Third Term and Life at the planet i !

The first phase of the term 3 is currently going on. Looking back, it seems that time has just flown by! We came here in end of Sept 2007 and two terms have gone. I believe it is a fantastic experience for each one of us here. Sitting in classes from 9 am to 7 pm and then rushing back to MDC to work on case submissions, group studies, late night outs etc. all have become part and parcel of life. I believe when we are at the campus, we know we will not be sleeping for more than 2-3 hours at night, so we are sort of mentally prepared for that. Sometimes it becomes too hectic, that you start wondering that what these guys want to teach us by putting us under so much pressure. If it was not the breaks between the terms when we go home, life would have been gone for a toss!

The third term started of well and I was expecting the first phase to be a little easier then earlier. But alas! Slowly and gradually momentum picked up and we found ourselves in the same situation as during earlier two terms. One night each one of us had to finish off 5 cases of different subjects. Few teachers gave us respite by allowing us to work in groups; however the marketing case was to be done all alone. It was a nightmarish experience; I could only complete the marketing case and left the other cases to other guys in my group. The submission took place on time but no one had clue what the other chap had submitted in the same group because he was too busy finishing off his assigned case apart from his personal submission for marketing.
The term also saw the convocation for the 2008 pass out. Watching the lights for the convocation, reminded me that with each passing day ,the day is coming nearer when I will also be part of the convocation black gowns and procession, waiting for that IIM tag to be officially fixed to my name. The ceremony was good with usual speeches from the director and the guest. I wish I could see the entire ceremony but for the case submissions that were hanging on my head! The dinner party after the convocation was good, lots of new and good faces around but the same cannot be said about the food! Anyways, we had a great time mixing with the passing out batch and talking amongst ourselves. I also met my dear friend Pranav from PGP 2008 batch for the last time at the IIM I campus. It is always great talking to him and this was a special occasion. He was an IIM grad now! Sitting with him and talking in the hostel mess, I could feel that this young man is feeling nostalgic about leaving the I planet behind. He was part and parcel of this enchanting place for 2 years and tomorrow he will be leaving to start a new life as an IIM grad. My friendship with Pranav is a story in itself. I will write more on that later.
I really wanted to share the beauty of this place. The campus is over a hill, which recently has been named as "Management Hill", if translated into English literally.The view from around the campus is simply awesome. Miles and miles of greenery and I believe you can see up to 5-6 miles around the campus and even more, which for a person coming from a place like Delhi is unbelievable. The weather here is simply great but nights are unforgettable. There is a breeze which is tender and cool, which flows past this place or rather this city, which you tend to find only in the mountains. Combined with the view at night from any point on the hill, it seems like sky and earth looks all the same. It cannot be described in words only felt and enjoyed. The point on the hill which we had named "Anupam point" has been officially named as Sun Set point. This is an awesome place to enjoy the view of surrounding countryside at any part of the day or night. We named it after the most bulky chap in our class, who happens to be our Class rep as well. This chap has the tendency to walk up to that point, with either a book or binocular in hand and sit on the bench under the tree and either read or watch the views of the surroundings. I sincerely believe with binoculars in hand he was only trying to see the countryside around not anything else!!