The list of preparations I made to start my new life at Welingkar Mumbai, amidst the pandemic -By Sneha Mondhe

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The first day of my college, or shall I say virtual college, was filled with an indescribable combination of excitement and nervousness. I had been looking forward to starting my B-School life at Welingkar Mumbai for a while now. I had imagined a lot of tasks I would be doing on my first day, but I never thought I would be preparing to step on campus from the confines of my room. Zoom calls replaced the traditional auditorium induction ceremonies, and my classes became absorbed onto my laptop screen. 

Kickstarting my first day with test calls and dahi-shakkar

After months of waiting around, the moment finally came to start my life at Welingkar Mumbai. The only difference was that instead of packing my bag for my first day, I was testing my WiFi connection! I called up my friends on Zoom to see if my connection was stable, and learnt about how the app worked as I had never used it before. I felt overwhelmed by the entire experience, as it was new for me. 

On the day of the induction program, which was on 24 August 2020, I woke up early in order to prepare myself for my virtual life at Welingkar Mumbai. For the program, I wore formal clothes and put on some makeup after a long time, and honestly, it felt amazing! I was nervous to meet a new set of people, but my mom fed me dahi-shakkar (like every Indian mom!) and all my apprehensions magically disappeared. I could sense that she was proud of me, and with her blessings, I clicked on the link to attend the induction program. 

Zooming our way through the induction program

If it wasn’t for Zoom or any other online video platform, then none of the 800 students could start their life at Welingkar Mumbai during this pandemic. The wonders of technology helped us all get connected virtually. Since the induction program was happening online, students of Welingkar Mumbai and Bangalore had the opportunity to start their B-School life together for the first time. This encouraged us to form networks across the two branches, a chance we may not have received if this was not done virtually. 

Over the course of the virtual induction program at Welingkar Mumbai, we were addressed by eminent guest speakers from fields like marketing, finance, healthcare, media, and entertainment. It was a privilege to start our new life at Welingkar Mumbai with the advice these experienced speakers had for us. We also interacted with employees from Colgate, Godrej, Bloomberg, and more. Such interactions gave us a brief idea about the work that goes into being successful in different fields of the business world. 

The induction program also gave us an opportunity to talk to our professors, who helped us get adjusted to our life at Welingkar Mumbai. Through our laptop screens, the experienced faculty on campus was able to disperse their wisdom and knowledge with the fresh batch. 

Always be creative and curious

Despite starting our life at Welingkar Mumbai virtually, we have encountered opportunities to engage in interactions and keep learning more. The campus has been able to preserve the essence of a traditional time table, which helps us soak up the various facets of a B-School life. Our day starts at nine in the morning, and ends by five in the evening, with a one-hour break in between. 

The experience of stepping into my life at Welingkar Mumbai virtually has been a rollercoaster of emotions. The pandemic has encouraged educational institutions across the country to opt for online platforms. Though virtual classes may have their shortcomings, it all boils down to the interest you have for the subject. My creativity and curiousness have guided me through this extraordinary journey, and have taught me it is all about pulling my socks up and making the best use of the resources I have!