Interview with Beryl George, TYBMS Sem 5 Topper 2013-14, St. Andrews College

Interview with Beryl George, TYBMS Sem 5 Topper 2013-14, St. Andrews College of Arts, Science and Commerce, Bandra who scored 78.28%

How does it feel to be a Topper in the university exams? Whom will you credit your success to? What was your success mantra?

Being the BMS Topper of St. Andrews College was indeed an honour for me. Beating 120 students to reach to the top is an achievement I will never forget.

I owe my success to my college professors, my family and also to all my friends and well wishers who motivated me to do my best and come out on top!

My success mantra is HARD WORK PAYS OFF! Nothing comes easy. Do your best, God will do the rest.

Did you prepare any timetable and please share your study strategy/exam tips to crack each subject of sem 5?

Yes I did prepare a timetable for myself. It is important to allocate your study time to subjects wisely.

Study the subjects that you find tough when your fresh, i.e, may be in the morning.

Easy subjects can be done anytime in between.

Keep revision for the slag end of the day.

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

Coaching classes are not essential for the theory subjects. Yes, one can join tuitions for the practical subjects, but it’s not necessary if you have a sound mathematics background. I personally did not attend coaching classes and managed just by attending regular lectures at college.

What was your specialization subject? Why did you opt for it?

I specialized in Finance. After taking opinion from a number of ex-students, I chose it over Marketing since I felt that we have been learning the marketing basics since FYBMS, and it was no different in TY. Finance helped me expand on what I learnt in the last two years.

Can you list the textbooks you referred for all subjects?

You can refer to any textbook that you are comfortable with. My personal choice would be Rishab Publications, Author- Sunny Fernandes, since the answers are in simple language and in point-format.

Which was your worst paper? Why? Which was your best paper? Why?

Honestly, none of my papers were bad. Yes, FM was a bit twisted, otherwise all were good. My best paper was SSF (Special Studies in Finance) since I personally had a liking towards the subject. Knowing that it was a tough subject, I prepared myself really well for it.

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?

According to me, failure is a part of life. On the bright side, it is a stepping stone to success.  Exams tension and stress crops up only if you are not prepared well. Hence, I  would suggest you prepare a timetable, study sincerely, and complete your portion on time. No use keeping it for the last minute, failing, and then resorting to extreme measures like suicide, etc.

The Black Book project contributing a significant part to the percentage, please share the experiences you had during the preparation of the project and how has it benefited you.

The Black Book project was an awesome experience, and resulted in a 3% increase in my overall percentage. My project consisted of 83 pages. It is important to understand your topic well, and go about accordingly. Consult your seniors, professors, etc. and get their views. My advice to students would be to choose a topic of your interest, and allocate time wisely to completing the project. Do not make it a last-minute hustle!!

Did you pursue any additional courses/ internships alongside BMS? What are your future  plans?

No I did not pursue any additional courses. It’s better to concentrate on one thing at a time, rather than taking up too much and making a mess of it. After completing my graduation, I would consider working for a year or two. If I feel the job prospects are good, I would stick around.   I definitely intend to pursue an MBA in finance.

Any tips and advises for your juniors?

EVERYONE OUT THERE WILL GIVE THEIR 100%, YOU GIVE YOUR 125%. THAT WOULD GIVE YOU AN EDGE OVER THE REST!!

All the very best to the future BMS batches.

The road is winding, life is long,

Keep the faith, and your head strong!