GIBS Business School PGDM Review By Shivesh Tiwari

There are two GIBS actually where the 1st year the College took it too casually and the second year they came back to old ways where they got back into the act. Initially, I thought the College would have curtains to the inner sanctum pulled tight because of just one industrial visit, only a few workshops and just one annual event. I thought I had come this far only to have a horror time after two years as placements might not be here for real, but luckily, I was wrong. The cracks are there at GIBS, but somehow, they have pulled altogether and ensured that students get complete learning of management studies, and they also get placed by the end. GIBS live and die on the performance of their faculties. Faculties came good at the right time as they were arguably the backbone of GIBS. Some of the other drawbacks are the location, as the College is said to be in Bangalore, but it is in second Bangalore which hardly has anything.

Initially, the academics were very inconsistent and the management gave us nothing up front. It was only after the second semester was about to end that academics became more consistent and as a student, we started getting a feel of being management students. So, academics which suffered, in the beginning, took the right path and after the initial struggle, we had to pull our socks up because management studies are one of the lengthiest studies considering the time frame in which we had to complete the course. So, the late explosion saved us as the faculty and co became a little hard on us, but obviously, they had no choice.

Faculties were prized possession of the College, as they left no stone unturned in making sure that students get the right amount of education. Management studies are never over because books can't teach you the skills and therefore an internship, workshops, seminars, and all are equally important. Faculties threw a lot of light on that and students were urged to do all of it. Honestly, speaking, if I hadn't done that, I would have felt ashamed of calling myself a management student. So, faculties have saved the College because the College is a little far from other B-Schools' way of getting things done.

If you don't study hard and don't get a good CGPA, then placement might not look so effective. Also, remember 2020 during our final semester, we were hard hit by Covid, but 70% of the students were placed well before that. So, after all that we have done for two years, the whole series of things looked great because most students were placed in companies like Axis Bank, ICICI Bank, ITC, HUL, and Asian Paints were among the top companies that came for placements at GIBS. The average placements were around a CTC of 6 Lakhs. Well, placements-wise, the College has done well and one can't ignore this fact.

The hostel facilities are good, but since the boy's hostel is off-campus, I stayed close to the campus renting an apartment with my friends. The hostel is not a bad option though, as the College has arranged transport facilities for all the students who wish to stay at the hostels. For girls, though, it's a boon as the girl's hostel is inside the campus and the rooms are great too. The food department is handled by private caterers and students are free to have their say on the menu. Most students were from the North and their choice of food was made often. So, one can stay independently as there are few residential blocks around the campus while a hostel is also not a bad option either.

If the saying is true that big things come in small packages, then the infrastructure of GIBS is admirable. In the name of the campus, there is a tall building that has a library, a canteen, and a basketball court right next to it. Then there's a girl's hostel inside the campus and a small little parking space. There is a small gym on the campus and students have become fitness freaks as some students used to do gym before the classes commenced while some used to do it after the College hours. It was a modern building that was fully air-conditioned, well connected with Wi-Fi, and had a nice student lounge.

The impact of GIBS College on me was great because studying among the mix of students who have come from several places was a great experience. From East to West, North to South, students were from all over the place. To make the atmosphere competitive, a management fest called 'Enchainer' was organized both years. Just before the lockdown was about to prevail, the students were asked to move to their respective places and this move of the College needs huge appreciation.