My fated journey to IIM Shillong -By Mehak from IIM Shillong

Even after covering the unsettling journey, embarking on it from CAT preparation to clearing GDs and interviews, we find ourselves at crossroads, wherein one decision of ours will not only decide our life over the next two years but also streamline the course of our careers. Here is how my journey to IIM Shillong panned out. 

A crucial crossroad

Finally selecting the college, our accompanist for the upcoming most eventful journey of our lives is nothing less than a mission in itself. I was at the intersection of a similar crossroad one year back before beginning my journey to IIM Shillong.

I explicitly remember the time when I hadn’t converted IIM Shillong. Somewhere, in one tiny corner of my heart, I always felt this unyielding connection with the institute, whether it was about breathtaking northeastern beauty or the institute’s connection with the Missile Man of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the prestige of being an IIM drew parallels of appropriateness of how I would be a perfect fit for the institute so would it be for me.

Why IIM Shillong? 

This undying fondness for the institute finds its roots in some of very special personal experiences which actually made the institute so special. When I completed class 10 and had to choose a stream for class 11, I pursued commerce, not just because it aligned with my interests, but also to accomplish a vision that someone else had for me. My brother, who had to start working in the family business during his class 12 due to some personal reasons, always wanted me to do my bachelors from SRCC, which was an unfulfilled dream that he had for himself. Unfortunately, I couldn’t score that well. The feeling of carrying an egregious burden of umpteen number of questions regarding the results held onto me until I finally found my calling for pursuing MBA.

IIM Shillong again was so dear for similar reasons. One of my very close friends who was fighting depression couldn’t get through the interview round of IIM Shillong, a year back. She always joked that she had given up that seat for me to occupy it the next year. Although she never mentioned it explicitly, I always knew that my call conversion would make her the happiest, for the passion with which she helped me with the GD-PI preparations. When I finally converted, she partied for the first time in one whole year.

We are exactly where we are supposed to be

While connecting the dots, I finally realized that we are destined to be at a place for certain reasons, which are non-decipherable for us humans. I had decided to do my bachelors from Panjab University, Chandigarh. Chandigarh is known for being a well planned city and henceforth I had some knowledge regarding the same after having spent 3 years in the city. When I went for the case study round of IIM Shillong, our topic was on almost the same lines, cities being planned and smart. I could bring in very different points, for having actually had the experience to be in one and observe things.

Thus one never knows what actually might turn the tables. We are exactly where we are supposed to be. Everything happens for a reason and leads us into our designated paths. I never knew that not being in SRCC could ever turn to my advantage.

After having converted IIM Shillong, I was researching different aspects like the companies visiting the campus, the average package and the faculty. I came across a video of one of the seniors, in which he narrated the whole incident of Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam’s demise. Only listening to the narration gave me goosebumps and I wouldn’t deny crying to sleep that night. Despite the video being about the unfortunate incident, it spoke volumes about the culture of the institute without even actually mentioning it. What held the institute together at that time was their love and shared feelings of being a family, of being from IIM Shillong before anything else. At that point of time I knew that I belonged there, right there, at that particular moment.

Thus my IIM Shillong journey was definitely not just that of an MBA aspirant, for I had belonged here before even wanting to pursue an MBA.

All of our experiences become so opaque due to our never ending quest towards the perfect future that we just refuse to look through the purpose of them, the purpose of our being.

We just need to have faith in our efforts and in the purpose of our existence.

This article was submitted as an entry to Become an Author 2.0 with Dare2Compete.