Thursday, May 29, 2008

Hope Hope and Hope

With two of my mid term exams gone for a toss, Greek and Latin classes of statistics, intimidating Macro economic classes wherein I don’t get scores coz I bunk them, flooding terminology in Psychology in which I can’t remember even one definition, Nightmares in accountancy classes, Yet unable to figure out what should I base my Empirical research on while my peers are already 10 steps ahead of me….. What else can I think of other than ‘HOPE’.Edit post

Personally, this has been my most favorite word in the English language. Not only is it my factor of existence but also my survival system. This concept is so much submerged in me that sometimes it scares me. I can’t refrain from quoting my favourite lines from ‘Shawshank Redemption’ - “Hope is a good thing. May be the best of all. And no good thing ever dies.” So next time, you face a set back, all you need to do is jus ‘Dream On’ for Hope is not a bad thing at all….


The other stuff:

It is a worth mention of the nightmares we are going through in the financial accounting class.

In the accounting class

Student 1 : Can we debit a credit? (Boy! Neva thought on these lines)

Student 2 : If there is a company ‘A’, which has taken over company ‘B’ and there is a company ‘C’ to whom company B owes sums, and there is a company ‘D’ which is a creditor. Now how would company ‘A’ account for the transactions if company ‘B’ goes bankrupt?? Googly !! This one I know is straight from sleep.

Student 3 : Why do companies follow a credit system?

Student 4 : How do companies track how much dividend is paid? (I loved the answer from our professor – ‘U gotta employ someone to do that’ – in a quite obvious kinda tone) - This one was awarded the question of the year by the Co2009.

Statistics mid term exam – an open book (an open laptop too) test – just one problem to solve – close to one hour duration – I would demean it by calling just a disaster. The term Co 2009 coined is ‘165 X 1 Disaster’ (165 students to one ‘Bond’ kinda professor). The reactions after the exam – ‘What? Is that a question?’, ‘Dude, I don’t even know what that means’. ‘Grrr.. someone tell me what is this all about’, ‘Boo Hoo Hoo, there goes my GPA’, ‘Goodbye MBA’ and so on

Landmarks

The first instance of a student kicked out of the class for the Co 2009.
First set of fines for chatting on mail and cross talking in the class levied by Honor Code committee

More laterz...

Saturday, May 24, 2008

8.33% MBA



It’s a month I embarked on a new journey in my life, A long cherished dream of mine. What else can make one happy than ‘following your heart’.

Even at the cost of sounding clichéd, I shall mention ‘Time just flew by’ and am sure the rest of 11 months are just a blink away !!!

The one month was action packed. At this point I get to wonder what’s in store for the rest of my time here. I am sure there wudn’t be any surprises. Let me take a guess – It’s gonna be - loads of lectures, loads n loads of assignments and deadlines, dozing in the classrooms, night outs at ‘Lake Veeranamm’, Pranks on peers and we will not save the profs either, Partying high, booze parties, Birthday bumps, improving our theatre skills (by imitating our profs), Attack on the resource centre and databases, Clubs and Committees, Study tours, B-School competitions, Mid terms, End terms, Case studies, the o’some and the ‘not-the-so-o’some’ profs, some sweet friends on to our list….

Truly Action packed !!!


Thursday, May 22, 2008

Its raining !!!

Imagine a setting like that of ‘Lagan’. A drought-stricken village, rain god frowning on its villagers, no rains for the crops to prosper, all villagers can do is look heavenwards.

And then Lightening strikes… Yes it indeed is raining in Chennai for the last two days ! Isn’t that like news? Where r all those new channels? I guess this piece is better than ‘Kareena wants to act with Shahid again’, ‘Deepika finds new boy friend’ ‘Kitten rescued from a well’ etc…

If you are thinking it’s just the downpour from the heaven, no it isn’t. It’s raining assignments, group tasks, classes, assessments, class quizzes, mid-terms et all.

Tuesday, May 20, 2008

A pat on the back



My day started with a small feeling of discomfort and needless to say that it carried forward to all my classes. There was this strange feeling that something was not alright but I dono what it is. Half day thru, after some heavy doses of classes, a nice lunch and some serious learning of Chinese for the assessment test that’s awaiting us, there was a bunch of folks who came to me with some questions in accounting. Well, I love the subject and I love teaching. So, there was I at, my best and folks around me listening attentively. At this point one of our Profs walks in and watches this and asks me a couple of (not-so-obvious) questions on accounting. N you should have guessed that I gave the answers, rather vomited them. He immediately said something like “I like it. You show a keen interest and passion. I observe that in my classes too…..” (Disclaimer : not the exact words)

Do I need to mention, how this small gesture turned my 'Not-so-good-day' into 'What-an-awesome-day'. If you are thinking that was kiddish, then stop being a loser in life. This is what I exactly want to convey. How many times in life did we ever relish a compliment in its true sense? Did you ever sit back and think of all those good things people have told you? N who wouldn’t like compliments any ways? I would call em ‘Blessings in disguise’. As am writing this, am fondly tapping back all those sweet little praises showered on me. So, y don’t you too sit back just for a moment and go back to the memory lane and dig out those sweet lil praises shot at you?

It wouldn’t harm you anyways !!!


Well, the story doesn’t end here. As I always say my favorite side is the ‘Other side’. If when you are reading this, you are thinking of how to make someone’s day by giving a compliment, bingo you are the ONE ! If all it takes to make someone’s day is a few nice words, then there shouldn’t be any stopping.

It wouldn’t harm you anyways !!

Monday, May 19, 2008

Missing my weekends on weekends

Weekends before joining MBA

  1. Party till the cows come home.
  2. Crazy freak outs till early hours – Go to those night shows – enter those addas illegally (thru their kitchen) where you get food at midnight – then go for some ice creams at Ohries at 3 in the morning – Oh! How I miss all those.
  3. Get togethers @ Friend’s rooms and discuss anything and everything under the sun and suddenly feel the halo around us.
  4. Cook a multi course dinner and pat my own back (coz its edible people – now appreciate that)
  5. Drink away to glory at home ALL ALONE in absolute PEACE.
  6. Watch back to back movies, say 4-5…
  7. Compensate all those sleepless week days by sleeping away to glory – Like you don’t care even if someone knocks your door – let em…
  8. Play Cricket with the galli kids and get a feel of euphoria like winning some world cup likes.
  9. Go Carting, then pubbing and then those long drives with some romantic hindi numbers on – ooo la la !!!
  10. Chat away to glory with all those friends till its time for the sun to wake up and then hit the breakfast buffets, eat away to glory and then go home and hit the sac !!

This list would go on and on……………………………..

Weekends after joining MBA

  1. Analyse the inflation trends in Indian economy and explain whether its globally driven or locally driven (what on earth does this mean now !!)
  2. Realise at 11:00 PM in the night that I ought to have dinner, and to my utter dismay the adda is closed…
  3. Practice ‘Chinese’ (of all languages on earth) with the aid of some CD for a test on Monday. Dono how close would I get to it.
  4. Attend those Jargonish classes and act as if you understood it all and you are gonna be the next strategist.
  5. Make plans - of who is doing which part of the assignment (not of which pub, who all for the party, what time kinds)
  6. Pre reads of 100s of pages
  7. Assignments, Submissions, Group tasks, Deadlines, Tests, Term exams, penalities..
  8. Dreaming of 1 just 1 day off at the end of the term….

This list too would go on and on....

Need I say more?
And NO, I am NOT cribbing.

Sunday, May 18, 2008

What they teach you in MBA

Supervisor focused impression management
  1. Do personal favors for your supervisor (for example, getting him or her a cup of coffee or coke , etc)
  2. Offer to do something for your supervisor which you were not required to do; that is, you did it as a personal favor for him or her.
  3. Compliment your immediate supervisor on his or her dress or appearance.
  4. Praise your immediate supervisor on his or her accomplishments. (What if he doesn’t have any? genuine doubt…)
  5. Take an interest in your supervisor’s personal life (No dirty thoughts)

Ahem Ahem, no wonder B-schools make successful managers !!! Anybody out there to refute this? Come on, grow up.

Overhead transmission of Macro Economic analysis

Mr. Rocky (Prof. Rakesh singh ko pyar se janta aise bolte hei yaar.. dil pe nai leneka) has aptly justified being a professor of a B-school.

His winning formula – Scare everyone to glory

His piece of advice – Bullshit, but with CONFIDENCE.

And then give them some weird assignment on Gross domestic product trend analysis and tracing inflexion point (I still don’t know what it means) and blah blah blah. – Submission deadline 00:00 hrs in the midnight (Lol)

His Project work for us – ‘How would Economic Times look in 2020’? (Beat that).While 99.99% of us do not how it looks like now, God save us and God save HIM !!

Amidst all this there’s a bunch of seniors who take the pain of coming in the wee hours and give us a presentation on how the Place Com works. And then comes the best part – an interview (grueling one) for the same. A set of 10 essays and then an interview to do some voluntary work. Jeezus !!!

And then the Karma Yoga project – Help some community in need – Comes with a mandatory tag of 3-4 hours - more about this laterz .

And if you thought this was all, I am glad that you are grossly mistaken. It teaches you how to -

have a shower in 2 minutes, eat your dinner in 3 minutes, manage 7-8 things at once and yet not to mess em up (actually u dare not), Manage your time – your quick foody bites while traveling, complete your dressing while running to the college (Clarification : dressing like folding up the sleeves of your shirt, wear your shoes completely etc), most importantly a ‘ I DON’T CARE’ attitude, otherwise, what would you tell all those insane NON MBA crowd staring at us..


And do I have to say that – ‘Its hell lota fun’ !!!

Saturday, May 17, 2008

12 Angry Men



My day started with a ‘BANG’, much against my expectations, for it was supposed to start with a psychology lecture. Yes it did start with the lecture, but something left me awestruck and in deep contemplation. The professor was generous enough to let people continue their last night’s sleep and thus says ‘Lights off’ and woo there was a movie clip. What else can you ask for at those wee hours in the morning? But hang-on. If you thought I dozed off too, Henry Fonda didn’t let me.

Yes, we watched ‘12 Angry Men’, an American drama film, about a jury member who tries to persuade the other 11 members to acquit the suspect on trial on the basis of reasonable doubt. The objective of this video was to learn our ‘Psychology concepts’ and yes we did discuss ‘social influence’, ‘Conformity’, ‘Compliance’, ‘Obedience’, ‘Normative Behaviour’, ‘individuation’, ‘ingratiation’, ‘foot-in-the-door’, ‘Door-in-the-face’, ‘That’s-not-all’, ‘Rational Persuasion’, ‘Coalition Building’ etc..

While this is one side of the story, what left me enthralled is Henry Fonda; rather his conviction. While the techniques were irrelevant to me, his fervor still reverberates in my thoughts. How many of us would stand up so strong on our beliefs and thoughts? When is it last that we fought hard for what we thought was right in spite of all odds against us? Wouldn’t we yield to the majority’s opinion and just lose our self? Well well, confessions first, at least I wouldn’t have. A decade ago this would have been probable for me but not anymore. Reasons – the so obvious ones. For once, I wanted to go to my professor and pass across a big smile (coz I always glower in his class) and mention a ‘Note of Thanks’.

And now on the lighter note to end the blog and my day, I and my roomies are making ‘Business plans’ for ‘dabba business’ (Read Carriage Meal). Not just one but one with plans of Globalization, Affordability Vs PP (For all those of you wondering, its - Purchasing Power – Please do read a little of Economics), Innovation etc etc..

Adios for now and Ciao soon….

Thursday, May 15, 2008

The First Take















My first blogging activity comes a lil too late – I guess this is one of the repercussions of being anti-technology !!!

While there is a motive for everything we (rather I ) pursue in life, this blog is not deprived of one. I assure this small page amidst hoards of web pages around will not emit any gyan or enlighten you any further. It will remain a repository of all my experiences rather my sweet memories….

Its not yet a fortnight that I landed in this land of machas ( how I loathe this term), and I am already brimming with so much to share – the not so pleasant experiences, the sweet ones, the mischievous sagas, the college sensations, the girly gup-shups, boring lecture(r)s, the downsides and upsides of living in Chennai (do not want to demean the weather by not mentioning it), that irritating student in my class …….

For a starter, today I missed a deadline by a couple of hours and ufff there was chaos around, not from the acads section but from my fellow students – for all those of you ‘Thanks a Ton for your concern’ – if it were meant to be. I somehow love deadlines – I love the wooshing sound they make when they pass by. My penalty - 0.2% of the total credit – Do I care???

EOD it was just ‘The Usual’. The usual – starts with a small thought when I wake up in the morning ‘isn’t there a better way to start a day than waking up’, running to college from my house (thankfully its just a few blocks away) for the fear of being late, then (supposedly) learning some Chinese, waiting for the clock to strike 12:30 hrs for that Free Lunch (what else), lampoon all those serious students who shut themselves in the resource centre with some book-like articles, my pre-class reads for tomorrow (yet a few due), the pranks of my roomies, fight with the lizard (yes you read it right) and then the twist in the story – this first post on my blog !!

I AM LOVING IT !!!