Looking Back...

Last few days on campus, last few days of formal education, or definitely forced education (anything I do after this will be purely for fun and experience, i.e. nothing related to economics, finance, business or management) and last few days of hostel life! I remember it wasn’t long back when I started counting the firsts, and now, suddenly, I am going the other way round. A sure sign of ageing!!

So I walked into the SIC campus on 1st June, 2007 (one of my earliest posts on this blog), with promises of a life changing experience, a holistic education, a high-flying career and the much touted “exposure”. I will not get into a cost-benefit analysis of if it was all worth it, if it was worth giving up a job, if it was worth all those 100 credits of academics, late night assignments, the paranoia of placements and all that jazz: the point is that it is an irreversible event in my life and it has changed my life in many ways… so here’s one long ride down the memory lane:

I remember walking into Room No 213 with my mom only to discover that my assigned room mates have already staked their claims to the two beds below the fan and I have been relegated to the remaining cot at the far end, and for the last two years I have been subjected to bruises and pain every time some enthusiastic soul enters unannounced while I am sorting through my huge pile of outfits stuffed into the cupboard right next to the door. And I remember, being convinced that I would not like my room mates and I have been politely informed that they had felt the same way about me. So, it’s kind of a miracle that we have stuck it out through two years and become a part of each others’ lives…

I remember the Foundation exams and people struggling with Accounts assignment while I slept peacefully after I had bullied my dad into doing it for me as a parting gift…

I remember the OBL, my gaudy fluorescent orange track pants (what was I thinking) and finally meeting Shrijit after we had abused each other online almost as complete strangers. Well, we are still abusing… some things never change…

I remember my first lecture (ERP), as I struggled through an alien concept called
"technology" for two hours and even tried taking down notes. Well, that was the first and the last IT class where I paid attention…

I remember my initial classes, settling down to my seat (roll no 2007B42), judging my learning group members (they were so good that they made me lazy), the introduction sessions (where I would wait for Somvit Majhi’s colourful intro) and my valiant attempts at getting the faculty to pronounce my name correctly (Sir, it’s not Simanti, but Shimonti, though it’s spelt as Simanti…)

I remember the 12 hour daily schedules, the 18 subjects in first sem and me struggling through most of them without enjoying any of them except Accounts and WAC…

I remember being in awe of Prantosh and Priya Kher and Shivram Apte but wondering why I struggled so much in their classes…

I remember the late night assignments, the mad attempt to co-ordinate with the boys in the D Hostel with no internet connection, followed by early morning non acads followed by trying to sleep in class and envying Shalmoli for her seat in the corner as she slept peacefully like a baby through most lectures…

I remember Phatak as he successfully transformed my love for OR (which I cracked during graduation) to sheer loathing, finally reducing me to tears…

I remember my trysts with the attendance co-ordinators, being caught repeatedly on the wrong foot and thereby having the dubious distinction of being the most generous contributor to the SCMHRD Fine Fund…

I remember trying to guesstimate the first FCQ paper, the complete shock of the batch when we were handed the RM paper, and then the transition from freaking out before an FCQ to not studying at all…

I remember the shame and horror at my first failure (POM in the Foundation exams) and then making a habit of it (French, Excel, Powerpoint, International Finance). Backlogs have been a constant companion through my two years…

I remember my Freshers party and the whole brouhaha surrounding it, me going stag (because I was too shy to ask anybody out) and then having the time of my life…

I remember when the whole batch fell asleep in the audi during a guest lecture, being grounded on campus and yet me disappearing to Mumbai during that time…

I remember my dream summers and the dream turning into confusion when I got a PPO and from confusion to gratitude for having a job in such a market. So I effectively complete B school without sitting for a single GD or without going through the most rigorous struggle called “placements process”…

I remember Neev, the random calls, the packed audi during the final round of Augustus, the last minute ppt…

I remember the excitement in college for every little festival: Lohri, Holi, Onam, Pongal, Diwali, Christmas, New years, or even the Salsa workshop…

I remember my birthday, the midnight cake cutting, the mess (water, toothpaste, garbage, eggs and cake: I will never forgive you, Samleen) and taking a bath at 1 on a cold winter morning and the ugly cute pic…

I remember hating the loud parties with the same music, the same people and the same dance moves but looking forward to them and dressing up for them all the same…

I remember the fruit chart, the corn, the dabeli and vada pav, the cutting chai at Shivaji, the Indianized pizza at Savaloy, the paranthas from IIIT, soup and sandwich and coffee at Talk About, the bhel at Tamanna café, the drunken revelry at Mezza9, the desserts and pasta at Lemon Tree, the dosa at Idlicious, the pastries at Dorabjee, the lassi at Mann Dairy, the cold coffee at Atur Centre, the breakfast at Goodluck café followed by an early morning movie at E square, and many of our experiments with different kinds of food, some of them not so pleasant…

I remember our random city trips, waiting for the bus, squeezing into the bus, singing in the bus, the claustrophobia at times, my escapes to Mumbai, my solo shopping sprees, and my exchanges with autowalas…

I remember the rains, the quiet corners, the dark roads, my solitary walks, the music and the thoughts…

I remember my friends putting up with me during my worst mood swings, and my adopted family standing by me no matter what I do…

And I remember the Corpcomm team, for everything it has given to me and for everything it has not…