Mystory@Gaurav Kumar Prasad:How I chose my course and college

Mystory@Gaurav Kumar Prasad

Being labelled as one of the “good students” throughout my school life, Science seemed like the perfect option for me and I haven’t had a chance to regret that since. Being introduced to Computer Science, I developed a fascination for coding and understanding computer language. Naturally, when the time came to choose my course for under-graduation, Computer Science seemed like the perfect option for me.

Four years down the line, I had my fill of Computer Science and decided to pursue my MBA in search of better prospects. I gave the CAT exam a couple of times and finally decided to pursue my MBA from FORE School of Management, Delhi. I must add that pursuing MBA has been one of the better decisions that I have made. I have realised that there are more ways to climb the corporate ladder. I would like to imbibe the theoretical knowledge that has been imparted to me and combine it with street smartness.

How I cracked college admission

It’s a dream for any MBA aspirant to be a part of the best college in the country and I was one of them too. However, when my percentile was not up to the mark for IIMs, I decided to pursue my MBA from FORE School of Management, which has marketing as its forte. I got into FORE through CAT exam, though apart from that I gave all possible entrance exams that a future manager can give. It included CAT, XAT, SNAP, and NMAT. While preparing, I did not take any extra or special classes. I believe that if you do join a coaching institute, they can help you only upto a particular level. Beyond that, you have to study on your own and that involves a lot of grind. Besides, the syllabus for all entrance exams is pretty much the same and it is something that we all have been exposed to in school. It is essential that we keep working on the basics and lay a solid foundation. The next step is cracking the college entrance tests. I gave a General Awareness Quiz, Written Ability Test followed by Personal Interview. For the general awareness quiz, I brushed up my knowledge of current affairs. I always had a flair for writing which held me in good stead when it came to writing on a particular topic. Lastly, for the personal interview, I decided to be very clear in my thoughts and be extremely straight forward.

What I gained from my college experience

MBA keeps you busy. There is always a class or an assignment hovering over your head but that is the best part! The whole point of doing MBA is not that you keep your knowledge restricted to books. It’s about developing your personality so that when you enter the corporate world, you’ll be ready. Being a first year student, you have to study all subjects from Marketing, Finance, Operations to HR. Marketing has always piqued my interest and I love undertaking projects in that particular field. I find it quite interesting to study customer behaviour and what instigates people to purchase a particular product.

Personally, I feel the best part of an MBA program is the student committees. These work towards shaping you. Most of the activities in my college are student driven. Members of the student council have to work hard but they are the ones who reap the benefit of it in the years to come. I am part of the PR and the admissions committee of the college and it has been a joy ride! As part of the PR team, we have to cover all events that happen in the college and promote them on various platforms. As part of the admissions committee, we are bestowed upon the duty to oversee the admission process for the upcoming batch and assist them in any way we can. I wouldn’t call myself as an extrovert but I was always an ambivert. This meant that I was always a little to myself. However, I have realized the importance of striking a conversation with a random person and engaging in small talk. This is essentially the role of the PR team. Apart from that I have learnt the importance of networking. 

About the Author:

I am a BTech Computer Science graduate from Amity University. Being the quintessential engineer of our country, I decided to pursue my MBA once I was done with engineering. And what a roller coaster ride it has been since then. Pre-MBA my hobbies included travelling, playing sports, picking up an occasional book and exploring uncharted territories. Now my repertoire also includes networking, an art whose criticality I came to realize once I entered MBA college.