From guest lecturers to case study competitions, here’s an insight to starting your life at SIDTM Pune -By Soumya Bajpai

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Adding a new chapter to the book of our lives did not seem like a cakewalk during the pandemic. We all are going through these tough times together, and it is completely an unprecedented experience for the students, faculties, or anyone else connected in one way or the other to the education system. Nevertheless, the Symbiosis Institute of Digital and Telecom Management was able to conduct its 5-day online induction program for the batch of 2022. 

The experience was overwhelming. It started on 15th July, the same day as my birthday, making it twice as much as a special day for me! I had been looking forward to quickly starting my life at SIDTM Pune, so without a doubt, my excitement was at its peak. The memorable journey finally kicked off with 5 eventful days, under the online induction program that was planned for us. 

The 5-day induction program 

Without a doubt, the 5-day induction program proved to us how eventful our life at SIDTM would be. On the first day of the program, we were introduced to our Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor, and Pro-Chancellor. They discussed with us the story behind the foundation of the university, which made me feel proud and inspired to be associated with Symbiosis. We also got to interact with our Director, which gave us insights about the institute, its faculty, and the future. 

The second day had an impressive line-up of corporate leaders across different fields. It included Capegemini’s Managing Director (Southeast Asia), Persistent Systems’ Senior Vice President, and Protivit’s Managing Director. Such leaders shed light on lucrative fields like consulting and the IT industry and emphasised on time management as the key to success in the corporate world. 

The induction series continued on the third day with interactive sessions between eminent industry stalwarts, many of whom were SIDTM alumni. Talking with speakers who themselves have graduated from this institute, and learning about the wonderful experience they’ve made me want to quickly start my life at SIDTM Pune. Some notable alumni who were key speakers on the third day included the General Manager for Vodafone, KPMG’s Associate Director, and Citrix’s Area Vice President. 

The fourth day was a series of energising interactions with the Vice President of Itopia Inc., who is also an alumnus from the first batch of SIDTM. The induction series finally culminated with a case study on the last day, which helped us experiment and come up with innovative ideas. 

'Break-the-ice' sessions

Before the official induction program commenced, several ice-breaking sessions were conducted on 11th July to make the batch of 2022 feel comfortable about their new journey. This helped us understand how our life at SIDTM would be, especially since we were also able to connect with the alumni who shared with us their experiences. 

On 25th July, our seniors had organised a “Break-The-Ice” session to create an informal bonding amongst our batchmates. Under this session, we were divided into teams of 10 and were asked to come up with an advertising plan for an unconventional product, under just 30 minutes! It was an experience filled with laughter and brainstorming, and will definitely be etched in my memories forever. 

We were also exposed to the life of a B-school student through a case study competition that was conducted under this session. It inspired us to come up with realistic ideas, and go beyond our limits, to come up with productive results. It also taught us about some topics from our hectic curriculum in an enjoyable manner. 

I had my apprehensions before the induction program happened. But these five days have definitely changed my perspective, and made me confident about starting my MBA journey and life at SIDTM Pune!