Jaipuria Institute of Management, Lucknow conducted a two-week Orientation and Induction Programme for the students of its 2016-18 batch between the 27th of June and the 9th of July. The program provided the incoming batch with an introduction to their next two years and also tips on how to maximize their PGDM experience. Consisting of a series of fun, informative, networking, and academic activities before the commencement of the first trimester, the objective of the orientation programme was to familiarize the students of the new batch with the faculty, staff, and their peers, as well as with the processes, systems, and culture of the Institute. The activities scheduled during the two-week program aimed to equip students with some basic knowledge and tools that will help them adapt to the challenging life ahead as a PGDM student. The Orientation Program also involved the process of identifying students’ critical skills essential for participation in management teaching classes and for them to get inducted into a meaningful corporate life.

The program started with a brief interaction between the Institute’s officials and the students and their parents. After the inaugural address and introductions to the various Lucknow campus officials, faculty and administrators, students got to know each other over Lucknowi Chaat and Kulfi in the evening.

Over the course the next two weeks, students were taken through a range of activities, broadly divided into the following areas:

Familiarization / Ice-breaking:

• The Programme Directors took the students through the Trimester System, course credits, importance of the internship, assessment & grading, and the programme pedagogy.
• Career orientation sessions introduced the students to the various options that would be available to them upon graduation and what it takes to succeed in them.
• Students got a chance to interact with their mentors in an informal setting, which helped them to break the ice as well as familiarize themselves with their guides
• A briefing session on MiDCOM Business Challenge Competition 2016 was organised

Personal development:

• Foundation classes for courses on Accounting, Quantitative Techniques, IT, Economics and Business Communication helped students cement their fundamental concepts on these important courses.
• The Institute held a “Business Orientation Project (BOP) Contest” as a fun way of learning/orienting them with the complexities of the highly competitive business world.
• The business communication faculty took students through exercises in developing communication skills
• One-on-one leadership skill assessments were carried out
• Importance of networking and basic techniques for the same were explained covering peers, alumni and corporate networking. This was useful in sensitizing students for the team work requirements that they will face over the two years.
• Sessions were conducted by faculty on business ethics and business etiquette

Health & Fitness:

• Students participated in sessions of Yoga, Table Tennis, Tug-o-war, Cricket, Carom, besides other sports.

Team building and Creativity:

• Outbound team building games provided a chance for active team building in situations that called for decision making, leadership, and communication.
• Collage activities helped students learn how to express themselves. Collage is basically a technique of an art production, primarily used in the visual arts, where the artwork is made from an assemblage of different forms, thus creating a new whole picture
• ‘Talash’, the talent hunt, provided students with an opportunity to showcase their individual and group talents

It was a truly wonderful experience for the all participating students and set the right tone for the rest of their journey at Jaipuria Lucknow.