Mystory@Sudakshina Anand: How I chose my course and college

It was a rather fierce attempt to cling on to nostalgia that I took up ISC in Chennai. We had just moved out of Bangalore and at that time, I was already enrolled in the same school for the same course. I was stubborn. I wanted to take up Science as I am passionate about it, and where better to pursue it than in one of the most competitive places in India. I was thus enrolled in Sishya School, Adyar, for my ISC – Science course, along with a supplementary coaching for IITJEE. I also felt it would be best to take up Science as I wanted to become an engineer.

My current college came in as a surprise. Four years of under-graduate course taught me that I not only wanted to design and analyse structures but also see them come to life. I understood that pure engineering wasn’t going to help me in this. I needed a little bit of an edge. I therefore decided to take up a course in Management. But pure Management would put me in just about any field and I didn’t want that. I therefore did my research, and found that my current college had a standing reputation for producing excellent construction managers, project managers, and several others of the like. It was established by several big-shot companies in the field of construction and I wanted to be a part of this exciting course and college. At that point, I knew that National Institute of Construction Management and Research (NICMAR), Pune was the place for me. I did not try for any other college as I had my mind fixed on this one.

How I cracked college admission

As much as I was enthusiastic about joining the PGP-ACM course in NICMAR, I had no inkling as to what to do to get there. PGP-ACM is Post Graduate Programme in Advanced Construction Management. I didn’t know where to start. So, I turned to Google, and asked it the obvious. Apparently, I could’ve taken admission with my CAT scores, an exam whose final date I neatly skipped. Upon further research, I found that NCAT – Nicmar Common Aptitude Test comprises of three sections:

1.    Common Written Aptitude Test, which will test my general mathematical abilities, aptitude, verbal, reasoning and data analysing skills. Just like any other MBA exam, it isn’t humanly possible to complete all the questions. Therefore, a 60% completion of every section should be ensured.
For this part, you can take the help of 10th grade mathematics textbooks – all the topics are important. Also, reasoning and other aspects can be learnt from CAT preparation guides.

2.    Group Discussion, which is to test how well a student can take part in a discussion without losing their wits. It tests the person’s patience, resourcefulness, their overall general knowledge and their ability to negotiate, convince and get convinced. Contrary to the general assumption in these, it is not a debate and you will have to mend your way to suit the situation. As preparation for this, I suggest to be thorough with your general knowledge and current affairs. However, when I had given the exam, I did not have this process.

3.    Personal Interview, which is to see how well you know the basics in your field. As a student of civil engineering, the best way to go about this would be to get yourself a Basic Civil Engineering Handbook.

Your total preparation should take you around 4 to 6 months, depending upon your pace.

My college life: Classes, extra-curricular activities and more

Apart from being caught up in several assignments and classes, I find time to take naps, read books, interact with professors for research work and sometimes workout. At NICMAR Pune, we have some or the other extra-curricular happenings, like sports meets, or Chakraview, Reverbs, or Alumni meets to attend. We are kept busy, either on the planning and management part or the participation part. Apart from all this, we have different clubs, like the Literary Club, for those literature lovers out there, but with a twist; the Music Club, for those with an innate ear for music; MAD Club, for the artists who love to act; the Fashion Club, for those interested in fashion. Apart from these, I believe the atmosphere in NICMAR is enough to get you up and jumping – you meet many different people to either idle it out in the cafeteria or go out to various interesting places in Pune.

I am an avid bunker. However, this college has taught me that classes can be interesting and engaging. I like the fact that these professors take you through a discussion and entertain questions, along with the usual class session with lectures. It is truly a new experience, where learning is concerned.
Before this, I have been a day-scholar the whole time. I wouldn’t have imagined that I would be put in a hostel. Flash forward 9 months, I find that I am actually living it up; with friends and classes, I barely have time to miss home. I have a whole new confidence in myself. Being in a hostel changes you for the better. It teaches you all the different things you’d need to know if you are to go out into the real world. You get the chance to explore and discover. The atmosphere here is conducive for character-building. I daresay I learnt the true essence of being ambitious here. It has changed me and it has gotten me ready to take on the world, for which I shall be grateful to my college.

About the Author:

My name is Sudakshina. I hail from Thanjavur, TN. I did my class 10 in Bangalore, class 12 in Chennai and my BE Civil in Hosur. I am now pursuing my PGP-ACM in NICMAR, Pune.

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