Even though there are many professional degrees available to choose from, a large section of the students tend to choose a B.Com Degree after completing their class 12th. They do not consider the undergraduate course as a Final Destination but a stepping stone towards their future career goals.
While pursuing B.Com, most of the students attempt to clear competitive exams such as CA, CS, UPSC, SSC, MBA entrance exams or banking exams. These students often have a clear set of mind regarding the competitive exam they want to pursue, and B.Com allows them to focus on the same.
However, one of the biggest questions these students often face is, ‘How to prepare for competitive exams during B.Com, without feeling overwhelmed? This article will offer you some of the best practical tips and strategies, which can be useful in making the best out of the three years of graduation for your competitive exam.
Why Begin Exam Preparation During B.Com?
You may wonder why it is necessary to prepare for competitive exams during B.Com and not wait for graduation to be completed. Well, the main reason is to save valuable time, which is crucial for a future career.
• 3 years of golden opportunity: B.Com is a three-year undergraduate program, and the duration is quite suitable to develop a strong foundation in subjects such as accountancy, economics, business and law, which are crucial for the preparation of exams.
• Better time management skills: A B.Com degree also makes you more disciplined and efficient as it allows you to juggle internships, college assignments and competitive exam preparation.
• Competitive edge over others: With the duration of 3 years for preparation, the graduation course provides you a head start over those students who start much later, giving you a competitive advantage.,
• Builds confidence: Due to the fast syllabus of the competitive exams, it is appropriate to start early, enabling you to cover all the topics in time without any last-minute pressure.
Determining the Target Competitive Exam
There are many competitive exams, which are targeted by students from every field. It is not necessary that all B.Com students target the same competitive exam, and therefore, an effective preparation strategy is required as per the preferred career goal.
• Civil services (UPSC, State PSC): This is the most advanced and highly targeted competitive exam targeted by those who have a dream of pursuing administrative services. B.Com students are required to improve their current affairs, essay writing and general knowledge to compete in the exam.
• Banking exams (IBPS, LIC, SBI, RBI, etc): This is perfect for students who target the finance field and are required to have excellent numerical aptitude, reasoning, and logical skills along with a proper understanding of business law and accounting subjects.
• Chartered accountant (CA) and Company Secretary (CS): This is another of the most common comparative exams B.Com students target it as it overlaps with their course curriculum. However, these exams require extensive focus and intense clarity of concepts.
• SSC exams: This is another competitive exam most BCom graduates target, as it helps them acquire high-paying government jobs. SSC CGL and similar exams require quantitative skills, general awareness and strong reasoning to get high scores.
It is very difficult to cover all of these exams at once, and therefore, students should consider choosing their focus early and targeting the specific competitive exam instead of preparing for everything, which would waste precious time.
Creating a Realistic Study Schedule
It can be very stressful to balance B.Com classes, assignments and preparing for competitive exams. Therefore, a more realistic approach is required, where instead of studying for 10 hours on a daily basis, focus should be on small goals with high consistency.
• Fixed dedicated daily hours: Dedicate at least three hours of daily focus to prepare for competitive exams, at least on weekdays. During weekends, try to keep the study sessions longer.
• Avoid overloading: Do not try to cover as many subjects as possible in one sitting. Instead, give dedicated time slots to each topic and subjects such as reasoning, general knowledge, aptitude and optional subjects. This will prevent overloading and help you keep steady during the preparation.
• Align college classes with example preparation: Try to bridge the gap between B.Com classes and exam subjects. For example, you can use accounting classes to improve your concepts for banking exams.
• Use gaps wisely: Give yourself sufficient breaks between lectures, free periods and travel time, which can be used for revision, reading newspapers and solving multiple choice questions.
Using the Right Study Resources
Choosing the study resources can make a whole lot of difference in your competitive exam preparation. Many students try to find as many books and resources as possible for preparation, which is the wrong approach. Instead, try to focus on quality over quantity and find the right resources.
For example, if you are preparing for banking exams, then using quantitative aptitude books by R.S. Aggarwal can be effective. On the other hand, for UPSC preparation, NCERT books along with reference books and magazines can be more effective. Apart from that, also focus on conducting mock tests on a regular basis and solving previous year papers.
Final Thoughts
Preparing for competitive exams while pursuing B.Com can feel like a mammoth task. However, with the right approach and mindset, it is absolutely possible. You require strong discipline, consistent focus, and smart strategies in order to crack your target competitive exam while you attain a graduation degree.
The key is to find and target the right competitive exam, sticking strictly to the schedule, using quality and appropriate resources and staying motivated. Celebrate small wins and do not compare yourself with others. Always prioritise your health and sleep to get peak performance.
However, it is also important to understand when to seek professional help and guidance. This can include registering for courses that can help you cover the concepts and topics of the competitive exam while allowing you to manage stress and stay motivated. If you are also a B.Com student who is wondering how to begin your competitive exam preparation, then start today by taking small steps that will eventually lead you to success.