the Second round answered exactly to the questions asked and didn’t gas on much…Thought I didn’t fare well overall.. Was hoping for admissions in Kjsom and Tapmi…Kjsom came in affirmative…TAPMI and SPJain were about to release on same day….Though I refreshed TAPMI’s pages more than that of Spjain’s, finally Spjain’s confirmation refreshed me than anything else….WHAT A DAY?!!!!!”
Me & MBA :-)
And the reason y I mentioned all these as mistakes was, one way or other they were responsible for me to commit my fourth mistake….The Mistake’s highlight is on May 28th and to check out that kindly check http://www.rajeshwedssaumya.webvivah.com/
There is a hairline diff between Confidence and Arrogance.(Courtesy: Ghajini).. If I have sounded arrogant/boasting kindly excuse …:-)
The Classical Pratul
Everybody here has shared their interests, and there will be many having the common interests like same choice of music, fan of same hero or fans of same sport. I will be more than happy if somebody shares one of my interests : I am a fan of Mohd Rafi. I have a great collection of his songs, around 3500 songs sung by him. Also, in general I like the music more golden, more vintage (read : older) than that is played by FM channels. They generally stick with the great Kishoreda, but we hardly get to listen to some of the great numbers by Rafi, Lata, Asha, Geeta Dutt, Hemant Kumar etc etc. So, I will be pleased to find some fan of golden oldies. :crazy:
Talking of other interests, I am a great fan of tennis, the one who has never held the racket in his hand. :-) I like beauty of this game, and this is the only game which has Roger Federer in it :-P.
And talking of non-interests, I have no interest in IM :-)
About my childhood days, I come from a small city of Baramati (famous for Sharad Pawar). Completed my education till 12th there and managed decent marks - 86 and 93 % in SSC and HSC. Then, I completed my mechanical engineering from VIT, Pune. (I bet u mistook VIT for Vellore Inst of Tech, but surely its as famous in Pune) And then, followed the crowd to get into IT. Since then I am in IBM, working in Mainframe technologies.
The best part of my work was not the quality of work, but me moving to Bangalore for a year. There I discovered my second love : Andhra Meals :-P. The first being already discovered in the college : Idli/Medu Wada Sambhar :-)
Also, I became a fan of a language which I have not yet learnt, Thamizh :-). And with that language, came the love for Superstar Rajinikanth :-D . If I learn that language, it will be mostly because of Thalaiva, with Ilayathalapathy, Vijaykanth and T Rajendran filling the remaining gap in commitment :-P
Here is where I saw people dying to crack CAT and even I thought of taking it. More than desperation for MBA, the enjoyment in studying for CAT got me through. Scored decent enough in all the exams and got into SP at last.
But, I have an inferiority complex now, after seeing profiles of some of my batchmates. I am one of those guy who have done nothing apart from curriculum in their life. Just CAT and experience has got me through.
Lastly, looking forward to meet all you guys and gals in SP and hoping for such an enjoyment which will be cherished for life.
------------------------
Pratul
Dated : 19th May 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
YEH HAI MERI KAHANI.....SAROJ
I hail from Damanjodi...a small township in the Koraput district of Orissa...i bet none of you have heard of this place...but you might have certainly heard of NALCO-ALUMINIUM REFINERY..tats in Damanjodi...a very calm and scenic place....Completed my schooling from DPS Damanjodi...those were the best days of my life...had a ball there...At DPS...i was a very studious and a focused kind of a guy...took life seriously...was the Head Boy of my school...passed as a SCHOLAR and a GOLD MEDALIST...topped my school in 10th and 12th...phew !!!!... those were days...
Ab aati hai twist...was a fanactic of Biology...just used to fall in love with the subject every time i studied...so wanted to be a world class...cardiac or a neuro guy....couldn't make it to a medical coll as a fresher...(curse the huge population !!!)....left all good NIT engineering seats...n dropped to prepare for that one coveted seat in a good coll...but one thing was decided...its now or never...so gave in everythng i could...landed in Delhi...to prepare....those were the most crucial days of my life...u ppl won't believe i used to put an average of 12-13 hrs every day studyin...n i never get bored...tat was a passion...now i can't even dream of it...cleared screening exams...but again couldn't make it big...
A big failure again...tough time of my life...then...kya god knows how i got a 205 rank in my state JEE even by sleeping away the whole 2 hr for maths section..but i got into engineering...had no idea of which stream should i opt for...n a little broken both mentally n phisically...so chipped into electrical engineering...bcuz tats wat i had in the first option...cut to engg. hostel...
1st year ...ahh again piled up the josh...n started studyin to find somethng out of my new life....
Bahut padha...n finally 9 cgpa le aaya...but then the crux of electrical engg. was u can never see the flux or the emf...suddenly got bored of all this....took a break from studies...n explored my self within...from my 2nd yr...never slept before 4 am....never have kept my eyes open in my classes...just got up for my roll call n slept...Now again a U-turn...
After 3rd sem...while travelllng back home...got my hand on a Buss. Today magazine...i started liking it...and i started liking it so much that in the next 3 months...i became an avid reader of Economic Times and any bizz magazine u name...n then one day...was surfing through the tech fests of IIT Kgp.. found out a Business Plan contest...didn't knw wat triggered me...but i thought i should put an entry...A wonderful idea struck me...(will not talk about it now..varna this post will run into a book...n junta maregi...) , and i spent my next 1 year developing the business plan...had the best experiences of my life in the process...learnt a lot...grew up as an individual....
n then it was fests n management events for me through out my engineering...couldn't clear a good bschool in my final year...i was too much into my Business plan...n then finally landed at TCS...did somethng i don't knw wat...but khub aish ki mumbai mein..suddenly the city of dreams is all set to take me to a new level...a new beginning...
My vital stats:
Academics: 10th (excellent)-- Topped
12th (good) -- Topped Science
Engineering(ahh..ahh) -- I can repair all the fans n bulbs n washing mahcines...
Extracurriculars:
Sports: Table Tennis is life to me...
Debates , Eloqutions n all... a long list...a o.k type quizzer...
Karate champ during my school days...
NLSTSE Scholar...
Member of Central Coordinating team of KRITANSH..techno-management fest..
Anchor for all ocassions...
Worked closely with an NGO SOVA...spreading awareness against AIDS.
Learnt cooking myself...n i prepare tasty non-veg...onlyyyyyyyyyy
A part of Sion School Initiative at TCS...teach english to slum kind..
ACHIEVEMENTS:
Won Business Plan contest in a couple of IIT's..
Won ADMAD contest at Megabucks...IIT K
Won a couple of case study contests too...
A Black belt in Karate..(turned one very recently after 8 long years of practice)...
Work-Ex
10.5 month @ TCS...don't knw wat i did here...except having fun...
never have compelted 8 hrs in office...but was great fun being an IT engineer...
i took an hour to realise that i have not accepted mansas invitation...n was searching the the
new post section...true IT whizzzy... :)
I think tats it !!....rest you can see me talkin talkin all the time...not all being nonsense...but yes talkin...n so i m into marketing...i pray god n seek help frm frnds at SP to help me keep my eyes open in class...i think its 5 long years i have attended a class properly...n will surely rock for the next two years....eating veggie food.. (tats a smallll shock for me...)
Cheers !!!
And finally I write
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Somebody Nobody!!
I hail from Bangalore. Pretty much lived here all my life barring 4 years of schooling in New Delhi. Gotten thru SP with Finance spec.
Some details:
Schooling - Partly in FAPS, Bangalore and partly in Salwan Public (Afternoon), New Delhi.
Taken part in debates, declamations. Been the editor of the school newsletter. Played basketball, table tennis and chess. SSC percentage - 86.
College - MES College of Arts, Commerce and Science, Bangalore University.
- Represented college in debates
- Was part of the core committee that organized inter collegiate commerce and management festivals
- Represented college/won events such as Venture capital, Product Launch, Event Management, HR test, Stress interview, etc at various national management festivals
- Contributed regularly to "THE CREATIVE CORNER" - an initiative to nurture poetry
- Editor of "Ankura", the college magazine
- II PUC percentage (12th standard) - 94.5%. (Fifth in the State)
- Graduation - B.Com - 82%
Professional - Cost Accountant from ICWAI (Title - Grad. CWA)
- Participated/won events based on costing, management accounting, financial accounting, etc
- 19th All India rank in ICWA, Final
CAT - A very pathetic score not worthy of a mention in public domain :)
Work ex - 31 months
- 12 months as a Costing Executive at Rittal India Pvt. Ltd., the world leader in manufacturing of industrial enclosures; responsible for all costing operations here.
- 19 months as an Experienced analyst at Axis Risk Consulting Services, primarily into internal audits.
Some personal details:
1. Passionate about poetry.
2. Have a fetish for words and love learning them
3. Am a die hard foodie. Ceteris paribus, I live to eat. Love cooking as well.
4. Am a complete zero as far as IT and techie stuff is concerned. Took me a while to understand blogging as well and hence, this delay in posting here.
5. Love learning new things and finding ways around the system.
Looking forward to some exciting times at SPJ. Re-visiting college life after 3 long years :)
Cheers!!
My Profile - Gulshan
m Gulshankaur Khalsa (:D i know long name...) from Mumbai n selected for finance...n here goes my first post on the blog...
Profile
CAT - 99.61 %ile (messed up in DI...so no IIM calls for me...but i am still very glad about SP)
XAT - 97.something %ile
Call - score based
10th - 86.8%
12th - 87.8%
Grad-Just completed wid final year exams...
Achievements and Extra curriculars
ughhh...i really have nothing to brag about :p
have organised and participated in the competitions happening in my college...
got some prizes in some of them...
really love playing sports...m not a star but i have fun(:D)...have been the captain of the kho-kho team...n that is one sport i really like...
used to participate in events like TPP and MUNs...but reaching the finals used to be the end point for me...
one thing that i genuinely feel i am gud at is maths :p..hoping uski bahut zarurat padhe :D...have got some certis for being first at city level in SSC boards and also some other certis in maths...
n finally...does getting scholarships for acads count..? if yeah, toh i have something more to blab about.. :p
n now...the REAL me!!!
have recently started blogging :p....not very active, but its fun to pen down stuff...
love hanging out wid frenz...but i suppose that is one hobby that i will have to let go off now...coz now we'll be "pressed for time".. :p...
i enjoy pulling people's legs and doing low magnitude keedas...
love dancing and singing..though people around me dont really like it if i sing.(m horrible at it)...but music IS my passion...i know to play the keyboard...had learnt thodusa guitar also.....and i have passed four exams in bharat natyam....
and also..like ne engineer i love to "analyse"..har situation analyse karne mein mujhe bada maza aata hai...
m really kicked up about the MBA life thats gonna start soon...i know it mite not come across by luking at my profile (:p) but i really am!!
one of the reasons that really gave me the kick was preparation for GI...wasnt very keen on doing an MBA in the first place, but the preparation has given me reason enuf to believe that MBA will be fun and gud challenge....
So hoping to be a part of a very good batch of SPJIMR...all the best guys...we'll rock!!
Saturday, May 16, 2009
A lil about me
- A Foodie. Like to taste various cuisines. (Mentioned this at my interview and was grilled)
- Love to travel a lot. Both trekking and leisure trips. Have covered a little bit of South India. Now waiting to explore the Konkan and Mid-western region
- Ideal morning is a hot cuppa with newspaper. (Something im goin to enjoy to the max for next 30 days)
- Can't be without sleeping (Each time I hear Life@MBA, my heart skips a beat.
- Love to get wet when it rains!!
- I dont think much about tomorrow. Live and enjoy today is the motto!
Friday, May 15, 2009
A beginners guide to Roopa's Life :)
According to my sun sign I do all the things that have been specially denied to me :P…
And that’s pretty much I have done. If dad says go right I will try going left and see what all opportunities are lying out there..
Off course at times when I do know people are right I keep my mouth shut and just follow all the instructions like a baby.
Well did my schooling and college from Mumbai only. Yeah you guessed it right born and bought up in Mumbai, originally from Kerala.
Well I used to keep hopping between being an average student and being one of the top students in school.
Started reading novels from 9th and have never looked back. I think 95% of the time during my junior college I utilized in reading all the series of every damn writer .
Dunno how I scored in 12th, anyway that’s that. Then got into VJTI, wasn’t expecting to get into such a reputed university.
VJTI was the best part, participated in every other competition.
I have done my graduation in Bharatanatyam when I was a child.
Now I have joined Shiamak Dawar (SDIPA) classes doing my 2nd level that is elementary out there.
So coming back to VJTI, choreographed a lot many routines for intra dance competitions, was part of the college troupe.
Was the coordinator of our cultural festival, EESA (Electrical and Electronics Students Association) Treasurer ( off course this post was a big joke but looks good on my CV) etc .
So basically right from 1st year was into organizing all sorts of events.
Side by side used to maintain good track record as far as studies was concerned (Got JRD TATA scholarship every year for excellence)
Guess the para above was total bragging so will come back to reality.
Any ways got placed in Siemens Ltd. again Mumbai in marketing department only.
Had given CAT and all, in my final year but didn’t give it so seriously.
So this time worked hard (well at least I used to try studying at weekends)
CAT – 96.98 percentile
XAT – 99.08 percentile.
Experience – 10.5 months
So basically I am an extrovert, a very enthusiastic person & pretty crazy and understanding.
I love watching LOST, FRIENDS, HIMYM etc. Prison Break I used to but got bored later on.
I read a lot many novels, quiet crazy about them.
I love trekking also a lot, and always game for any trip.
And yeah I get very restless if I am just sitting idle, I always need to be doing something or the other.
Looking forward to meet all you guys and make new friends :)Me, Myself and...
I am this odd ball always trying to do things differently,sometimes truly weirdo things.
And i m kinda introvert. Surprisingly I have a bin selected for marketing! Hoping against hope that I would be transformed by the end of 2 years at SP.
There are two things that i m passionate about, one is Music - tried my hand at singing, flute and violin and then decided that I must take up the Keyboard :). I am trained in western classical music(completed grad 6 in Electronic Keyboard conducted by Trinity College of Music, London) and the other is teaching - I had almost decided to take up the offer at IIM L fellow program before getting this offer from SP which i could not resist!
Academics, I m no topper but I balanced my frequent music band-outings/cultural events and my school/college exams fairly well. I was part of the nature club at school- enjoyed the turtle walks along besse beach, the trip to nanmangalam to spot the barn owl...
College was 4 yrs of fun and only fun! my band took me to loads of colleges in and around chennai and outstation too and we did manage to win at a number of music competitions. I tried my hand at rowing at Madras boat club and enjoyed it . But my joy was short lived! one fall into the backwaters of river K00vum(the water is as dirty as the water u may find in mumbai guttars!) was enough to stop my parents from sending me back for rowing nor did I get a chance after that as my job took me to Mumbai.
Mumbai came as a rude shock to me! I just cannot compare Chennai with Mumbai in any possible way. The local trains and Bus services is gud so is the crowd! I remember one guy at the railway station remark "log yahaan kiide jaise chipakte hain"(ppl stick on to each other like insects!). I vividly remember watch atleast a dozen packed trains go past before I could sum up enough courage to clamber onto a train just to reach Thane from Mulund(2 adjacent suburbs!)
The Mumbai Junta are generally nice and polite except for one bus vala who gave me a long sermon in Marathi( a language which i have no clue off! ) for getting into the wrong bus! I realized that when he showed me the door. While getting down I told him that I dint understand the language (everyone in the bus burst out laughing, so did the conductor :))
Now coming to my GI at Sp
Round 1
P1 : intro urself
me:told
P2: talk about anything for 3 minutes
me: I jump started with music and went into the groove. I got so engrossed that i dint even know when those 3 minutes of mine got over!
Thats it! 5 out of 6 were selected for round 2
Round 2
started with intro and y MBA...
p2: You all must be following the Nano chapter.
Do you think that Tata moving out of singur was right? Why? give me 2 reasons with a yes or a no anwer.
me: yes. It was tillable/ agriculture land. secondly one cannot work under constant threat and fear, so it was good for tata to move out to some place where its workers can work peacefully without fear of a riots.
p1: Imagine that you are a Manager. what are the attributes you would look for selecting a candidate for a position?
s1: skills
s2: dedication
s3: knowlege
me: adaptable, quick learner.
s4:...
s5:...
All possible good qualities were discussed.
p1: Now you all have selected the best possible candidate for the job. He has been working under you for over 2years. Ur company has doubled interms of profits and has expanded massively and major credit for this goes to the candidate you selected.
Now this person submits his travel bill for Rs. 550 inplace of the actual Rs.500. What would you do?
s1: I would take him into confidence and try and correct him/reform him.
p1: This person after 2-3 months again submits his travel bill for Rs.525 in place of the actual cost of Rs. 500. What would you as a manager do?
me: I would suspend him.
p1:surprised expression! Remember he has contributed immensely to your organisation and is responsible for all possible growth in your company.
s2: I would send him to the discipinary committee and let them take necessary action.
s3: along same lines as s2
s4: same as s2
s5: similar to s2/s1
p1:( looks at me with her eyebrows raised:)) do you want to change your stand?
me: NO. I can give the person another chance if he is not in a position to perform upto expectations in the job front but cannot excuse on moral or ethical grounds.
p2: 2 reasons y sp must select you. one negative that u wud like to improve and one positive that you would add to the peer group at sp. give me just 2 words!
me: (-)knowlege,(+) teaching
Hues of Insanity
14 May 2009, 4PM
http://spjimrclassof2011.blogspot.com/
zzzzzz goes my Chrome and the page opens. Thank god I can see plenty of real estate. So I am one among the others. I pump my fists and am back to sleep
15 May 2009, 4PM
Ding Ding (Thrice). My usually dormant gtalk springs to life and 3 windows pop out waking me up
Manasa: hey Mani .. atleast you post on the blog na..it feels so stupid to see just my posts there :(
Arpit: hey
Mani: yo yo
Arpit: its time u start bloggin ! on OUR BLOG !!
Varun: showered all my patience & penned down a blog
yessssssssssss
feel on top of d wrld 4 my achievement
Varun a.k.a DITCHER !!! And I thought there was one other lazy bum like me. So much for friendshipL.
So I check http://spjimrclassof2011.blogspot.com/ once again and -------- YIKES.... one post after the other and that too in a span of 24 hrs.
Come on Mani, Be a man. Write SOMETHING !!
Hi. Hope you are well. Okay, I don’t write much. Rather I don’t write at all and the last piece of my work was the two and a half hour marathon in the Common Admission Test. Well, even that had nothing do with writing. So you can imagine. Rewind more and what looms around vaguely inside this little head is my final paper of the University examinations. That was total vomit on paper so if you are expecting something revolutionary here, I am very sorry. This is just not the right space and can’t even promise to redirect you to one of those inspiring, influential and innovative write ups. WOW. The 3 I’s of writing!! Alright, if you’ve managed to stay awake till now, WOW and THANKS. I really don’t know what else to say.
Arpit: Mani boy
Mani: yea !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
Arpit: ur profile is still missin
:P
Mani: Im half way thru
:)
Arpit: its pouring over thr!!
As if I didn’t know!! Ok I lied when I said I was half way thru.
Arpit also warned me against posting anything RESUME LIKE, so I will stay away from trying to woo in prospective recruiters here. I promise you won’t come across Career Interests, Tech Skill, Achievements blah blah.
I was this sad, pathetic and lonely kid at school. Stayed away from Acads and hence branded one by teachers and students alike. Never mind my school; I am not proud of it either so we move on.
College life was marginally better. I had to make amends for my disastrous boards hadn’t I and so I thought I would study. Sad and Pathetic. Yet again?? Come on, something is just not right. And study I did, like a total moron. I bagged the best outgoing student award and each one of my friends walked away with bombshells for girlfriends. Only then did I realize what a mess my four years had been. What had I done? Ahhh. I swore to never repeat the same mistake.
Four years of IT education hadn’t gone waste on me. How is that? I landed myself a job in an IT company. Wow. Isn’t that just brilliant!
Reaction amongst family members and relatives – “Papu has got a job in a software company? Another one in the family? Oh no”. Now if you are wondering who Papu is, wonder no more. It’s my pet name and I certainly am not proud to have one that is not even remotely close to my christened name. I guess such things happen only in India
I swore again; No more IT in my life. MBA should help me change industries.
Fate has done it again. MBA, yes, but in what?
INFORMATION MANAGEMENT...
IT again? Nooooooooooooooooooooooo
Oh God, Are you listening?
Alright, enough of all this. In case you still haven’t got a fair idea about who I am after meandering thru my Orkut profile and those wasteful interactions with my humblest self, ahem..You haven’t missed much.
I:-
a) Am fat and more importantly, single. Girlssssssssssssssssssssssss, Hear Hear
b) Love Coffee
c) Have been romancing Manchester United for 9 years now
d) Watch everything on Travel & Living
e) Feel the thrill standing by the door in a fast moving train
f) Am game for any game, any time, any place
g) Don’t miss a show on footer
h) Firmly believe that everything else can wait but the search for cheaper food cannot
If that inspires you to be my partner in crime.. my very humble associate, Welcome aboard. You are about to meet the MOST EXCITING person on the planet