Albert Einstein handed his physics class pupils an exam test one day. “Sir, aren’t these the same questions you gave to this same class in last year’s final exam?” one of his teaching assistants inquired after the exam.

In recent years, the education system has seen significant changes. We no longer live in the same world, and in this reality, answers to old questions have changed, and a slew of new ones have appeared. While facing the virus and the ensuing lock down, our intrinsic eagerness to combat, survive, grow, and compete allowed us to thrive and evolve as “learners” and “teachables.”

For the eLearning industry and the whole education sector throughout the world, the previous three months have been extremely disruptive. Thousands of kids were unable to attend school by February, and practically all institutes were closed by March. Nearly 300 million children’ educations have been directly impacted worldwide. Hundreds of traditional educational institutions and schools are permanently closing their doors. In these trying times, eLearning, which was once seen to be a non-traditional kind of learning, stepped in as a hero and saved the day. Students have easy access to high-speed internet and multimedia devices such as tablets, computers, and cell phones, which made online learning a breeze.

Consumer behavior and corporate practices have shifted dramatically. We’re learning stuff we’ve never known before. Not only have consumers become hyperactive in adapting, consuming, and investing in online information, but technological companies such as Google, Microsoft, and Zoom have magnified demand and supply by bridging the gap. The significant rebirth of the online education market, especially in India, is marked by increased choice, enhanced product and service quality, expanded reach, and affordability.

I was unconcerned about the prospect of ‘online learning.’ Watching lectures and participating in seminars via Zoom does, however, need a little more work than aimlessly scrolling around social media or playing Temple Run!

However, I can honestly state that learning online during the coronavirus outbreak was a wonderful experience for me.

The first thing I attempted was to approach each lesson as though I were physically attending it. Fortunately, I didn’t have many early mornings to begin with, but it did help me stay motivated when I watched a morning video lecture at the time I would typically be attending.

Furthermore, I believe that keeping to the regular lecture schedule enabled me to bring structure to my working day… and my life in general! During semester two, for example, Tuesday was always my ‘busy day.’ Surprisingly, it was also the day I most looked forward to! So, rather of avoiding the task, I dove right in. This gave me a strong sense of purpose, especially at the end of each day when I had completed everything on my daily to-do list. It may seem counter intuitive to be productive when you can sleep in until noon.

On the other hand, I believe the opposite is possible… Finding motivation and structure can be difficult at the best of times, but it’s even more difficult during lockdown when you’re gazing at the same four walls all day. My educational plan and agenda served as a wonderful template for achieving the structure I want – all I had to do was continue doing what I had been doing for the preceding few months, practically on autopilot!

SIDHARTH SANKAR MISHRA

After completing my graduation in the year 2021, I was interested to take admission in management colleges and during graduation I was good at management skills. So, I started to prepare for CAT, NMAT and other entrance exam and as well as private colleges entrance test. Then I came to know about IBS college entrance exam known as IBSAT, I registered and started preparing with full dedication. The exam was conducted remotely and duration of the exam was 3 hours. After some days I received a mail from IBS that I have cleared the test and have been selected for further selection process that is Interview and Micro-presentation. I started to prepare for my interview and for my presentation.

On 22nd February my Interview and show were planned, first and foremost they informed us about IBS establishment and afterward we needed to trust that our turn will introduce and to give the meeting. My turn came and I gave my meeting just as show and every one of the exercises were led without a hitch.

I was eagerly waiting for the results, some days after the selection process I got the results over the email and it stated that I was selected and I was very excited to start my journey with IBS and I was allotted the Pune campus. I was asked to upload the required documents on the portal.

After a few days and I received a mail about college opening and I was very happy to explore the studies along with new endeavors ahead. But due to second wave of Covid-19 the sessions were conducted online and the faculty is very supportive. All events and also annual functions were conducted virtually, but was an amazing experience. I had a chance to be in of the clubs of the college where I had a chance to sharpen my some of the skills such as team player leadership and other skills.

Till day the lectures are conducted virtually, and also the main event of the college which was Zeal 21 was also conducted online and I was given the chance to be in the organizing committee. I had till now a good experience in my management college.

Following a couple of days and I received a mail about school opening and I was exceptionally glad to investigate the examinations alongside new undertakings ahead. However, because of second wave of Covid-19 the Classes were led on the web and the personnel is extremely steady. All occasions and furthermore yearly capacities were led basically, yet was an astonishing encounter. I got an opportunity to be in of the clubs of the school where I got an opportunity to sharpen my abilities like team player, leadership and different abilities.

Till day the lectures are conducted virtually, and also the main event of the college which was Zeal 21 was also conducted online and I was given the chance to be in the organizing committee. I had till now a good experience in my management college.

At the point when my subsequent semester began I was additionally approached to enroll for my entry level position program the school assist me with building my CV and furthermore many organization visited here where we got an opportunity to show up for the meeting. I got chosen in SJ Advisor which is situated in Amanora. My subsequent semester is likewise being led on the web and my classes are going quite well.

Nonetheless, I can sincerely express that learning web based during the Covid flare-up was a brilliant encounter for me.

ANIKET JHA

With the transition to online study, I believe my productivity has increased. I don’t have to waste time travelling or stuck in traffic to get to campus. I could use that time reading an article, spending time with my family or doing my favorite activities. The experience has been beneficial to me. It may help me in the future because I now see university or career as an attitude rather than a location.

While the first change to the online caused a flutter of confusion, there are certain advantages to using a virtual classroom. Students may continue engaging in discussion sections and lectures without traveling for an hour, eliminating the anxiety of utilizing public transportation or being in other incubators such as classrooms, public restrooms, and cafeterias. Students can “sit-in” on a lesson despite suffering from a typical cold or seasonal allergy. Not having to pay for Lifts to campus, avoiding side-eyes for my runny nose, or using the last of my hand sanitizer after clutching metropoles has been a huge relief. In other cases, online instruction may have little effect on student behavior or learning. Management students learn and perform as well in live vs recorded lectures, which is heartening at a time like now. The tests were conducted online, however due to the poor quality of the internet connection and the hardware utilized by the students, we had some challenges. It is excellent that college has developed an official “video on” option that required all participants to turn on the video and microphone when needed. It brings the conversation to life and makes it more human. I can’t claim I’m missing something or that the quality has deteriorated. I can only say that I miss attending to campus physically; I like being there, especially now that we are in second semester– but this is not something that the institution can control. I miss interacting with people and forming long-lasting connections, both of which were crucial for me throughout my university years. These relationships will be extremely useful in the future for company, and they must be develop. The fact that we have to stay at home has an impact on all of us, not just myself. I believe it is beneficial for us to get together with friends, laugh, and share our lives with them. We have no choice but to sit inside and listen to every regulation that has been set since it is done for our protection. Of course, it wasn’t anything we anticipated; it just occurred, and we must accept it.

To make my day efficient, I write a list of everything’s I need to do that day. I made a list of the most crucial items. I sometimes attempt to complete the easiest jobs first so that I can forget about them after I’m through. To be effective with distant education, a person must prepare everything they do. Recognize when it’s time to take a break. It’s difficult to push oneself to take a break at home. That’s why, at first, most of my coworkers, including myself, were exhausted.

ANKITA BHOSLE

Here is my journey of admission at IBS Pune.

After completing my graduation in the year 2020, I was interested to take admission in management colleges and during graduation I was good at management skills. So I started to prepare for Maharashtra CET exam and as well as private colleges entrance test.

Then I came to know about IBS college entrance exam known as IBSAT, I registered and started preparing with full dedication. The exam was conducted remotely and duration of the exam was 3 hours. After some days I received a mail from IBS that I have cleared the test and have been selected for further selection process that is Interview and Micro-presentation. Also, I had 10-12 to prepare for Interview.

The days comes when Interview and presentation were scheduled, firstly they briefed us about IBS institute and then we had to wait for our turn to present and to give the interview. My turn came and I gave my interview as well as presentation and all the activities were conducted smoothly.

I was eagerly waiting for the results, some days after the selection process I got the results over the email and it stated that I was selected and I was very happy that day, then we were asked to select campus preferences and upload the required documents on the portal.

Some days passed and I received a mail about college opening and I was very happy to explore the studies along with new endeavors ahead. But due to second wave of Covid-19 the sessions were conducted remotely and the faculty is very supportive. All events and also annual functions were conducted virtually, but was an amazing experience.

Till day the lectures are conducted virtually, and all the activities are conducted very well.

Pratik Suryavanshi
21BSP2658

With the pandemic bringing the most uncertain of times and situations this past year and even still, everybody knows that the education industry has suffered the most catastrophic of trends of unpredictability.

The Education industry had to go through a lot of turmoil but even during all this some institutions held the baton and continued to provide the education that the country needed at an hour like this and still give all the students what they needed.

One such institution will always be ICFAI Business School Pune. The college not only provided seamless education programs for all the students throughout the country but also made the process of getting selected for their programs extremely student friendly.

During February 2021 the college held a nation wide selection process for all its branches and provided all the candidates a really easy to access and the smoothest process an institution could provide. They first held the all nation wide entrance exam called IBSAT then the selected students with good scores got to attend the interview process that too on an online video conferencing platform.

The institution really provided a comfortable experience for the whole slew of students and proved that when great minds come together anything and everything can be made possible even in the toughest of times, especially then.

Even now, attending sessions through the college’s Digital Board called Quicforce has been really an experience of its own. Never before had I witnessed such wonderful education being provided that too at the Post – Graduate level with such ease and pliability.

Pranav Agarwal
IBS Online Selection Process Blog
Batch of 2021-23

A dream does not become reality through magic. It takes sweat, determination, and hard work. When the whole world was going through a pandemic, we students were fighting an altogether different battle of our careers, which was filled with uncertainties and we all were hoping for a COVID-free 2021.

Holding onto that hope, I was filling the admission forms for MBA colleges. Owing to the pandemic, most of the colleges were opting for the home-based selection test instead of the selection process in the campus.

IBSAT was the common entrance test for all the 9 colleges of IBS (ICFAI Business School) which was scheduled on two dates in December 2020. Since it was an online proctored exam, we had three different time slots available to give the exam. Three sample question papers were also available on the website to practice this new normal of giving entrance exams.

IBSAT is a two-hour test and is aimed at testing the applicant’s ability in Quantitative Techniques, Data Interpretation, Data Adequacy, Vocabulary, Analytical Reasoning, and Reading Comprehension. In 15 Days, the IBSAT result was declared and candidates were shortlisted for the next rounds of the selection process.

Once the result was declared, all the shortlisted candidates were enrolled for Online Selection briefings and were told about the selection process, fee payments, IBS campuses, education loans and other information related to admission followed by a Q&A session at the end of the briefing. Students were asked to attend the selection briefings online with their parents.

A duration of 30 days was available to prepare for the selection process and during this period of preparation, online doubt clearing lectures were conducted by different campuses. Students were given tips on how to prepare for the micro presentation and interview rounds.

The first round of the selection process was an online 10-minute micro presentation round, in which the students were asked to present a topic of their choice and explain it verbally without using any audio-visual aid such as PowerPoint presentations, etc. The second and final round of the section process was the interview round. It was an online interview comprising of a two-member panel. The interviewers asked a mix of questions from personal hobbies, aspirations in life, basic business knowledge and academic interests. Within the next 15 days, the result of the selection process was declared. The whole admission process was online, seamless, and user-friendly.

As the world continued to be in the grip of the second wave of COVID-19, classes started in the virtual mode. Before commencing the first semester classes, orientation classes spread across two weeks were conducted. The objective of these classes was to familiarize the students from different backgrounds with the basic knowledge of business, Excel for business, soft skills, learning from the case study method and accounting. IBS is known for its case-based learning methodology. Therefore, in the orientation classes students were introduced to case studies. Another enabling tool for both the learners and teachers is the learning management system. Quicforce is the online learning management system used by all the IBS campuses in facilitating the online learning of students. We had several sessions to familiarize with the system and also activities which were on Quicforce. This was very useful as submission of assignments, quizzes, polls, discussions, downloading resources and taking exams were through Quicforce.

offline classes, all IBS campuses started classes in hybrid mode. This meant some students could attend offline classes in the campus and the remaining students attended the classes online.

Now, we are looking at a possible third wave of COVID-19 and the virtual mode has become the new normal. The seamless and student-friendly admission process of IBS will come in handy for all MBA aspirants. And hopefully, return to the campus and enjoy the best of facilities, peer-to-peer networks, experience immersive learning through classes and curricular and extracurricular activities.

Astha Singh
Section: E
Enrolment ID: 21BSP0627
Batch of 2021-2023

Back in the December of 2019, when the news of the novel coronavirus had started doing the rounds, little did we know that it would bring along with it, a series of long drawn and perhaps, never ending implications. While schools shut their doors to the happy bustle of their pupils and offices asked their employees to relocate to their homes even for the purpose of work, the world had seemingly come to a stand-still. However, that wasn’t the case for people like you (the incoming batch of oh-so-amazing learners) and me.

In the same context, might I ask as to what exactly comes to your mind, when you hear the word, “Interview”? If I am not very wrong, you might just picture a well-dressed, perhaps bespectacled interviewer questioning and cross-questioning an interviewee in a face-to-face setting. Needless to say, such wasn’t the case when I had appeared for the selection process at ICFAI Business School, Bangalore, around 10 months ago. Like any other interaction that used to be held in a physical format previously, selection procedures of B-schools across the country and the world had shifted base entirely to the online mode.

To be honest, it was altogether, a very different experience. In what sense you ask? Well then, allow me to elaborate.

Candidates were asked to prepare a 10-minute micro-presentation for the esteemed interviewers to judge their communication abilities/skills. This was followed by a quick interactive session to understand the candidate’s overall knack of pursuing a highly competitive course like an MBA/PGPM and whether or not he/she had it in him/her to pursue the same till the very end. In this context, I must add that the institution left no stone unturned to conduct a seamless selection process in terms of operational excellence. Every candidate was given a Zoom link and was invited to speak accordingly. Coupled with that, amiable and patient interviewers made the process easier, especially for a candidate who might be jittery on the D-day.

Fast forward to December 2021, the day I am penning this piece for all of you to read: It would be quite an understatement to say that it was an exhilarating experience so far, at IBS-B. Contrary to popular belief, I consider myself lucky that in my 20+ years of education (and work), I have had the chance to be in a physical setting as well as in an online system.

While studying online here at IBS, the administration of every class starting from the drawing up of the section wise class schedule to making session recordings available on our intra-learning management system, the eye for detail of the Academic team is impeccable. Despite falling short on the aspect of attending physical classes and the traditional methodology of gaining knowledge, every professor here at IBS-B made sure that we learnt and learnt well. Even when the institution decided to adopt a hybrid system of learning, catering to the offline as well as online needs, the strategy and the near perfection with which this approach was adopted, surprised many. Classrooms are well equipped with giant-smartboards and microphones so that the students who decide to attend their classes offline as well as those who cannot, can all learn in equal measures.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that hard times befall us more often than not. Whether or not we leverage what we have and make full use of the available resources or simply decide to give up and pine, it is completely our call to take! After all, as the famous footballer, Pele had once rightfully stated, “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrificing and most of all, love of what you’re doing or learning to do!”

Sneha Das
Section: B
Enrolment ID: 21BSP3447
Batch of 2021-2023