The date was July 14th, a Wednesday. A day my memory certainly will not forget. It was my first day at CBS. Everything seemed so different...new people, a B-school, smart air conditioned classrooms... and even myself at that point! I was totally confused and not sure of how the new environment was going to be.
It was almost nine in the morning and as I was sitting there filled with mixed emotions, the Dean walked in with a confident looking team comprising the Governing Council and the faculty members for the introductory session. Mr. P.K. Mohapatra, a member of the Governing Council gave a really thought provoking speech, which certainly inspired me a lot. I actually learnt more about world economy and politics in those thirty odd minutes he spoke than what I had known all my life till then. The knowledge enrichment ride was continued by the other Governing Council members, Mr. Mohan Menon, Mr. Sathasivam and Mr. M. S. Ravichandran.
We then paused for tea. As the day progressed, everything new seemed so good. The faculty introduction assured me that I was in the right place. A brief explanation about the various varsities and their objectives were put forward by the Dean. The pedagogy of study at CBS sounded really interesting- extensive use of case studies. I soon realised that I am in for a challenging time and my expectations were already building up. It was then lunch time and the Dean came up and said, “...today the lunch is on the house.....and only for today”. While having my lunch I still had that one last confusion within. How am I going to get along with my class mates and keep it going over the next whole year? I have never been in an educational institution before with such a diverse group especially with respect to age and experience. Post lunch we got into the group activity session.
It was the best session of the day for me simply because all we had then was fun. I soon realised how differences could seem not so different. It was the perfect ice breaking session we all needed to get to know each other. It also was a really enjoyable way of learning how working in groups could prove so productive. As the day concluded on a very light note I realised a positive change in me. I came in feeling tensed and went out with a lot of confidence and clarity. As I made my way back home I was sure that I was in the right place. I felt assured that it was going to be a fulfilling year, ‘learning for the real world’ and was sure that CBS was the right place for it. All the learning, fun and excitement had just started and I am looking forward to a great time at CBS.
Contributed by A. Yuvanath – International Management Varsity (V Batch 2010-11)
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