SOIL Institute of Management Review By Santosh Barman

'SOIL' is not an Institute where you can relax on your bean bag and chew your fingers and ask anyone to do it for us. We had to finish so much, of course, in such a short time that at SOIL, I had to isolate myself for a year because I knew one year of hard work and life would be sorted post that. Firstly, coming from an engineering background and understanding the economics and dynamics of business studies was so tough. I saw many engineering students struggle and management cut down our Sundays, too, because the whole day, we were taught the things which we haven't studied in the past. So, if you are a commerce counterpart SOIL is an absolute gem, but for engineers the workload automatically becomes double. I have loved the way SOIL has done wonders, but all this comes at the cost of complete isolation. So, if you are ready to isolate yourself for a year, then SOIL will give you a magical experience.

Just go back to the history of B-School and check their modules of studies. Industrial visits every quarter workshops weekly, and on-site events monthly. SOIL is here to change that history, as this is a modern Institute where companies come and do their workshops every odd day. To make students industry ready from the campus itself is the motto of SOIL and SOIL has been working exceptionally hard on it. However, those hard chewing gums are for students to bite because the faculties will do their bit and you will have your weekly schedule in front of you. So, all those who can't follow the schedule are going to have a tough time, because I had a real tough time getting through the Yo-Yo tests of SOIL. However, one thing for sure is that I have enjoyed doing every damn thing at SOIL.

The faculties here do things, and when they do things, they do it big. When they have a good day, it means it's a really bad day for students. The next professor will be at the door for hours, because one single professor needs an entire day. Well, the professors here have figured it out, but again, I have already spoken about them a bit and they are quite harsh. I hope they were a little easier on us as we weren't IITIANs who had taken those distant footsteps academically in our lives.

Well, now this is the exciting part of SOIL as industries prepare us only to have us in their companies. Hero Moto Corp and Maruti were the ones of whom I attended the most workshops. Their working patterns and the roles that we will be doing in the future, which we have already done hypothetically many times at the campus. So, the companies were well aware of our capabilities and hired us accordingly. Maximum students were hired from the campus and placement packages offered were also juicy. So, one has to pay very high fees, and has to work double hard, but once you have placements, you will be like, 'No pain, No gain'. At least I had the same feeling and my decision to come all the way from Kolkata to Gurgaon was paid off.

The Gurgaon campus doesn't have any hostels, but many private hostels are nearby and PGs and all are easily available in close proximity to the College. So, hostels or no hostels, one can easily find some great accommodations close to the College. Also, staying independently is more fun because College took the most juice out of us by the end of the day.

Tiny would be an understatement because after studying at TNU and visiting so many Colleges including B-Schools, in my academic career, I think SOIL is without a doubt one of the smallest Colleges that I have seen. Well, this is one aspect, and the other aspect is the architect of the College, as any modern office in India will die, wondering how can such a College be built. Everything is automated here, from lifts, to classrooms, and obviously the library. A lot of money has been spent on technology, and probably that might be the reason they couldn't have afforded a land which was big enough to boast.

Campus life is heavily dependent on classes and seminars. We had no choice but to attend all of it. Performance pressure was at its peak at SOIL because no matter what, performance was the only way to survive here. Luckily, a few events happened and we were like, is this the return of College life because at SOIL, I never felt like I was at College. I always felt like I am a labor and going to toil hard for the day and that too without getting paid.