Doing MBA has been a long cherished dream and that came to fruition recently. When I opted for IMI Bhubaneswar, I was impressed by its brand and the credentials of its faculty. After a weeklong orientation program, where I could interact with the faculty, I can say that my expectations were not far-fetched. The orientation program gave a glimpse of the quality of faculty IMI Bhubaneswar possessed.

On the first day of the orientation program, we were made to undergo an ice-breaking exercise to form a rapport with our batch-mates. It was a very creative exercise and after that we felt like having known a part of each other’s personality. The idea behind the orientation program was to get us acclimatised with the nature of the program in, as early as, a week’s time. Hence, every day we had long sessions with the faculty, where the essentials to become a good manager were imparted to us. There were talks on ethics, business etiquettes, presentation skills and life skills. Most of the sessions were very interactive, requiring us to think critically and engage in discussions. In fact, since the first day we turned up for the Orientation Week, the faculty and the professors have all been trying to “move the needle” with our cohort, to challenge us intellectually and to stimulate critical thinking. We were introduced, for the first time, to case study methodology. In an MBA program, one does lots of case studies and we felt excited to be doing a case study for the first time. It tested our thought process and checked our attention to detail. At the end of it, we understood the level of critical thinking we needed to employ in order to crack such cases.

In all this while, our seniors ensured our orientation to this program went as smoothly as possible. They were very approachable and friendly in demeanour. Their interest in knowing us better manifested in the initiatives they took up. Along the traditions of IMI, the new joiners were asked to organise an entertainment show for the faculty and the seniors. While it seemed a daunting task to organise such a show in such short notice, we were also determined to put up a good show for them. So, in the evening after the day’s presentations were over, my batch mates got together to prepare for the upcoming event. The show was to be for duration of one hour and everyone volunteered, presenting in their capacity a group dance, a skit or a song to ensure there were enough performances to last that one hour. The night of the event was a fun-filled one and we were quite happy to find ourselves being generously appreciated for our efforts. The camaraderie that was built amongst the seniors and the new batch was visible and this was the best thing to have happened in the one week.

So, I am in a new place and I have made new friends in the last couple of days. I have thoroughly enjoyed my first week and I am looking forward to what next week and the rest of the year will bring! I feel very excited and inspired. I have also learnt about the importance of networking in the industry and I am enjoying working on my profiles and blogs to help me to get work placements in the future. I certainly feel that I have made all the right decisions so far and hope that at the end of two years, I come out a better-rounded person.