It is the time of the year that several IIM bloggers and of course, other B-schoolers post about how they are getting sentimental and how much they would like to make the most of the days that they have left on campus, since by the 20th of March, even the convocations will be over. Classes are over everywhere as are exams and it’s just the placements and convocation that remain.
I find myself amongst the minority that is not in this category though. Far from being sentimental, I find myself almost relieved to be at the end of my stay here. It is not because I like to work, as that is the only thing I dread. I hate working hard and though I have never faced a problem thus far in the two years of work-life that I went through prior to this place, the prospect of working for the next thirty odd years does leave me a bit cold to be honest.
Yet, even this dread is not enough to make me feel sentimental about the place – not by a long way. For the most part, I will be glad to be out. They say that people make the place, but to be quite honest, I am not one for getting attached to people and the one thing I hate most is a crowd, which is exactly what you are faced with in a residential campus. A crowd of nitwits that it is well nigh impossible to get away from. People have a habit of being irritants and this place is no exception, whatever the general populace may make of the intellectual capital!
In the last 18 months or so, I have had a number of opportunities to see specimen from all the IIMs and also other B-schools during the summer internship as well as at the sundry B-school fests, yet they have, one and all, left me quite unimpressed. I find myself far more at home speaking to the people I know in the outside world. Yes, there are definitely a few people on this as well as other campuses that I would like to keep in touch with, but those are folks that I am pretty sure I will be in touch with even years down the line…and without the baggage that a campus bears with it.
Campus life is essential in my opinion, particularly at the Undergraduate level. It exposes you to the widest possible variety of idiots and teaches you how to handle nincompoops of all kinds. It also teaches you to fend for yourself even when surrounded by these duds and also how to work your way to success despite and occasionally because of these obstacles.
So, here are a few things I hate about campus life:
People expect you to know their names. Get this folks. Being in the same batch or class as me does not entitle you to my brain! It’s up to me to decide if I want to remember you. If I don’t then live with it! It’s not like I demand you to know me!!!
People expect you to talk to them nicely. Being on the same campus as me does not entitle you to my time. If I don’t want to speak to you, it does not mean I’m a snob. It just means that I don’t want to speak to you! If the converse is fine with me, this should be fine with you!!
People who think they’re entitled to know you. Somehow on a campus people think you should be open with your personal life. Get a life folks. Be happy I don’t burden you with my problems. Be happy that I’m not as weak as you!!!
The one thing that appeals to me the most about life after this place is that I will be able to lead a life where I can actually decide when and what I want to do. The very thought of not being forced to obey ‘norms’ and not being a ‘forced friend’ as I call it, is so attractive!!!
Yes, in case you are wondering, I do believe that 99% of this world comprises a bunch of morons (the remaining 1% read my blog ;-) ). That does not imply that I assume a person I meet for the first time to be one. No, I don’t and as I have mentioned a few times before in my musings, I like to be totally unbiased and unprejudiced about people I know nothing about. Yet, I still believe that 99% of the overall world is a bunch of morons from my perspective!
Nothing I have seen so far has given me any reason to make me rethink this. Here’s the rider. Everyone in the world could follow this philosophy and they could all be right! After all, someone may be a moron for me and me for him! It’s all a matter of individual perspectives and they, by definition vary from individual to individual.
Bottom line: I’m glad I won’t be forced to be in a closed place with a closed set of people. I’m glad I will be free to interact when and in the manner that I deem fit. I’m glad that even the forced interactions will end after office hours. I’m glad I will have a social life again of the type that I myself want. I’m glad I’m leaving…
7 comments:
hey..someone once said...'I don't want to belong to any club that will accept me as a member. ' ...i would have believed this were the case here but then if i can judge ppl well then for u it's more like 'I will belong to a club that will accept ONLY me as a member' :DDD
n hey...hv u forgotten what it's like at work?...u not only have to know ppl's names...u hv to actually know their designaion in the company!...n as if that weren't enough u r expected to be polite too... a crazy crazy world awaits u my friend...all the best
Susie
"I’m glad I will have a social life again of the type that I myself want. "
You should give me a call. Satisfaction guarenteed ;-)
Svelte Vixen
@Susie D: Hmm...I do remember my working days actually. What I don't remember though is my last boss' name :-).
@Svelte Vixen: Now, this is slightly unfair you'll have to admit, mademoiselle. That's the second time you've asked me to call...with no hint of a number! But that's ok...like I said, I choose right? ;-)
hey great going mike. See ya on the other side... so got admitted anywhere yet? Office, I mean. :p hehehe
@StupendousMan: Yeah dude, will surely miss the ribbing of the profs, the mimicry et al, but that's all part of the deal! As for names, yeah, falling asleep when meeting people is a long-standing problem with me as well :-(. My ph book when working had enties like: Organisation name - Designation - Name. That was the only way i'd keep tabs on anything I had to do!!!
As for preps, well, what can I say?Never once studied for an exam and am damned if I let these days go sober!!!
Hey Mike... Cool. So u all prepared to get out of ur campus. That is great. Best of luck with ur placements.
U know I also hate when people expect me to know there names. I am just bad at remembering names. But u know what u will find people u described everywhere... So good luck.:)
Enjoy
@Suds: Yes, prepared tl leave so to speak. But is anyone truly prepared? Just what is preparation? As for peole of that type, my style of phonebook entry takes care of that...and yes, I must admit...the word 'dude' is such a blessing!!!
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