Every Page Has a Different Story to Tell: Utkarsh Rastogi

UBS, Chandigarh

By 10th, I had understood that Science was not my cup of tea and there was no point studying something that did not intrigue me. Moreover, from 8th only, I had a thing for Economics and numbers. So, to complement my interest, I selected Commerce as my stream after 10th. And as I thought, Commerce subjects were perfect for me. During these 2 years, I became interested in Accounts and that’s what drove me to select my graduation course. I pursued B.Com (Hons) from PGDAV College, Delhi University. As we know, entry in DU is on merit basis. Being from general category, I knew I had to score well in order to get selected in DU. I scored 93.8% in 12th and then selected B.Com (Hons) as my course in graduation. While in graduation, I developed an interest in pursuing higher studies as it would open a pool of opportunities for me.

While pursuing graduation, I started studying for CAT to qualify for a good business school. I gave CAT in my final year and scored 89 percentile. With this score, the best option for me was Universal Business School, Chandigarh and it being a reputed B-school, I had my eyes on this college. So, a thoughtful process and a little risk of leaving colleges such as IMT, Nagpur and IMT, Hyderabad (being already converted) brought me to this school. IB was something that I wanted to pursue and my merit rank got me the course that I wanted.

In order to pursue MBA in Indian colleges, there are certain tests like CAT, XAT, NMAT, CMAT, IIFT, etc. Some of these tests are for particular colleges, like XAT is for Xavier’s colleges, IIFT is for Indian Institute of Foreign Trade, while some tests are accepted by multiple colleges such as CAT, CMAT, etc. I personally applied for CAT, NMAT, XAT, IIFT, and SNAP. I took coaching from TIME institute in order to crack the exams and, thereafter, interviews and GDs. After the results came, I got calls from IMT Nagpur, IMT Hyderabad, IIM Shillong, NMIMS Navi Mumbai, NMIMS Hyderabad, and UBS. The only call that I was unable to convert was IIM Shillong. I converted all other colleges but after having thought intensively, my choice came down to UBS as it was offering me the course that I wanted to pursue and am currently pursuing. Somewhere around mid-March, I had my GD and interview scheduled for UBS. I was extremely nervous about it. After giving the rounds, I was pretty satisfied with my GD performance but I had goofed up a bit in the interview. Still, I got the 162nd merit rank and was able to get UBS in the third counselling round. The process, though long, was fruitful. Currently, I am trying to get the best out of me here.

The class timings for my college are 8 AM–5 PM and generally, that time is spent attending college. But as and when the time comes and different societies call for us, we have to be there for the societies. One thing that I am sure of is that you will not know how time flies during the day. But the schedule is not restricted to classes; regularly organised guest lectures- which are surely knowledgeable and a worthy experience- are something that you don’t want to miss, and thus, they will be a part of your schedule. And as we know, classes cannot take you to the top just by themselves. Class knowledge needs to be complemented by some co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, and one great source of such activities are the clubs of UBS. There are good clubs in UBS which will provide you with the opportunities. One such cell is Business Cell, which I am a part of. Business Cell is actively involved in organising events such as TEDx, Parichay (event for the freshers) as well other events that are being conducted in UBS. At some point or the other, you will be called to be a part of the organising team of some event.

One thing that I want to do during my college is to pursue some course that can add to my practical skills and thus create employability for me. But as these courses would be a part of your college curriculum, you would need to manage your time effectively. One thing that this college has taught me is that this there is no limit to learning and you can learn anything with a proper environment and total commitment. College is a place where you can work on your PR and communication skills. So, after having converted such a great college, I would invest heavily on myself in terms of time and money, so that I can reap the best out of this conducive environment.

About the Author:

My name is Utkarsh Rastogi. I am currently pursuing MBA in International Business at University Business School. I did my graduation from Delhi University. Cricket is something that keeps me occupied when I’m away from my books. I believe in learning till eternity, and believe me, it is never too late to start. Drama thrillers (AVs or books) are always in my checklist.