Crack the GD @ Great Lakes Institute of Management

While I can give you a run down of all the topics for a group discussion, in all probability, none of them might be asked.

So this is what I am going to do. Following are the tips that I think you need to crack the group discussion @ Great Lakes Institute of Management.

First, take a note pad. It is very likely that you will try and remember all the points from everyone in the room but guess what! you're wrong about your memory. You have been given a set time slot so that you "break under pressure". Having a notepad helps. Write down all the points and always refer to the person who mentioned the point in the first place. I know you are a nice guy. This allows the coordinator know as well.

Second, listen to the topic VERY carefully. If you need any clarifications about the topic, ask for it at the very beginning. Think about it. How would it be if I ask you your name after speaking to you for 20 minutes. Exactly!

Its not even funny to know how many times someone clarifies the topic in the middle of the GD. Yes, the topics can be unclear at times and may lead you away from what is asked. Do not fall for it.

Third, answer what is asked. Nobody wants to know about your fairy tale life. Get to what needs to be answered ASAP. "Uhhh!! I think..." is a BIG NO for a start to your opinion.

Start by writing (on your notepad) what the topic is asking you in your own words.Once you've done that, you are going to sail smoothly from then on. Coordinators always give brownie points to the person who has the ability to simplify the problem.

Fourth, recall why you are there in the first place. You want an PGPM/ PGDM. Look at the problem from a macro level. Don't cling on to trivial points.

Also, adapt if you are proven wrong. Learn to look at it from a different perspective. It always helps. If you have made an absurd judgement, correct it. It shows integrity. Do not love your opinions, you'll be shooting yourself in the foot.

L-R - Rithvik, Yogesh and Ranjith

Fifth, you do not have to dive-in to start. For some of them, it comes naturally, let them do it. There is a fine line between being pro-active and looking like an "enthu-cutlet" (Bangalore lingo for a hyper active person a.k.a idiot).

Unless absolutely necessary, I would not dive in because I tried it once and I realised that all the people who give you gyan that it is awesome to start, they do not know you like you know yourself. If that isn't your forte, you dont want to test it on a day you'd be judged for it. FACT!

Sixth, do not Bullshit. Speak facts and figures only if you know it. Yes, you need to know current affairs that you may have to relate for two reasons. One, you are eager to know whats happening around. And two, you are disciplined (There is thesis to prove this point but truthfully, I know you don't care. haha)

Seventh, do not interrupt someone when they're making their point. It is easily one of the worst things you can do in a GD. Although having said that to a billion people, nobody seems to bother. So I'd suggest you intervene and say "Please, lets hear his/her point out... blah blah.." IT WORKS LIKE A CHARM.

Eight, always summarize. PERIOD.

Hope this helps. All the best!

Cheers!
-Yogesh Babu
(www.fb.com/yogesh87)

I cannot compromise on my sleep @ Great Lakes Institute of Management, Gurgaon

It's a funny thing really. I never expected days like these. We have to do 6 billion hours of work in a day. I don't know if I feel good about the pressure or not. One thing for sure. There is a lot getting done and I aint complaining about that. \m/

There is one other thing though. You need to sacrifice the sacred thing called sleeping. A LOT OF IT. I however, am a firm believer that sleep is very important for every human. So what to I do. Sleep. Sleep a good seven hours a day. "It's really bad for your health, you know". :P

Yes, I do understand that one needs to stay awake for alteast twenty nine and a half hours a day to ace in Bschool but we are management students. Coming up with a better solution is what we want to be good at. Can a project be more "live" and "involved" as this? Ofcourse not.

You obviously have something you want to do apart from studying. Go to the mall, watch a movie, play poker, drink "fruit juice".. Something.. But you do. And that is obviously more important (I know. I agree with you).

Hey, I did not come up with all this. It was Uncle Bala (Founder of Great Lakes Institute of Management) who said it when he was teaching is Management Accounting. He said, make sure you chill out the day before the exam. So here I am, chilling. Watching "Battleship" followed by "Death Race 3" and then planning to sleep like a Sloth with the air conditioner set at 16 degrees while I'm rolled up with my super awesome quilt that was bought when I was probably in high school.

Like I said, "I cannot compromise on my sleep. Even if I'm @ The Great Lakes Institute of Management"

You heard me.

-Yogesh Babu

(www.fb.com/yogesh87)

The Trip - by Great Lakes Institute of Management, Gurgaon.

When I was in Bangalore, long before I stepped foot into GLIM, we received an email saying that we're going for a trip to Rishikesh. Considering that its land that I've never been on, I decided to go. Moreover, only the stupid would say no to river rafting and rappelling?

Come 24th May, 2013 (Happy Anniversary Mom & Dad), we were scheduled to leave Gurgaon. We did, in most congested thing that was claimed to be a bus. My Dad was in the travel business, I don't know what that is called but it sure wasn't a bus. A little box which was the only negative of the full trip. Undoubtedly, the guys sitting in front of me weren't comfortable as well.

After a tough night (negative connotations unintended), we reached Camp Alpinestar where we had a tiny trek just to enter the place. Just when we were wondering about the place, we saw the Ganges (Popularly known as Gangaji or Ganga)flow right in front of us with our tents by the riverside. Yes, it was awesome.

We were split into two groups with three teams each. Group one (with me) went for rappelling and Group two went for rafting.

Wow! where do I start about the trek? I'm contemplating on whether to start with how unfit we all were or how super fit the guides were. With temperatures burning your face off, we started climbing from some random point on the way up. a few minuted into it we were like "Dude, this is not a trek. This is easy." Clearly, we spoke too soon. It was like in the video games. It got tougher and tougher and TOUGHER on the way up. Long breaths, frequent breaks, gazillion liters of water later, we reached or destination. Instantly, we jumped into the icy water. "The climb was worth it", we said while the guides were setting up the stuff for rappelling. It took us close to two hours to finish the rappelling. The most difficult part of rappelling was the start. After that, it was a (not so gentle) breeze. I enjoyed every bit of it. Then we headed back to the camp to grab some lunch and prep up to river rafting.

On the way to Rappeling. Rishikesh (25th May, 2013)

Stepping out right after lunch. A difficult choice to be made but that was our only choice. We were off for rafting. As we were closer to the evening, the currents were pretty fast (that would make us go faster \m/). After the safety speech by our very own "fake Brit accent Rishikesh guide", we had the time of our lives. Strong rapids, continuous rowing and a dip in the Ganges. It's something one has to do before they get old and start having joint issues. FACT!

Just before Rafting. Rishikesh (25th May, 2013)

"Bunta", a popular drink in the region was available everywhere. Its basically masala lime soda in Bangalore but had a slight twist to it. A must have if you go to Rishikesh.

Rohit, Yogesh, Abhinav and Bunta stand. Rishikesh (25th May, 2013)

A night that ended with a lot of laughter with our very own guitarist Tiwari who had some fantastic chords to play is a born entertainer. We called it a night where we did not have to switch off lights or switch on the cooling as there was no electricity. You read it right, no electricity. We survived on the full moon and few torches in the darkness.

6 AM, a refreshing meditation session by the Ganga was much needed. If you did'nt get up by then, you surely missed out a great deal. Prof Palhan explained to us the benefits of meditation and I said to myself "Eight minutes a day can give you this much?! Let me do it everyday". We moved on to a few really fun team building exercises. Although "The Phoenix" did not win anything, we sure had spirit."PHOENIX KA TEMPO HIGH HAI!! PHOENIX KA TEMPO HIGH HAI!!"

We left to Gurgaon at 12:30 pm to hit the God of all traffic jams. It took us over twelve hours to travel 300 kms. Go figure!

Reached my room at 1am. YOGESH BABU. OUT!

-Yogesh Babu
(www.fb.com/yogesh87)