I prepared myself for the exam at home through previous years' question papers and YouTube videos, says Rakesh

Being a middle-class boy trying to fulfill the greatest desires and wishes of the parents to become a Doctor or an Engineer just like other middle-class families after Class 10 grade my journey started at Sri Kumaran Children’s Home Composite PU college opting for PCMB  to become an aspiring Doctor in professional life to serve the people which actually didn’t happen and ended up taking  Mechanical Engineering at JSS Academy of Technical Education, Bengaluru. Indeed that was the real turning point of my life as the four years of degree life taught me some real-life values,  independent decision-making capabilities and what life is all about and why people struggle for the daily minimum wages. As an Intern and GAPP trainee at Bharat Electronics ltd., I learned how a Master’s degree made a great difference in the organisation and made my decision of taking up a Master’s Degree. Due to the  Covid-19 pandemic and restrictions in the family, I opted for a Master’s degree in my Home Town Bengaluru. 

As the Covid-19 pandemic being a villain to many people’s lives and also mine but I made a firm decision and took advantage of it to prepare for the entrance exams for my Master’s degree as I got plenty of free time at home and invested that free time in preparing for the 2020 PG-CET exam as the fees to be paid through PG-CET was less compared to other sets of exams as my family’s financials were a bit tight at that moment. I prepared myself for the exam at home through previous years' question papers and YouTube videos and did not take up any external coaching classes for the same. Finally, I gave my best and was able to score a good rank in PGCET. Later began the confusions of getting into a college according to my rank where I started doing research about different colleges and B-Schools through Google reviews, YouTube videos, reviews from friends who were already pursuing their Master’s courses in various colleges and decided PESIT, BMS and Acharya Bangalore B School as my top priorities and at last, I was able to choose Acharya Bangalore B-School as it was one of the reputed B-Schools in Bengaluru.

I prepared myself for the exam at home through previous years' question papers and YouTube videos and did not take up any external coaching classes for the same. Finally, I gave my best and was able to score a good rank in PGCET

Just like any other students dream of getting placed with a good package in reputed companies, even I have a similar type of dream. In order to achieve this I actively took part in the classroom lecturers but will follow a 50:30:20 pattern where I learn 50 percent of things through exploring and real-life experiences, 30 percent I learn through videos and the rest 20 percent I learn through classroom lectures. I usually spend most of the time in college with my good friends in exploring and learning new things rather than being a bookworm, as exploring with friends and teaming up with different students from various states improves both intellectual and communication skills. I would always love to attend the practical subjects rather than theory ones as these practical subjects always keep me very actively involved in the class. I was part of the Finance club of ABBS in my initial college days. If given a chance I would like to get involved in more sports activities and create a proper balance in my student life. My three takeaways from my college experience at ABBS are Firstly, it has actually changed the way I manage and operate things on a daily basis, Secondly, it has exposed me to the corporate world and finally made me a person to actively participate in all kinds of activities irrespective of the rewards. As the continuously changing technology and market conditions there arise the need of entrepreneurs and managerial decision-making abilities. This creates opportunities for various managerial positions and also entrepreneurial roles to set up new business activities in the future.

Try to get into an entry-level job in an automotive company more preferably before my graduation and gain some experience in the corporate world and accumulate funds for my future business plan (through my learnings of Engineering, MBA and corporate experience) which I have planned to start after 6 to 7 years down the line and retire with a successful automotive service company in Bengaluru.

About the author

Rakesh Krishna is a first year MBA student at Acharya Bangalore B School. He is a go-getter who loves enjoying the sound of flowing water and playing cricket which indirectly drives me to spend a lot of time in wandering and exploring new places and people.

Note: The views expressed in this article are solely author’s own and do not reflect/represent those of Shiksha