On the morning of June 17, an assembly of students trooped into Qutub Educational Area. Dewy-eyed and determined, we marched into the International Management Institute (IMI), New Delhi campus. We were an assortment, a motley crowd from across India, who had one thing in common — we placed our dreams and aspirations on IMI.
First day at IMI New Delhi
It has been a week since we stepped into the campus, and a whirlwind of activities have already taken place. On Sunday morning, after a brief and eventful interaction with professors from each stream, we proceeded to the amphitheatre where we were welcomed by our director general Dr Bakul Dholakia. Accompanying him was Atul Sobti, the guest of honour, CMD of Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd and alumni of IMI New Delhi.
Our first encounter
The days that followed introduced us to the world of management. We travelled at breakneck speed throughout the week, which gave us a chance to orient ourselves to what would unravel in the two years here. From business simulation games and understanding the necessity of team work, to the inevitability of being social and participating in team building exercises, we were introduced to the multi-faceted life at IMI.
The clubs and the committees, guided by our helpful seniors, steered us to port. We were introduced to the deans, the administrative teams and the student forums, which form the backbone of this institution. Our outbound activities were a series of fun games which were both enjoyable and cleverly educational. By the end of it, we were tired, but wiser.
Life after a week
Now that classes are about to commence, the brilliance of the previous week finally sinks in. The conscious yet subtle way in which we were mixed in groups to understand our peers better, the way we were made to play games that helped us identify our strengths, weed out our weaknesses and address them, the way we were made to work as a team and taught how we are cogs in a greater system, was excellent. It was done to mould and prepare us for the brilliance that IMI demands.
A week ago, we came in naïve and apprehensive of the world. Now, we are no better, but we know with ever increasing certainty that by the time IMI is done with us, we will be able to take on whatever the world has to offer. And we shall do it with a smile on our faces.
Home away from home
It is late into the night as I type this sitting in my hostel room, which increasingly feels like home. I am reminded of a Sunday afternoon not long ago, where an ex-student of IMI New Delhi smiled at a fresh batch of students and said, “There is no place like college. And there is no college like my own”.