Mystory@Sameer Labba: How I chose my course and college

After completing my matriculation I had realised that I was not capable of opting for Science as a field of study. It basically was a consequence of revoking parental pressure and I lacked brevity of knowledge in that field. That is when I went through an aptitude test at IPH in Mumbai. It helped me realise that I had more interest in number crunching and presenting. That very moment I made up my mind to opt for Commerce as it was the field where I could explore numerous opportunities on the basis of my key skills.

Being from Mumbai I didn't have much idea about colleges in Pune. But exactly during that period our family had to relocate to Pune as my dad had been promoted to a higher designation. Hence, on the basis of certain portal rankings and consent of my first cousins living in Pune I filled in the centralised admission form. Luckily, I got admission in Garware College of Commerce on the basis of sports quota.

Being a localite for more than 5 years, I realised that IMDR was unique from other B-Schools in the country. It was not unique with the curriculum but its implementation was vague. One of IMDR's alumni who happens to be my colleague's parent told me about the framework and history of the institute. That's when I made up my mind that I had to apply for a PG there when I was beginning with my T.Y.BCom at GCC.

How I cracked college admission

I applied for the very first round of GWPI at IMDR as I had made up my mind of completing my post-graduation from this institute only. I appeared for CMAT 2016 conducted by the AICTE. I had undergone coaching for the exam as well as appeared for a PI at Pankaj Gandhi Academy in Pune. Hence, I was confident about securing a seat at IMDR.

Although I managed to score only 75 percentile in CMAT, my sir asked me to apply for IMDR and excel in the interview so that I could manage to get in. Under his guidance and experience of my peers I managed to stay calm and truthful to the admission process at IMDR. Within a week I received a mail from the college congratulating me for securing a seat. Thus before completing my graduation, I managed to get into Pune's oldest B-school.

What I gained from my college experience

At IMDR, schedule plays a very crucial role. Unlike other B-schools, IMDR follows the schedule designed by our respected director. Hence, the schedule may sound monotonous but the institute manages to keep it sporty and interesting. We never have to think about whiling away the time during our leisure hours too because the academics and other activities keep us on our toes. Being a student driven campus, there is a lot of responsibility and trust bestowed on the students.

Usually, I didn’t prefer attending technical subjects, but here at IMDR my choices have changed. I’m enjoying the drill. The institute has a very unique method of introducing technical subjects to the students. Being a Commerce student I had the stereotype of opting for Finance as my specialisation. But the faculty asked me to explore the technicalities the course could offer me. It helped me get over those clichés. Presently my favorite subjects are of Human Resource Management, Organizational Behavior and Business Regulatory framework.

Being a part of the admission committee 2016-18 at IMDR, I along with my fellow members have been looking after the college schedules for round 1 of GWPI and promoting the college all over India. Other than this, I'm also involved in organising the farewell party for our seniors.

Before starting with my PG I was clueless about research papers and journals. Under the guidance of our faculty, Mr.Suraj Kamble we conducted a survey and prepared a report on it. The topic being demonetisation, I was very keen on working on it, as it would be an on-field experience. That drove my curiosity towards research papers, and I soon plan to write one of my own.

The institute gave a reality check on the very first day of induction. It made me realise that the process of learning was continuous. It changed my methodology of studying. To be very precise, IMDR has taught me to treat my colleagues as my family and yet compete with them healthily.

About the Author:

I live in Pune, and am a freelancer since 2010 and have been associated with various research and marketing companies in Mumbai as well as Pune. Having worked as a promoter, coordinator and supervisor for events, I am very well acquainted with managing them both on floor as well outsourcing it. Having completed Bachelors of Commerce, I am now pursuing Post Graduation in Management to bridge the gap between domain knowledge and practicality.