I have no words to describe how my last 4 days have been... even now as i sit down to put in my experiences i dont know how to begin. If i were to begin with what i am feeling right now... I would say i am hungry, extremely sad and frustrated and helpless! Just now faced a girl-fight over who should cook, who shouldnt... how typical :(
THE TRAVEL
To begin at the beginning, I set out from the Bombay airport on 27th Oct at 0235 hours and as i waved to Ma and Baba, I was so sad and yet excited about the new journey I am embarking upon! As i settled into my seat in the crowded economy class, I was thrilled to see a BA plane taxing away :) Life is never a bed of roses and my journey certainly wasnt... the first leg was made memorable by the extremely fat gentleman sitting beside me and the extreme cold inside the plane! That night felt interminable... but day did dawn and i had the first taste of American breakfast which certainly was not fun! Nyways i spent the day drifting in and out of sleep and didnt really get bored and soon it was time to get off and board the next flight (11:30 am IST but 7:30 am in Frankfurt)
The airport at Frankfurt certainly left a lot to be desired... It was neither too big nor too fancy and thankkfully I didnt have to spend too much time at the airport. Got over with the security check and was waited in the lobby, chatting up another Indian traveling to Phoenix before boarding flight LH430 to Chicago...
The O'Hare airport is lovely and huuuuuuge... it has its own rail system to travel from one terminal to another!! Though i wish there was a easier way to get the baggage of the carousal... whew! that was really tough... almost got dragged away by the bag as i clutched it, trying to get it off the carousal... thankfully was able to haul off both pieces of baggage the next time! and quickly walked off for the emmigration check as the flight was already an hour late leaving me with around 2 hours only... But the emmigration check was not too difficult but the security check was... the guards threw out my Nike deo because it was too big for the cabin luggage but I was able to salvage my face wash from disappearing into oblivion!
The flight was again delayed at Chicago because.... a truck had banged into the plane!! Wow, what next? Finally the flight did take off and I looked down over Chicago for the first time and as I looked down the thought whether this was the best decision crossed my mind but I quickly put it out of my head and got out my novel! Next watched the Harry Potter and Order of the Phoenix movie and when even then the flight didn't seem to get over, I started getting bored and impatient. After traveling half way across the world I really couldn't wait for the journey of a thousand miles to end!
Finally the journey did end and I walked out straight towards the baggage claim area only to see Dada already waiting there for me... that brought a smile on my tired face :) We then collected the baggage or rather Dada collected the baggage while I chatted to Ma and Baba telling them about my allergy, my blocked ears and my cold :D
Dada rented a Hertz car and we reached the Holiday Inn hotel at around 9:30 after getting lost a couple of times and as I wasn't hungry at all, we decided to call it a day. As I tucked in for the night I wondered momentarily that was I really in America? Was the journey finally over or is another announcement over the PA going to wake me from my dream?
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Thursday, October 18, 2007
all set ( i think!)
- Got the offer letter... salary not what was promised (but thats not too suprising, is it?)
- Raised the TR after getting the go-ahead... the powers-that-are took forever doing it and now while my PM enjoys his holidays I get the taste of leadership and management first-hand!
- My tickets are booked... flying Lufthansa, Bombay to San Diego via Frankfurt,Chicago... will be leaving on the 27th Oct 0235 and will reach SD at 1735 the same day...
- Submitted the docs and obtained my calling card and transit insurance and also my tickets
- Sent the mail for FOREX release and will be getting it on the 24th
- Opened a new Citi account (not because i wanted to but because it is a must for some unknown reason!)
- Got the stamp and sign on the loan docs.... finally! Can you believe it that a company as big as I** does not have a official seal on its premises!!
Friday, October 12, 2007
Anecdotes on Leadership....
This will be a running post on anecdotes I hear/read/experience on what leadership means and what makes one a leader :
1. ' A manager is the one who sees to it that the trees in the forest are being cut right; a leader climbs up the tree and sees to it that the right trees are being cut!' - Unknown
2. 'Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.' - Dwight Eisenhower
3. 'Only one man in a thousand is a leader of men -- the other 999 follow women.' - Groucho Marx (one of my favs :)
4. 'Delegating work works, provided the one delegating works, too.' - Robert Half
5. A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way - John C. Maxwell
1. ' A manager is the one who sees to it that the trees in the forest are being cut right; a leader climbs up the tree and sees to it that the right trees are being cut!' - Unknown
2. 'Leadership is the art of getting someone else to do something you want done because he wants to do it.' - Dwight Eisenhower
3. 'Only one man in a thousand is a leader of men -- the other 999 follow women.' - Groucho Marx (one of my favs :)
4. 'Delegating work works, provided the one delegating works, too.' - Robert Half
5. A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way - John C. Maxwell
Monday, October 8, 2007
Nashik sojourn!
The trip to Nashik, which Baba had been planning for almost 6 months, finally happened last weekend (6-7 Aug 07) and though extremely tiring, it was also enjoyable!!
Visited a number of places in the two days and what follows is a description as seen through my eyes :)
1. Tryambakeshwar temple - This is the biggest and the most famous attraction of Nashik. had heard a lot about the temple and its unusual 'shivlinga' and we reached the temple in good time... not too long a queue and the crowds quickly dispersed. The unique shivlinga had 3 holes instead of the usual ling structure which is said to signify Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara. Also the darshan was by viewing the ling in a mirror because the actual ling is set deep down!
After the darshan, I stepped out to take some photographs of the temple but I was prevented from doing so by the guards... but that wasnt to stop me, was it? ;) I stepped behind a tree and clicked a snap nonetheless!! With that the visit to the temple came to an end and we returned to the cool interiors of the waiting Scorpio....
2. Godavari dam- Next stop was the dam across the Godavari river... though not originally in the plan, we made a stop nyways. Not much to look at but the lake was huge and the cool breeze rippling over the surface was refreshing! Spent quite some time by the lake, dipping my feet in the water, posing for a few pics :)
3. Panchavati We then moved on to our next stop, Panchavati, the place which was witness to the cause of many a great events.... The ghat and the Rama (kalaram/goraram) mandirs were on the agenda and they were duly visited... What wasnt on the agenda and turned out to be the highlight was the 'Sitaguha'... It was a temple with a difference, it was a guha but again, with a difference.... there was a low, extremely low entrance through which we could pass only by sitting down and moving on our butts and then were steep stairs down... and so thats how we went, one step at a time on our butts :D Right outside the sitaguha was the site of the famed 'panch vat' from which the place takes its name!
By the time we were done with our sight-seeing, the sun was in its dying stages and it was time for us to bid adieu to Panchavati....
4. Phalke Smarak - There is a museum and smarak dedicated to the great Dadasaheb Phalke who hailed from Nashik and I was enthused to go visit it, hence we decided to take a slight detour and go inspite of it being late in the day.... but alas, it was not meant to be! Due to some unscheduled load-shedding, the musuem and the entire premises had already closed for the day and we had to return dejected!
5. Adhikari dinner - By now, I was completely tired and all ready for a good night's sleep but there was still one item on the agenda - a dinner invite at Baba' colleague Mr. Adhikari's residence! Though the dinner was nothing to write home about, I did meet two extremely smart and talented young girls - Pratyusha and Priyanka. Daughters of Mr. Adhikari, they had many awards and credits to their name and I even got to listen to a marathi elocution from Pratyusha!
Dinner done we finally returned to the hotel room and I tucked in for the night!
1. Gargoti mineral museum - First stop for the day and I was spellbound!! The unimaginable beauty of stones/minerals.... who could imagine that within the inocuous looking stones are sparkling amethysts, radiant rubies and the like!! It simply was unbelievable... spent quite some time in the museum and took a lot of photographs and even bought a beautiful blood-red pendant!
2. Shirdi - Well, the trip would have been incomplete without a visit to the Saibaba temple at Shirdi... so there we were, racing against time to make it for the 12 o'clock aarti but we missed it by just a few minutes! This was the first time I was visiting Shirdi and I was pretty amazed at the sheer number of people I saw... hundreds of devotees waiting patiently in queues stretching over a kilometre to pay their respects to Saibaba! I also asked for his blessings for the new innings in my life and after spending some time in the environs of the temple, we had our lunch at a nearby restaurant and were soon on our way...
3. Shani Shingnapur - We were now in the last leg of our trip and wanted to make the most of it... our driver suggested visiting Shani Shingnapur temple since we had come so far and shouldnt leave without seeing that as well.... There is also a famous saying that goes with the place - no doors, no windows to the houses in this area, anyone daring to steal turns lame!! Well, a place with so much novelty had to be visited! But nothing had prepared me for the sight that awaited me!! Only men were allowed to offer puja and that too only wearing a saffron cloth tied around their waists... also a purifying bath was a must and so there were I was in a sea of half-naked, fully drenched men waiting for the darshan!! The Shani god (not an idol but a piece of rock!) was being bathed with oil and all the women had to watch from a distancewhile the men made the offerings.... Strange sight, indeed!!
The trip to Shani Shingnapur officially concluded our Nashik trip and we all bundled into the waiting Scorpio and left for home, sweet home!!
Visited a number of places in the two days and what follows is a description as seen through my eyes :)
1. Tryambakeshwar temple - This is the biggest and the most famous attraction of Nashik. had heard a lot about the temple and its unusual 'shivlinga' and we reached the temple in good time... not too long a queue and the crowds quickly dispersed. The unique shivlinga had 3 holes instead of the usual ling structure which is said to signify Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara. Also the darshan was by viewing the ling in a mirror because the actual ling is set deep down!
After the darshan, I stepped out to take some photographs of the temple but I was prevented from doing so by the guards... but that wasnt to stop me, was it? ;) I stepped behind a tree and clicked a snap nonetheless!! With that the visit to the temple came to an end and we returned to the cool interiors of the waiting Scorpio....
2. Godavari dam- Next stop was the dam across the Godavari river... though not originally in the plan, we made a stop nyways. Not much to look at but the lake was huge and the cool breeze rippling over the surface was refreshing! Spent quite some time by the lake, dipping my feet in the water, posing for a few pics :)
3. Panchavati We then moved on to our next stop, Panchavati, the place which was witness to the cause of many a great events.... The ghat and the Rama (kalaram/goraram) mandirs were on the agenda and they were duly visited... What wasnt on the agenda and turned out to be the highlight was the 'Sitaguha'... It was a temple with a difference, it was a guha but again, with a difference.... there was a low, extremely low entrance through which we could pass only by sitting down and moving on our butts and then were steep stairs down... and so thats how we went, one step at a time on our butts :D Right outside the sitaguha was the site of the famed 'panch vat' from which the place takes its name!
By the time we were done with our sight-seeing, the sun was in its dying stages and it was time for us to bid adieu to Panchavati....
4. Phalke Smarak - There is a museum and smarak dedicated to the great Dadasaheb Phalke who hailed from Nashik and I was enthused to go visit it, hence we decided to take a slight detour and go inspite of it being late in the day.... but alas, it was not meant to be! Due to some unscheduled load-shedding, the musuem and the entire premises had already closed for the day and we had to return dejected!
5. Adhikari dinner - By now, I was completely tired and all ready for a good night's sleep but there was still one item on the agenda - a dinner invite at Baba' colleague Mr. Adhikari's residence! Though the dinner was nothing to write home about, I did meet two extremely smart and talented young girls - Pratyusha and Priyanka. Daughters of Mr. Adhikari, they had many awards and credits to their name and I even got to listen to a marathi elocution from Pratyusha!
Dinner done we finally returned to the hotel room and I tucked in for the night!
---**---
Day two dawned ( a bit too early, if u ask me!) and we were all ready for another day at the road...1. Gargoti mineral museum - First stop for the day and I was spellbound!! The unimaginable beauty of stones/minerals.... who could imagine that within the inocuous looking stones are sparkling amethysts, radiant rubies and the like!! It simply was unbelievable... spent quite some time in the museum and took a lot of photographs and even bought a beautiful blood-red pendant!
2. Shirdi - Well, the trip would have been incomplete without a visit to the Saibaba temple at Shirdi... so there we were, racing against time to make it for the 12 o'clock aarti but we missed it by just a few minutes! This was the first time I was visiting Shirdi and I was pretty amazed at the sheer number of people I saw... hundreds of devotees waiting patiently in queues stretching over a kilometre to pay their respects to Saibaba! I also asked for his blessings for the new innings in my life and after spending some time in the environs of the temple, we had our lunch at a nearby restaurant and were soon on our way...
3. Shani Shingnapur - We were now in the last leg of our trip and wanted to make the most of it... our driver suggested visiting Shani Shingnapur temple since we had come so far and shouldnt leave without seeing that as well.... There is also a famous saying that goes with the place - no doors, no windows to the houses in this area, anyone daring to steal turns lame!! Well, a place with so much novelty had to be visited! But nothing had prepared me for the sight that awaited me!! Only men were allowed to offer puja and that too only wearing a saffron cloth tied around their waists... also a purifying bath was a must and so there were I was in a sea of half-naked, fully drenched men waiting for the darshan!! The Shani god (not an idol but a piece of rock!) was being bathed with oil and all the women had to watch from a distancewhile the men made the offerings.... Strange sight, indeed!!
The trip to Shani Shingnapur officially concluded our Nashik trip and we all bundled into the waiting Scorpio and left for home, sweet home!!
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Visa... Shisa.... Haiyo Rabba!!
Had my H1B visa interview today... dont know if what i had qualifies to be called an interview, didnt last for more than 2 mins and involved just 2 questions...
L: So you work for IBM?
Me: yep! (yep? yep??!! did i just say yep??? wasnt i instructed to say yes, ma'm!! oh well...)
L: Have you travelled before?
Me: no (better answer this time!)
L: Your passport will be couriered to your company. Thank you!
Me: Thank you, Ma'm!
..... and I am out of the cubicle, the room and soon at the parking where my mom is getting ready for a looong wait! hee hee...
Not much of a story there but the amount of preparation and efforts that went into the making of these two minutes is worth telling.... It began with my preparation of the questions that could be asked and collection of the documents that need to be carried for the interview... The final set of documents that I did carry
1. appointment letter
2. visa receipt
3. passport
4. petition
5. original degree certificate and marksheets
6. form-16 and income-tax filing form
7. company offer letter and last 3 months payslips
(Note: The first 4 are an absolute must and the remaining can be carried but as my experience shows that they are not always required.)
After the documents came the questions... thought of all possible questions and all possible answers to all those questions and it didnt seem so difficult after that....
Next came the hotel and the cab booking... easier said than done but was through with all the bookings and the confirmations the night before travel....
(Note: The travel was the most time-consuming and tiring part as traveling over 300 kms to-and-fro for a 30-min exercise really was not worth it but I didnt really have a choice, did I?
After spending the night at a nearby (well, not quite) IBM guest-house, reached the consulate at around 8:10 and the day unfolded:
1. Stood in the queue for around 10 mins before being ushered inside the consulate
2. Went through the regular security check (another 5 mins)
3. Went inside the main room and collected the VFS document and submitted it alongwith my passport at counter 1 and got a pink token (# 165)... probably another 5 mins)
4. Took a seat right at near the counters and got a first look at the ladies behind the bullet-proof glass and relaxed... was getting ready for a long wait!
5. Kept my ears peeled to the voice announcing the tokens as there wasnt any particular order being followed and with 13 operational counters things were progressing quite fast
6. After around 15 mins wait, I heard 165 being called out to counter #8. Took my position behind a fat(really fat!) lady and her kid and awaited my turn. The lady was through in quicktime and I was in...
What happened next has already been discussed and I was out and in the car and on my way back to home, sweet home! (and very soon, on my way to San Diego!)
L: So you work for IBM?
Me: yep! (yep? yep??!! did i just say yep??? wasnt i instructed to say yes, ma'm!! oh well...)
L: Have you travelled before?
Me: no (better answer this time!)
L: Your passport will be couriered to your company. Thank you!
Me: Thank you, Ma'm!
..... and I am out of the cubicle, the room and soon at the parking where my mom is getting ready for a looong wait! hee hee...
Not much of a story there but the amount of preparation and efforts that went into the making of these two minutes is worth telling.... It began with my preparation of the questions that could be asked and collection of the documents that need to be carried for the interview... The final set of documents that I did carry
1. appointment letter
2. visa receipt
3. passport
4. petition
5. original degree certificate and marksheets
6. form-16 and income-tax filing form
7. company offer letter and last 3 months payslips
(Note: The first 4 are an absolute must and the remaining can be carried but as my experience shows that they are not always required.)
After the documents came the questions... thought of all possible questions and all possible answers to all those questions and it didnt seem so difficult after that....
Next came the hotel and the cab booking... easier said than done but was through with all the bookings and the confirmations the night before travel....
(Note: The travel was the most time-consuming and tiring part as traveling over 300 kms to-and-fro for a 30-min exercise really was not worth it but I didnt really have a choice, did I?
After spending the night at a nearby (well, not quite) IBM guest-house, reached the consulate at around 8:10 and the day unfolded:
1. Stood in the queue for around 10 mins before being ushered inside the consulate
2. Went through the regular security check (another 5 mins)
3. Went inside the main room and collected the VFS document and submitted it alongwith my passport at counter 1 and got a pink token (# 165)... probably another 5 mins)
4. Took a seat right at near the counters and got a first look at the ladies behind the bullet-proof glass and relaxed... was getting ready for a long wait!
5. Kept my ears peeled to the voice announcing the tokens as there wasnt any particular order being followed and with 13 operational counters things were progressing quite fast
6. After around 15 mins wait, I heard 165 being called out to counter #8. Took my position behind a fat(really fat!) lady and her kid and awaited my turn. The lady was through in quicktime and I was in...
What happened next has already been discussed and I was out and in the car and on my way back to home, sweet home! (and very soon, on my way to San Diego!)
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Alpaviraam!!
Alpaviram-a small pause thats what I am going to take in my GMAT journey... the last coupla weeks have been excruciating, was really bogged down by self-doubt and thousands of questions... is this the right time? am I ready? what do i have to show as achievements? what do i tell my recommenders to write about? are all the above questions irrelevant and should i just go ahead and apply?? uff!!
All this began after i spoke to a Ms B from ClearAdmit... she made it pretty clear to me that for someone like me, who isnt sure abt my long-term goals and has nothing to show, applying would be.... (she left it hanging, so one can only guess what she meant!) She even went so far as to suggest that probably i had no idea abt the seriousness of the whole process and should take care!!
Just when I was beginning to see the truth in her observations, I heard about a friend's friend - Ms. A - who had gotten into Krannert with 2-yrs exp and a GMAT score of 650!!! Now how on earth did that happen??!! That made me rethink... am i just too scared of applying? do i fear failing (again!) so much?? well, to be absolutely honest, yes, I do.... I dont think I can take anymore of that!
And to add to this, came the news of my impending visa interview... scheduled for the 29th of August... was getting ready for the interview, collecting documents etc when my manager, a Mr. C, let it out that if all goes well I would have to travel to San Diego in the second week of October itself!!!!
Oh! my brain would almost burst due to overload.... I havent done so much thinking and pondering in a lifetime!! But the decision is now made.... I will apply only next year after I have been able to garner some valuable international experience... The primary points in favor are:
1. additional experience, international, would be advantageous
2. if i make the right moves, i would be able to add up a lot to my right-now-pretty-common resume
3. the income in dollars would come in handy
4. would be give me time to research and select the schools and programs more thoroughly and the applications next year would be more planned
5. could probably gather some better recommendations!
6. a prior exposure to US culture and place would stand in good stead when i do join school
There are many 'probably's and 'maybe's but since I am aware of my final aim everything that I will do will be directed towards that goal...
The only point against is:
1. the further delay.... with marriage looming large, every year spent before an MBA seems like a crime to Ma!!
But I have come to a decision and I can only hope that all works out well... I just have to maintain focus and I am sure that this decision will not prove to be wrong!
All this began after i spoke to a Ms B from ClearAdmit... she made it pretty clear to me that for someone like me, who isnt sure abt my long-term goals and has nothing to show, applying would be.... (she left it hanging, so one can only guess what she meant!) She even went so far as to suggest that probably i had no idea abt the seriousness of the whole process and should take care!!
Just when I was beginning to see the truth in her observations, I heard about a friend's friend - Ms. A - who had gotten into Krannert with 2-yrs exp and a GMAT score of 650!!! Now how on earth did that happen??!! That made me rethink... am i just too scared of applying? do i fear failing (again!) so much?? well, to be absolutely honest, yes, I do.... I dont think I can take anymore of that!
And to add to this, came the news of my impending visa interview... scheduled for the 29th of August... was getting ready for the interview, collecting documents etc when my manager, a Mr. C, let it out that if all goes well I would have to travel to San Diego in the second week of October itself!!!!
Oh! my brain would almost burst due to overload.... I havent done so much thinking and pondering in a lifetime!! But the decision is now made.... I will apply only next year after I have been able to garner some valuable international experience... The primary points in favor are:
1. additional experience, international, would be advantageous
2. if i make the right moves, i would be able to add up a lot to my right-now-pretty-common resume
3. the income in dollars would come in handy
4. would be give me time to research and select the schools and programs more thoroughly and the applications next year would be more planned
5. could probably gather some better recommendations!
6. a prior exposure to US culture and place would stand in good stead when i do join school
There are many 'probably's and 'maybe's but since I am aware of my final aim everything that I will do will be directed towards that goal...
The only point against is:
1. the further delay.... with marriage looming large, every year spent before an MBA seems like a crime to Ma!!
But I have come to a decision and I can only hope that all works out well... I just have to maintain focus and I am sure that this decision will not prove to be wrong!
Sunday, August 12, 2007
some links i keep coming back to...
Came across this article on resume writing for us IT-applicants and how to de-jargonize our writing style and suit it better to the admissions committee....
And another link here for the analysis on the essays of the top schools....
This link on admission tips on clear admit provides important pointers on the entire process...
And another link here for the analysis on the essays of the top schools....
This link on admission tips on clear admit provides important pointers on the entire process...
essays!!
Began the essay journey today... first stop - Johnson! looked around but couldnt find the essays, realised that the application for 07-08 season has not yet begun (will begin only in end August) so moved onto Yale... the essays have been released and though there is new one on leadership, the remaining are as of old! The third essay where we not only provide the answer but also the question was a suprise (as if finding answers was not difficult enough! ;)
Have been going through the website to find the uniques features of Yale and the mandatory international study and the integrated coursework approach is really unique... am really beginning to like the Yale program.... shot of a mail to one of the ambassadors, waiting to see what she has to say! Till then, back to some more research on the program and (probably) a rough draft as well...
Have been going through the website to find the uniques features of Yale and the mandatory international study and the integrated coursework approach is really unique... am really beginning to like the Yale program.... shot of a mail to one of the ambassadors, waiting to see what she has to say! Till then, back to some more research on the program and (probably) a rough draft as well...
Friday, August 10, 2007
Four days gone by...
Four days have gone by since by G-day and I have not made any progress! :(
I have been reading about the essays and all that but dont know where to begin!!! Guess I should get in touch with some seniors in the colleges I intend to apply to... and also some other fellow applicants... if not for help then atleast I would be keeping up the pace.... plan to visit IMS this weekend and check them out... and atleast go through all the essays of the schools
I have been reading about the essays and all that but dont know where to begin!!! Guess I should get in touch with some seniors in the colleges I intend to apply to... and also some other fellow applicants... if not for help then atleast I would be keeping up the pace.... plan to visit IMS this weekend and check them out... and atleast go through all the essays of the schools
Monday, August 6, 2007
Phew.... what a day it was - Part III
Part III - The winner takes it all....
Finally after one-and-half months of preparation, many tests and 3.5 hours of clicking the answers(right ones, I hope) it was judgment time... But first there was THE question of whether I wanted to report or cancel the score... I did not have an alternative but to report the scores but it was interesting situation, nonetheless! Spent 2 of the alloted 10 mins to decide in staring at the screen and then clicked 'Next'... the next few moments while the software calculated my score and I stared at a blank blue screen were interminable.... and then the score pops up...
760!!
Yippeeee!!! I had done it! The score, though not the most important in the process, was a critical part of my application if I had to have a fighting chance at the top colleges... and I had DONE it :)
Pumped my fist and felt like doing a victory dance but considering my fellow candidates who were still fighting their battles, I got up and left the room in silence but my interiors were screaming....
Collected my un-official score-card and my belongings and left the room.... I was suprised to not find my parents waiting for me... checked the watch and realised that I had finished my exam quite early, by 4:45!! Couldn't wait to tell them the news and was patrolling the lobby restlessly when finally I saw them come in.... Suprised though they were coz I had told them I wouldnt be out before 5:30, they were also pleased with my score....
But as past experiences have taught me and also them, that just a good score is not enough, the celebrations were a bit muted.... And even I know better now than to celebrate prematurely like after my XL interview when I had felt that I totally cracked it and ended up with a wl-89 :(
Anyways, thats past now.... the first hurdle was successfully crossed and though there still lies a long way ahead, I am raring to go....
The test-saga ends... Stay tuned for the upcoming recos-saga, essays-saga and the season finale of applications-saga! :)
Finally after one-and-half months of preparation, many tests and 3.5 hours of clicking the answers(right ones, I hope) it was judgment time... But first there was THE question of whether I wanted to report or cancel the score... I did not have an alternative but to report the scores but it was interesting situation, nonetheless! Spent 2 of the alloted 10 mins to decide in staring at the screen and then clicked 'Next'... the next few moments while the software calculated my score and I stared at a blank blue screen were interminable.... and then the score pops up...
760!!
Yippeeee!!! I had done it! The score, though not the most important in the process, was a critical part of my application if I had to have a fighting chance at the top colleges... and I had DONE it :)
Pumped my fist and felt like doing a victory dance but considering my fellow candidates who were still fighting their battles, I got up and left the room in silence but my interiors were screaming....
Collected my un-official score-card and my belongings and left the room.... I was suprised to not find my parents waiting for me... checked the watch and realised that I had finished my exam quite early, by 4:45!! Couldn't wait to tell them the news and was patrolling the lobby restlessly when finally I saw them come in.... Suprised though they were coz I had told them I wouldnt be out before 5:30, they were also pleased with my score....
But as past experiences have taught me and also them, that just a good score is not enough, the celebrations were a bit muted.... And even I know better now than to celebrate prematurely like after my XL interview when I had felt that I totally cracked it and ended up with a wl-89 :(
Anyways, thats past now.... the first hurdle was successfully crossed and though there still lies a long way ahead, I am raring to go....
The test-saga ends... Stay tuned for the upcoming recos-saga, essays-saga and the season finale of applications-saga! :)
Phew.... what a day it was - Part II
Part II - the battle begins....
Ahh... the refreshing whiff of cold air was like a balm on my frayed nerves.... The room was chilly and most importantly, quiet... after all the rushing around of the morning, it felt good to be there... submitted my photograph, signed on a digital pad, gave my fingerprint sample and got myself photographed... feeling like I was being admitted to a high-security prison! :D Didnt have too much time to relax though... was asked to enter the test-room almost immediately!!
Was alloted the desk #2 and then sat down to read the instructions... put in the 5 schools names and selected next to begin....
Round 1
The analysis of argument question was on the Waymarsh students and why they are absolutely concerned and serious about their education.... did a pretty good job in defending those poor souls, after all they are the ones who would help me get a 6 in AWA :) finished it well within time and moved on to the analysis of issue question where I was asked to pass my judgment on the the quality of life today!! Faced some difficulties in articulating the points and ended up focusing too much on the personal aspect... at the end, the idea of wars and general threats to society came up in my mind and did put in a line or two but was not too satisfied with the result... But time was up and I got up for my 10-min optional break....
The essays had rattled me a bit and I felt the uncontrollable urge to leave the room... just walked around a bit and splashed some water on my face to relax myself... and I was ready to enter the war zone again....
Round 2
The maths section began promisingly with not too difficult questions... I had a distinct sense of deja-vu... as it almost felt like the last GMATPrep I had given at home... none of the questions too difficult and none too familiar but all the same I was putting in a lot of thought before every 'confirm'! Did feel that I would run out of time at certain stages, like when I had 34 mins left on the clock and had yet more 18 questions to go through... but apart from the sudden panic attack, the section was progressing smoothly and soon I was at the 41st question with 2 mins to spare...
Decided to take the break again and calmly walked out, sat on the chair outside for exactly 4 mins and was back again....
Round 3
It was the last section and I was raring to go... started the section and did not face too many difficult SCs or CRs before my first RC and it was not too difficult either! :) couldnt believe that the RCs were so short and for a change they were not too abstract either! Finished the section with almost 9 mins to spare... did spend a couple of minutes at the end just to let the clock tick but then the waiting got too much for me and I decided to end the exam...
Ahh... the refreshing whiff of cold air was like a balm on my frayed nerves.... The room was chilly and most importantly, quiet... after all the rushing around of the morning, it felt good to be there... submitted my photograph, signed on a digital pad, gave my fingerprint sample and got myself photographed... feeling like I was being admitted to a high-security prison! :D Didnt have too much time to relax though... was asked to enter the test-room almost immediately!!
Was alloted the desk #2 and then sat down to read the instructions... put in the 5 schools names and selected next to begin....
Round 1
The analysis of argument question was on the Waymarsh students and why they are absolutely concerned and serious about their education.... did a pretty good job in defending those poor souls, after all they are the ones who would help me get a 6 in AWA :) finished it well within time and moved on to the analysis of issue question where I was asked to pass my judgment on the the quality of life today!! Faced some difficulties in articulating the points and ended up focusing too much on the personal aspect... at the end, the idea of wars and general threats to society came up in my mind and did put in a line or two but was not too satisfied with the result... But time was up and I got up for my 10-min optional break....
The essays had rattled me a bit and I felt the uncontrollable urge to leave the room... just walked around a bit and splashed some water on my face to relax myself... and I was ready to enter the war zone again....
Round 2
The maths section began promisingly with not too difficult questions... I had a distinct sense of deja-vu... as it almost felt like the last GMATPrep I had given at home... none of the questions too difficult and none too familiar but all the same I was putting in a lot of thought before every 'confirm'! Did feel that I would run out of time at certain stages, like when I had 34 mins left on the clock and had yet more 18 questions to go through... but apart from the sudden panic attack, the section was progressing smoothly and soon I was at the 41st question with 2 mins to spare...
Decided to take the break again and calmly walked out, sat on the chair outside for exactly 4 mins and was back again....
Round 3
It was the last section and I was raring to go... started the section and did not face too many difficult SCs or CRs before my first RC and it was not too difficult either! :) couldnt believe that the RCs were so short and for a change they were not too abstract either! Finished the section with almost 9 mins to spare... did spend a couple of minutes at the end just to let the clock tick but then the waiting got too much for me and I decided to end the exam...
Phew.... what a day it was!! - Part I
Part I - The build-up
Woke up, had my breakfast, spoke to Dada and switched on the computer.... well, that is today, relaxed and leisurely.... so different from yesterday, the 6th of August!!
Let me rewind a bit and begin from 5th evening.... I received a call from Dada, the primary reason being to wish me luck, but then we ended up talking for more than 2 hours, discussing and short-listing the 5 schools that i would send my scores to... I very happily(and quite pompously, i believe, selected 5 schools from the top-10 B-schools in US!! But Dada would have none of it... he wanted me to spread out the selection a bit more... covering the top 50!! I was scandalized... I am not going to attend such a low-ranked school but then it makes sense to apply... whether to enroll is a decision that could me made later... and if heaven-forbid, I get rejects from all the higher-ranked schools I would know where I stand.... Well, I couldn't fight against this reasoning, could I? After a long chat and an even longer session of thinking and staring at the paper-board (where I had noted down all the schools and their deadlines) I finally decided on Y/J/K/ISB/UIUC... UIUC being the least ranked and least known of the B-schools!! It was already 12 by the time I had zeroed in on these schools and I had no time or will left to take a look at the essays (as I had planned earlier) Just tucked myself in for the night.....
Heard the alarm go off too early and thought that it probably had a bug in it... but soon after came along Ma to get me out of bed... Was it already 5 then??!! I trudged out of the bed and got ready in record-time then waited while Ma and Baba got ready with Ma quibbling over how much time Baba took for getting ready... (this is normally how it is whenever we got some place in the mornings... with the trend completely reversed in the evenings! ;) Finally we were at the railway station at around 6:15, in time for the Sinhagad Express... the overcast sky increased my misgivings regarding traveling by train but then the journey was uneventful and we were at Dadar by 10:15! (Did watch a group of office-goers enjoy their daily dose of cards during the travel, helped me take my mind off the exam) The next step was to get a train to Andheri... collected the tickets after a looooong wait and then we were off to Andheri in a local... From Andheri, we were lost coz then we did not know the way to the exact location... Hired a rickshaw to Solitaire Corporate Park and after some amount of hunting around, finally located the place and reached building 9! The heat and noise of Mumbai had gotten to me by then and I was having a splitting headache... gulped down a Disprin and went up the building to wait for the doors to open.... After what seemed like an infinitely long time (but was actually just 10 mins) the doors opened and we were ushered in....
Woke up, had my breakfast, spoke to Dada and switched on the computer.... well, that is today, relaxed and leisurely.... so different from yesterday, the 6th of August!!
Let me rewind a bit and begin from 5th evening.... I received a call from Dada, the primary reason being to wish me luck, but then we ended up talking for more than 2 hours, discussing and short-listing the 5 schools that i would send my scores to... I very happily(and quite pompously, i believe, selected 5 schools from the top-10 B-schools in US!! But Dada would have none of it... he wanted me to spread out the selection a bit more... covering the top 50!! I was scandalized... I am not going to attend such a low-ranked school but then it makes sense to apply... whether to enroll is a decision that could me made later... and if heaven-forbid, I get rejects from all the higher-ranked schools I would know where I stand.... Well, I couldn't fight against this reasoning, could I? After a long chat and an even longer session of thinking and staring at the paper-board (where I had noted down all the schools and their deadlines) I finally decided on Y/J/K/ISB/UIUC... UIUC being the least ranked and least known of the B-schools!! It was already 12 by the time I had zeroed in on these schools and I had no time or will left to take a look at the essays (as I had planned earlier) Just tucked myself in for the night.....
Heard the alarm go off too early and thought that it probably had a bug in it... but soon after came along Ma to get me out of bed... Was it already 5 then??!! I trudged out of the bed and got ready in record-time then waited while Ma and Baba got ready with Ma quibbling over how much time Baba took for getting ready... (this is normally how it is whenever we got some place in the mornings... with the trend completely reversed in the evenings! ;) Finally we were at the railway station at around 6:15, in time for the Sinhagad Express... the overcast sky increased my misgivings regarding traveling by train but then the journey was uneventful and we were at Dadar by 10:15! (Did watch a group of office-goers enjoy their daily dose of cards during the travel, helped me take my mind off the exam) The next step was to get a train to Andheri... collected the tickets after a looooong wait and then we were off to Andheri in a local... From Andheri, we were lost coz then we did not know the way to the exact location... Hired a rickshaw to Solitaire Corporate Park and after some amount of hunting around, finally located the place and reached building 9! The heat and noise of Mumbai had gotten to me by then and I was having a splitting headache... gulped down a Disprin and went up the building to wait for the doors to open.... After what seemed like an infinitely long time (but was actually just 10 mins) the doors opened and we were ushered in....
Saturday, August 4, 2007
The day before the day before THE day!!
Counting down the hours to the 6th right now.... Have gone through more than a couple of CATs (740 and 760 in the GMATPrep-1 and 2 resp :D) also more-or-less selected the schools that I am going to send my score to... Just waiting now.... and wondering!
The last two attempts at GMAT have really boosted my confidence but I am trying not to read too much into the numbers... One bad day is all it would take but then feels nice to finally cross the 750-mark :-)
It been raining continuously here for the last two days and Mumbai, with its penchant for flooding at a slight drizzle. must already be drowning!! I hope the travel on Monday is uneventful and I make it on time.... Was wondering if leaving on Sunday night would be a good idea but Baba is pretty confident of making it on time... so, Monday it is.
PS: Watched the movie 'Gone with the Wind' finally.... Its luvvvvvvvly!! Clark Gable is perfect as the man's man and Vivien Leigh looks absolutely stunning (was she upset over a 20" waist or did I imagine that ;) It really has some classic moments and its so Bollywood in all its 'oh Rhett..oh...'-scenes... But truly a thoroughly enjoyable movie, an exception in the case of book-adaptations....
The last two attempts at GMAT have really boosted my confidence but I am trying not to read too much into the numbers... One bad day is all it would take but then feels nice to finally cross the 750-mark :-)
It been raining continuously here for the last two days and Mumbai, with its penchant for flooding at a slight drizzle. must already be drowning!! I hope the travel on Monday is uneventful and I make it on time.... Was wondering if leaving on Sunday night would be a good idea but Baba is pretty confident of making it on time... so, Monday it is.
PS: Watched the movie 'Gone with the Wind' finally.... Its luvvvvvvvly!! Clark Gable is perfect as the man's man and Vivien Leigh looks absolutely stunning (was she upset over a 20" waist or did I imagine that ;) It really has some classic moments and its so Bollywood in all its 'oh Rhett..oh...'-scenes... But truly a thoroughly enjoyable movie, an exception in the case of book-adaptations....
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
12 days to go....
Less than 2 weeks to go and I am not at all feeling confident about my preparations!!!
Though I can catch quite a few tricks but the silly mistakes I make, especially in DS, is worrying :(
Scored a pathetic 690 in GMATPrep2... really did a lot of damage to my self-confidence! Have been going through the 1000DS questions but they are quite simple... and the CRs and RCs are just too much too handle at times.... My god!! I seem to be losing the script here......
And then at times I wonder if I am ready for an international MBA.... can I really match up to these exceptional students from world over and will be I be able to handle the tough standards of the world-class schools??!! This self-doubt is killing but atleast I am determined to go through with GMAT and get a great score, come what may!!
Office life is just as usual though the ODC work is picking up quite well.... will soon have a lot more volunteers and lot more planning and executing to do.... will be fun!
Though I can catch quite a few tricks but the silly mistakes I make, especially in DS, is worrying :(
Scored a pathetic 690 in GMATPrep2... really did a lot of damage to my self-confidence! Have been going through the 1000DS questions but they are quite simple... and the CRs and RCs are just too much too handle at times.... My god!! I seem to be losing the script here......
And then at times I wonder if I am ready for an international MBA.... can I really match up to these exceptional students from world over and will be I be able to handle the tough standards of the world-class schools??!! This self-doubt is killing but atleast I am determined to go through with GMAT and get a great score, come what may!!
Office life is just as usual though the ODC work is picking up quite well.... will soon have a lot more volunteers and lot more planning and executing to do.... will be fun!
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Hard disk reformat!!
Oh my!! What a marathon this is turning out to be :( Had to format my entire hard-disk due to some software failure and ended up spending more than half my Sunday on it!! Had planned for the GMATPrep-2 today but didnt know that this formatting process would be so time-consuming... Writing this down as I wait for the data to be copied back to the hard-disk...
And finally after 5-1/2 hours its done!!!
And why did it take so long? Well, first there was some problem with the formatting... as a result of which the Windows XP had to installed-uninstalled-reinstalled 3 times... and then when everything was going smoothly and it was time for me to copy back the data onto the HD, certain files in the folder-jungle created by Baba wouldnt copy due to some @#*%#@ reason!! Had to isolate those files and copy the rest and believe me, that was THE test of patience for me... But even that was finally done and we were all set to roll.... BUT then I remembered about the long-forgotten 8GB HD that I had before and I tried to get it working which took up another half hour... it would have been worth it if it had worked but unfortunately, years of neglect had taken its toll and my ex-HD decided to stand up on me ;(
Nyways now its all done and I am going to shut down my TP and get back on my beloved and newly OS'd desktop... :D
And finally after 5-1/2 hours its done!!!
And why did it take so long? Well, first there was some problem with the formatting... as a result of which the Windows XP had to installed-uninstalled-reinstalled 3 times... and then when everything was going smoothly and it was time for me to copy back the data onto the HD, certain files in the folder-jungle created by Baba wouldnt copy due to some @#*%#@ reason!! Had to isolate those files and copy the rest and believe me, that was THE test of patience for me... But even that was finally done and we were all set to roll.... BUT then I remembered about the long-forgotten 8GB HD that I had before and I tried to get it working which took up another half hour... it would have been worth it if it had worked but unfortunately, years of neglect had taken its toll and my ex-HD decided to stand up on me ;(
Nyways now its all done and I am going to shut down my TP and get back on my beloved and newly OS'd desktop... :D
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Blind and the Blues!!
Had the first ODC (OnDemand Community - a CSR initiative of IBM) meeting yesterday... a group of 7, including me.... too few i think but we are just getting started....
'Blind and the Blues' is the name of the project which we are working on wherein we will be working with a group of visually-impaired people and imparting technical and soft-skill training to them... Interacting with the blind seems a little daunting to me and hence I have opted to work in the background, atleast in the beginning.... as a result, I am the SPOC(Single-Point-Of-Contact) for this project in IBM Pune :)
We will initially be interacting with the students to make a judgement regarding their abilities and then grouping them accordingly.... also communication with the principal and the instructors will be followed up to design a course for the students.... This intiative will also get its first taste of recognition when an article related to the project will be put up in the monthly IBM India newsletter....
The idea of working in a team, in an organised fashion for a good cause is just great!! i hope to learn a lot from this experience....
'Blind and the Blues' is the name of the project which we are working on wherein we will be working with a group of visually-impaired people and imparting technical and soft-skill training to them... Interacting with the blind seems a little daunting to me and hence I have opted to work in the background, atleast in the beginning.... as a result, I am the SPOC(Single-Point-Of-Contact) for this project in IBM Pune :)
We will initially be interacting with the students to make a judgement regarding their abilities and then grouping them accordingly.... also communication with the principal and the instructors will be followed up to design a course for the students.... This intiative will also get its first taste of recognition when an article related to the project will be put up in the monthly IBM India newsletter....
The idea of working in a team, in an organised fashion for a good cause is just great!! i hope to learn a lot from this experience....
Sunday, July 8, 2007
ये होसला कैसे रुके.....
ये होंसला केसे रूके....
ये आरजू केसे झुके....
मंज़ील मुश्कील तो क्या... धुंधला साहील तो क्या.... तन्हा ये दील तो क्या....
Well this is what I keep saying to myself as I see the long road ahead.... less than a month (28 days, to be precise) to go for the G-day on the 6th August and I am not doing too well....
A miserable 580 (Q41,V29) in Kaplan-3 really shook me up.... Working on the SCs, CRs and RCs for now.... Have to give a better performance in the next CAT to boost my confidence!!
Have been going through the college sites as well as the MBA forums... looks like a score of 740, no less, is expected from Indians!!!! but being a girl gives me a slight advantage just to beat the demographics :D
Back to office tomorrow.... will have to find a way to utilise my time in office for doing some information-gathering.... well, preparing for GMAT is atleast making me good at delegating tasks.... have to do a bit more of it.... after all, I am the senior-most member of the module!! :D
PS: Nadal lost the Wimbledon final to Federer.... again! :( But atleast he went down fighting.... 7-6,4-6,7-6,2-6,6-2 scoreline is testimony to the fact that Nadal is no longer a stranger on grass.... It really was luck in the end that helped Federer sail through.... And I am so proud of Nadal's performance!! Stick to the fight till the very end....
ये आरजू केसे झुके....
मंज़ील मुश्कील तो क्या... धुंधला साहील तो क्या.... तन्हा ये दील तो क्या....
Well this is what I keep saying to myself as I see the long road ahead.... less than a month (28 days, to be precise) to go for the G-day on the 6th August and I am not doing too well....
A miserable 580 (Q41,V29) in Kaplan-3 really shook me up.... Working on the SCs, CRs and RCs for now.... Have to give a better performance in the next CAT to boost my confidence!!
Have been going through the college sites as well as the MBA forums... looks like a score of 740, no less, is expected from Indians!!!! but being a girl gives me a slight advantage just to beat the demographics :D
Back to office tomorrow.... will have to find a way to utilise my time in office for doing some information-gathering.... well, preparing for GMAT is atleast making me good at delegating tasks.... have to do a bit more of it.... after all, I am the senior-most member of the module!! :D
PS: Nadal lost the Wimbledon final to Federer.... again! :( But atleast he went down fighting.... 7-6,4-6,7-6,2-6,6-2 scoreline is testimony to the fact that Nadal is no longer a stranger on grass.... It really was luck in the end that helped Federer sail through.... And I am so proud of Nadal's performance!! Stick to the fight till the very end....
Saturday, July 7, 2007
07/07/07 - Day of Perfection!!
Today, 7th July 2007, is being touted as 'Day of perfection'... Now what could that possibly mean??!! Does it mean that everything done today would be perfect? (my CAT didnt go all that well :( guess doesnt work for everybody!!) Does it mean that everything started today would be perfect? (supposedly all marriage bureaus are working overtime today... if only it was that simple! ;) Waited the whole day today for that one thing which would make my day perfect but alas... oh well, maybe next time 07/07/07 comes around, my day would be more perfect.... wait a sec, wouldnt that be the next century??!!
Sunday, July 1, 2007
well, i did manage to stick to my plan and fit in all the tasks for the day and a lil bit more in between.... :D
Gave my first GMATPrep today and scored a decent 710 (Q49,V37) though was expecting to do better.... actually made quite a few mistakes at the end of the verbal section, probably due to lack of concentration.... this 2-1/2 hour duration is killing!! :(
School research also going on fine... today's targets were Haas and Sloan! Great schools, great faculty, great infrastructure.... one tough decision! :)
'Goodfellas' was the movie of the day.... Robert DeNiro is simply awesome and the cool ganster thing he does in the movie was just prefect!!
Now its back to office for the next week... its gonna be a busy Monday but hopefully the rest of the week should be easy....
Gave my first GMATPrep today and scored a decent 710 (Q49,V37) though was expecting to do better.... actually made quite a few mistakes at the end of the verbal section, probably due to lack of concentration.... this 2-1/2 hour duration is killing!! :(
School research also going on fine... today's targets were Haas and Sloan! Great schools, great faculty, great infrastructure.... one tough decision! :)
'Goodfellas' was the movie of the day.... Robert DeNiro is simply awesome and the cool ganster thing he does in the movie was just prefect!!
Now its back to office for the next week... its gonna be a busy Monday but hopefully the rest of the week should be easy....
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Addendum...
My plan for tomorrow (in the order of priority...) :
1. the first GMATPrep test (must get a good score!)
2. research two schools.... (which ones??? now thats a million-dollar question!)
and once I am done with the above tasks maybe I would reward myself with...
3. watch a movie (I need to unwind, dont I? :)
1. the first GMATPrep test (must get a good score!)
2. research two schools.... (which ones??? now thats a million-dollar question!)
and once I am done with the above tasks maybe I would reward myself with...
3. watch a movie (I need to unwind, dont I? :)
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