UniPune (SPPU) MBA Review By Dhiraj Bisht

I was in dilemma as I gave all the entrance exams that are there in this country to do MBA from top universities. Pune was the city I was targeting and luckily got admissions in of the top most B-School of the city. Yes, the city has Symbiosis, and MIT’s but PUMBA if not equivalent is also no less than them. I am still in my 3rd trimester but life has turned upside down as Pune has a whole new approach towards study. The fun element will never be missed here as the university is always full of life and colour. MH-CET is the way to get here and state students have a different cut-off while outsiders have to deal with more challenging cut-offs. I just sneaked through as somebody even after having a required score didn’t join the college. The fees is also reasonable as the kind of placements and facilities that PUMBA provides there’s no harm in paying the fees that they command.

I was not aware that a year can have three semesters called trimesters. Most of the things that I am seeing here is what I was already told by my previous faculties. The trimester though is tough as our schedule becomes so hectic that we don’t have much time left to much beyond studies. The clock always keeps ticking as assignments pressure is sky high. I have been guilty of late submissions already and fortunately have been just left with a warning. This is because I have some friends in seniors and have good terms with my teachers. Otherwise though, one has to face quite a few consequences.

I have seen experts and here I have seen maestro as all the faculty are no less than a maestro. The way they teach and mostly even with this high pressure of finishing the syllabus they never rush things. Their cool and calm approach is just like that of my hero MS Dhoni. They took us on an Industrial fair in January and lead the way on how things work in a corporate. How as a student we can contribute in taking the already established organization to the next level. Our views and thoughts on our observations were taken as assignments. Basically, they will make us write assignments on any damn things which mostly are useless. This is the only complain that I have from them otherwise they are quite cool.

Placements started in February and are still on. I see my seniors going back and forth preparing for the placements. I interacted with some of my seniors and already 70% of them have been placed as most of them have been picked by Bajaj Auto where they did their internship. Many have also been placed with higher packages in domestic and international banks operating in India. The average placement looks around 5-6 Lakhs while one of my known has already signed a contract worth 10 lakhs with Kotak Mahindra Bank. Placements might not end at 100% but the ones with caliber will find no problem in getting placed to the sort of industry they want.

The university campus has a common hostel and PUMBA has 20 seats reserved for them in the boys' hostel. As most students didn’t opted the hostel due to its cleanliness, I found no reason to stay away from the beautiful campus as I have myself hired a person to clean my room on a daily basis. Yes, I have to manage with common washrooms but at the cost at which I have got the hostel in Pune, I think if I was staying independently, it would have been my rent for two months. The mess is good but the dishes that they prepare are something, I have never heard about. Chowli ki sabzi and all are something that people of my state would have never imagined. In breakfast, south Indian items and Pohe are the only options. Dinner menu is still manageable but I mostly have my food at university canteen or the eateries close to the PUMBA campus.

PUMBA is inside the PU campus and we have access to all the facilities of the campus. From central library to seminar halls, PUMBA students can go wherever they want inside the campus. Coming to our departmental building it is one of the highlights of the campus because it has been renovated off late and is the most modern building in the entire campus. The hostels are also inside the campus and that has made things easier for me. I am not in awe of infrastructure but at the same time, I am not so critical too because University campuses are such only.

Practically, I have just spent 9 months at the campus, and I have been in love with the campus life over here. The thought process of students of Pune and how things are managed and operated in the campus is a way to learn a lot of skills. Most events are organized by students committee, so participation is required, if one needs to learn something. I am always active as I don’t want to miss a single opportunity where I can better myself.