Mystory@Uma Saraswat: How I chose my course and college

Mystory@Uma Saraswat

Every year, our school, Ashok Hall Girls' Higher Secondary School, conducts an aptitude test for the class 10 board exam aspirants. This aptitude test helps students understand which field is best suitable for them. In this test, I scored the maximum in Mathematics, which pointed me towards Commerce stream. Commerce stream also offered me a variety of options to choose! Though I was confused with CA, CS, BBA and BCom.

Since CA and CS are done by every second student of Commerce, I wanted to go beyond that. I wanted to go out for further studies but was restricted to not venture out. Thus, I looked for colleges in and around Kolkata to find the best college for me. I looked for the combinations of subjects thus I found Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) as the best course one can choose when opting for business marketing and management. I also checked the course reviews on the Internet.

When I visited the college, it seemed to make a connection. It was so beautiful and attractive. I was truly amazed by the infrastructure and short-term courses offered at iLEAD stood out amongst its contemporaries. Therefore, I immediately thought of joining this college and try the new challenges.

How I cracked college admission

The moment when I was scheduled to appear for the entrance paper, I was shocked and nervous too. I didn’t know how I will get through, there were a lot of questions coming to my mind and I was comfortably numb.

The entrance test conducted by iLEAD for admission in 2013 included a written test and interview. The written test consisted of questions from basic general knowledge to situational awareness questions and current affairs. Though it was tough yet it was challenging. I was looking forward to the same. There was a new journey awaiting me.

The preparation required for this test was simply brushing up from class 6-8 textbooks and reading the newspaper. Honestly speaking, I didn’t take any coaching class; all I did was just revision. Other than that, I also gave exams in JDBI and St Xavier’s, Kolkata.

My tip would be that before giving any entrance exam; one should be very confident and well versed with the syllabus. One should have positive vibes and attitude towards it! I also believe that one’s General Knowledge should be up to the mark for cracking any entrance exam. Reading newspaper and listening to news helps a lot in improving English, knowledge of current affairs scenario, politics, business environment, startups etc.

My college experience: Classes, Internship and more

Three years, so many things to share: it’s difficult to explain in words or in a paragraph. I still have goosebumps when I narrate or tell stories of my college life! My college life was beyond amazing. The things I've learnt and memories I've made in these years are too precious. They are irreplaceable.  

College taught me time management, handling situations maturely, making new friends etc. It also taught me to judge people wisely and how to be silent and not react when you fail to understand or agree with the other person’s perspective on things. College was a happy place to be! I had the craziest batch and the most famous one. Teachers and juniors loved our presence.

There have been ups and downs but still I enjoyed all of them. I was also a part of Student’s Council; seminar and was events head. Even today I miss them and my college life. Those were the “Days of our Lives”.

I started developing the habit of becoming a responsible and hardworking student from the first year of college. I always had the habit of writing and each would be different from the others. My first job or part-time job, to say the least was in the first year of college when I started writing content for a website but I made quite a few mistakes here and there still it all turned out okay. I got a lot of opportunities but I was looking for the best one where I could get my break!

I landed my first Internship at PS Group in my second year of college and it was challenging and way different. I had learnt a lot from that internship. I met new people, discussed about their career, their struggle, their ideas, current topics, startup trends and how long they have been into this profession and so on!  Moreover, this particular internship, taught me to be an independent and responsible person. I became much more mature than I was before. I was doing my first on-field visit and it turned out to be a long day. This internship taught me that there are far more things to be learnt in the outside world compared to a textbook. I gained a lot of practical knowledge and exposure from here. All the internships I have been through taught me something or the other. They took out the best from me and made me so capable that I was ready to take up new challenges. It nourished my professional traits. I also learnt a lot from my mentors, they were a source of inspiration for me. They motivated me in every possible way, and supported my decisions.

“Procrastination is evil’ and ‘Never say No to new experiences.’ These are the two major lessons I learnt while in college. Now I surely feel that iLEAD was one of the best things that happened to me!

About the Author:

I’m Uma Saraswat, a BBA (H) graduate from iLEAD. Currently, I am doing a short-term course on Digital Marketing. My strengths are my dedication and time management. I love reading books and watching movies. My favourite hobby is dancing.