My life @ BIMM Pune

I did not have a favorable opinion about the institute when I was student here as I felt it was 'too strict'. However, I have changed my view about the institute as my experience in life so far has taught me that "IT WAS WORTH IT". I conclude my review stating that 'what does not kill you makes you stronger' as the 'best steel is made in the hottest furnace'.

I attempted and wrote the Karnataka PGCET in the year 2009. I scored 80% and above in the test and applied for the admissions process on the strength of my score in this test. I opted to study in BIMM Pune because I had heard good things about it in terms of rankings and placements.

The course (PGDM PM&HRD) is well designed in BIMM Pune. It blends a mix of classroom learning and out-of-the-classroom learning in an efficient way. The institute has placed an emphasis on 'time management' and encourages its student to make use of all available minutes in the day in a productive way so that they stand to gain the most from it. Apart from the classes, group sessions, guest lectures, workshops, corporate events, business meets, conferences and other corporate interaction events were and are routinely scheduled in the institute. Attendance for these events are mandatory as the persons addressing were senior functionaries ranked amidst the 'who's who' of the corporate world and the industry and we gained a lot of useful information about the 'real time' situations we can expect to face after passing out from the institute.

There is a 'Corporate Relations Cell' staffed by students in the college. It is the responsibility of this cell to contact the companies and identify internship and placement opportunities based on their requirements and job descriptions. Internship opportunities are communicated to the students based on their city of choice. I was given an opportunity to work with 'Citrix' company in Bangalore, one of the leading SAAS companies in the world. I was interned there during the months of October and December in the year 2011. Overall, my internship experience was very good. I got a similar feedback from my friends and colleagues, with reference to their internship experiences. With reference to 'Stipends' it depends on the company's rules and regulations and stipends are provided to the students, if there is a provision for it.

Placement opportunities are extremely good in the institute thanks to the efforts of our Alumni, the CRT and the goodwill created by the interns while working in their respective companies. Campus placements happen in the last and the first quarter of the year respectively. The average 'Package' offered to the students ranges between 05 to 07 Lakh Rupees. However, there are companies which offer more amount of package than the average based on their job description and the experience level of the candidate.

Sri Balaji Society is home to three other institutes apart from BIMM. Students here hail from all the corners of India from the quiet interior to the loud cities. Almost all religious festivals, events and other western events such as friendship day, valentines day, etc were celebrated with full enthusiasm and gusto. Apart from the festivals and other events, inter-institute competitions and events are and were routinely held in the society campus in one of its two spacious auditoriums. The students gave their best on and off the stage in these events, and won accolades and awards for their performances.

The fee structure of BIMM is Rs, 3,30,000 per annum. Compared to other institutes in the area it is a very good deal as the average package offered to the students during the campus process is more than this amount. It is to be noted that the institute has stated that "It is not a Placement Agency" and the responsibility of securing employment lies with the student who can and do get placed based on their performance in the process of placement.

The society has made arrangements with ICICI for provision of educational loans. With reference to scholarships, I am not aware of whether such facilities are offered to the students but meritorious and eligible students are assisted by the society for pursuing their studies in the institutes.

There is a positive gender ratio in the society, thanks to the society's belief in 'women empowerment'. Debates, discussions and other corporate events are held on a routine basis with awards and cash prizes being awarded to the winners. Sports events and Culturals are held in the society and the winners are awarded with a chance to visit the 'Party State of India': Goa.

The hostel facilities are very good. However, the students must specify whether they wish to avail of hostel facilities while filling the admissions form. Hostel facility is provided only to the 'junior students' and they must make arrangements for their stay after completing their first year in the institutes. Rooms are spacious and have facilities for hot/cold running water. An individual bed, chair and table and almirah is provided to each hostelite in the room. Each room accommodates three students in peace and comfort. There are four floors in the hostel. Rooms are arranged in clusters of four room on each floor. There are 8 clusters on every floor.

Sri Balaji Society has a strong and active alumni network with its presence in all major cities of India. The network routinely assists its members in securing new employment opportunities and assists them in seeking introductions and recommendations in their companies.

Exams are ordinarily held after completion of the syllabus. The schedule of the examination is notified well in advance to the students, affording them to prepare for it or re-strengthen their preparations for the examination. For us, the exams were held in the morning and in the afternoon in a three hour time slot. Maximum marks were 100 per subject. With reference to the 'hecticity', the exams were hectic for those students who did not study or prepare their subjects well and was 'chilled out' and relaxed for those students who had studied and prepared their subjects well.

I attended the admissions procedure in my city, Bangalore in the month of March in the year 2010. The procedure was a three part process comprising of written test, group discussion and personal interview. With reference to the written test, an essay topic was given and the same was to be written within 500 to 1000 words. The 'Group discussion' round consisted of me and a group of nine other candidates discussing a given topic and was followed by another additional 'group activity' round where we were asked to enact a given situation. This was followed by a 'Personal Interview' round wherein questions were asked such as - 'Why are you interested in pursuing PGDM?', 'What are your intentions in pursuing a course in our institute?', 'Where do you see yourselves after 5 and 10 years after passing out from this course? and so on. The entire process was conducted in a peaceful and friendly atmosphere affording securation of quality in terms of responses. I got a similar feedback on inquiring with other candidates about their experiences during the process

I would say that the teachers and faculty members are 'masters' in their field as half of them had industry experience in the particular subjects they were handling enabling them to give a 'real life' perspective of the subject information they were teaching. This enabled us to streamline out knowledge gaining efforts, ensuring that we became 'employable' and remained so post joining the industry. I will mention a few teachers who have acted as a true role model, guiding us for the way ahead by ensuring our 'employability. They are: Dr. Vilas Kulkarni and Balaji Reddie Sir.