Interview with Saumya Iyer, SYBMS Topper, Sterling College

Name – Saumya Krishnamurthi Iyer

Currently in – SYBMS

College – NCRD’s Sterling Institute of Arts, Science and Commerce

% – 82

Tell us about yourself and your college

The first thing I would like to say about myself is that I’m a people’s person basically. I like to interact with people, share ideas and thoughts. This helps me to improve if I’m lacking at any part. I love to read books. I’m also passionate about writing. I like to bring new innovations in my writing techniques. I’m passionate basically because from the time I learnt to read and write I used to always keep scribbling some or the other stories. This made me become more inclined towards writing.

Now about my college I would like to say that it has a professional environment to some extent. I’m new this year to the college but even then I like the environment in it. The teachers are also very helpful. They give us complete guidance whenever we need it or whenever we approach them with doubts.

Were you expecting to top in the exams?

I would rather want to be honest on this part. I did really expect to top in the exams because I had the utmost confidence in my preparation. I worked hard by giving my complete dedication to my studies.

To whom would you credit this success to?

I would definitely like to give some credit to my parents because they always supported me and bared with me whenever I used to wake up early in the morning. Most importantly I would like to give credit to the fellow students of mine for being such a good competition and raising my morale for working more harder for the exams so that I can score better each time.

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

I definitely didn’t start preparing from first day onwards because being from a non-commerce background I needed to understand what BMS is all about. So I rather took my ample time in studying the subjects properly n understanding the basics of management.

How did you allot time to different subjects?

I had a self-made timetable for sure which I followed during the preparations for the exams. The most important thing was that I gave equal time and attention to each subject individually. Apart from making a timetable and following it I had my own way of studying. I prepared my own notes from the reference books apart from the notes given by the college professors.

Had you joined any coaching classes or was it just self-study?

I didn’t join any coaching classes or such. It was all completely self-study.

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

Till now I couldn’t get an opportunity in participating in any college fests. I would like to definitely say that taking part in extra-curricular activities is very important for any BMS student. This is because it helps them to know their potential and capability as to what and how much can they do apart from studying during class hours.

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?

I dislike the option of committing suicide out of failure or depression or tension of exams to a great extent. The student needs to have a great will-power to learn from their failures. Even if they have had a failure they must take it as a challenge and come with better results the next time. Committing suicide is definitely the worst option. Managing stress can be done by keeping your mind cool and calm. If the student is tensed about something then he/she must take their time off for a little while and then get back to their studies.

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

Industrial visits helps the students know the working of the industries in a better or rather practical manner. The student feels it easier when he/she sees anything happening practically in front of the eyes. The industrial visits help the students gather information in a more systematic manner and it tends to be in the minds of the students as an experience during later times also.

I have visited ‘Kullu Neer mineral water’. This is an industry which produces mineral water and distributes it to the local areas. Another industry was a ‘shawl factory’ where we actually saw the way the shawls are woven by the local women.

I had also visited Mafatlal Industries and NOCIL companies in my first year as a part of my project for the subject of accounts. We collected details about the company and also the way they prepare their accounts every year. It was also overall a nice experience to talk with such senior most professionals in the organization.

Do you think a bms student is more flooded with assignments, projects and internal exams? What changes would you like to bring in management education?

Sometimes definitely yes, a student is flooded with assignments, projects and internal exams. But these are some things which are an integral part in a BMS student’s life. The main change that can be brought about in management education is that it would be better if the education is more practical-oriented rather than being theoretical-oriented where professors are giving more weightage to the students’ answer quantity and not quality. The system of rote-learning should not be prevalent in a management education.

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

The only thing I would like to say is that management is a first step which leads to a very bright future ahead. It is very important to take the management education seriously otherwise it may not be that beneficial to you in your future prospects.

What are the future plans?

I am planning to my masters for sure after my graduation. This would help me stand on my own legs and establish my identity in this competitive world.

Your Feedback for BMS.co.in?

BMS.co.in is a very beneficial website for the BMS students. It is a great platform for showcasing your skills and also your leadership and other management qualities. Personally, BMS.co.in has motivated me to write more and more than I used to do before.