Mystory@Pankaj Khemka: How I chose my course and college

Mystory@Pankaj Khemka

In my junior college, I opted for vocational subjects since I was always inclined towards having a technical background. Also, the pattern of study I followed in those days was mostly a balance of theoretical and practical learning. Apart from classes, self-study played an important role for exam preparation. Lot of practical lab work helped me to quickly learn the theories of Science very easily.

The major reason of choosing S I E S College of Management Studies (SIESCOMS), is that it is a very well-known institute with the core values of its Trust rooted in imparting quality education, that too in the city of Mumbai. Hence, this blend of modern knowledge and traditional values of education is a rare combination to find.

Also at SIESCOMS, the faculty is well versed with academic excellence and is capable to relate practical real life scenarios with theoretical concepts. Also, the plethora of opportunities provided to the students both in academic and extra-curricular arena are unmatched. The diverse crowd from different parts of India brings a new vibe of energy altogether, and also their experiences help us to deepen our treasury of knowledge. With a multi-faceted campus, and latest amenities at our disposal, SIESCOMS stands apart.

How I cracked college admission

Admission process at S I E S College of Management Studies is a bit intricate when compared to other leading Business Management Schools in India. It gives appropriate weightage to past academic record, including work experience. The main process comprises of a Group Discussion and a set of two personal interviews and the applicant is graded accordingly.

I have a decent academic background of throughout first class and work experience of one year. My panel discussion was very interactive as the other applicants were also patient enough to listen to each other’s perspective, and hence we had a fruitful discussion. Also, in the two rounds of interview, the panelists tested me on different parameters such as content and importantly communication skills.

In my opinion, having an upper edge in any one of the above admission criteria is not as important, as having a balance of all. And being yourself is the only way to crack the admission process of this institute.

I had appeared for CAT, XAT, SNAP and CET. Apart from SIESCOMS I had applied to some other leading B-Schools in Mumbai, Pune and Delhi. It actually depends on one’s preferences and priorities according to location, placement, specializations offered etc.

What I gained from my college experience

Management is what we aspire to learn from a B-School, but incidentally we all manage things in our day to day life. Similar is the case with education and work balance, where both have equal importance in one’s life. But since the course that I have enrolled is a full-time post graduate course, I can properly focus on the knowledge aspect at a particular point of time.

SIESCOMS is very particular when it comes to academics as they have very stringent norms including 75% compulsory attendance. Also, the faculty IS well versed with all the concepts and is very efficient in imparting the same to students. They keep on trying new ways to make the subjects more interesting by introducing various activities in the same. This helps us to relate the theoretical concepts, and applying them in real life scenarios.

Talking about co-curricular activities in the college, there are different student and faculty committees who make sure that the students are engaged in some or the other events throughout the year. Also, many students participate and win different competitions from top B-Schools, this gives us an opportunity to interact with them and share our knowledge and experiences.

The calendar is completely filled with diverse activities, workshops, and events. Also, another such gem is the corporate interactive sessions that take place every Saturday in our college, which gives an unmatched opportunity to directly connect with the corporate heads of big corporate giants. This gives us an insight into the current corporate scenario and the skills to be developed along with strong academics.

Interestingly, we also have to solve Harvard case studies on weekly basis, which helps us to strategize the solution of any situation, and apply the knowledge gained into proper channels. Thus, giving us an upper hand when we compete in inter-collegiate events. Diverse Annual Conferences, Conclaves and Corporate Meets are organised at timely intervals for all the specializations, to keep us at par with the updated dynamic world.

Time Management is most essential while pursuing a Management degree, since we have a time constraint and many things to be achieved, where sky is the limit.

About the Author:

I am a BE Graduate in Mechanical Engineering, and currently pursuing PGDM in Marketing from S I E S College of Management Studies. Mumbai. With one year work experience in a distribution, I have also done my final year project in Repro India. I am a keen learner and an enthusiast who likes to try new domains.