After a two day gap and feeling kozy kozy, I was ready for the Kozhikode Kill.
My interview was on 18th Feb at Hotel Vikram, New Delhi. It was scheduled at 1330 hours, and this time breaking all previous records I reached the venue well … I reached the venue three hours in advance.
To my disgust, there was no proper seating arrangement provided for the students and the ones accompanying them. Most of the people were either standing or were glued firmly to their seats so that others don’t snatch them. Unlike Shillong, there were no refreshments, no tea, no water. It was all so agonizing!
Killing three hours this time sounded an uphill task. Chit-chatting seemed impossible because the only students present were of the morning batch and were busy with their interviews. Consequently I thought a wise option would be to read newspapers. I read 4 newspapers, each thrice. Subsequently, a little talk with an Aunty sitting close by followed which did put to death those idle hours.
As soon as the clock struck 1300 hours I went inside a big hall where document verification was being done. The WAT (Written Ability Test) started at 1345 hours. We were handed a 5 page sheet to write an essay.
WAT topic: "There are not seven wonders in the eyes of a child. There are seven million."
We were allotted 45 minutes to write. An easy topic to write on, as I’ve always loved these kind of abstract topics. Wrote decent enough in roughly three pages. After exact 45 minutes we were divided into 4 panels and were told our numbers. I came in panel 2 and my number was bloody 09!
The panel 2 was interviewing the candidates on second floor. I went there at 1630 hours. At that time, number 06 was being interviewed. Everything was audible from the outside of the room. The whole conversation could be overheard from the outside. I came to the conclusion that the panel was asking general questions. Sitting beside me outside was an IIT Delhi girl who told me that she was placed in BCG to which I wondered who prefers K over BCG? Even she corroborated the fact by hinting just for the sake of it! She was soon called inside. Her interview went on for like 20-25 minutes. The next to go was a person aged 29 with 5 year work-ex. After another 20 minutes, I was called inside.
I was called in at 05:05 pm by one of the panelist, Dr.Kousik Guhathakurta (I’d call him P1). The other panelist seating inside was Dr. Anandakutan B. Unnithan (I’d call him P2).
So this is a brief account of whatever happened. Read on!
As soon as I entered the room I greeted both of them.
P2: Please be seated and give me your verified documents.
Me: Thank you, Sir. [Hands over all the documents]
P2: [While checking my grades and scorecards] So, are you doing good in IIT Roorkee?
Me: Yes sir. [smiles]
P2: Tell me what you are pursuing?
Me: Sir, I am a final year student of Chemical engineering.
P2: Where do you come from?
Me: Told
P2: Tell me about Dehradun.
Me: Told
P2: Any news about it. [Suddenly remembering] Oh, yes. Elections! How was it?
Me: Told
P2: Who do you think would win?
Me: Sir, there is a stiff competition between BJP and Congress. Any party can thrash the other. God knows who would do it this time.
P2: Whom do you support? What’s your analysis?
Me: Gyaan
P2: What are the problems faced by the people of Uttarakhand?
Me: Arbit bakar
P2: Like?
Me: Gyaan with examples here and there
P2: How does Uttarakhand government generate revenue?
Me: Told
P2: Is Uttarakhand an earthquake prone area?
Me: Yes, it is. However, I don't know which zone it lies in.
Now P1 chips in.
P2: Is Uttarakhand an earthquake prone area?
Me: Yes, it is. However, I don't know which zone it lies in.
Now P1 chips in.
P1: Are you placed?
Me: Yes, sir!
P1: Where?
Me: Sir, Reliance Industries Limited.
P2: Wow! Good. That is a wonderful company for Chemical engineers.
Me: [With a smug gleam of felicitation] Yes Sir! It is. [I don’t know why, and there was no need for it. But I exaggerated it.] Actually, I did an internship there, and was offered a Pre Placement Offer.
Now, the real disaster snowballed. Read on ..
Now, the real disaster snowballed. Read on ..
P1: [Unmoved by the second half of my answer] Tell me what is dead heat?
Me: [Shocked] I don’t think Sir I’ve ever heard of this term.
P1: Okay, so tell me about Second law of thermodynamics?
Me: [Stunned again. Knew it, but wasn’t able to remember] It is actually something related to entropy. [Also, out of nowhere linked it with H=U +pV Started explaining him this expression which was not required at all!]
P1: Leave this. What would happen to entropy?
P1: Leave this. What would happen to entropy?
Me: I don’t know, Sir. [But, told him the definition of entropy]
P1: What do we mean when we say entropy is increasing?
Me: It means disorder is increasing.
P1: What if it keeps on increasing and increasing and increasing? Would it be good or bad?
Me: Logically speaking, if chaos and disorder is increasing around us, it is bad- really bad for the society and mankind.
P1: Ah! Come on, I am not asking about ‘Social Entropy’. I am asking about thermodynamic entropy.
Me: Umm .. No clue, Sir.
P1: [Rephrasing his question. Now slowly.] What would happen if the entropy of the world and universe keeps on increasing?
Me: I don’t think I can relate entropy to real life, Sir. [Became totally dumb, and felt like one]
P1: What do you like about Chemical Engineering? I mean, what is your favorite subject?
Me: In Chemical engineering, I love heat transfer as a subject. [Knew more horrific questions would be shot now]
P1: [Laughs]Yes, heat transfer. [Looks at P1] I knew it. I was coming to it.
P1: Can heat be transferred via induction?
Me: [Crap! Holy Crap! Bowled again.] Heat is transferred from a hot object to cold object, Sir. However, I don’t know what induction means. I know about EMI (Electromagnetic Induction), but I’ve never heard of this term in heat transfer. Should I tell about EMI? [Didn’t even know this one properly]
P1: Hmm?
Me: Managed to put forth something on EMI. Wasn’t satisfactory at all!
I’d like to thank P2 who comes in with the rescue this time.
P2: What do you like to do apart from studies?
Me: Sir, I’ve been actively involved with … [interrupted]
P2: No, I mean your hobby?
Me: I like writing blog.
P1: [With a grin] Do you write on pagalguy.com?
Me: [Bewildered] No Sir. I maintain a personal blog of mine.
P2: What do you write about?
Me: I share my personal experiences.
P2: Is your blog popular?
Me: No Sir. Not a popular one.
P2: How many hits do you get on it?
Me: Not much, Sir. I don’t like sharing my blog url and posts with people. I write it so that after 10-15 years, when I read it I can recall all these wonderful experiences. I don’t like to keep track of number of counts. However, the last blog post I wrote about my IIM-S Interview experience saw many hits – roughly 200-300 hits in a single day.
P2: But, you told you don’t like sharing your posts.
Me: This post I had shared on a forum on pagalguy.com so that my experiences could be helpful to the forthcoming batches.
P2: What would you write about today’s experience?
Me: I’d like to write whatever happened or is happening with me today.
P2: What would you write about me? How would you address me as?
Me: Sir, firstly I’ll try to search out your names from IIM-K website. The problem with IIM-S interview was that I couldn’t find out their names from the website, as the faculty profile pages didn’t have their photographs .So, I addressed them as … [interrupts]
P2: How many Interviewers were there?
Me: Three in my panel.
P2: Was one of them very old? Like me? [smiles]
Me: Yes. One of them was old. Not like you, Sir. You are young. He must’ve been 60+.
P2: What about others?
Me: Told about them and their ages
P2: Okay, so we hope you write about today also.
Me: Sure Sir!
P2: Okay, so that’s it from our side. Do you have anything to ask?
Me: Not anything in particular Sir, but one thing. How is Kozhikode as a place like?
P2: It is a wonderful place. It is on a hill top. When you’ll join it, you won’t miss your state Uttarakhand. The scenic beauty and everything is like Uttarakhand.
Me: Climate might be pleasant, I guess. Like, Uttarakhand sees a lot of fluctuations in the climate. We have very cold winters and very warm summers.
P2: Yes. That you won’t have here. The climate remains pleasant throughout. Temperature remains almost constant throughout.
Me: Okay, Sir. [smiles]
I stood up from my chair. Preparing to go out.
P2: [Scans me from top to bottom] Oh, but why don’t you have a boutonnière? Everything else is so gentleman-ish with you. Raymond [?] suit. Formal attire. Everything looks good, but that 5 rupee pen should be replaced with a boutonnière. This 5 rupee pen looks horrible.
Me: Yes Sir. I would. However, earlier I had a costlier pen here. [Grins] But, that broke yesterday, so I kept it.
P2: Yes. Something good should be put here. Not this cheap pen. Fine?
Me: Okay, Sir. I’ll definitely do that. [smiles]
P1: Do you have any Interview now?
Me: Yes Sir. I have my Bangalore Interview on 14th March now. [smiles]
P1 & P2: All the best for that.
Me: Thank you, Sir. [smiles]
Thus, I came out.
Two down. Big Bang, next!
11 comments:
It was still good by my standards. I had my interview in the same slot as yours, but with panel 1. The entire duration was spent explaining to them why I am not scoring well in my graduation. After that, they asked me about the day's headlines. I told them about NCTC. (Gosh! I wish I had got the chance to read 4 newspapers, each thrice.) They asked the names of the 7 CMs who were opposing the NCTC. I could name only five.... and they still made a frown as if they were encountering the dumbest person on the earth. For the entire duration, I didn't seem confident (I don't know where did my debating temperament go!). I am just hoping that they thought good of me. (chances are skim though)... Oh by the way, they asked about McGregor theory(Which I studied in a qualifying subject in 2nd year and that is not at all related to my stream) I ended up explaining Herzberg theory. :/
Was that long-beard person in panel-1? I started getting scared of him the moment I saw him when he came to the hall. NCTC. I must have read that news almost 4*3 = 12 times .. Still no questions from it :-\ ..
I still wonder how these panelists get to know everything of almost everything of this Universe. Be it Entropy or be it McGregor theory .. I think you must be from a Pschology background!
.. Anyway, lets hope for the best! :)
nay.... the long beard guy wasn't in my panel. I too got shivers when I saw him in the WAT hall. Yhere were three people - all in their mid-forties who interviewed me...
All I have to say is that PI is very much luck based. It depends upon your luck which questions you get and also what panelists get to think of you in those fifteen odd minutes....
And the problem with McGregor theory is, had I been a psychology student, I would have answered it very well. However, I am a electronics student. We studied organisational behavior as a qualifying subject in 2nd year and perhaps this was a subject they had an idea about.... :/
Anyway, all the best! :)
Same two people in your panel were there for mine as well , and me to from Roorkee !
@Aparajita, OB? Even we had it in our 1st year. Frickin' crap that subject was. And yes I agree. This is all luck based. Almost 90% of the call-getters would have had decent interviews. Only luck would be the deciding factor :-|
@Unknown, Which year and which branch?
I think your interview went on really well...I was also in same slot...but different panel...long beard guy was in my panel along with two other professors...I think I recognize u...were u chit chatting with the pink sweater girl..?..:)
Yeah, I remember the pink sweater girl. She was sitting adjacent to me on a different table. I think I remember your name, and were you sitting on the third table? As per the interview, I guess it was a disaster as far as my Chemical basics were concerned. I hope they don't evaluate on basis of it. Anyway I hope yours was good. Good luck :)
Any idea about when they'd be declaring the shortlist?
No idea! But I guess there are still interviews going on at some locations .. Most of the results come out during mid-April, as told by some distant sources. Still 1.5 month to kill :D
Thanks...yupp...you got me right...:)The mockery continued in my interview as well...Two of them laughed their hearts out on two of my answers..and I too smiled foolishly on myself..hehehe...rest was fine...Interview went on well..was nervous in beginning coz I was called out of order..on no. 7(originally 9)..interview beated around NGOs,politics,UP elections,Rajasthan(literary fest)...school,college,planning commission...blah blah....All the best to u too...Hope u make it:)
Thanks! All the best to you too. Any other interviews you have?
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