Come this time of the year, around half a million people across the length and breadth of the country dream of occupying a coveted seat at one of the Top 30 B-Schools in India. But once that rollercoaster comes to a thrilling close, begins yet another ride. A ride of real life experiences, a ride which makes everyone richer - financially, intellectually or socially. It's the ride of a lifetime inside a B-school.

Well, I managed to make it to one of these top rated schools - SCMHRD Pune. How do you know whether you're in a top B-school? Well, here are some of the pointers if you have made it past the revered gates of any B-School, especially SCMHRD -

1. You get an email at 11:02 p.m. asking you to be present in the assembly hall at 11:00 p.m. for a batch-meet with the director.

2. Your marketing professor sends you a cheeky email informing about a surprise test barely hours before it is scheduled to start.

3. The exams department cleverly schedules tests on every third day and particularly on public holidays to make sure you have no social life.

4. You work through the night, grab a quick breakfast before wishing everyone a goodnight and dozing off in class!

5. You have college committee interviews going on till 5 am in the morning which have even tougher selection criteria than the college itself!

6. You find yourself in 2187 different Whatsapp groups. Some made for group assignments in different subjects, some study groups for summer placements, for clubs and committees.

7. You find yourself calculating all permutations and Combinations of the possible 18 subjects for the surprise FCQs (Frequently Conducted Quizzes) held every week.

8. All the professors bombard you with assignments simultaneously which smells like a surreptious conspiracy against your love life.

9. The Director addresses the entire batch as a bunch of 'thousand Viru Sahastrabuddhe' and yet you begin to respect the man!

10. You wonder whether you're having a late dinner or an early breakfast as you gorge on Maggi from the local tapri-wallah outside the college gate.

11. No-one makes it to the lecture at 7 due to myriad reasons but the house is full at the college auditorium for a movie screening!

Yes, life in a B-school is competitive yet unbelievably fun. An excruciating pain in the bum yet the two years pass like a cool breeze, it makes you sweat yet you come out richer for it. Well, here's hoping all you aspirants get to ride this once-in-a-lifetime rollercoaster but remember it will be at your own peril!

Image Credits - educationworld.in