An Interview with Ben Samrat Mukherji, TYBMS Sem 5 Topper, Alkesh Dinesh Mody Institute of Financial and Management Studies (78.63%)
- Tell us more about yourself
Everything about me is the cumulative result of the people in my life, I’m constantly adapting and changing as everyone in this fast-paced world rightfully should so it’s rather difficult to take a breather and fill you in. It’s safe to say however that I’m the kind of person who believes success isn’t an individual effort as much as it is a dynamic system that’s set in motion from day 1 from each semester.
- Were you expecting to top in the exams? To whom would you credit this success to?
Many people Aim for the stars, I decided it’s a safer bet to aim for the moon. I believe one always has some idea how well they did, they feel it in their attitude before and after the exam. Observing my own, I believed I’d surely land in the top 3. My tuition professor called me the night before sounding overly-pleased which was a bit off character for the serious man, he asked me to check it the next day and let him know. No sooner that I reached the notice-board everybody around me starting to congratulate me, that’s when I knew for sure this could only be the view from the top, it could only mean I ranked first.
I’d Credit this success first and foremost to my pen, for never dying out on me during the preparation and the actual exam.
My parents for keeping their faith, My Professors & My Friends for giving me the platform I needed to believe in myself.
Of course it’s safe to say one of my biggest assets has been people who didn’t initially believe I’d conquer such a feat.
It’s only when faced with a raging army that the blunt sword of one seems sharper than Excalibur itself.
And like I said, Success is a dynamic system. So I’d credit every single component of that system no matter who they may be because in their own way, they’ve helped me stand here today.
- Did you prepare religiously from day One or A few weeks before the exams?
People who study from the start of the year & People who study last minute. There’s only one major difference between them, the latter’s book is as beautiful and empty as the ocean, the former’s book is a battlefield of one pencil stroke clashing against the other.
I gave each of my subjects’ ample time from day 1. I increased the hours steadily and long before the exams had begun I’d re-read all my theory books more times than I can count. Once you see your pencil strokes highlighting the lines in the books, you gain a certain confidence, you know you’ve read this and you know the next time you read it you’ll understand it a bit better.
- How did you allot time to different subjects?
I’d always leave Mathematics for early hours of the morning every day; it’s when I was at my sharpest.
I’d assign myself 2 theory subjects in addition to mathematics every single day. I’d give each about 1/1.30 Hrs.
Since my schedule was always changing, timetables didn’t help me much personally.
In total I’d study for about 4/5 hrs every day, It’s Important to take breaks and do other things to relax or you end up losing your drive.
- Can you share some insights on how to crack the subjects before exams?
My pattern of solving every theory paper was as follows:
Definition with quote (1 or 2)
Introduction to the question (About 3 sentences)
Body of the answer (3 paragraphs)
Examples
Diagram representing the body of the answer (Tree-Diagram)
Conclusion (1-2 lines)
For open ended subjects like Ethics of Business Management, it’s very difficult to have a standard acceptable answer.
You require to be detailed yet not ambiguous, complement it with diagrams and examples.
- Do you think BMS student require coaching classes or is self-study enough? Had you joined any coaching class for a particular subject?
I can’t speak for anyone else, but I know my coaching class did help me quite a lot. There are a lot of times in the class you don’t understand something no matter how many times you ask, for people who do attend a coaching class it’s not so stressful since there’s a second line of defense (their coaching class) they can approach anytime.
I’d joined mine for Financial Management, It wasn’t my strongest subject and I was ready to take all the help I could get.
It’s my personal opinion however that the 5th and 6th semesters demand every single course of action one can take , so it’s always a better option to consider a coaching class or some form of external help as well.
- Did you participate in college fests or extra-curricular activities? Do you think a BMS student can manage both studies and extra activities?
Can? A BMS student HAS to manage studies and extra-curricular. For heaven’s sake it’s a management subject isn’t it? I attended Seminars, participated in workshops and Public-Speaking events, helped with inter-collegiate festivals and any business related event I’d find on our university notice board.
I believe these extra-curricular events compliment the academics; they give you motivation and a sense of achievement which definitely sets you apart in the exam hall as well as for the rest of your life.
- Did you pursue any additional courses/ internships alongside BMS?
No Internships, the opportunity never came. Although I was more than happy devoting myself entirely to the BMS course at hand.
- 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?
It’s a very sad state of affairs when students value their life lesser than the hurdles they face. Being in the position of a student I’d say we all sense a certain fear, anticipation for ourselves and the people who would be disappointed if we failed them.
I believe however we’d truly disappoint them if we committed such horrendous acts instead of trying to better ourselves.
Stress is a part and parcel of life, its sour, just like a lemon. But when life gives you lemons, go ahead and make lemonades.
I’d just like to say, books and degrees help but will only take you so far, Bill Gates, Richard Branson and most billionaires you hear about? All dropouts! And yet if they decided to give up, not only would they’d never know how famous they’d be someday but we’d be deprived of the technology they helped create.
So don’t give up, there is no end except the one you decides will stop you.
- Do you think the number of Industrial visits should be increased for BMS Students? Which industries have you visited?
Definitely, Industrial visits do help although in my experience it’s been more fun and a memory making event than anything else, it’s the one time you’ll see each other not just as classmates but as lifetime friends.
I’ve visited Parle Agro, Bisleri , Trimax IT , Tang etc. during the course of my semesters.
- Do you think BMS students are flooded with assignments, projects and internal exams round the clock? What changes would you like to bring in the BMS Curriculum?
That’s the beauty of it, we all feel burdened by it but every single person manages to complete it some way or another. Maybe by writing on their own, maybe by jotting down their colleagues’ notes but by one way or another their management skills do increase don’t you agree?
- What message would you like to give to the next batch of BMS students?
My advice to the next batch will be, don’t set a standard for yourself. Just because you’ve never scored about 70% or 80% before, or because your university toppers haven’t scored above 90% doesn’t mean you’ll fall in that category.
Don’t follow anybody’s legacy, create your own. If you want it more than anyone else, and if you work harder than anybody else, you’ll break your own barriers and come out on top, guaranteed.
- What are the future plans post BMS?
I’m applying for a 6 month Internship at Deutsche Bank, After which I’ll most likely pursue my MBA in Marketing from University of Sydney in Australia.
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