Interview with Murtaza Rupawala, TYBMS Sem 5 Topper 2014-15, Burhani College

Name –Murtaza Rupawala

College Name – Burhani College of Commerce& Arts

Course Name – BMS

Which year –TY

Rank in FY / SY: 1^st Rank in FY & SY all semesters

GPA / Percentage:6.73/75%

• Tell us about yourself, your background, why did you join BMS and what do you plan to do after BMS?

Hi!

I am basically a person who is always thirsty to learn something new. I believe that making things interesting and connecting them to the practical ailments of life is something that is really worth and makes learning a real fun! I am regarded as a “one man army” J by my colleagues though I never used any weapons for someone to defeat)

BMS as a course is a vast ocean of knowledge and that’s what I really love jumping into!

Interested in writing stories, blogs, poems and things alike.

I am much passionate about teaching as teaching enriches knowledge, skills and experience. So may be an M.com moving towards a Ph.D. would be my one option.

• How does it feel to be a Topper of the college in Semester exams?

It feels good, prestigious though it has its own disadvantages too from another end:-/

• Whom will you credit your success to?

I would credit my success to a person whose prayers truly brought this prestigious moment.Our community leader Dr.Syedna Mohammed Burhanuddin (RA) and HIS successor Syedna Mufaddal Saifuddin (TUS).Who were truly the light for never ending wisdom of knowledge!

I would credit my success to our truly awesome coordinator Prof.Moiz and other professors especially Prof.Naheed Ansari whose dedication and hard work is significantly responsible for success in all my practical papers.

A special thanks to my friends, my colleagues for whom I really go college for.

I acknowledge the efforts of my parents who were the facilitators towards my success, my goals.

Did you start preparing from the first day of your FY / SY?

No, Never. Preparations started a fortnight before the exams.

• How did you study for Sem I / Sem III? (Share some tips / advice for each subject)

In regards of practical subjects I would suggest that “Learning with Concentration” is the most important.

Understand the concepts, do some research by yourself in case you don’t understand things because that would lead you to enrich your knowledge and give them a strong base. Practicing is equally important. Just take out at least 15mins twice a week to practice what was done in your lecture.

For theory subjects I would suggest that rote learning may give you a good percentage however that may not give you the skill set that is really required to be a manager. For a better result I would recommend that relate the theoretical subjects to real life situations try to make your own answers in line with what you learn or is explained by your professors. Read books based on philosophy, marketing trends etc. and understand what exactly is required. On field study is the most essential part rather than “on-book study”.

Lastly keep on asking and asking to seek more and more knowledge and expand the horizons of your success. “Puch Puch ke Pandit bano”J

Ps: But stop it once the professors’ feels troubled and is not interested to answer you.

• Which are the easy subjects in Sem V?

All subjects were easy if I was interested in them. Subjects wherein professors expected to write exactly what was there in the book were the difficult ones.

Thus the easiness and difficulty levels of any subject depends on the faculty you get to teach it and just like the taste of food depends on the chef that cooks for you. :and lastly the interest that you develop for it-}

• Any special way of writing the answers? Do you write answers in bullet points or in paragraphs?

I wrote short notes in the form of paragraphs while long answers in form of bullet point.

Make sure if you are writing in bullet points, the number of points shall be equivalent to the number of marks you are writing for.

More over always try to include an introduction as well as a conclusion at the end of each answer.

You need not need to write what exactly is there in the bulky books. But write what you have understood.

Try to keep the language of the answer in a way that it needs to be

For example in a subject like Economics a lot of technical words need to be used.

Moreover the presentation of your answers is also showcased by the number of words you write in one line.

Don’t try to fit too many words in one line or leave a lot of space between words just to make the answer look lengthy.

Presentation of your solutions is one of the most important factor to score well in your exams.

• How do you crack case studies in theory and practical subjects?

Case Studies are things that I love solving.

I would suggest you all that don’t read the case study first but the questions asked in the case study and then continue reading the case study.

Whenever you give solutions or suggestions to the case always associate the technical knowhow of the case and what you had studied in that subject in regards of such a problem.

Be lucid, simple and clear of what exactly you mean to say and why.

Whenever you solve a case study remember that you are not a student but a manager looking for a solution to the problem.

• Did you draw any diagram in any paper? Is it mandatory? Does it help to get more marks?

Diagrams are obviously an additional advantage that ends up adding bonus marks to your answers. The diagram shall clearly indicate what you want to explain.

If you feel you are slow and need more time in finishing the paper than leave some space and draw the diagrams at the end or once you complete the paper

• Any specific study pattern adopted i.e. timetable / how many hours per subject per day etc.?

I didn’t made a specific pattern or timetable but I made a plan wherein I decided what needs to be studied before the exams and what all can be studied during the exam days.

I gave more time to subjects that had no study leaves.

I would recommend to practice practical subjects at night while theoretical subjects in the early morning hours.

• How do you fight against mood swings and distractions during exam preparation?

I tackle them by taking a break or sleeping for some while.

Distractions are tackled by either making them go away or me getting away from them :-).

• If you are made the Vice Chancellor of Mumbai University, what changes would you like to initiate in Indian education system?

There are many loopholes that I find in the current education system. Management Education in India is losing its charm. The focus has now become towards making “job-takers” rather than “job-makers”

The education system shall strengthen the practical know how, develop skills and techniques to fight a situation.

Moreover I would introduce subjects that will aim to eliminate social evils of unemployment, injustice, discrimination from the society as a whole.

I would introduce an obligation of “A Character Certificate” that shall be issued by the college on account of the students overall behaviour as a person, which would be a plus point for getting admission into colleges.

• Many students prepare sincerely but constantly live under fear that they are not from big college / not from English medium and eventually lose confidence. What message would you like to these students?

I would advised them that it’s not what background you are from that determines your success or the marks on your certificates but it’s the ultimate “you “who determines where you want to be.

Develop your skills, work hard for the things you want to achieve surely these things are going to take you to heights and touch the pinnacles of success.

• Through this struggle and success, what have you learned? What is the wisdom of life and competition? What is your message to the upcoming BMS students?

I learned things that may not fit on this page:-). But truly I unearthed things that reaped the most precious treasures for me. Being the CR for 3 consecutive years and leading many events made me develop the qualities that a successful leader shall possess. I learned and overcame my fears, my weaknesses and still the process of learning and developing goes on and on….

• Your feedback for BMS.co.in?

Firstly I appreciate and acknowledge the efforts of the website i hosting and catering to the world of Management in a way that has benefited thousands of students. I would appreciate the efforts of Parvathy Mam in enlightening the never ending spirit of Teamwork and bringing BMS students on the common platform.

I would suggest that BMS websites should also start with elearning sessions through YouTube or such medium so that chapters that are complicated in a few subjects are solved.

It should also facilitate counselling sessions for students who get stuck in the mid of their life.