Interview with Purva Nayak, TYBMS Topper 2013, S.I.E.S. College, Sion East

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Electives chosen in Sem 6 – Investment Analysis & Portfolio Management

Did you take Coaching? If yes, which classes?

No, I did not take any coaching or tuition. I never felt the need for it.

Extracurricular activities/Hobbies/Achievements-

I am a voracious reader, love reading all kinds of books & novels (both fiction & non-fiction). Some of my favourite classics are ‘Gone with the Wind’ by Margaret Mitchell & ‘The Count of Monte-Cristo’ by Alexander Dumas. I love dancing too, have learnt Bharatnatyam for 2 yrs, Salsa & Jive. To talk about achievements, I haven’t achieved much, had won the State Level Middle School Scholarship & topped my college (ie S.I.E.S) in both  2^nd & 3^rd year. 😛

In extra-curricular activities, I wasn’t ever an over active participant, especially during B.M.S, my main focus & target was to excel at academics & project work.

Fondly known as (name) in the college group –

No, particular name as such, it was always only Purva..!

Ambition in life-

To tell the truth, I was one of the most un-focussed, confused person ever, before I joined BMS. But joining BMS was the turning point of my life, & I found a complete new direction & a target to work towards. I’m already pursuing my Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from a reputed college in Pune. I plan to follow it up with another degree after which I hope to pursue a career in finance, the subject I love. I would love to work in the Banking or Investment sector. I hope to ascend the corporate ladder & reach the topmost rungs with hard-work, grit & determination.

Most memorable moment in BMS-

Well, there is not 1 but countless moments I cherish during my 3 years in S.I.E.S college. Maybe the most memorable moment was when I was awarded a certificate for topping the second year by my respected Principal Mrs. Minu Thomas & other dignitaries. But even the simplest but best times spent such as in the classrooms during lectures, with friends, are memorable & will be cherished throughout my life..!!

Funniest thing you did in the BMS course –

Hahaha, this is a tough one..! I doubt I did anything funny. Maybe the one time I was sent on the stage for a presentation without any prior intimation might have been funny (not for me, but my friends & fellow classmates) as I was held dumbstruck & I assure you it was a sorry state of affairs..! 😛

Define BMS in 1 line –

BMS is a complete course in itself, which enlightens you about a variety of subjects, touching each and every facet available & after the successful completion of Bachelor of Management Studies, countless arenas full of opportunities, such as Human Resource Management, Sales and Marketing, Jobs in PSU banks, Finance, Research and Development, etc open wide in front of you.

Which factors were considered in mind while selecting the Sem 6 Electives/Optional subjects?

As I mentioned before, I had chosen Investment Analysis & Portfolio Management as my 6^Th semester elective. It was an obvious choice for me, considering I had chosen Special Studies in Finance as my 5^th semester elective & always wanted to study finance. People who have good communication skills but aren’t that good with numbers and don’t have a liking for finance (which is the most important criteria for choosing an elective..!) should go for Marketing.

Did you use BMS.co.in for your exam preparation? Which sections of BMS.co.in helped you?

Of course I used bms.co.in, it was a constant help & source of guidance all through my three years of graduation. Especially the question banks which used to be available to us a day before the exam, from various professors and coaching classes. Also the quick updates available on the site regarding various announcements from the unpredictable Mumbai University were useful in times of great stress..! 😛

3) How do you feel to be a consistent topper in both Sem 5 and Sem 6 exams?

Well, I have been a topper both 2^nd & 3^rd year n I feel that my first success motivated me & made me even more determined to continue working hard for the next exam rather than letting it get to my head & take a casual stance. Also I was pretty focussed throughout, and even though I dint study every day, it was a balanced preparation. I dint need any external motivation to study, my target was enough to keep me going always.

4) Behind one topper are many people who stood by him/her during those uncertain times when he/she was merely an ‘aspirant’. Would you like to tell the world, who were those people in your case? Any specific incidence that you would like to share with the readers?

I have a lot of people whom I’m going to be forever grateful to. My parents & relatives, always have had confidence in me along with expecting nothing but the best from me. One particular person whom I want to name is my professor who has taught me subjects like Service Sector Management & International Marketing, Prof Jinal Shah. She is my mentor and role model. I have always seeked her advice for the smallest of things & she has seen me through my most stressful days, the days before & during my exams. I’ll always be thankful to her for having so much confidence in me, & a spark in me which I cudn’t notice in myself..!

5) What is your message to the aspirants?

People who choose BMS over other graduation options have so much of an advantage over others. They have exposure to such a variety of subjects, ranging from Marketing, Finance, Human Resource Management, Logistics, Export Import Regulations to Mathematics, Statistics, Law & Taxation. This is an opportunity to all of you where you all can have an idea about all the subjects & then can decide upon a subject which can be taken up as your elective for specialization. BMS is no less than Engineering or any other stream that’s looked very highly upon. Infact BMS prepares you very well for your MBA which has mostly the same subjects but much more in detail. At the same time its not to be taken lightly.

My message would be:Work hard & success is all yours..!

6) What was your study plan?

I dint have a particular study plan as such. I just used to regularly study, each subject at regular intervals. Also I concentrated more on my elective subject & other practical ones. I gave equal importance to my internal exams which are conducted by the college as its very easy to get 40 marks, if you perform well. Also bms.co.in was a great help during my final preparation..!

Subjects Name – Source of your preparation

The source of my preparation for all the subjects were about 2 textbooks recommended by the college professors for each subject, the college notes dictated in class, the notes I made when the professor was lecturing, solving the last 10 years papers & of course bms.co.in for the question banks just before the exams which were a huge help…!!