“The FORE application form (for the 2010-2012 batch) still lies in my cupboard. I will preserve the same so that it keeps reminding me the struggle I had to go through to finally get there. For future aspirations, inspirations and achievements, there couldn’t be a better testimony.” – Aurgho Ghosh
As a week is what remains for my MBA journey at FORE to begin, my thoughts travel two years back to when it all started. Being a Computer Engineer, the next logical step for me would have been to work in the IT sector. After gathering some relevant work-experience, foraying into the world of business management seemed like the next step. For me however, my dad’s business beckoned me a tad more urgently than a career in IT at the time I graduated from college, back in 2008. I do not regret having had to manage my father’s school, even though it meant restricted freedom and more moral responsibility than is expected from a 22 years old fresh graduate. This restricted freedom did put brakes on my desires to leverage my youthful energy enjoying city life, earning big bucks, frequenting discos, pubs, partying throughout weekend nights and doing every freaking frivolous thing on earth. Three years of being guardian to young kids may have streaked a few of my hairs grey, but it has also taught me values that no IT job could have taught me.
Doing my MBA, as I mentioned earlier was the next logical step. It is one thing to run an institution with an established foundation and quite a different thing to make a career of your own. I wanted to carve a niche for myself rather than having people say throughout my life that I was merely carrying forward a legacy. Also, my family was keen as well on me doing my MBA from a good institute. My preparation to appear in the CAT 2009 examination got started sometime around in July 2009. However, Being located in a smaller town had its own share of shortcomings for me. There wasn’t a single good coaching institute within a radius of 500 Km. I had to borrow study material from a cousin of mine who had completed his MBA and then, I had to study and solve those test papers at my own. There was guidance, but I wasn’t sure how accurate that was; there was motivation from all people all around me, but my self-motivation kept skydiving at most instances. Nevertheless, I toiled away in the hope that destiny would prevail and I would get my due.
In my view, appearing for the CAT examination isn’t the only turmoil that aspirants have to go through. Filling up the application forms is also a concern that causes you mental and financial stress. I remember to this day that apart from a couple of colleges whose form filling deadlines lapsed before CAT, FORE too had its deadline before CAT. I remember buying the form and going to the bank to prepare the draft. However on second thought, I held back and looked up the Internet to verify the last date. To my surprise, my hunch was right. The deadline had been extended just beyond CAT, which gave people like me the chance to take the exam and then, fill or not fill the form based on their self-evaluation of the exam.
What followed was anguish – utter anguish! I never felt more depressed, more disappointed before. After all the toil, the perseverance, CAT 2009 turned into a disaster for me. And, I had only myself to blame. I realized one thing very quickly then, that my MBA plan had to wait for another year. I wasn’t destined to be in the batch of 2010. FORE’s application form thus lay unattended to in my cupboard.
I decided to move on with what came next leaving behind the past. As a result, a bit of assessment and retrospection appeared to be the need of the hour. I sought proper guidance from experts and decided to take an online test series from a leading coaching institute. Regular online mock CAT tests started to augment my preparation and channeled it in the right direction. After an even tiring second year’s preparation, CAT 2010 came and hurried away in a flash. Although it wasn’t mind-blowing, it passed muster. I was content with my performance but still skeptical of the result. However, the exam exuded enough confidence in me to warrant filling the FORE application form. Even then, there was this silent belief that I had done perhaps just enough to deserve a call.
Fortunately, I wasn’t disappointed this time. A score of 89.22 percentile may not be the best I could have got, but it still was adequate in getting me calls from a few reputed colleges, including FORE. I somehow valued and treasured the FORE FMG interview call more than the other calls I had. As my GD/PI date neared I grew increasingly nervous and fidgety all over again. On the day of GD/PI, I was however remarkably calm and composed. My GD wasn’t the best, by my own standards, but the interview pleased me immensely. I wouldn’t say that it was a perfect interview. I had neither answered all questions correctly nor had I rocked the interview panel off their feet. But what I had done, which I had silently felt then was— I had conveyed to them that there was a budding manager in me which needed the guidance and platform that FORE had on offer.
My gut feeling wasn’t unfounded. That is why despite my poor academics, less than average extra curricular and an almost odd work experience, I was ranked 20 in the 1st waitlist (which was almost as good as a confirmation right then). My interview at FORE was apparently my first success I could register at any of the best b-schools in the country. Despite receiving calls from few other good colleges as well, I was quite convinced about my decision to join FORE.
In the entire process, there have been a few people and sites that I am extremely grateful to. One of such sites was Pagalguy, about which I didn’t know much before. However, from the time I started surfing it on a regular basis, it has only enriched my knowledge in the relevant area. The senior students at FORE, also responded to each of our enquiries with the due poise and calm. Particularly, Mr. Ajai Govind G always has been firm and informative with his replies and he didn’t disappear for even a day.
The support from our seniors at FORE taught us our first management lesson, i.e. to help young minds with patience, diplomacy and professionalism is our going to be imperative for us to survive in the business world tomorrow. Thanks to our seniors who made us learn this important lesson which you don’t learn otherwise in usual circumstances.
At last, I would like to thank the three panelists who conducted our GD/PI. Although this might sound like an undue admiration for the interview panel, they did offer me a chance to prove my worth and feel sufficiently valued. I greatly value being considered worthy a student at FORE. I have made a mental note to make sure that I am going to justify their assessment of my skills. I will do my best to ensure that I uphold the faith that you have reposed on me, throughout my journey at FORE and beyond it as well. In my way, that is all I can do to say a big thanks to this college.
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