Students' Speak: Focus areas for Group Discussion
By: Aayushi Pandey
While preparing for GD try to think about any topic from many different perspectives, do not think in any one direction only.
For the preparation of Group Discussion (GD), it is important that you have good knowledge of the topic. For this what students need is to keep themselves regularly updated with the latest happenings.
They should stay well in touch with newspapers like The Hindu, The Economics Times and Guardian. More emphasis should be given on the editorial column of these newspapers, as they help to understand topics from different perspective and also shape your opinions.
There are also many online blogs like Firstpost & Medium, which provide good insight on various topics. Apart from these magazines like Business Insider & other financial magazines are also helpful in the preparation of GD. Since these Group Discussions are for management colleges, it is very important that how well can student back their arguments with data & findings. It is essential that future corporate leaders should be able to practically & logically present their arguments backed with latest data.
Many colleges also give abstract topics for discussions like any color, Black, Yellow, Pink or something like Grass is always greener on the other side etc. The major reason for such topics is to understand how well is the imagination & creative thinking skills of the students. These topics help the institutes to analyze the thinking pattern of the students. And since many students are not thinking to get any topic like this in their GD, so how well they can prepare themselves in the given situation could also be understood by such topics.
While preparing for GD try to think about any topic from many different perspectives, do not think in any one direction. The institutes are interested in those students who can understand the problem by keeping in mind how different parties are involved in it and how their stake is affected by any action. Try to think about any situation in a creative & innovative way but with firm arguments. Loosely end arguments do not give a good impression, so it is necessary that you really believe in what you are saying and present your point with full confidence. Remember in GD confidence, firm voice & arguments give you a definite edge over others.
Try to participate in many mock GDs as possible & indulge in thought-provoking discussion with your peer group. Apart from these, try to observe GDs whether mock or the ones that come on news channel so that you can understand how people speak, their body language and what you can improve in yourself.
About the Author:
Aayushi Pandey is a BCom graduate from DAV PG College, Dehradun. She is currently pursuing PGDM from IMI, Bhubaneswar. Her hobbies include reading fictional stories & writing while her areas of interest are Research, Strategy & Human Resource
