Name – Patrick D’souza
Institute – Quoin Academy
Tell us something about yourself?
I am a person who loves to try out different things. I recently got an International rating in Chess and the next target is Mumbai’s Half Marathon. Having done my management from JBIMS, I got a corporate work ex of 5 years in companies like NIIT, L&T, IMS. After that I decided to start on my own and since 2003 have been running my own academy in order to guide and coach students. Currently I am also a visiting faculty at SP Jain Institute of Management and Research, Mumbai.
Tell us something about your Quoin Academy/ Quest Tutorials?
Wanted to do something on my own. Since I had an experience in Education Industry so ventured out in the same field. Thought of getting into a niche market and started with Company Secretary course. Then a few BMS students from Bedekar college approached me to take their class. So I started with a group of 10 students. They all passed with flying colours with 4 of them getting 57/60 in the subject I was teaching. That was the start of Quest Tutorials.
Along with BMS I started with training students for CET. There too I had great results. CET04 topper Abhay More, was my student. CET05, Rank 2 and Rank 3 were again my students. Rank 2 in CET05 was a BMS student from MCC by name of Abhishek Puranik. From then on I have had more than 100 students of mine who are studying or passed from JBIMS from which quite a few are from BMS background. We have since also started training students for CAT with good results where 10% of our CAT students are studying in IIMs.
When did you join the teaching profession? What inspired you to choose this line?
I started teaching when I was in school. My mother was a tuition teacher and I used to help her out. Teaching gives you immense satisfaction of helping students to do their best. If you teach well, your students will always remember you. I still have a lot of my old students who come and meet me and that gives immense pleasure.
Which subjects do you teach? What do you love most?
I can teach any subject. I have taught varied subjects like Law, Logistics, Operation Research, Economics, International Finance, etc. Each of the subjects has their own challenges.
What is your teaching philosophy?
A student should understand the subject. Mugging up does not help, not for the exam and nor in the long term. Once a student has understood a topic, he would be able to solve any questions related to the topic.
Do you believe in teaching should be full of ideas rather than stuffed with facts?
Ideas should be backed with facts. Both are important. One without the other will make teaching less effective.
After BMS, is work experience important for MBA?
No, Work Experience is not important for doing an MBA. If you have seen in any of the MBA colleges, students with less work ex get better placed than students with more work ex. One of my students, Anis, got the best job in JBIMS (McKinsey) last year and he did not have any work experience.
Today, we often come across students committing suicide out of failure, depression or tension of exams. What do you have to say about this?
One should remember that failure is just a stepping stone to success. Just read stories of any great personality say Abraham Lincoln, and you will realize that they have faced many failures before they achieved success.
Who in your life has most influenced you?
My Parents are the reason for which I was able to be independent in Life. I started on my own with the support of my wife, Rochelle, and she has always been there to guide and support me whenever I go wrong.
What suggestions would you like to give to Mumbai University for amendments in the BMS course?
Include more current issues in the syllabus. The syllabus is good, but students will study only what will come in the exam. So if you include current issues in the exam it will force students to read newspapers and magazines to keep themselves abreast of what is happening in the business world.
“Earning more and more” is the motive behind doing BMS /Management Courses? Is it justifiable?
I have seen a lot of people earning a lot of money and not having enough free time to enjoy the same. Money is not the key to happiness. It is important you enjoy whatever job you do as most of the time you will spend on the job.
If you are hiring a person for a job, what would you look for?
Firstly he should be honest. Second his attitude. Third his passion towards work he has undertaken in the past.
Your feedback for BMS.co.in?
BMS.co.in is doing a great job helping students. I am sure the students will benefit a lot.
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