The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : University topper wants to take up career in business journalism

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 11, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

University topper wants to take up career in business journalism

Special Correspondent

"It helps to take a break between studies to avoid strain. You should eat good food and avoid falling sick during examinations"

SUCCESSFUL: Puja Jain

Bangalore: She won eight gold medals at the recent convocation of Bangalore University. Puja Jain just graduated from Mount Carmel College in Bangalore and is now doing her Masters in Economics there. She is clear about her career goal: becoming a business journalist.

She chose History, Political Science and Economics for her B.A. and this she feels has given her a sound knowledge in all three and will help in her career. She loved history and was especially fascinated and still is, about ancient civilisations like those of Rome, Mesopotamia and India.

How did she work herself to getting a special prize as well as becoming the top-ranking student in her stream in the university? "Fortunately for me, our college has an excellent library with good books and I used to read them and prepare my own notes for ready reference. I took the internal examinations seriously and this must have helped," she said.

She dipped into the Cambridge History of India and read Romila Thapar's and Roy Chaudary's books on Indian History. In Political Science, she made it a point to get thorough knowledge about Constitutions and on facets of public administration. "For Economics, we had to study Quantitative Mathematics, Indian Economy, Applied Statistics and Micro and Macro Economics, and I will know the subjects well while doing my Master's," she says.

Puja studied up to Class 12 at the Mahadevi Birla Girls' Higher Secondary School in Kolkata. She was among the top four. She played badminton at the college level and likes roller-skating. Studying for examinations is a late night activity for her: "Sometimes I study till 2 a.m. or 3 a.m. and then sleep."

She admits to a personal superstition: watching a movie during a break between examinations.

"It helps to take a break between studies to avoid strain. You should eat good food and avoid falling sick during examinations," is her advice for other students.

Keeping her career options in mind, she watches the business channels on television and reads business newspapers and magazines.

"I don't understand things like the stock market but am trying to," she explains.

An avid reader, she is now going through a trilogy on the life and times of Alexander the Great.

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