Vindication at Last.........!

I feel immensely excited and releived at the same time today. Finally i can boast of the I factors apart from Infosys. The news is that i have been selected in PGP 2 year course of Indian Institute of Management Indore (IIM-I) for session starting this June-end.

It took me 5 years to break this IIM jinx. I have appeared in CAT in 2001 for the first eligible time (though first attempt dates back to CAT 2000). It has been a long, determined, effortful battle with everything thrown in. And after each year, its time to sit back and think through the failures and start again for the next year.

And there were roadblocks too. In 2002, i was prepared enough to get some calls and scoring consistently in IMS-SIMCATS, but at the last moment, i was not able to appear in exam as Infosys transfered me to Bhubaneswar. Then came 2003, another year of unrewarded hardwork and this time twice hard as the CAT was redone after the leak in Feb,2004.

Then came 2004 again with different set of notes from a different coaching institute. Just when the CAT exam was 3 months away, again Infosys threw the spanner amidst my cooking of the dream. I was sent onsite for an year long assignment, and its not that i havent resented. But, this time even my family lost some faith in my ability and said that 'son, facts are not with you, you have tried CAT for 2 years and no result, hence it better to opt for a change and grab this opportunity'. Broken a bit by the harsh reality, i went overseas, but the dream was always there; ok not through CAT...may be GMAT.

The quest and the thirst was never quenched! And i dont know what drives me...even till today. Onsite assignment wasnt a nice deal as well considering my preperation for the dream. I had to go through rather tough time settling things with my manager as my dream wanted myself back in india along with not-so-good health of my dearest mother. Abused, tortured, but not knocked out...i managed to get the ticket back home in dec.Prepared for ISB's call, but knocked out....and the only glimmering hope that was left was IIMI or another year of to-be-found grit and determination.....but finally the 'Hanumanji(Monkey god) smiled'.

And finally i am here, writing this post after getting the mail that i have been selected for IIMI - PGP. So much for a dream??

The process has been so painful for me that even i changed my favourite quote to something like this -

'Dare to dream and follow them passionately and one day they will come true.....or you will go mad'

Finally vindicated, i am smiling today. Thanks to everybody who supported me on this journey - be it my ever-supporting friends like Sam and Tom, my parents - who finally did believe in my dream and supported me through and definitely GOD....which has remained within my soul to kindle the flame of dream time and again....whenever i was about to give in.

It really is 'The SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION' story for me. And as it said in the movie...'SALVATION LIES WITHIN'....

signing off...
~Nits

Looking for a change........

So here I am back again at my forgotten blog again! May be it will be live again when I will start my next round of preparations for ISB. Well as of now, let me throw an update here about my snail-paced life.

News is that I have taken first step of change management and I have resigned from Infy. I will be joining another IT company in MAY. So finally a way out from BBSR. Apart from that, my track record on MBA quest has improved a bit. As after I got the call from NMIMS, mumbai and IMT Ghaziabad; I have managed call from ISB this time. So, overall being an optimist I would say the way to go is only up.

On the personal front, not much change but the inevitable is not so far. Parents have started working on my matrimonial chances; as I couldn’t manage one myself.
And since I will be near my hometown, hence the odds against my bachelorhood are really high. But lets see!

Doing a lot of orkutting and blogging these days. One of the newest blog I have come up with few more friends is – ‘MERE DO PAISE’ – http://www.meredopaise.blogspot.com/

That’s it for now. Lets see what life has to bring for me!!

~Nits

Mission Impossible - 3 (ISB)

28 Febraury 2006
15 March 2004
09 December 2001

Once again he won over my dream!

I guess the only word starting with 'I' in my life is 'Infosys' which resembles a bit of a golden run. Be it 'IIT', 'IIM' or 'ISB' all sound synonymous to another I-lettered word called 'Impossible'.I am reall sorry for Mr. TOM CRUISE, that though you have been doing the movies under 'Mission Impossible'; but the brand fits to me more effectively. You have given MI, MI-2 and MI-3 is yet to come; but i have already done three super hits - 'MI-IIT', 'MI-IIM' and 'MI-ISB'.

Last but not the least, I am also an Indian - which is i guess my consolation award.
~Nitin

Fumbled............yet again!

21 Jan 05. Taj Bengal. City of unfound Joy!!

Want an update? Here it is.

Your friend has failed yet again on his way towards the elusive MBA.

What happened?

Fumbled for words! Got numb in middle! what else...

Enough I would say. I should quit seeing this dream all-together.

Two dreams.....both elusive....wanna more??

chalo yaar, thanks for all the support that my friends gave me during this whole process.

Not at all waiting for results.

~Nits

YEsssssssssssssssssssss!!

YEsssssssssssssssssssss!!

The interview call from my utopian world of ISB arrived in my mailbox last friday. Its on 21 Jan @ Taj Bangal, Calcutta, the city of joy.
May be this city is really getting into literal sense in my life……city of JOY!

Hoping to do good enough to get a ticket to Hyderabad.

Pray for me!!

Ufffffffffffff!!...submitted

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmfffffffffffff!!

That was my response when I submitted my application for R2 of my dream, ISB. There were some last minute changes based on the feedback I got from Anita, Sameer and Atta-girl.

Thanks to all you folks that you went through my app at the last minute and suggested some crucial feedback.

Finally relieved after so much has been done for this dream. Literally fought with my manager to come back to India as there were no nights and hence free time. My dad supported me a lot while this application process and kept me in check as to whether I have got the recommendations, whether I have paid the fee, etc…This made my dream much more special.

Recently heard that my friend Mahesh has been wait-listed; and given the profile and total application package of his, I am now feeling that its gping to be a big battle if I get a call for interview…

Lets see how the story unfolds…and whether the existence of this blog is feasible or not!!

............still Alive!!

Dear Blog,

Nice to see me back? Yes i am still alive...The work pressures havent yet decreased nor the spate of escalations and virulents from my managers!! Still living...

So coming back to update you after 4 months! Sorry for that. Now as far as the motive of this Blog is concerned,i am having cold feet and sore throat as to what to say now...

will try to sleep less and spend some time on this 'forsaken dream'.


~Nits

MBA, Lies and Essays!!

This person comes back again to this Blog, to write another senti story! What i found recently is that writing essay for Bschool admissions is all about lying. No matter what you are and who you are, your essay should be something that gives a great impression that this person is born to get into this school!

I would not get into whether it is justified to do it or not. Who said that you cannot lie? What matters is that its the result that should matter. If you are succeeding, then no body cares you wrote the truth or not. And yes who told you that you should be a satyawadi harishchandra....

Its all about business and free markets and competition. Whatever sells is true! As simple as that. And who said that life is fair. One has to deal with it. If there are 100 copycats and one 'real' thing; if the real thing cannot sell it to the audience despite of being true!! Its your fault, you aren't a right person to get into this business!

The bottomline is - Whatever sells is 'real' and not the otherway round.

The EXTRA mile

It has been said and said again and again. But to no avail, this god damn person seems deaf. Man you have enough guidelines, strategies, tips, inspiration, statements of the people who have been there and done that. Enough of it. Enough of Gyan!!

Believe me or not, even i can be a counseller for an MBA preparation, be it GMAT or CAT. Kab tak radio sunte rahoge?? Walk the Path now, what are you waiting for? If it requires to be a personality for getting into ISB, then do it now. Be what you always wanted to be. Till what time will you compromise and keep giving non-sensical excuses for not realising your dreams?

What it takes to be a winner in life, the extra pound of guts to cross the thin line between a hard-working-participant and a winner. Its always have been that extra mile that you never trudged, it always been that extra hour that you missed to put at the last moment....why the question always comes for that extra? Lets finish it this time. Do whatever it takes to grab that extra to reach the destination...to achieve what you always wanted. Why YOU, who has to stand in the crowd and clap for the winners? Why you stand there perspiring thinking in awe, that what this guy or gal is having in him/her that you lack?

The bottomline is that you are the owner of your own dream! If you cant arrange enough resources to make it happen. Then be damned! Dont crib afterwards. Its you and only you who is responsible for this. If you dont have enough to show off in your essays, then find out what can be achieved in next 4 months, which can help you stand out of the crowd. If you cant manage that then get a score of 750+, so that people wouldnt ask much of our extra-s. Its up to you HOW YOU MAKE THAT HAPPEN!!

So now, forget about the damn job of coding you have been doing for last 3 yrs and will keep on doing if dont get it right this time. Get that EXTRA into your life. THAT EXTRA that will help you stand on the podium wearing that gold medal or that EXTRA that will help you discuss your success story rather than the midnight oil you burnt only to find that this way doesnt work...get that EXTRA which will help you throw that black hat into the sky when graduating out of the most hallowed B-school in India.

Dont be a commodity....be a brand. Find ways to create a brand of yours!! Its time now you become a person driven with a killer instinct OR forget it for this lifetime!!

written in full sobriety,
~Nits

Have it........Habits

Feeling guilty these days!

The dream seems to be at the back burner these days. 'Busy at work' should not be the excuse!
Read a quote today -
"Motivation gets you started, Habit is the one that gets you going!"

I realised, how true this is with me. I tend to start things with great motivation. But after a solid start i cant build upon, unlike Mr Dravid! Have to do something about. The biggest challenge in life for me ha always been to convert those 30s into 100s! To pick up good things around you is OK, but to convert them into life-long habit is what differentiates the one who are in and one who arent!

...hmmm! Will surely do something about it soon. Wait for my next post..that too soon!

~Nits

GMAT Official Score knocked my door!

So its official news that i have scored 680 on GMAT with 31 in verbal and 50 in Quants. Overall 90 percentile marks. Well thats all i knew already, but the one i didnt know was my AWA score.

I was thinking that i am a genuine writer, who is real good at least at writing. But the myth was shattered today as the AWA stands at 4.5/6 in front of me. I thought at least 5 should be there, but i guess writing limmericks and poems is no where associated with writing an analysis of an argument. I felt a word called Dejavu in my stomach!

The same kind of feeling happened to me when i was in first year of my graduation. There was a horrible subject called Engineering drawing(ED). Since i was good at sketching during my school days, i thought at least i need not worry about ED as my fingures are already at ease with curves and lines. But guess what there also i felt like a moron...........i passed on the border line ;)

Thats it! The score-card also said that my scores will be sent to -
ISB, Hyd
IIM-A
IIM-B
IIM-C
NUS, Singapore.

Well that last one is the least preffered. I really feel left out here in US and i just want to be in india as soon as possible! I am coming ISB!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.....andi know it will be difficult!

~Nits

G-DAY is finally over!

.........huffffffffffffffff...The GMAT is finally over! Though not in the desired fashion but its finally over. On the GDAY i started the day in an unusual saturday as i wished myself a very good morning! ( As generally satudays are good afternoons for me!!) Had a good breakfast and some worship, and yes got a call too from my office. But solved the matter soon and started from my home at correct time.

The roads here in US are simply kinda impeccable in contrast with the roads(?) in M.P. India. Even a driver like me can drive at 80 miles/hr :). Reached the test centre coolly and did all the formalities. Then i sat on the 4hr chair and i started confidently............

The first hour was fun as i wrote a real nice argument analysis followed by another good issue analysis. I think i would get real good score at AWA.
Then i took a break and boy the confidence was simply exuding from within! I started with quants and finished in comfortable zone, given the trend of consistent 50s i had been scoring in the mocks.
Then came the last round where i knew i am not a good player. Played cautiously but had to finish the section in hurry as i ran out of time. In order to evade the penalty skipped last two or three questions with pure guesses. And here came the end. I knew that the performance is not exceptional. But whether i have crossed the iSB average of 690 was the question i was asking.

And finally it popped up in front of me. It was 680 on the screen, missed the 690 mark by 10 pts. Maths; as consistent as ever....dot 50. But the verbal played the devil; scored 31 in verbal. So its over i told myself!

Came back home though after two arduous hours of confused driving as i was lost on my way back home. Boy i drove all over, left, right and center; but wasnt able to get it correct. Finally found the way home thanks to an old lady who helped me. Those two hours were more draining than the 4 hrs i spent at the testing centre!!
Well its time now to relax a little bit! read a bit, sing a bit and code some bytes!! Till then bye bye.