The First Look & The Lasting Impression

I always had the passion to pen my experiences, but incidentally and ironically, this is the first blog I am posting

officially.

Currently I am at MDI, Gurgaon, pursuing MBA under the National Management Programme (NMP) which happens to be the oldest Executive Management Programme in India. Before joining MDI this year, I had beem working for Cognizant, at Kolkata, for the past 5.5 years. I had always had the ambition to pursue Management Education from a leading B-School, but somehow my priorities had kept me away from it for the past 5 years. But it was time I realized my dream and made it happen. Honestly, a lot of hard work was put in 2012 for CAT, more so because I had to manage a Team Lead's role & entrance preparations in parallel. When I eventually got selected and my admission was confirmed, it was a difficult transition for me. Leaving an established position in an MNC and starting off as a student all over again after almost 6 yrs was a double whammy. I decided to join MDI over IIM Shillong for quite a few reasons, firstly, for the strategic location, secondly, for having better reputation as a B-School, thirdly, for NMP being the oldest Executive Programme in India & fourthly, for the pedagogy & faculty. Some say this institution is the intellectual capital of India in Management Education.

I landed in Gurgaon on 5th April, 2013 & our course was scheduled to start from 8th April. I made it a point to get a first look at MDI on my first day here itself. The Campus was big & gorgeous, and it had an immediate effect on me, it made me happy inside.The entire campus was punctuated by buildings, blocks & playgrounds, and the most noticeable aspect was the use of Red Bricks over all the structures signifying sanctity..I call the whole thing as "The Holy Grail of Education". The feeling of being able to spend a full year in this well facilitated campus, was incredible. I considered myself lucky to have had a second chance to revisit my student life after a span of more than five years.

Hostel boarding was scheduled on 7th April and it was on that day that all of us batch-mates met each other. Each of us were engrossed in similar thoughts and emotions - how would it feel to become a student once again, after spending so many years in a corporate setup. We were asked to board rooms at Takshashila after paying the first instalment at the Nalanda building. Inauguration of NMP Course for the 26th Batch was done by Chief Guest of Honour - Shri S.P. Singh, Director-HR, NTPC, by delivering an inspiring speech on ethics and integrity. Finally,we were set to embark on a year long journey, a journey which would not only upgrade us professionally but also enhance us personally.

The foundation classes were scheduled from 8:30 AM TO 5:30 PM for the entire week of 8th-12th April at Lakshya building, and in the process we were introduced to the course outline and gamut of subjects on offer. This was the week where we were formally introduced to the faculty. The best thing is that an MDI faculty, specialized in a certain field, caters to all programs round the year i.e. 2 year courses, NMP, PPM, Part time courses, as academics is always priority at MDI.

One has the liberty of indulging in a whole bunch of sports, we also have a well maintained gym at our disposal & a host of extracurricular activities to be involved in. Life at MDI is not only about studies, it is about inculcating the habits to emerge as a complete human being.

NMP 26 Batch is unique in terms of diversity in age groups, years of work experience, former industry expertise. One can count almost all the sectors if one goes by the profiles i.e. Real Estate, Retail, Hospitality, Healthcare, Energy, Power, IT, Banking & Finance, Manufacturing, Engineering, Aviation etc. I was thrilled to meet participants with work experiences of over 15 years..just imagine the amount of latent knowledge and experience this batch has and the huge effect constructive peer-learning will have.

The aspirations have been high since I have landed at MDI, and I am sure my desire to succeed and give back to the society will gain direction and substance in this span of a year. 

Watch this space for more updates.

Aranya Deb
NMP 26 (Class of 2014)
MDI Gurgaon