It is a popular belief among many that the entire state of Goa exists spatially and symbolically just along the shoreline from Calangute to Anjuna. Some of the better informed might know Panjim and for some, maybe Old Goa would ring a bell. In public opinion however, the Goan horizon ends here. Hence to students of Goa Institute of Management, (GIM) unworldly notions of their college dont come as a surprise. Is the college on a beach? Is it nice and sunny all the time? Are they building sand castles in between classes?
The answer is no. But ask a GIMite and he will tell you he doesnt care. Sun, sand and the sea are for those are free weekends. Goa Institute of Management issituated in what advertisers like to call The Lap of Luxury. Sitting at the foot of Sahyadri Hills, morning brings with it a gust of mist and cloud and an orange piercing sunrise that exposes its inhabitants to a host of sights and sounds defining an incredible Goan landscape. All morning, every morning.
Sadly, the morning glory is a blink-and-miss event in a B-school. After all, the B means business. So business it is at 9! It is not unusual to see late risers rushing with bread crumbs lining their face, from the hostels to the academic block (a feat that would put a few sprinters to shame). Hands outstretched with the RFID, just in time to lock their attendance.Now dont let your preconceived IT industry notions of an RFID fool you. Out here, its not only your digital identification, but is tantamount to a debit card, a library pass and a DIY laundry ticket, amongst other things. From self – issuing of books to paying for meals in the canteen to buying stationary, The RFID does everything, except your homework. GIM is one of the only places in the country where liquid money has no value (Ah! The great equalizer). This makes the ATM machine in campus quite the subject of a paradox!
The history of all of these RFID transactions can also be monitored online by the students. One can chart out ones expenses down till the last paisa, an exercise which is invaluable to ones pocket generally in college and particularly in times of such unprecedented inflation.
Talking of leaving behind ones preconceived notions, lets begin with the classroom. First lecture is a movie screening of Chak De, followed by an hour of mock trading (on real companies), then a chalk & talk on high funda formula; prize of a surprize quiz; a quick lunch, heated discussion on a case and finally a round of psychometric testing. Some of us have one more session of a foreign language.’ Put in a weekly social project day and an occasional visit to the nearby industries (SESA. Guala closures etc) and this is how a typical day at GIM pans out. From time to time we also have the likes of Mr. Piyush Pandey coming to campus and discussing the nuances of advertising and sharing the secret ingredients of those ever delightful Cadbury ads.
As classes end one sees hordes of students coming out of the academic block. This crowd gets divided down into the forty winkers, the jocks and the bibliophiles. Everybody has a recreation of choice- a catnap, football or more work!
The jocks gear up and head towards the football field and the gymnasium. Nothing like a gruelling game of football to unwind, they say (more paradoxes?). There is also badminton, table tennis or for the souls longing solitude- a walk up the hill along the path of unmatched peace and tranquillity.
The bibliophiles are joined by the jocks and the forty winkers later in the libraryfor research work and assignment completions. The RFID makes life easier for everyone and libraryhours are not restricted to only the time the librarian is sitting in. Activity in the library can even be seen at 5 in the morning when some are finally calling it a day, while for some others its a very good morning and time for some early morning pre class reading.
However for those rare work-free evenings,the hostels and their common rooms become a site for festivity, as at GIM Celebrations becomesa very important aspect of the college culture. Be it project completions, placements, competition wins etc. the hostellers (at best) need a reasons to celebrate! All festivities are led by Razzmatazz, GIMs Cultural Club-from Dussera, Diwali & Eid to the outdoor parties exploring various beaches and locales in Goa.Sometimes it is not uncommon to see enthusiastic faculty members also joining in the fun.
With so many activities and events in college, and the constant looming pull of the grand Goan adventure, it wouldnt be surprising for one to wonder whether GIM students actually get enough time to sit and work. Although there is no established way to conclusively determine yes or no, placements area fair indicator. Need we say more?
Note: This is a sponsored article and has NOT been written by the PaGaLGuY Editorial Team. It is intended from an informational perspective only and it is upto the readers to research and verify the claims and judgements in the article before reaching a conclusion.