When I begin to recollect my first day at MDI, I feel a sudden rush of emotions, similar to the ones I was feeling when I first landed on MDI’s campus. The following lines from the hit Hindi song Tanha Dil , by Shaan, which go: Ankhon mein sapne liye , ghar se hum chal toh diye, jaane yeh manzil ab le jaayegi kaha , best describe these emotions.
Learning and having fun
I was somewhat nervous but all the more excited for the opportunity. Delighted to live another two years, after my undergraduate studies, as a student and to get an opportunity to relive the life of a student all over again. Away from the cumbersome and monotonous lifestyle of a working individual, I entered the MDI campus with the objective to learn a lot and have a lot of fun too.
Day 1
I arrived on campus on the 16th of June, which was the day of registration. The registration was an hour-long process during which we had to get our documents verified, fill certain forms and provide student’s and parents’ undertaking to the officials of the Graduate Programme (GP) office. The students that did not have all the required documents were to sign and give an undertaking that they will furnish the document within a certain period of time. We were asked to go over an Induction Programme Schedule, which was to be held from 17th to 23rd June, 2015. After the allotment of the temporary ID cards and the schedules, we headed back to our hostels. The rest of the day consisted of a gamut of activities from interacting with a lot of new people, making friends to arranging formals for the Induction Week.
Effectively, my first day at MDI actually started with the commencement of the Induction Programme. As a part of the schedule, all the PGPM, PGP-HRM and PGP – IM students were divided into 4 groups: Group A, Group B, Group C and Group D. Every group had an entire Induction week planned for them. My first day started with High Tea, a welcome tea and snacks party. We grabbed some quick snacks and proceeded to the welcome address to be delivered by the Deans and Chairpersons at MDI in its auditorium. It was followed by a welcome speech by CP Shrimali, Director, MDI, Gurgaon. He gave us a warm welcome and encouraged us to work hard during our stay in MDI. He spoke about the great faculty at MDI, the facilities provided to the students and also the kind of hard work required from us as ‘ManDevIans’. “MDI never sleeps!,” he said to sum up thingsa. After his address, he invited the Chief Guest Sameer Nagpal, MD & CEO, Shalimar Paints, for the inaugural address. Nagpal shared instances from his worklife. This was inspiring, enlightening and motivating.
Beyond books
There was Chairpersons’ address by the Chairpersons of the various academic disciplines who welcomed and introduced us to the faculty of their respective departments and addressed any doubts the students in the audience raised.
Post lunch, we had a keynote address by Nitesh Ahuja, MD, MITG Group, Medtranic Indian Subcontinent. He shared with us his insight on the corporate world. He told us how life can be challenging when you step out of the comfort zone of college. He recalled his experiences of working in Gujarat, trying to learn Gujarati, and showed that there was more to ones work life than just what we learnt through books.
After him, Sreedhar Prasad, Partner, KPMG, an MDI alumnus, shared his thoughts with us.
Our seniors informed us of the MDI tradition of thumping the desk to welcome guests. It was a very interesting and fun address by Prasad. We could relate to him very well because he was an alumnus, and we felt like he could easily comprehend our concerns and guide us appropriately. He also spoke about his field: consultancy. He stressed upon the importance of being not just a specialist but a generalist as an MBA. He was a very vibrant, fun and energetic speaker which reflected in the level of enthusiasm which he created amongst us during his entire session.
Drawing to a close
After an enthralling experience with Sreedhar Prasad, the formal Induction Schedule for the day drew to a close but the best was left for the last. We were to be inducted by the Student Council at 9:30 p.m.
The Student Body introduced all the members to us. They brought to our notice the harsh reality of MBA life. They taught us the required discipline which we need to observe when a company visits the campus, the rigour required in academics and the commitment and fun essential in student life. They also spoke about the clubs and committees present on campus.
After an eventful day, my first day at MDI came to an end.
As I write this, I still feel like I am relatively new to the campus but am sure I am settling in well and gradually imbibing the spirit of MDI. The hectic schedule, the crazy case studies, the group projects, the deadlines, and of course the late night parties, all these things reinforce the one line MDI’s Director Dr. Shrimali said to us on the first day here: “MDI never sleeps!”
And it really doesn’t.