I have learned time management and improved my communication and soft skills, says Adarsh Sharma

After completing 10th from CBSE board, I chose commerce as my stream for higher secondary education. I was always surrounded by people from the commerce background, but this did not force me to do commerce for higher studies. I realized I had genuine interest and curiosity in this field and the fact that my elder sister was also a commerce student made it easier for me to take this decision. I discussed a lot with my sister about several topics. Sometimes I even started referring to her accountancy and economics books and notes to gain knowledge of certain topics. Gradually, I started taking more interest in this stream after my 12th board examinations and that help me to choose B.Com as my further studies.

After I completed my M.Com from Goenka College of Commerce & Business Administration, I wanted to kickstart my career but I knew my ambition was more than M.Com. After much research, only PGDM seemed to align with my career goals. I spoke to various experienced professionals from my field and started preparing for entrance exams.
I achieved a decent score in CMAT 2018 and after giving interviews in different colleges I chose ITM Business School, Navi Mumbai. I had always wanted to make my career in core finance. I heard from various counsellors that ITM Business School gives good exposure in finance because their faculty have great experience and immense knowledge. Its placements are good and most importantly in line with my career objectives. I chose finance as my specialization because I have a stronghold in academics and I see myself as a finance professional in the corporate world.

I self-prepared for the entrance exams. I prepared at home for a couple of months. I didn’t take any coaching classes because I felt I had less time to prepare and it would be efficient if I self-prepare. I bought books referred to me by my seniors. Electronic media platforms were of good help too. I decided to give SNAP and CMAT. After giving these two exams, I got a decent score in CMAT and I started giving interviews in different colleges based on a list of colleges I had shortlisted post my result. I had pre-decided that I will go for finance specialization that’s why I was only looking for those colleges whose finance specialization was good. According to my wishlist and my score, I prioritized colleges like Welingkar, NL Dalmia, ITM Business School, IMI Bhubaneswar.

I was successful in getting ITM Business School and IMI Bhubaneswar. I chose ITM Business School based on recommendations from seniors and peers. I had given extempore and personal interview for ITM Business School.  I had also given group discussion and personal interview with extempore for IMI Bhubaneswar. I had already decided to take admission in ITM Business School. So, I deposited a demand draft of Rs 25,000 which was the part of tuition fees once the result announced.

Most of my time is spent attending lectures. I really enjoy tax and accountancy. I try to perform well and actively participate in lectures. I like interactive sessions where we discuss queries and clear concepts rather than one-way lectures. I believe discussions with faculty and mates help us to clear most of the doubts. Basically, I like practical subjects which are calculation based like accountancy, derivatives, corporate finance, tax, financial modelling over theoretical subjects.

If I talk about extra-curricular activities, I am a member of the Entrepreneurship cell (E-cell) of my college. E-cell deals with learning concepts about entrepreneurship, new business ideas and how startups work. I also have a membership of Confederation of Indian Industry – Young Indians. CII organizes various webinars, events and leadership talks which helps to assess the current and potential market situation. I was the course coordinator of accounting for managers in semester 1 and security analysis and portfolio management in semester 2. The role of the course coordinator is to bridge the gap between student and faculty. If any student has any doubt or faculty has to pass any information to the student, in this case, course coordinator plays an important role. I have also participated in various guest lectures organized by the college.

When it comes to any event or fest in college, I always volunteer as it helps me improve my managerial skills and enhances team spirit and teamwork. Whether it is semester exams or class group presentation I always work hard and give my 100% to make it successful. I always wanted to be a part of the placement cell but due to limited seats available, I couldn’t get selected. The reason for being part of the placement cell is to know how they work, how colleges build a network with various companies and arrange the recruitment process.

My college experience is good because I have made new friends from different walks of life. Faculties are knowledgeable, experienced and supportive. One will always feel at home with them. We also celebrate Ganpati festival and many cultural events like Melange, Classic talkies, Kurukshetra (sports event) etc. We actively participate in sessions like yoga and meditation which should be followed by everyone especially with the kind of life we are leading nowadays. During exams, we study in groups in the library and every once in a while, we take small breaks and grab a bite at the canteen.

Talking about my learning experience, I have learned time management from early morning class, also improved my communication skills and soft skills with the help of Talewind department (a department which only focuses on your interpersonal and soft skills).

About the Author:

Adarsh Kumar Sharma is from Ranchi, Jharkhand. He is a PGDM (Finance) student from ITM Business School, Kharghar. He has done M.com from Goenka College of Commerce & Business Administration, Kolkata. He has a keen interest in Indian and International taxation. Apart from that, he likes cooking and watching content-driven movies when he is free.