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It freezes in that one moment. The moment you step into institute campus for the first time, the tensions, the rigour, the aspirations, the desires, the hard work, the optimism of time spent preparing to get admission into the best B-schools in the country comes together in that single second.

As one enters into the IIM-L campus there are two statue replicas that can be seen, one that of Lord Krishna guiding Arjun and the second that of the Mahatma guiding his followers, both teachers and leaders like the world has never seen before. This one sight ensures that the feeling "this place is different from others" starts to sink in. It's not for the last time that you feel this, it reiterates at every step, every moment from that time on.

IIM Lucknow is known to be famous for its infrastructure. It definitely matches or even betters the expectation. Lush green surroundings, clean jet black roads, library which is a dream come true, CC (computer center) where all facilities one can ask for are available at the click of a mouse, class rooms that would give most conference halls across the country a run for their money, faculty sitting for whose lectures is an opportunity of a lifetime for most, a peer group that never fails to amaze - everything, that one needs to be able to learn, unlearn or relearn is present.

But it was not like this some 20 years back when IIM-L was just instituted. We operated from rented premises in the city where adequate supply of even basic infrastructural things like water and electricity was a problem. From those humble beginnings to one of the largest B-school campuses in India must have been a difficult journey. Present batches still discuss about seniors and professors who were makers of this transition, with tremendous respect and probably a tacit realization that this needs to carry on further.

Our senior batches never had the kind of resources that we can command but what we might never experience is that conviction which drives an individual to succeed inspite of constraints. It's not surprising though, what they managed to achieve - dedication, perseverance and excellence are the cardinal rules here in campus. It's a choice whether you learn it the hard way or accept it easily but you must and will learn, that is certain.

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* Contributed by -
Supriya Sharma,
Ist Year Student,
IIM Lucknow.