It was well before CAT exam that I had applied for SP Jain. Honestly speaking, I was so confident (rather over confident...why not..?, I had put in so much efforts and I believe the most in Hard work) that I would do well in CAT...and apart from IIMs I had applied only for MDI and SP Jain.I had really not made a sincere attempt to know more about SP Jain...only that it was among the top B schools, after IIMs...that is it......
Then, ..CAT happened and...I had not prepared for the worst....I dint have to wait for institutes to put answer keys on their website...I knew that the moment I stepped out of the examination hall...I had spent more than an hour for the Quant section...attempting only 4 questions...mind you, only “attempting” …
But, I had already got short listed for SP Jain (the first profile based list)...My interview was in January...It was almost 2 months since CAT, but as though fate had decided to test my emotional ability, the CAT results were out just 2 days before my interview....Now, XAT was my only hope and I had done fairly well, learning from my past mistakes...hmm..CAT mistakes...
The girl who had thought she was made for IIMs...now, was actually thinking...”Can I make it through SP Jain...Am I capable...?”...I had made all attempts to learn more about SP Jain…and the moment I got to know it is a Bhavan’s institute, I had this unstoppable urge to make it, to be there, to get through…I had grown up reading lots of books from the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan…and to study there was like an undreamt dream ….But, I decided to be my own self, and prepared for the interview, and here again I put my best...brushed through some of my subjects...and I told myself...that I shall be myself....
I took the night flight from Bangalore along with Dad...It was the first time that I boarded a flight...but, I am not sure if I enjoyed it ..the way I had expected to enjoy my first flight..:-)....and as heard, the flight got delayed...and by the time we reached the hotel room, it was 1am....I lay on the bed… without sleep until ..what seemed like an eternity...but the fact that the alarm “WOKE” me up....means that I had actually slept,atleast I was convinced so, and that was enough..:-)
I just got ready..., read the Times of
Reached the campus at 8.50 (for the 10 am interview slot)...After, getting done with the document verification, I was called for the first round of Group interview..
2 Madams in the Panel and 5 of us on the other side of the table...
One mam bore such a benign smile on her face; it really put all of us at ease.
We were first asked to tell more about ourselves, our family...
I was the second one to answer...I started off...My father is an architect...
Mam: Can you tell me some buildings in
My mind goes blank....(My God....all pictures...pictures of buildings float in front of my eyes....but then the name of none seems to appear...)...I say..."Mam..the
All this probably happened in a span of seconds....but, it seemed to me like hours...
I thought it was all over....but..."Hard Work does Pay off"...and this fact got reiterated...:-)
Then came questions about my work ex, my profile, role, responsibilities, learnings....and I spoke about them..then it was books, my favourite books, Fountain head, Autobiography of Lee Iacoca,other hobbies, rupee appreciation.....and only when mam actually told me ...”You have a lot of energy in you”, did I realise that I was back to my own natural self...:-)
I got selected for the next round, and there again, it was mostly about general things, current events, the SEZ, the European Union, and some situation and my reaction towards it...and I did pretty ok expect for the European Union question, which I had no idea about, and I had actually said "Sorry sir, I dont know.."
Then was the 50 minute written test..which I enjoyed the most..:-)...
My return train journey gave me more than enough time to mull over the happenings....
Yet, human nature, even till the day before the results, this whole process would come to my mind, as if a film reel was being played, but, surprisingly it would last only for 2-3 min...(Hmm...I remember reading that human brain can actually process some 50 thoughts per minute...amazing speed...probably it is true.. :-)....)...
The wait was really long....from Jan 15th till the 10th of April...almost 3 months...But, ..the most valuable wait of my life....and a cherishing one....:-)… The Undreamt Dream had finally come true…:-)
2 comments:
Wow Maya!For a minute I was like who the hell has written my story here?? The only difference- me and my dad boarded the flight at chennai and of course questions in the interview. Everything else, EVERYTHING ELSE, quite wierd- is exactly the same! glad to meet you!
Hmm..Well thats interestingly weird..:-)...and...Same here...am glad to meet you too...:-)
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