Started my blog months before I joined in Assumption college for fashion technology. And by the end of final year and the beginning of my jobful years, my blog has faced some serious, shameful disregard from me. But now, a month before my classes start in the nation’s most prestigious fashion institute, National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), I thought I’d repeat history by scribbling something in here!

I should be jumping up and down in joy now that I’ve got admission in NIFT for post graduation. And also for getting the 15th RANK! This is something that was beyond my dreams! It never even crossed my mind to try NIFT last year when I thought I’d settle for Pearl Academy of Fashion(PAF), the second best institute. When I changed my decision in the last minute to not go to PAF, many reasons were there, out of which, “I should try NIFT next year” was only one that I made up to convince my angry and desperate parents (read Mom!). Dad always let me live my life the way I pleased, though sometimes, especially when I refused to write the State Bank of India (SBI) exam, he talked about the “sacrilege” I had committed once by not joining PAF. After around one year of multi-colored neon arrows building up around me and pointing at me saying “FAILURE” (contributed by me and lots of others), I finally plucked up the courage to write NIFT this year. I don’t think anyone understands why I needed courage there. Many were already judging me saying, “Why are you even bothering to write? To screw it up again by discontinuing at the last minute?”. I did not react to any of it. Maybe they were joking. But it’s true that I did nothing to prepare myself for the test or interview. I had a feeling of Fate from the beginning itself, that it will work this time (or not! :D).. The first tests, General Aptitude Test(GAT) and Managerial Ability Test(MAT), were actually easy for me, and for that I thank Mom, Dad, Bro and Brilliance College at Thampanoor(Trivandrum) for their vigorous SBI clerical examination training!! hehe!!!

The second exam was in Delhi and it consisted of Group Discussion(GD) and Interview. GD was awesome for me. It was a case study and the topic was “Levi’s jeans came up with a plan to sell merchandise offering monthly EMI’s to customers during recession. Is this idea good or bad?” Well, if I were allowed, I would have fallen off the chair laughing after reading it!! But I had to maintain decorum, so I didn’t :D Monthly EMI to buy clothes and shoes? Well, Levi’s or not.. :-|

There were 10 of us (5 girls and 5 guys) in the group and 5 people in the NIFT Board that was watching us. 3 out of 10, including me, were against the idea. All the guys were coming up with good points and I remember only one girl besides me who cared to say something. A feisty one she was, but as she was brilliantly supporting Levi’s’s idea, it meant that I had to counter her! Too bad she wasn’t on my side! :P It was fun in the beginning to argue, but she kept bringing hypothetical situations in and I was losing my interest and also getting irritated when she kept beginning every sentence with “Quite contrary to what Ms. 10 (my number was 10) said, …”! It was very difficult to convince the Board, until I said something “nasty” that changed the whole situation :D I told them that if Levi’s offered me a one year EMI plan to buy a costly pair of jeans, I’m sure that even before I finish paying the EMI, the fashion would change and I can only drool at the new trendy pair of jeans in the shop, while I’ll be considered a dork if I’m still wearing the jeans that I still haven’t finished paying for :D The Board laughed! The two others who were against the idea were beaming! Ms. Feisty was rolling her eyes at me! I think I was smirking! :P And she suddenly said, “What Ms. 10 said is true, but still, maybe *insert weak comeback*”

;-)

Well, I’m not bragging! I have no idea how I managed to even breathe while 15 people listened carefully to every word that I was saying. I was inaudible in the beginning and the Board asked me to speak up! I stammered on every word later and some guy asked me to repeat what I just said (AKA talk in ‘human’, please!). And I couldn’t believe that I conjured up a big sentence like that, of which, I had only planned the first few beginning words, while the rest of the words came out of my mouth in the correct order, very audible, very clear, very ‘human’, and sensible enough to make an impact! It even had detail, coz I had emphasized the words ‘drool’ and ‘dork’ and also added a sarcastic laugh while saying ‘paying for’ in the end! :P The Board asked us one by one to say our concluding words and some guy mentioned ‘Ms. 10’s point’; such mentioning considered as self-proclaimed plus point during GD. Outside the GD room, most of them came and congratulated Ms. Feisty and Ms. 10 (er.. that’s me :D), and said that we’ll both get selected for sure, which boosted my confidence :) I congratulated Ms. Feisty too, and although I don’t remember her name now, I too think that she must have got selected too for her sheer confidence! :)

I have almost chosen Delhi as my preferred center for studying in. Until counseling is over, I can’t say anything, because, only they can tell me which center will be the best for my course, Masters in Fashion Management. But anyway, I’m not all that excited about it or feeling happy about it as much I am supposed to be now. NIFT, 15th rank.. Everyone I tell this to is actually talking about it as if it is the big deal that it actually is! But for me, something’s missing..