Interview with Purva Nayak, SYBMS Topper, S.I.E.S. College Sion East

Name-  PURVA NAYAK

Currently in FY/SY/TYBMS –  SYBMS

Topped in which year / sem –  SYBMS/3^rd  SEM

College – S.I.E.S COLLEGE OF COMMERCE & ECONOMICS, SION EAST

Percentage of Marks: 88.17%

First of all, A Hearty Congratulations to you on this Brilliant Success…!!

Tell us about yourself and your college:

Well, I always aimed to join S.I.E.S only for the BMS course, as my junior college also was S.I.E.S (arts, science & commerce). S.I.E.S is supposed to be one of the better colleges, offering the BMS course, in Mumbai. This college is relatively more disciplined & focused than other colleges offering the same course.

How did you plan to get into BMS?

BMS always topped the charts whenever the question of what to do after 12^th standard arose. My parents also always considered BMS to be the next best option to medicine/engineering. Since I did not have any inclination towards either of the latter courses, I decided to opt for BMS.

Is the BMS syllabus just what you had expected it to be?

After joining this course, I found that the syllabus has a much wider coverage than what I had expected it to be. For instance, it pretty much covers all streams, by having a wide range of subjects such as Law, Economics, Mathematics, Statistics, Banking & Insurance, Marketing, Finance, Taxation, Accounting etc.

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

Frankly speaking, I was expecting fairly good marks in all the subjects, but it definitely came as a pleasant surprise to know that I had actually topped.  I would attribute my success to the efforts put in by my excellent & very able college teachers in helping me understand various concepts; & my own handwork.

Did you start preparing right from the first day of your BMS?

Not at all. I have a tendency to study just a week or two before the exams.

How did you allot time to different subjects?(Did you follow a self-made timetable? And how many hours did you study per day? Had you joined any coaching classes or was it just self-study?)

I allotted time to different subjects based on their level of difficulty. Whichever subjects required more time to understand, such as Managerial Economics, or subjects such as, Cost Accounting which required more time to solve were given greater importance. I did follow a time-table which I had made for myself & tried my level best to go according to it (which did not always happen!!). Few hours of dedicated & concentrated study every day, without any distractions, proved to be fruitful. I did not join any coaching classes for any subject; because I believed that self-study along with regularly attending lectures in college would give not only as equal to, but maybe even better results than joining any classes or tuitions.

Did you participate in college fests or extra-curricular activities?(If yes, please mention the details) Do you think a BMS student can manage both studies and extra activities?

I wasn’t an active participant in my college fests. But this was not because I wanted to study on those days but just from a basic lack of interest. A BMS student, or any student for that matter, can definitely manage both studies & extra-curricular activities at the same time. It just depends on which side of the balance is given more priority. Priorities should be assigned to whichever is more important at that particular time. For eg: during the month of exams, all extra-curricular activities should be totally stopped or reduced to a minimum.

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?

Life is a boon, & whatever calamity or situation that befalls you, isn’t worth harming your own self for. No matter what calamity strikes one, one must always try to come out of it rather than take any extreme step; like committing suicide. My parents have always stressed that the golden rule to success is early preparation in order to avoid unnecessary tension & stress at the end (here, during the exams). Although I personally don’t follow this rule, I feel that students should adopt this rule & enjoy life at the same time for smooth sailing during the exams

Industrial Visits – are they really informative for bms students? Which industries have you visited?

Industrial visits are simultaneously informative & also provide an opportunity to students to enjoy themselves. Going to an industry & observing its working definitely provides us with added practical knowledge. My college had scheduled its industrial visit to Bisleri (Parle Bisleri India Ltd.) & another visit is on the agenda.

Do you think a BMS student is more flooded with assignments, projects and internal exams?

Yes, BMS students are flooded with a lot of assignments & projects, which are meant to give them practical experience and also prepare them, amply, to face certain situations in the future. Internal exams in between the semester definitely helps us students for the final exams, reducing the pressure of studying the whole syllabus at the end & also keeps us on our toes.

Do you like being busy with projects, presentations, assignments and internal exams? Or you would like to be enjoying out with friends all that time instead?

No, I definitely would prefer spending time on projects, presentations, assignments & internal exams rather than spending all of my time enjoying out with friends, because aren’t we students first & foremost..??? I do like socializing with my friends but I would not let my studies suffer on that account.

What changes would you like to bring in management education in India?

I feel greater stress should be laid on practical projects, presentations & assignments rather than bookish theory knowledge as we, management students, should be prepared to face any situation or circumstance that we would encounter & practical projects would help us for the same

What message would you like to give to the coming batches of BMS students?

BMS is definitely the perfect choice for students who aren’t cut out/don’t have a liking for ‘intensive study’ courses such as medicine & engineering. But students should strive to get into a good college by scoring a good percentage in the 12^th std. BMS is such a course which is not restricted to people from any one particular stream & people from Arts, Science as well as Commerce can take admission for this course. The BMS syllabus is practically the same as that of MBA, but at a graduate level. Hence, students opting for BMS would have an added advantage when they enroll for MBA.

What are your future plans?

I intend to pursue MBA in finance & am aiming for a suitable position in a reputed bank or investment firm.

Your Feedback for BMS.co.in?

I feel BMS.co.in is a good platform for all BMS students to share their views & opinions. It’s also a site where we BMS students can refer in case of any doubt or help needed.

It’s a great initiative to revolutionize Management Education in Mumbai & should receive all the support & encouragement from BMS students & faculty from all over Mumbai…!!!

Thank You for being so honest with your answers and giving us your valuable time. I’m sure reading this interview would be a great help and inspiration for the students.

Congratulations once again and  wish you all the very best for you career!