My one-year journey of PGDM at BIMTECH
Sneha Garg
PGDM (IB), Batch 2020-22
Summer Intern-Economic Development Advisory | Investment Promotion-FDI & Trade Advisory | Govt. & Transaction Advisory Services, Ernst & Young (EY)
When I decided to do my PGDM back in 2019 and started preparing for the entrance exams, I never imagined in my wildest dreams that I will be starting my PGDM from home in 2020. The college was dealing with the uncertainty that the COVID-19 pandemic brought and doing its best to manage the second-year PGDM students and first-year students like me, who were excited and nervous about starting their PGDM life in a completely online mode, from our homes. The WhatsApp group created by the college paved the way for connecting with my college mates. In the blink of the eye, the famous PGDM life started- classes, extracurricular activities, interacting and bonding with classmates that became friends and companions to the much-awaited journey that began. Initially, our thoughts and conversations had the what-ifs around how different our lives would have been if we would have been attending classes in lecture rooms, dressed in formals. However, the college did the very best in exposing us to all the activities-curricular, co-curricular and extracurricular. I and my friends got completely occupied in doing our best to engage ourselves in those activities while learning to use technology as a sole medium with zero physical interaction. One striking thing that I experienced was that during the first informal meeting with my college friends, none of us felt that we were physically meeting for the first time. The level of our interaction be it be online, was so much in the past months that we were comfortable with each other.
After two tri semesters, I went to college to attend my third tri semester in a blended mode, where the class was divided to attend the physical lectures on alternate days. I still remember when I attended the very first class in the lecture room, it felt surreal and made me realize what I had been missing. The level of engagement in a physical class and an online class is unmatched. While living my best 2 months-enjoying the hostel life, getting the physical and real feel of everything, I didn’t know that another wave of the pandemic would sway me back to continue my PGDM in an online mode, at my home. However, those 2 months were well spent as I also got an opportunity to go for an industry visit and was a part of the winning cricket team.
Having completed my first-year journey, during which I got to experience different worlds of doing PGDM-completely online blended and offline, I can say with full conviction that the journey has been nothing less than an adventure-full of learnings, with full support from the college, friends and family.
As I am doing my summer internship from home and I share the experience of the past year, I realise how managing to complete this one-year journey amid the pandemic was not a piece of cake. It required determination and grit along with mental and physical strength. However, it was also a true test of maintaining a work-life balance and staying kind.
Staying focused but also absorbing the lessons situations that are not in control teach us, is the winning way to a successful and happy life.
