Reflections

Now that the term 1 is about to end, it is appropriate for me to post some thoughts about my time spent at WIMWI.

It's been quite contrary to my expectations in many respects. I came here expecting the studies portion to be relatively trivial (despite the rigours seniors had warned us about, in pre-arrival interactions) and there to be many non-academic activities. The subjects have instead proven to be quite challenging and useful. I even appreciated subjects like HR and Individual Dynamics, that I had previously viewed with much scepticism. I especially liked HR, proably because we had the brilliant Prof. Maheshwari. I still think that ID is a problem course, though I cannot easily point out where it goes wrong and how it can be improved (Perhaps, a discussion of genetic and evolutionary influences on behaviour might help). My least favourite course was the written communication course (WAC). It's the favourite of many students here, but I did not see any major improvement in my writing skills. Or perhaps I am just unhappy because I've got poor grades in this subject. My favourite subjects were economics and operations. I have been long smitten by economics, of course, and I expect this to continue. I am quite sure I'll take up a heap of economics electives next year. Especially if any are taken by Prof. Dholakia. Operations is billed as a difficult subject. It is, but it was a pleasure listening to Prof. Tirupati. Even the little knowledge I have acquired about, say, JIT has alerted me to the difficulties in running factories optimally.

On the other hand, the extracurricular activity front has been relatively quiet. Especially for me. In this aspect, I stumbled rather badly. Due to my poor people skills and because I had virtually no experience in organising 'events' in college, I found it impossible to get into any of the many clubs and committees on campus, except the Animal Lovers Club (where my work has been pretty poor too). It will be a terrible waste to get out of this place without being part of any serious non-academic activity. I hope to work upon this aspect next term. As I've written before, I expected many debates and discussions on history, science, politics, economics, etc. here, and by and large I have been disappointed. Next term we have a course on the Indian sociopolitical environment, and that should stimulate more heated conversations.

On the social side, I have fared quite decently. Given my inward orientation, I am more than happy with the friends I've made. I have of course faced problems adjusting to life where I am not in the bottom 33% of the class, but some conceits that I have displayed have surprised myself too. Some humility will certainly not be out-of-place, especially when I recall that most people here are much better qualified and as talented as I am. And the fact that I have seen people much more suitable than me not get into an IIM. At the same time, I do not place much faith in the idea that people can change their personalities infinitely, if only they put in enough effort. So though I often speak without considering the sensitivities of the situation or the person in front of me, and my straight-forward manner of responding often appears abrasive, and I realize that this is a serious problem, I fear this will be a millstone I drag throughout my life.