Why IPMX (One Year Full-Time Residential MBA) from IIM Lucknow?

What’s the first thing that comes to our mind when we hear the word MBA? Or what’s the first reaction we get when we tell someone about our selection in an IIM? Well, I can share my story and answer these questions! And, not only that, but I can also answer this on behalf of many others who plan to take a leap in their lives and opt for an MBA.

After spending a sound professional life for over six years, I was more than ready and inclined towards getting into an IIM for my one-year full-time MBA. Thanks to Covid (don’t kill me for this), I got an opportunity to prepare. So, let me now confer a little over my motivation to do an MBA. Alike every other MBA aspirant, I too started daydreaming about my star-studded life post getting that degree. Getting out of a black sedan wearing an Armani suit, a Starbucks Americano in one hand, and Apple gadgets in the other, escalating right to the uppermost floor of the corporate tower and walking in my glass cabin overlooking the city’s skyline. Sounds nice? Interesting? Fancy? Well, yes! This was the same I was dreaming about. Okay! Just for information purposes, I am a huge Harvey Specter fan. So along with this beautiful and fancy dream of mine, I had a character in front of me too, to complement my thoughts.

Since life is filled with contradictions, along with all the above thoughts, my naïve and childlike brain cells also had something to contribute. I chose a full-time MBA because that child in me also wanted to have a gala time at the campus. It will surely be a short period, but I will live my life to the fullest. Those late-night Maggi sessions in the hostel, that competitive spirit during a football match, class bunks, finding reasons to avoid mess food, uncalled ‘daaaru parties’ and sharing the myriad of emotions with the bunch. Hayeee! I was so up for all of it.

So, with these two diametrically opposite impulses, I had dived deep into the selection process and fortunately got admitted to The Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow for its one-year full-time MBA program, the IPMX. The selection journey is something we’ll talk about sometime later but what we are here to talk about is why I chose this program?

I have always dreamt of studying in a cohort where I have super smart personalities to interact with. Though I am a fan of studying in the classroom and learning from a bunch of extremely talented faculties, I am a big votary of learning from peers who are the masters of their trades. This was one of my most important selection criteria of the B-school. Gladly, IPMX provided me with that opportunity. To start with, the batch strength. The average batch size of an IPMX cohort is 100 students with a 5% deviation on both sides (talking in stats terms). Along with this, we can’t forget the diversity. Phew! Kudos to the selectors! Ranging from a bunch of established entrepreneurs to finance professionals to mind-blowing techies to big four consultants to bankers to government officials to people who already hold an MBA degree, the list is incessant. You name it and we have it. Luckily, I was able to squeeze in hospitality. (Well, I like to boast about it)

The moment I realized that I will be sharing my class with such individuals, I was so on for it. There was no second thought about it. Tomorrow, when I choose to become an entrepreneur ( which every MBA aspirant does at some point in time), I don’t need to go probing for professionals. My batchmates will be there working in all the domains I’d need to fill in. I don’t shy away from the fact that along with learning everything about management academically, I have a lot to learn practically from such industry experts, and a year later at the same hour, I’ll be a much finer version of myself writing about my transition at the campus.

In addition to the above factor, the other most important criteria for me were the alumni base. I am the 14th batch of IPMX or in the millennial lingo, we represent ourselves as #IIML_IPMX14. Not only from this course, as a part of this 37-year-old legacy (IIML), we have thousands of alums working at leadership positions across the globe from the two- and one-year MBA programs. This will be my real earning which I will cherish all my life. Having that brand on my back, to be called an IIML grad and sharing the alumni platform with thousands of bright minds, my pride has no limit. I do sometimes look in the mirror and pat my back for a job well done!

Last but not the least, I surely want to mention the extracurricular opportunities I will be getting on campus. Being involved in numerous activities all my life, I will be having gigantic chances to hone my skills. Firstly, the sprawling 20-acre lush green campus in Noida, situated conveniently amidst the corporate world of the National Capital Region gives me an edge in terms of location over most of the B-schools. In addition to this, at the IIML Noida campus, from accessing an array of sports facilities to a dedicated entrepreneurship cell to oratory sessions to being a class representative to actively being involved in the placement process to singing my heart out to branding & promotions, etc, etc, I can’t even express what all is coming my way. I so wish that for a year, I get to set my clock to fifty hours a day because even if I use every minute of my day productively, I won’t be able to cover it all. Our super excited and an elated bunch is already carrying out all such activities before even getting on campus.

So, to sum it up, my journey has begun, and I am on the road to upskill myself in every aspect. I am going to cherish and live every ounce of it. For the world, it may be just 1 year of experience but for me, it will be 3,15,36,000 seconds (a cheer to mathematicians) to live my life to the fullest and be in a world full of such dynamics where we all be making lifelong memories. I don’t know if there is any place more vibrant and beautiful than this is; and even if there is, I don’t want to know about it. ‘I HAVE GOT THE BEST!’

I along with all my batchmates, have a responsibility on our shoulders and a legacy to carry forward and we will do everything in our capacity to keep the flag flying high. We are the proud HEL(L)ites (term used for IIML students) and we keep our head high while we all, together embrace this journey.

A shoutout to all the future IPMX admits, “you will have a roller coaster ride, so be ready for the adventure. It’s worth leaping”.

Stay tuned for some killer moments ahead!