Mystory@Yash Kariwal: How I chose my course and college

Mystory@Yash Kariwal

I chose Commerce in Class 11 and 12 for the simple reason that all my friends had opted for the same. Peer pressure got the better of me and I was compelled to take the same subject as my friends. As two years passed, I developed more interest in current affairs, than my course subjects. This drift from Commerce reinforced my faith in the decision to take up journalism or a media based course.

iLEAD had attracted me the moment I saw its description and pictures online. Since I always wanted to do journalism and iLEAD was offering a course in it, it was like a dream come true for me. I did not hesitate a bit in taking up Bachelors in Media Science (H) at iLEAD. I must also admit that the infrastructural facilities and options provided by iLEAD were too good to not opt for. iLEAD also allowed me to explore various media fields, such as Advertising, PR, Page Designing, Film-Making, etc., which was a big advantage.

How I cracked college admission

When everyone was relaxing after Board exams, I thought of going through the course details and admission procedure, to ensure a seat for myself. I was attended by the senior academic counselor of the media department who told me the exact procedure. As per her instructions, I filled the online application form, providing all necessary details and started preparing for the entrance exam. The entrance exam had questions of English Proficiency, Logical Reasoning, General Knowledge, Current Affairs and basic media aptitude.

My written test went very well. I had attempted most of the questions and that gave a tremendous boost to my enthusiasm. Later, I sat in the college auditorium to appear for Group Discussion. The discussion started and I spoke with confidence and eloquence. The final stage of admission was one-on-one interview with the college management. The process got completed and now, I was anxious about the result. A phone call after 3 days confirmed my iLEAD journey. If not iLEAD, my alma mater would have been either St.Xaviers' College, Kolkata or Symbiosis Institute, Pune.

What I gained from my college experience 

For me, campus life at iLEAD was a constant stream of surprises and challenges. Although I was a media enthusiast, it was my first foray into the world of journalism and hence it was amazing to learn the tricks of the trade. Mentors not only taught from books, handouts or PPTs, but gave us overall practical industry-oriented approach in the respective fields of studies. Time just flew by, and as I started establishing myself as a professional, I realized that my college life had come to an end.

I made some of the most genuine friends in my college and they are pretty close to me. The memories I made sitting in the canteen, to the juniors calling me out as "Yash Bhaiya!" in the corridors, I will cherish everything forever. Thus I can happily say that my college life was very good and beneficial for me, both on a personal and a professional level.

Just after completing the course, I was appointed as Media Lab Assistant in my own alma mater. My immediate learning from my first workplace was not to be too complacent. Whatever I learnt as a student was now behind me and it was time to start from the scratch again. This indeed helped me re-build myself as a full-fledged professional, striving ahead in the professional world.

I indeed chose the right career for myself. I wanted to be a journalist since Class 8 and hence it was a natural choice for me. The best part is that I learnt about other professions in the media industry as well.

Being complacent, lazy, procrastination were definitely some mistakes I made but as they say, “to err is human”. So, it was more important for me to learn from my mistakes and be better the next time.

My college education helped me immensely as my college paved the way for me to pursue journalism and made me efficient at it. My dedication and interest, were the two things which never decreased, and I guess, that’s was what kept me going and clicked for me.

The only tip that I would offer is that one should always follow their passion and work at a place where you enjoy. Your passion should be your work, only then you will enjoy it.

"Tell your heart that the worst form of suffering is the fear of suffering itself." - Paulo Coelho

About the Author:

Fun-loving, sarcastic and friendly - these three words define me perfectly. A proud member of the BMS 2013-16 batch, I, Yash Kariwal, was the Secretary of the Student Council in 2016. A bookworm, I can mostly be spotted hanging out with my closest friends. I'm currently working as a tech journalist and plan to pursue further studies in the same field.