IPMXed At IIM Lucknow

It’s 3:00 am. I am wide awake. Wait a min!! Shouldn’t I be tired and sleepy? Specially because I had slept just 3 hours last night, took a 3 hours’ exam (which required unblinking attention and lots of number crunching), had discussions on 2 projects with different groups, studied for next exam for 6 hours and ran around with my two-year old.

What happened? How am I suddenly finding this new energy to be ‘mentally’ awake at this hour of the night? Well, I believe I know the answer – I am IPMXed!!

I am not the only one who has caught this ‘viral fever’. There are 62 others who are reading, browsing, flipping pages of 2-3 books, class notes, case studies, session slides and handouts to get ready for tomorrow’s exam. We all are ‘proudly’ IPMXed.

It has been 2 months since we, the 9^th batch of IPMXers (students of one year MBA program, IPMX –International Program in Management for Executives – at IIM Lucknow Noida Campus) joined this roller coaster ride. It will not be an exaggeration if I say these two months have given us a very rigorous routine of wholesome learning in numerous areas.

The program gave no time to settle down. From day minus 15 (yes, you read it right!! we had received the self-study material 2 weeks before joining the classes) we were expected to study and come ready to classes.

Bonding in Diversity:

Our first class? Bonding formation. Sounded hard to form bonding in a session. But, that’s the beauty of IIM. Everything here is created and tested by the best academicians in the world. Trust me, nothing can replace that session in removing the barriers and making 60 people familiarize with each other on such a fast pace.

Suddenly, after the session, I was feeling among ‘my people’. I realized that I was among the best and brightest – one was state level Tennis Champion, other had 9 patents in his kitty; one with GMAT 740 and other was Meditation and Yoga expert; one was Captain in Merchant Navy and other was a stand-up actor.

IPMXers are not alone at the campus. There are other professional programs such as WMP (Working Management Professional) and EFPM (Doctorate program) being executed too. So, interaction and learning just expands.

Pedagogy:

Before joining, we all had ‘heard’ of the world class faculty at IIM Lucknow. After having taken classes in last two months, now we understand why they are the best one can expect. Along with the faculty, it’s the experiential learning and peer group that make one solve a complex business problem in varied ways. And the best part – the learning is not limited to one’s professional life.

It brings a lots of difference in the way one thinks and acts in personal life as well. It changes you for who you are from inside. In the last two months, we already have had eight industry leaders and guest professors visit us. Learning from these sessions has been exceptional. Business dignitaries from varied sectors have graced the Leadership Talk Series sessions. Mr. Rishi Raj (Editor – Business Standard), Ms. Rakhee Malik (Head HR – A.T. Kearney, India), Mr. Vijay Jasuja (CEO – SBI Cards) and Dr. S. Natarajan (Padmashree Awardee from Aditya Jyot Hospital, Mumbai) are a few among them.

We could not have asked more but then we experienced Guest Lectures from Dr. Janat Shah (Director – IIM Udaipur) and Dr. David Valliere (Chair – Entrepreneurship and Strategy, Ted Rogers School of Business Management, Canada). We were thrilled to see some of the industry leaders join us to hear these speakers in our classroom.

Alumni meet:

We can proudly say we have Alumni meet daily and almost any hour of the day. Most of us are well connected with our alumni base and the entire credit goes to them. The alumni keep visiting us from day one to take our questions, guide us through and share the industry experiences after MBA. We feel “at home” in their presence.

We celebrated “Shubharambh”, an IPMX fest organized by incoming batch at the start of the program, where all alumni, faculty and staff members unite to celebrate the start of new batch of IPMX. Not only the IPMX students but also their family members enthusiastically participated in the acts.

Sports and Entertainment:

IIM Lucknow is certainly a place where one can continue on one’s physical fitness regime. Students could display their talent at Cricket ground, Pool Table, Gym, Tennis Court, Basketball court (ladies of family accommodation have formed a team already), Table Tennis and football. Our sports committee successfully conducted a Cricket tournament between students and staff.

Family Life:

One need not worry about the family well-being at IIM Lucknow Noida Campus. There is an excellent world class facility at disposal not only for the students but also for their family members who can stay at campus in the family accommodation. My spouse and son are staying with me and that’s the best part. Noida being part of NCR region, there are excellent job opportunities and great schools. So, one can give 100% to studies and family responsibilities are well taken are of.

The facility members (separately arranged for family accommodation and single’s hostel) are very caring and responsible. Almost all amenities (such as washing machine, kitchen, freezer etc…) are provided by the school.

A few of the best hangout place in Noida City – GIP Mall and DLF Mall of India, are very near to the campus. So, movies and food joints and family shopping are quite convenient. Maggie and Chai at 1:00 am in night while one wants a break is icing on the cake.

Peer learning, Exams and fun:

One gets to learn from everyone around; age and experience level are just numbers. A person with five years of industry experience possesses excellent team building skills. Another is bibliophile; he can suggest you books that can change one’s life. Another is great persuasive communicator.

Professionals such as Chartered Accountant, Branch Managers from SBI and ICICI, Healthcare professionals, IT Product Manager and Program  managers just help expand your thought process and problem solving skills.

End Term exams are about to get over; two out of seven left. While term 1 is about to end, term 2 starts with a two days’ break. People will travel home, stay with families and share the stories and exciting journey all of us had in the last two months. We will go to France and Germany for our International immersion module at the end of term 2. Planning for that has already started.

For now, time to enjoy the rain and the view from my room and get back to studies as I have an end term exam in another 5 hours.

Vikrant Sharma is in the IPMX (2016-17) batch, the one year full time MBA program for executives at IIM Lucknow, Prior to joining IIM L, Vikrant worked for Infosys Ltd., and for some of the largest banks and retailers in the world. He has a 12+ years of experience IT consulting and project management. His primary interests are Finance & Technology. He likes to spend time with his 2 year old son, who has transformed his life and keeps him on toes and running. He can be reached at [email protected]