I knew Shivku sir, being an IITian, would be a genius; but never thought during my first interaction with him that he would be so happy-go-lucky and interactive. The sessions with him were very helpful for the PI rounds. My results are a testimony in itself. Shivku sir knew what kind of mindset the interviewer would have for each of the colleges IIM-A, B, and C. He knew IIM-B focuses on work ex, IIM-C on Maths and Stats, and IIM-A on academics; so, we practised accordingly. His ability to read your strengths, to predict the target areas for the respective interview panel, is what I find most amusing. The best one was his belief in me, and his soft and positive personality. The best part about PDP Personalised is the mentors. You have that confidence that you have someone who is already from an IIM is with you. From academics to moral and emotional anxieties of exams, I found support. It was more than "The best Institute for CAT".
Shivku sir seemed very simple, and still so inspiring. Rarely does it happen that a person's authenticity and sincerity move you as much as he moved me. When the CAT scores came out, I started interacting with Shivku sir for the PI round. He tweaked the PDP program to suit my requirements. He used to devote long hours to me in person, or on phone, to discuss my progress. He laid out the details of everything I had to prepare for - my life story, academics, extra-curricular activities, personality - basically, everything that was required of me to crack the interviews. After every interview, I used to have long sessions over the phone with him to improve my performance in the forthcoming interviews. Even after the results came out, he helped me take a decision on the program I should join. In all, the mentorship was the best part of PDP; and perhaps, the main reason I would be going to a B-school this year.
Reason: Because of his amazing language skill and witty style. His ability to express thoughts, build in the right amount of humor, the right amount of wit, and yet be knowledgeable - that's a unique combination.
Other notable authors: Leon Uris for historical fiction like 'Exodus' and 'The Haj'; Dominique Lapierre for biographical history like 'Freedom at Midnight', and J K Rowling's Harry Potter series for her ability to imagine even the smallest details of a vast magical universe and get inside a kid's mind.
Every day, you meet so many great people you want to emulate. I seek wisdom from the experiences different people in my life have given me. My dad, being my earliest role model; one of my first students, Pranav Lal, who is a visually impaired photographer; my friends, who instilled in me the spirit of 'taking things easy'; my school teacher, whose simplicity in teaching I am still trying to emulate; and people like Gopichand, who is much more than a talented sportsman - he is a man of supreme values.
