The date was April 19, 2015, 11.30 am. I can give you the seconds too cause this moment changed my life forever. I had opened the admissions letter I got moments earlier and I remember time freezing, voices around me quietening for this was no ordinary letter, it was something I was looking forward to for a couple of years now and I had finally done it. I had got into XLRI! Now, thinking about it again, I don’t remember all the congratulations I received but the most common one of it all that stuck was “ Ab tho thu chill maar, tera future set hai ” (You can relax now and no need to worry about your future). And to an extent I believed them, but soon I realised I was a little too gullible (In my defence, and for your knowledge, nothing can ever prepare you for your life at XLRI).
Dusk to dawn
Six months on as I sit here and try to write an article about a day in my life as a student of XLRI, my mind goes blank, there’s just too much, how do I pick one day! And that was when it hit me. Six months in this glorious campus and not once have I repeated an experience so far, not once have I had moment of déjà vu . This, however, does not mean a day is not structured. Oh, that’s far from it, allow me to take you through a “normal” day in the life of an XL’er.
Day breaks, it’s 8.33 am. Darn! I overslept from my scheduled time of 5 hours (again)!, I think to myself.
Aah! Sleep, it is nothing akin to ambrosia here at XL. Waking up on time on the other hand is a matter of life or death. With zero scope for error in terms related to class timings, about 30 minutes is what an XL’er usually gets to finish his daily chores and have breakfast while we jog our way to our classrooms smiling at our fellow marathoners.
9 am: After the sheer physical exertion of the marathon, it’s now the turn of our mind to get us through 90 minutes of rigorous case analysis, fierce class participation and awkward silences that petrify the sharpest brains. The 30 minute breaks, lunch at Dadus comprises Bishu ka Paratha and chai from Shyam store. These are the only things that keep an XL’er going through this rigorous grind.
4 pm: The tired sun maybe setting in the sky but we XL’ers are just getting started. Don’t be surprised if you see Roar of Victory and a dash of mockery, for matches of football, tennis or Badi that take place are all meant to prepare us XL’ers for our most awaited meetings with our dear Jokars.
6 pm: And we are back in our classes for another last stretch. Contrary to what you expect the lectures get more invigorating with some cold icy stares reserved for those who raise questions at the fag end of the lectures.
9 pm: And while the world is setting in for a good night's rest, XL is all abuzz. Why is that? From a committee triggered section competition, to an assignment submission or a quiz, oh the reasons are as puzzling as Tartarus itself. You see them hoarding a midnight snack at Bishu Da, a cup of chai at Shyam store or just taking a stroll to catch up with someone special (*ahem*). One might think “XL never sleeps”.
Oh the XL’ers are seen everywhere in the campus, until the sun decides to come back up, for that is when we go to rest our weary bones. We know it was a day well spent, we know we are one step closer to becoming a manager par excellence, above all we know we need this sleep on this sparingly used bed. For we know tomorrow brings with it a new set of challenges, a new set of opportunities, that we cannot foresee but only prepare ourselves for at ‘XL’.