InsideIIM.com brings to you an interview with Niyati Narendra Rohilla, the first year topper of Thakur Institute Of Management Studies and Research (2014-16) below-
Brief Introduction:
Niyati Rohilla is a Commerce Graduate and currently pursuing MBA in Finance from TIMSR
1. Tell us about your educational background. Why did you decide of pursuing MBA? Why did you choose TIMSR
?
I have done my schooling from Holy Family Convent High School in Vasai. Further on I pursued Commerce as it was my area of interest. Since I wanted to get into a course which provided me with knowledge about various subjects and areas of the industry, I completed my Bachelors in Management Studies and decided to pursue Masters in the same with a specialization in Finance.
Thakur Institute of Management Studies (TIMSR) is renowned for having one of the best infrastructural facilities among the B-Schools in Mumbai which provides its students with the facilities of Ideation Rooms, a huge library, Refreshment area and Recreational activity area where students can play various indoor as well as outdoor games to keep their mind fresh from the hectic schedule. Hence, I chose TIMSR to complete my Masters.
2. "To be one amongst the toppers of my batch"- was that a strategy from day one of B- School or something that evolved eventually?
To top in my batch was never pre-decided. When you once step into the Post Graduation Course, understanding of your subjects is much important rather than just blindly following them. We at TIMSR have an excellent library which provides huge amount of in-depth knowledge about various subjects which helped me to understand the concepts very well resulting in good scores.
3. Walk us through your academic journey in the first year – How did you pace yourself academically in the first, second term?
First year of MMS in TIMSR was fun-filled. It not only included academics but also various co-curricular activities where I have participated. I would say these activities helped me to refresh my mind and prepare myself better for my academics.
The first semester/term was generic where we had a touch upon all the specializations. But from second semester/term, we were strictly taught our specialization subjects which created a strong base for us for the Second Year in MMS.
4. What is the contribution of your Professors/ college in your success?
Professors in TIMSR are very helpful. They not only try to provide knowledge about the subject matter but also conduct sessions about various current news of the industry related to the subject matter which helped us to understand the subjects more practically rather than theoretically.
5. If you were to go back in time and change one thing about the last year, what would it be?
Absolutely nothing. I would rather say that the First Year of MMS in TIMSR developed me and taught me to deal with the industry people.
6. B- School is mostly about group activities. Were you used to this kind of team endeavour’s or was it a new experience for you? How would you rate your performance during the team activities?
Group activities and presentations were a part of our curriculum even during my graduation. So it wasn’t a new experience. But yes, the kind of people I had in my group in TIMSR for my presentations belonged to different areas like engineering, BSc.IT, etc. which altogether gave new perceptions during our presentations. It was a great experience as we shared our knowledge with each other. There were clashes of opinion but I guess, that never impacted our performance. Overall, I would rate myself between 3.5 - 4 during such activities.
7. Tell us about your summer internship.
I was fortunate enough to get summer training from our institute in Bank of Baroda where I was assigned in the Credit Department. Being a fresher, that was my first hands-on experience with the industry people. The entire 3-month internship was a mixture of learning and fun and it developed for me new ways to look at problems and find solutions for them.
8. How important do you think is the involvement in Extra- Curricular activities? Do you think these activities tend to deviate a student's mind from the initial academic goals set?
In post-graduation, the daily routine becomes so hectic that it becomes essential for a student to get involved in extra-curricular activities. It not only gives a break from the normal routine but also refreshes the mind of the student and it does not deviate a student from the initial academic goals. Talking from my personal experience, extra-curricular activities instead was an addition to my learning curve and it helped me to prepare myself better for my academics.
9.What would you like to advise to this year's batch w.r.t academics, activities, & in general about the B- School life?
B-School is a place where you can study only if you enjoy while studying. Life in a B-School changes dramatically as you are altogether exposed to a different world where you find people from your age or even people with good amount of experience in the industry. The kind of knowledge-sharing in a B-School helps you to understand the outside world in a better way. I would just to say that do your best not only in academics but also in extra-curricular activities as it will help you to develop yourself. The industry also looks for candidates who are an all-rounder.