My first day at SCIT
Practice makes a man perfect. Although I cannot totally put myself as an example for that but what I can still vouch for is , that yes ,hard work eventually pays. After very rigorous preparation for various entrance examinations and many sleepless nights (after a 9 to 7 pm work shift), my dream of joining a premier B school to pursue MBA had finally come true. It was 4th of June when I was standing in front of Symbiosis infotech Campus (SIC) ,awestruck by its sheer magnificence and impeccable infrastructure. My mind registered a feeling of pride that I was amongst the lucky few to be selected for an MBA from this place.
It was my first day and it would be dishonest to say that I was not a little nervous. My notice period at my workplace only allowed me to be there for half of the day. But the facilitators at SCIT had made a very precise schedule. Now although I was very happy that I would be back at work on time ( trust me you dont want to upset your work folks during those crucial last days), the way the entire first day induction schedule was prepared and executed confirmed all my doubts about how much such institutes adhere to time schedules. It gave me a glimpse of what was to come in next 2 years and yes that raised some thoughts like ,will I fit in to this fast paced course. I knew I could be disorganized at times. With all these thoughts pondering over in my head, I entered the SIC auditorium and took a seat next to a few batchmates I already knew, thanks to the evolution of social media ( precisely Facebook and whatsapp 😉 ).
And the programme commenced with a lamp lightning tradition and a delightful welcome speech by the Director, Dr. R Raman. I use the adjective “delightful” not just because that 15 minute interaction was full of energy, full of practical examples and stories, but also because it gave me an assurance that yes I was at the right place, that I had chosen the correct course keeping in mind my 35 months of IT experience. I was at peace. The Director’s concluding words “All is in your hands” still echo loud in my head.
This was followed by addresses from Dr. Rajani Gupte , vice chancellor of Symbiosis International University (SIU) and Dr. Vidya Yeravdekar, Principal Director of Symbiosis society. Both of them underlined the strong foundation that SCIT was built upon and how important ITs role will be in coming years in shaping India’s influence in the world. The final address was by an SCIT alumni, Abhilash Verma who was currently a Director at Citrix. At the end of it all, there were no doubts left and all the fear and nervousness had turned into excitement and optimism and hopes for a better future both personally and professionally.
I spent some more time roaming around the campus and this time appreciating it even more. I knew that very moment that SCIT would be my home away from home.