“BMSites can give presentations in sleep also” says Shikha Singh, ICLE’s TYBMS Topper 2013

An Interview with Shikha Singh Sengar, TYBMS Sem 5 Topper, ICLES’ Motilal Jhunjhunwala College, Vashi, Navi Mumbai (75%)

• Tell us about yourself.

 Hello everyone! Myself Shikha Singh Sengar pursuing BMS from ICLES’ MJ College, Vashi. I am a fun loving person, confident and call myself a huge entertainer. I have a great passion for writing and dream to write a novel someday. Other than that I love dancing, travelling, cooking, hanging out with my friends and spending rest of the time at home with my family. During my course of BMS I have been actively involved in my departmental festival “ASTRA” by being the Marketing head and Event head and also the member of my college cultural committee.

I have done two short internships as Management trainee in reputed companies and have visited various companies during my industrial visits in college. I love being a part of everything which has led me to push my boundaries due to which I have participated in various college festivals.

• Were you expecting to top in the exams? To whom would you credit this success to?

 Expectations mostly lead to disappointments but without expecting if we get something it’s actually more cherished. Therefore I don’t believe in expecting anything. I just tried to give my best shot and finally here I am with not too great but good marks.

There are lots of people whom I can give credit of my success. First of all me, myself for studying well, then my family for the peaceful atmosphere, then all my teachers for pushing me to start studying and good internals, then those teachers who have corrected my papers properly, then my friends for all the agreements and disagreements related to studies and finally you for putting my interview.

• Did you prepare religiously from day One or A few weeks before the exams?

I started studying my theory subjects sincerely around one month or we can say four weeks before my exams but Financial management subject I practiced every week to gain more speed and accuracy. I never ratofy the answers instead I used to understand the concepts and write it on my own.

•  How did you allot time to different subjects?

 I had made a timetable but I wasn’t able to achieve those targets set in the timetable. So I just went with the flow and took first those subjects which I felt were difficult and kept the easy subjects for the last. But I made sure that I go through all the subjects per week.

• Can you share some insights on how to crack the subjects before exams?

 To crack any exam first of all speed and accuracy is very important. It’s important to attempt full 60 marks paper and write atleast something sensible even if we don’t know the answers. Secondly we must have lots of doubts because if we have doubts, we will try to find answers for it and this will help us to understand the concepts.

Every student has his own insight on the easy and difficult subjects. But I believe in “Hardwork + Smartwork” and thus all subjects are too much difficult for me as well as easy. Being overconfident can lead to foolishness.

Always write answers point to point even in case studies. Just because you want to fill the pages that doesn’t mean you write any blah blah blah. Write in simple language, give lot of examples and present a neat paper.

•  Do you think BMS student require coaching classes or is self-study enough? Had you joined any coaching class for a particular subject?

 I don’t think so any student requires so much coaching classes for all the subjects. For theory subjects self study is enough but for practical subjects coaching classes or tuitions helps in more practicing. So I had joined classes for Financial Management and Logistics subjects.

• Did you participate in college fests or extra-curricular activities? Do you think a BMS student can manage both studies and extra activities?

 We are pursuing Bachelors of Management Studies, so we who should learn how to manage everything and first of all ourselves. I do studies also, I do lot of masti also, I do bunk also sometimes, I participate in various extra-curricular activities and college fest also and I enjoy my life a lot. Being a management student this is in our blood.

• Did you pursue any additional courses/ internships alongside BMS?

 I have done two short internships as management trainees and have also attended various seminars and guidance lectures.

• Today, we often come across students committing suicide out of failure, depression or tension of exams. What do you have to say about this? Did you use any special techniques for stress management?

 Tension due to studies is fine, it happens with everyone because today the atmosphere is so competitive that in spite being confident we feel a lack of it. But to those who commit suicides or go in depression due to studies I just feel sorry for them that they are the losers. I had lost my dad around 20 days before my SSC boards but still I gave my best and managed to score 76%. Life will always knock you down but it’s up to you if you want to stand back and fight or just accept the failure.

•  Do you think the number of Industrial visits should be increased for BMS Students? Which industries have you visited?

 Industrial visits are fun educational tours which makes us independent and knowledgeable and also in developing bonds and trust with the people around us. I guess two IVs one short and one long every year is enough for us. So three short and three long IVs in three years plus small small one day visits in nearby companies will be good.

I have visited companies like Hindustan aeronautics ltd (bangalore), sudhir genesets and amar industries (silvassa), mysore silk factory, nainital candle factory, freedom cycles (amritsar), siddharth paper mill (corbett), etc. and also some others like Jim Corbett natural park, Indira Gandhi memorial, IIM Bangalore campus, Dharamshala cricket stadium and Tibetan monastery and institute.

• Do you think BMS students are flooded with assignments, projects and internal exams round the clock? What changes would you like to bring in the BMS Curriculum?

We are habituated with so many projects, assignments and tests that even in sleep we can give a presentation now. I love the projects and presentations and hate assignments and tests so I guess we should have more projects and presentations (some students may want to kill me for this).

•  What message would you like to give to the next batch of BMS students?

I can give only one message in which I believe in and that’s “Hardwork + Smartwork.”

• What are the future plans post BMS?

 After my bachelors I am planning to give CAT and CMAT in next two years as well as gonna prepare for IAS, IPS and defence exams.

•  Any Feedback/Suggestions for BMS.co.in?

 Bms.co.in is super cool and awesome. Just keep it up with the good work. You guys rock and I am proud to be a member of it.