Life at all the top B Schools in India for MBA aspirants is pretty much the same. It’s hectic and rigorous but highly knowledgeable. The B Schools offer an insight into the various angles of Management in a period of 2 years through excellently designed pedagogy and curriculum.

Coming to SPJIMR specifically, has a blend of a variety of features that sets it apart from other top B Schools. Some of these include Innovative pedagogy, Profile-based interview calls, ADMAP, DOCC, Abhyudaya, Global Fast Track, and Autumn placement structure. But the one aspect my answer will solely focus on is the amazing culture of SPJIMR which is like no other B School.

• Harmony: When it comes to student connectivity, SPJIMR really does steal the show. While many B Schools have witnessed cases wherein ragging and bringing down rivals is a common occurrence, SPJIMR refuses to adopt this culture. There is tremendous harmony among the students such that if someone was struck during a presentation, the whole class would try their level best to save him from embarrassment. Such small acts speak highly of the student connection which was observed even by many professors who had visited other B Schools too.
• Collaboration: The much-heated events in a B School are Corporate Competitions that are said to bring out the worst side of people. Other B Schools have competitions where competitors are treated as rivals and there is tough competition. Interestingly enough, SPJIMR has a very different outlook on the same. SPJIMR students collaborate with each other while preparing for these competitions. Basically, students help out their batchmates before themselves, and this results in a beautiful bond between them.
• Placement Committee: It is very common for a placement committee to be rude toppers who are always causing constant wars between the students. They become placeCom mainly for upgrading their CV. But SPJIMR Placement Committee is yet again very different in the sense that its sole purpose is to get its students the best placements. They conduct elaborate discussions to formulate training plans for the students to face the tough placements. They are friendly yet stern. 

I know many may criticize me for jotting such minor points in reference to campus life at SPJIMR. But in my opinion, the culture of an Institute is a very important parameter as it determines what kind of relationships you will have with your peers and the kind of friends you will have for a lifetime. You get to have the best alumni network as a cherry on top.

Here are some helpful tips if you are starting your first year at IISc Bangalore:

• Humble yourself- At IISc, you will find peers who will be better than you at one thing or the other. Humble yourself and be open to the plenty of opportunities offered to you.

• Involve in Conversations- Students, especially Masters and Ph.D. students, come from various backgrounds and are of different age groups. If you converse with the people around you and learn to accept differing views, you will hear new ideas and perspectives. 

• Be prepared to deal with uncertainty- You will face uncertainty on many occasions.

Ph.D. students have to be well-prepared to face uncertainty every single day. On numerous accounts, you are left on your own with no guidance at all. Also, no amount of guidance will ever be sufficient.

Even the Bangalore weather is very uncertain. One day it might rain heavily, and the following day might be a sunny one. 

• Enjoy your stay in Bangalore- The city is filled with fun places, and IISc Bangalore is located in the heart of it. There are numerous spots around Bangalore, located within a 500 km range. There is sufficient connectivity.

Hindi and English work fine but try to learn the local language. Many South Indians prefer dialogue in English or their local languages, so Hindi might not work in every scenario. 

• Work hard during your first year - The coursework at IISc is extremely hard and more demanding than even some of the top US universities. Assignments can get tough and the concepts may not be clear in the first instant. Courses with laboratory work are harder.

• Make time for fun- Make a habit of jogging, cycling, or walking on campus. Make good friends and have healthy conversations with them. Learn a new skill, especially something that will be of use to you in the future.

• Do not break ties with Old friends- Call your old friends and arrange meetups. This will help you during times when your studies will become overwhelming.

IISc Bangalore will challenge and groom you in numerous ways. Make the most out of your stay there.

Campus life at NIT Rourkela is one of the best you can experience in India. The infrastructure is amazing and the college spreads across a whopping 1200 acres.

• The hostel rules are very flexible with no restrictions on the timings. Students can even hang out late at night with their friends riding their bicycles and taking in the fresh air. 
• With enjoyment comes a huge load of responsibilities that make you self-dependent. The students have weekends off so Friday nights are highly cherished.
• The club culture here speaks highly of the institute's diversity. There are around 60 clubs each promoting a different theme.
• Garden fests and hall days ensure a vibrant campus life and you will end up creating some of the best memories here. 
• NIT Rourkela organizes some very amazing fests like the Annual tech-fest, INNOVISION, and NITRUTSAV, the cultural fest.

In addition to all the fun activities, you will have to maintain a good CGPA for better placements. 

Here are a few lesser-known facts about BITS Pilani

• It is a very coveted engineering college but the insiders want to escape from the rigid environment here.
• The majority of students pay little or no attention to their branches as they get placed in IT or consulting firms. 
• There is a massive communication gap between the faculty and students. 
• The classroom sessions are boring because of obsolete pedagogy or the communication gap between students and professors. 
• You get used to a highly rigid schedule sometimes with multiple tests and assignment submissions on a single day.
• Super stressful days become normal after a while. Today I had four tests and one assignment submission. It’s a normal day.

Ultimately you will realize that joining BITS is not a cakewalk and requires huge sacrifices and the ability to stand immense pressure.