Is this 2441139?

You too can give Bella Bose a call! Absolutely true!!

(I had written this piece long ago for those who think they can’t do anything, who are hesitant about whether to start preparing for the BCS exam or not, and who consider coaching centers their everything.)

Tomorrow’s Prothom Alo will carry my article on preparation strategies for Bangladesh Affairs in the BCS written examination. Last week’s piece was on International Affairs. I’ve now written about all subjects for the written exam. If I think of any additional techniques beyond these, I’ll share them on my Facebook wall. Those who don’t have these articles can find them in my old posts on my wall. In a few days, I’ll write something in Prothom Alo about overall preparation strategies and exam fitness.

Here I am, writing about Bangladesh Affairs and International Affairs! Even now, this seems unbelievable to me! Why? Let me tell you.

I don’t have the habit of reading newspapers. Before I started preparing for the BCS exam, I hardly read any part of the paper except the entertainment and literary pages. We had two newspapers at home. I didn’t read either of them. Compelled by BCS preparation, I started reading 5-6 newspapers online daily, and after getting the job, I stopped reading papers again. Where things were happening in the country and the world, which way the political winds were blowing, the trends in business and commerce—I never had any headache about these matters, I knew nothing about them, understood nothing, and I felt no regret about this ignorance. My principle is: what I don’t need or don’t enjoy, I don’t bother with. Why must one know everything? ‘Those who are happy knowing everything in the world, let them stay happy.’

I started preparing for the BCS exam. I saw I had only 4-5 months for the preliminary and written exams. (I actually had even less time.) After starting preparation, my first feeling was—everyone can do everything, I can do nothing. I saw many people who had done their honors-masters-PhDs on BCS and were now in postdoctoral studies. In the coaching center’s International Affairs class, a teacher made me stand up and asked, “What’s the name of India’s Foreign Minister?” (I later learned it should be External Affairs Minister.) A boy who feels proud and self-congratulatory just for knowing the name of India’s Prime Minister wouldn’t be expected to know this, and he wouldn’t feel any guilt about not knowing it! I couldn’t answer. Looking around, I saw the hahaha-hihihi had begun. Then I understood, ‘This was supposed to be an easy question.’ The teacher said, “Let’s see, can anyone tell me?” Everyone raised their hands and answered. Everyone knows! I realized I should make my face look a bit embarrassed at this moment. I was desperately trying to make my shameless face look shy when the teacher said, “I’ve heard a lot of praise about you. You’re supposedly a computer engineer, a good student. Why don’t you know this? What’s your age?” I thought, what’s this about? Is he going to play matchmaker? But who would give a girl to an unemployed boy like me? (I wasn’t actually unemployed—I had my own coaching center and other businesses; I earned plenty of money. But in our country, if educated boys don’t have jobs, everyone thinks they’re sitting idle.) While thinking all this, I told him my age. The reply I heard was, “Oh, I see! You still have age on your side. You can take the BCS at least 3-4 times. Keep trying. There’s no chance of success the first time, but you might make it after 2-3 attempts. Your basics are quite weak.” I said nothing to the teacher. But I was very upset. All my trust and respect for him vanished. He seemed like an irresponsible person to me. Someone who could make such a confidently wrong assessment of me without knowing me at all on first sight—there was no question of taking his class, no matter how well he taught! I know I can’t do anything—that’s why I came to coaching! Would I have come if I could do it? I’m a donkey—did I come all this way from home to the coaching center, wasting time and paying for transport, just to hear this? I don’t need to come this far to hear this. My mother tells me this at least 10 times a day at home! I decided right then never to attend his class again. And I didn’t.

Later I learned that he was a distinguished BCS specialist who was extremely weak in math, English, Bengali, and science but a great scholar in general knowledge, who had failed BCS 5 times. He could identify the reasons for everyone’s failure except his own. He knew that Sushanta couldn’t do anything in general knowledge. But he didn’t know that in Bengali, English, math, and science—as much as one needs for the BCS exam—Sushanta was no worse than any student who had done honors and masters in those subjects, if not better. He also didn’t know that just by being a parrot in general knowledge, sitting in various cages and calling out in various charming ways, you might get some applause, but you can’t become a BCS cadre. Even if you’ve memorized the name of Clinton’s wife’s friend’s pet dog, if you write “My grandfather had a black dog” as “My grandfather was a black dog”… nothing will work. Truly, nothing will work at all.

In the first model test for International Affairs at the coaching center, I got 17 out of 100! Needless to say, mine was the lowest score. The second-lowest was 38—more than double my score plus 4! You can imagine my situation! The others had started much earlier, I had never even heard of BCS properly, I had just started—I could have consoled myself with these thoughts. But I didn’t. I thought, fine, maybe I can’t do anything, but that’s not really my fault. But if I don’t do anything to overcome that weakness, if I just sit with my hands and feet folded, that would certainly be my fault! I started studying tremendously hard from absolute zero. Instead of getting depressed thinking about what others could do, I worked with two things in mind. One: How much do I actually need to know what everyone else knows? I started studying more thoughtfully instead of blindly. I shook off the idea that I had to study everything everyone else studied. Two: Instead of comparing myself with someone good at general knowledge, I started comparing myself only with myself. How much more or less could today’s Sushanta do compared to yesterday’s Sushanta—that’s all I thought about. My competition was with myself. Not anyone else, but ‘today’s me’ tried to surpass ‘yesterday’s me.’ I did this every single day. Those who are good don’t become so good overnight. This skill is acquired through much hard work and practice. If a student who usually gets 20 in math ever gets 24, then he’s successful. I know 33 is passing and he failed, but still I’d say he’s successful. He managed to surpass himself. Continuing this way, he’ll definitely get 100 out of 100 one day! For this, he’ll have to work tremendously hard with understanding and make it a habit. The interesting thing is, winning is a habit. Those who get one job keep getting jobs. Let me also mention here that losing is also a habit. Those coaching, don’t get upset if you get low marks in coaching. Many people get questions beforehand to become heroes in front of girls and take ‘exams.’ Getting coaching questions is no big deal. I’ve seen many such fellows get caught red-handed like this. It’s natural. Heroes in coaching, zeros in reality—what else would they get caught for?

If a boy who had never properly heard the name BCS, who had never taken any job exam in his life, can come first in the BCS exam on his very first attempt, why can’t you? Whether coming first is in your destiny or not, if you try with all your heart and soul, you’ll at least get the job. Thinking I became first easily? Not at all! I had to spend many nights without sleep for this. I had to say goodbye to many small pleasures and luxuries. I had to keep my mouth shut and digest people’s big words while studying.

I believe you can do it too. Those who get jobs are in no way more qualified than you. Have faith in yourself, respect yourself, work day and night to fulfill your dreams. The rest is in the Creator’s hands!

Good luck!