Going to B-school is not all about studies. It is also about developing your all-round personality through extracurricular activities and participation in committees. At least that’s what Sanya Sethi, a student at FORE School of Management, New Delhi and an international level badminton player has to say. In this article, find out how Sanya manages to balance being in the placement committee and playing badminton while studying and completing assignments on time.
InsideIIM interviewed Sanya Sethi, India’s representative to The World University Championship held in Russia. Sanya also represented Chandigarh at various national level tournaments for more than 9 years and has won several positions.
Below are excerpts from the interview: -
Q 1- Why did you opt for studying management and why did you opt for FORE School of Management for pursuing it?
A 1- I have spent more than 10 years of my life playing Badminton and from the very beginning, my aim was to come in the top 5 Indian players and represent India at the International level. I worked extremely hard for it and was fortunate enough to achieve what I wanted.
So, there was a point when I had to decide what I wanted to see myself doing after a few years. I realized that I had some of the soft skills that can actually help me in becoming a successful manager. That is when I decided to do an MBA. And I’m really happy to be pursuing my PGDM course from such a reputed Institute, wherein from the very first day, I have learned so much, that I have seen myself develop into a more confident person.
Q 2- How did you make this transition from a career in sports to a career in Management studies?
A 2 - Playing Badminton, has taught me many important things in life:
i) Team Work and Leadership
ii) Time Management
iii) The balance between whatever I do
iv) Risk-taking
v) To take successes and failures in the same basket and not to dwell on failures and put them behind me and move forward.
So, I believe, that playing Badminton so rigorously, has shaped me into the person that I am today and I can actually use these skills further in my career as a manager.
Q 3- You have been the Discipline in charge in your school and the Sports captain and now you are a part of the Placement Committee at FORE School of Management; so, tell us about this journey.
A 3- From the very beginning, I like to help and guide people. Even though I spent quite a lot of my time just playing and studying, and had very little time to showcase my leadership skills, my school recognized my leadership skills and I was entrusted with the responsibility of being the Discipline In-charge and Sports Captain of the School. There, I learned the skill of managing people.
So, when I came to FORE School of Management, my skills and personality were believed to be suitable for the Placement Committee and I, after going through rigorous rounds of committee selections, was selected to be a part of this Committee.
Q 4- How do you manage your time for studies, sports, extracurricular activities and your responsibilities at the Placement committee?
A 4- “No pain, no gain” this is the mantra by which I abide.
Although the past few months have been quite challenging, I try and put my best foot forward in whatever I do. Time management is something that I learned very early in life and here at FORE, I have been able to enhance my time management skills by taking out time for everything.
Everything is possible if you have that zeal in you to achieve something great in life.
Q 5- How supportive is your college in motivating you to play Badminton?
A 5- My college has recognized my talent in playing Badminton and encourages me to participate in tournaments. Soon, I will be participating in the Inter College Tournaments.
Q 6- Having studied B. Com (Hons) and then getting exposed to the curriculum of PGDM, tell us how different it is, and which are the subjects which you enjoy the most?
A 6- I have always found myself to be interested in Business as a subject from my school days. I also have a particular interest in Marketing and Management studies. I had opted for Management Hons. as a subject in my graduation.
The majority of the subjects that I have studied back in graduation are taught in more detail in the PGDM course. So, I am liking the subjects and trying to grasp as much as I can, so that in future I can actually implement them in real life.
Q 7- What are the teaching methodology adopted by the professors at FORE School of Management?
A 7- Till the time I was doing graduation, there was more of the theoretical approach of teaching by the Professors. But now, here in FORE School of Management, we are being taught from a more practical approach, that will help us in performing well in the corporate world.
Q 8- What was your strategy for preparing for the CAT examination?
A 8- I went through the following process in order to prepare for the CAT exam:
- Understood the basics first and made my concepts and fundamentals clear.
- I identified my strengths and weaknesses section-wise and tried to improve my strengths and build on my weaknesses.
- Once my basics were clear, I took as many Mock Tests as possible and after taking each Mock test, I spent time analyzing each mock test with utmost care.
- Then, I tried to improve my speed along with accuracy.
Q 9- How did you deal with the last two months as the CAT examination was nearing?
A 9- I stuck to my plan and made it a point to exercise and play Badminton, every day. I never missed my training sessions. Be it the early morning session or the evening session, I never missed any. Along with that, I was interning as a content writer, so I had to visit the office every day. I somehow managed my time and tried to balance everything.
I kept on taking 1 Mock test every day and spent time analyzing it.
Q 10- How have you balanced Badminton tournaments around CAT? Tell us about such incidents.
A 10- I participated in all the tournaments. Whenever I used to get time in between the matches, I used to practice a few questions, because I knew that I needed to somehow manage.
Q 11- How has badminton helped you in CAT preparation?
A 11- Playing Badminton has actually helped me concentrate better. So, while I was preparing for CAT, I never missed my sessions. And whenever I was preparing for the exam, I did it with utmost diligence and concentration.
Q 12- In today’s world of hectic schedules where management students find it difficult to manage time and more difficult to stay fit. So, share some fitness tips with us!
A 12- In my hectic schedule, the things I try to find some time for are meditation and jogging. Every management student’s life is quite chaotic and hectic, so it is extremely important for them to take out some for themselves.
Getting up half an hour earlier in the morning, and devoting that time to meditation or physical fitness, can actually help give a kick start to the day and moreover, doing this can help increase the concentration level of students and ultimately improve their performance
Q 13- In what ways do you think sports are beneficial to any student?
A 13- Playing any sport actually helps you concentrate better and develops your personality as a whole. It helps one understand that life is not only about winning or losing, but about living it and enjoying every bit of it. It makes you more passionate, disciplined and determined in life. You wake up every day with a reason and a target to improve yourself.
Being associated with a sport gives you a lot of recognition and also helps you stand out from the crowd.
Q 14 - Describe the best moments that you spent while representing India at the “World University Badminton Championship” held in Russia in 2016. Also, tell us how Sports can enable one to take better strategic decisions.
A 14- From the very moment I heard my name amongst the selected players, who had to represent India, to the announcement that I was entrusted with the responsibility of captaining the team, made me realize that I was actually living the dream that I had always aspired for.
There was a situation in Russia, where we were in a tie-breaking round, and I took up an initiative and asked the 6th (extra) member of the team to play that round, believing that her playing style would be difficult to understand. This situation worked in favor of the team, and we won the match. I was appreciated for taking a strategic and a risky decision.
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