My college experience

One strong reason for selecting the Goa Institute of Management (GIM) is the strong alumni it has and as a result of which it has always been regarded as one of the best B-schools in the country. The strong alumni not only help GIM to attract good profiles but also provide us with efficient case study competitions and International Exchange Programs. The college also has some great faculties across subjects with vast knowledge and pedagogy used helps the student to develop overall personality along with learnings. The admission process is standard as followed by other colleges. Group discussion followed by personal interview. This process usually happens pan India covering almost all the major cities. Last year it was done online and this year also online platform has been used. I would recommend everyone to talk with the previous alums and reach them via LinkedIn for taking any decision.

I am personally inclined towards HR so it was simple for me to select PGDM Core if someone is from IT background I would recommend to go for the BDA program. Although it's new it is able to attract top companies not only for final placements but also for summers. Its no brainer that all the faculties of GIM are PhD in their fields and every faculty is assigned 6-7 students who act as their mentors. GIM faculties are very friendly and are readily available as and when required, it's up to the students how they are able to utilize the opportunity. Each subject has its own structure depending on which faculty you get. The most general format is 2 Quiz + 1 Mid Term + 1 Group task +1 End term. Different subjects will have different weightage which is provided in the first lecture itself. Quizzes are not at all tough since in MBA we follow relative grading so its all up to individual how they are able to tackle as the schedule becomes hectic due to various engagements but it is manageable.

The summer internship is usually good in GIM, although this year many companies' that visited campus have not given a stipend to many students. Keeping the pandemic scenario in mind some may feel at least students are getting opportunities, but expectations are always high from GIM. SIP process is rigorous no doubt about that but it gives a platform for what's in store for the final placements. Some interesting profiles are also present. In the first year, some maybe not aware of their interest and it may lead to confusion, but the quickly you get to know your area of interest easier it becomes for your SIPs. Once again focus on your networking, you can get help from professors as well. You can find profiles from ITC, Texas, Aditya Birla, Jio, Liqvd Asia and many more taking students for internship and even providing PPOs along with interesting domains like Product Manager, Head HR, Business Analyst and many more.

So there are certain basic requirements for being eligible to be a part of campus drives like you need to get 4 CGPA at end of the first year which comprises of 3 terms. Towards the end of term 4 or beginning of term 5 companies starts coming into campus October - December you can expect loads of companies and with various profiles coming to campus. The average package remains in between 10-11 lakhs does vary across years but more or less remains the same. JD is provided in advance but one can't expect much leeway. A point to remember is to get to know regarding all the process in the first year itself. Apart from this while SIP, things get clear. More than 50+ companies visit every year and GIM maintains its near to 100% placement. Few exceptions are always there but for sure it's 98+ every year. Good Alum also helps and with the use of Linkedin, one can create its own network and work accordingly. Place com team is very supportive and give their best to get the best profiles.

The overall cost would be an around 18 lacs there will be several components and you will be requested to pay in a phased manner, which is one good thing, unlike Great Lakes which require 19 lacs in one go. This year due to covid pandemic many students didn't get a chance to be on campus in the first year and several requests were sent to reduce the fees but management did not approve. Also even with such high fees, the college did not send books home for the students. Access to online portals was given but the interface is not very friendly. There will be many scholarships available, regular mails will be circulated and information is provided on the GIM Page as well. The college also provides you with the details of various banks through which you can get the loans if required. The campus has a separate i3 club which provides you with a plethora of opportunities for doing a live project. We usually get 3-4 per months across domains, some may provide a stipend and some don't.

GIM has a lush green campus, although it's little far from the city 50-acre campus won't less you miss anything. The time at the campus you will cherish forever. Besides GIM is completely student-driven with 25 clubs + 4 societies. HR club, SRA club, Health club you name it we have it and every club keeps on an engaging student in some event or the other. GIM is a place where you can chase your passion along with studies. Sports, Dance, Drama, Public Speaking and what not. Each club has its own FB, Insta and Linkedin page run by the club members themselves. The complete details of clubs are mentioned on the official website of GIM. The flagship events of every club is being part of the academic calendar so no way it can clash with any other classes. The classrooms are fully AC and with all the required equipment needed for smooth conduct. GIM has 24*7 library and all the books are readily available plus it offers various E-libraries as well. Once on campus, you get a chance to interact with many people.

The hostel is mandatory for all the students so even the goans are not allowed to stay outside the campus. In the first year, we get a 2 sharing room while in the second year we are given a single room. There are 8 hostels as of now and many are in process of construction. The hostel life is one to cherish you are allowed to carry induction and thus you can even cook if you are bored with mess food. Although GIM mess does provide loads of options ultimately it's a mess of food. So you wish to change the taste. Besides hostel food, you have a couple of places catering to your taste buds almost till midnight. Hostel peeps will be your family away from family. You will have loads of memories to relish and the hostel provides you with all the required facilities. Washrooms are cleaned regularly. Washing machines are also available and you can use them as and when required. All your basic materials like mattress, glass are provided to you and the Student Advisory Council helps you to ensure smooth conduct.

So the overall structure of the selection process would be GD + PI. When done offline participants are asked to come to the respective place for the complete proceedings. Every centre will have 2,3 faculties of GIM to moderate the process and location and timings are informed well before. After the pandemic outbreak, the proceedings are done online. The topics of GD are generally related to a current scenario like Rising of OTT platforms, how India can tackle Covid scenario. So if the applicants are up to date they won't be facing any issue to answer. Having said that some groups may get abstract topics like smart work vs hard work. Every centre has 2, 3 faculties of GIM covering various aspects. Personal Interviews are done after GDs and the approximate timings for PI would be 25-30 minutes. Interviews are done mainly on CV and the various interests of the person and their corresponding understanding for the same. The process is usually smooth and one can be regularly updated to crack it.