Today I’ll share some of my feelings with you. We had all been waiting with restless anticipation for the results of the 30th BCS examination for quite some time. Finally, the results came out. The date was November 2nd. That was my birthday. How strange is that? Tears of joy filled my eyes. For the first time in my life, I received such a tremendous birthday gift from the Creator. Whether you call it a mere miracle or coincidence, I personally believe that miracles happen when you believe. Yes, miracles do happen! Many of us know where our limitations lie. Yet, I think most of us fail to recognize where our strengths are. That’s why we don’t dare to dream big. I’m not saying it’s entirely easy. But those who believe in miracles like I do, and who work to make miracles happen, occasionally witness such beautifully strange moments.
This passion and feeling I have about BCS isn’t really that old. In fact, compared to many of my fellow warriors, I had to wait much less time. I had a problem. The problem was that it took me almost 20 years to decide what I actually wanted to become. Yet, after making that decision, it took me only one year to reach my goal. I remember those difficult days quite well. I had made everything in my life — my thoughts, my actions — single-minded: centered around my dream. Sometimes my inner self would rebel, would resist; but I always fought with myself. I would often tell myself, “If you are not thinking about your dream, you are not thinking at all.” I would also say, “If you are not thinking about BCS, you are not thinking at all.” Yes, this BCS was my dream. My dream cadre was BCS Customs & Excise. The 30th BCS was my first BCS examination — first preliminary, first written, first viva. Not only that, this job is my first job in life. The 30th BCS viva was my first job interview ever. So taking everything together, I’m a bit more excited! That’s what happens when you touch your dream! I’ve always been sincere toward my dream; so perhaps, my dream has finally shown sincerity toward me. This mutual interaction between dream and reality — it’s truly wonderful! I’m really enjoying it; I know you will too.
When I finished my graduation in Computer Science & Engineering from CUET, I couldn’t understand what I would do in the days ahead.
I had started a business. I harbored grand dreams of becoming a Business Magnet. Business ventures, reading books, sharing feelings with friends through various blogs and Facebook, watching movies, listening to music—I was quite content with this life. Then suddenly, an old ghost resurfaced in my mind with renewed vigor—I would become a writer, a philosopher. Just days before the 30th BCS examination circular was announced, I learned about BCS from two friends—Satyajit and Polash. That was my first introduction to BCS. I still remember how wonderful it felt that day. Something kept telling me that the time had come for my dreams to change course; alongside this, my inclination toward becoming a writer persisted. I thought joining the Civil Service would make becoming a writer easier. My dream journey began. Whenever I’ve had to make any decision, big or small, in my life, I’ve always had the support of my parents and younger brother. Having family by your side greatly strengthens one’s resolve. I believe with all my heart that through my parents’ blessings, I have overcome many great obstacles in my life and will continue to do so. Along with them were friends and well-wishers.
You might wonder how I would overcome the barriers of such a competitive exam like BCS! That’s natural. I wondered the same thing. My thoughts have always been distinctly my own. I don’t believe that my ideas become wrong simply because they don’t align with ten other people’s. I am a Computer Engineer, currently pursuing my MBA at IBA, Dhaka University, and studying MDS at Dhaka University. I’ve always heard that thinking about BCS was nothing but pure madness for someone like me. Hearing this pleased me greatly and made me more stubborn; because I believe my madness is far more important for me! Learn to be mad about fulfilling your dreams. Work hard—the days of sitting around with just this old slogan are over; now Work smartly has joined it. Yes, you must work smartly.
For those among you who are our successors, I’m sharing two stories.
The First Story:
A crow was sitting idly on a high branch of a tree, doing no work at all. Just then, a rabbit was passing by. The rabbit asked the crow, “Say, brother, can I also sit under this tree doing nothing like you?” The crow replied, “Of course you can!” So the rabbit did just that.
A while later, a fox was passing by the same path. Seeing the rabbit sitting there, the fox pounced and devoured it.
What is the lesson of this story? The lesson is: when you’re sitting on such a high perch that no one can touch you, then you can sit idle with your hands and feet tucked in. But before that, you must work hard to earn the right to sit on that perch. Think about which perch you’re currently sitting on.
The Second Story:
To escape the harsh winter, a small bird was leaving Siberia. Suddenly the bird froze and dropped to the ground like a chunk of ice. Some time later, a cow walking along that path defecated on the bird. After a while, the warmth of the dung melted all the ice on the bird’s body. The bird then began singing joyfully. A cat was sitting nearby. Hearing the song, the cat pulled the bird out of the dung and ate it.
What are the lessons of this story?
The first lesson is: Not everyone who drops shit on you is your enemy.
This means that those who throw mud at us — that is, those who scold and criticize us — are not all our enemies; many of them actually wish us well. This group includes our parents, seniors, and teachers.
The second lesson is: Not everyone who gets you out of shit is your friend. This means there are many who extend their hand claiming to rescue us from trouble, only to plunge us into even greater danger. This group includes those self-proclaimed wise men around us who say, “What’s the point of taking the BCS exam? Do something else instead,” or who declare, “You’ll never make it through BCS.” I believe that if you cannot help a person do something, you have no right to demoralize him or her by saying they cannot do it.
I think the third lesson is the most important: When you are in the shit, always keep your mouth shut!! This means that when you are in trouble, always keep your mouth closed. For 1-1.5 years before my results came out, I kept my mouth shut. Many words accumulated inside; those are the words I’m sharing with you now. Success talks the loudest. Success can buy silence. Your success can silence everyone. So throw challenges at yourself, not at others.
Steve Jobs once gave wonderful advice: Stay Foolish, Stay Hungry. I too say: remain foolish until the very moment before achieving success, stay hungry for BCS, keep studying, keep your eyes and ears open — but not your mouth.
When this writing reaches you, the preliminary exam will be just one day away. So for now, I’ll share just a few thoughts before taking my leave.
• More important than deciding what you’ll study to become a BCS cadre is understanding what you won’t study. Rather than reading one unnecessary topic once, read the necessary topics repeatedly.
• Skim through the questions and answers from BCS and PSC non-cadre exams (at least 200-250 sets if possible).
• Read the questions that seem a bit difficult multiple times. Let me share a fact: there are some difficult questions that won’t stick in your memory no matter how many times you read them. Stop trying to memorize those, because one such question can drive several easier ones out of your head.
• There are some model test guidebooks available in the market, which you’ve probably already solved. Read through those questions and answers once more. And listen, don’t feel discouraged if you score a bit low on model tests. More important than what you know is how well you can apply what you know.
• Never attempt to answer every single question. The preliminary isn’t an exam for scoring the highest marks — it’s just an exam to pass. Show some generosity by leaving difficult and confusing questions, save your competitive spirit for the written exam.
• Don’t resort to blind guessing, but there’s no harm in some intellectual guessing. Getting 1.5 marks by answering 3 correctly is much better than leaving 6 questions and scoring zero.
• In competitive exams, confidence works better than preparation for performing well. Maintain the attitude “I’m the best” in the exam hall. It works like magic!
Getting an answer wrong when you heard it from someone else irritates you far more than when you make the mistake on your own. (That’s when you think, “Oh no, I could have gotten this right by myself!”)
• There might be a few minor errors in the questions. Don’t lose your mind over this. If there’s a problem, everyone will face it, not just you! Try to overcome your nervousness, because that won’t make the questions any easier—rather, it’ll increase your chances of getting easy questions wrong. Remember, Que sera, sera.
• During this time, reduce sharing your studies with friends. Hearing that friends aren’t well-prepared makes you feel bad, but hearing that their preparation is better than yours—well, that really ruins your mood! Someone being a better student than you doesn’t mean they’ll pass the preliminary exam and you won’t. Try to have the last laugh.
• On Thursday evening, do something you genuinely enjoy. (I don’t particularly enjoy academic studying. As far as I remember, the evening before my preliminary exam, I watched a movie and listened to instrumental music.) Pack your exam essentials and go to sleep early. A good night’s sleep works wonders for keeping your head clear for that crucial hour.
• There’s no need to study anything on Friday morning. Stay tension-free. Your parents’ blessings are with you. Keep your confidence. There might be traffic jams, so leave home with plenty of time to spare. Don’t rush.
Doing well in the BCS exam largely depends on four subjects—English, Mathematics, Science, and Bengali. Focus your efforts on these four areas. Identify the segments where candidates typically score low but where higher marks are achievable, and try to prepare yourself well in those segments to gain a competitive edge. The difficulty level of the BCS exam strikes me as somewhat overrated. While it’s true that BCS is a competitive exam, it’s equally true that there usually aren’t that many candidates who come truly prepared for real competition. So there’s nothing to fear. Best wishes to all of you. May the Creator be your guide.
This piece was published in a slightly modified form in ‘Prothom Alo.’ The link is here—http://www.prothom-alo.com/deta…/date/2012-05-30/news/261703
Welcome, O Dreams
………………………………
Walking through a dust storm with eyes closed is perilous,
but far more painful still
is the moment when I see
the storm has passed,
yet simply because I never learned to walk,
the path that so many others have traversed
remains beyond my reach. If the metaphor of the Phoenix bird doesn’t seem too overwrought,
then we might say that like this bird, our dreams die again and again, only to live once more. Dreams sometimes shatter,
yet they don’t drift away and disappear. At times, my very existence feels like that of a guest. I feel an overwhelming urge to sing of the very darkness in which I’m drowning. When the weary ‘I’ within rebels,
I stop it——consciously.
A small sailboat
floats upon the ocean’s breast. You have crossed the first threshold of this thrilling, seemingly aimless journey. Congratulations. Now comes the time to stand before the vastness,
to prepare for that shiver of touching dreams. Think about your dreams,
and your dreams will think about you too. In the moments when you think of other things, assume you are thinking of nothing at all. This timely narrowing of thought will carry you far——of this there is no doubt.
• First, read through all the questions and answers from the 10th to 32nd BCS written examinations. Study them thoroughly, repeatedly. Develop a clear understanding of the types of questions. Knowing your weaknesses and strengths before entering battle makes preparation easier. To excel in any competitive examination, it’s far more crucial to decide what to leave out of your studies than to know what to include.
• Curb the natural greed to read everything. No one can take the BCS examination with hundred percent preparation. Reading necessary questions repeatedly is far better than reading an unnecessary question once.
• Focus particularly on these four subjects: Science & Technology,
English, Mathematics & Mental
Ability,
and Bangla. In written examinations, certain questions appear whose mastery often determines whether you survive the competition or not. Such questions include short questions,
notes, short notes, summaries, essence, elaboration of ideas, translation, grammar, and so forth.
• In Science & Technology,
Bangladesh Affairs,
and International Affairs——draw necessary identified diagrams and maps for these subjects. Provide relevant data,
tables, and charts
wherever appropriate.
• Read newspapers regularly. At least 5-6 if possible. You can read them online. During this period, instead of reading entire papers, focus only on sections necessary for the written examination. Read important articles/columns from newspapers and practice rewriting them in your own words. Every day, write at least 3 pages on some topic essential for the BCS examination.
Regularly translate newspaper editorials.
• Read guidebooks. If possible, at least 3-4 sets. But remember, guides contain many errors. This is natural. So you’ll need to correct them while reading.
• Various references, texts, and authoritative books must be read. Many questions in BCS exams aren’t common. Having read these books makes answering easier.
• When answering questions, if you quote from various authors’ works, newspaper columns and editorials, relevant constitutional clauses, and various references, your marks will increase. If you use blue ink for these sections, they’ll easily catch the examiner’s eye.
• There’s no special need to study by taking notes. You won’t have that much time. Instead, jot down in a notebook which question you’re reading from which source. It’ll be useful during revision.
• Keep yourself informed about Bangladesh’s constitutional commentary, various organizations’ official websites, some international newspapers, etc. Keep collecting information and data. Present them in the exam paper with appropriate references as needed.
• Good handwriting is nice, but no problem if it isn’t. You have to write very quickly in exams. So practice writing 1 page every 3-5 minutes. Make sure your writing is legible. Good presentation increases marks.
• Never leave any question unanswered. If you don’t know the answer, write something based on your understanding. You leaving a question isn’t the problem. The problem is that someone else is answering it.
• Create your own suggestions. Don’t follow anyone else’s suggestions. Don’t listen to false assurances like “this question will definitely come.”
• Acquire the skill to write non-stop about any necessary topic. Increase your reading habit. This will make your writing of quality.
• There’s no need to memorize any answers. Rather, read multiple times. Develop the habit of writing from understanding.
• Which language should I write answers in? English? Or Bengali? Many have this question. I wrote in Bengali. In this language, you can move along comfortably saying “I’m comfortable”—what a wonderful mystery! Isn’t it? However, you can also write in English. In this case, fluency and clarity are key.
• Many will say, “I’ve finished reading such-and-such questions!” Take it easy. Just because someone finishes their work before you doesn’t mean they’ll have the last laugh.
• Sometimes you won’t feel like studying—I didn’t either. Wanting to study all the time isn’t a sign of mental health. Why so serious?
So take a break, give your studies a rest. From time to time. There’s no point in feeling miserable for two days of missed studying and then wasting two more days in that misery. Use those two days to study instead. Where’s the time for regret?
I’ve talked too much. Now let me tell you a story. Read it, reflect on it.
A little bird was fleeing Siberia to escape the harsh winter. Suddenly the bird froze and dropped to the ground like a chunk of ice. Some time later, a cow walking down that path defecated on the bird. After a while, the warmth of the dung melted all the ice on the bird’s body. The bird then began singing joyfully. A cat sitting nearby heard the song, pulled the bird out of the dung, and ate it.
What are the lessons of this story?
Not everyone who dumps dirt on us—that is, scolds us—is our enemy; many of them want what’s best for us. This group includes our parents, seniors, teachers.
There are many who offer to rescue us from trouble, extending their hand only to plunge us into greater peril. They say, “You’ll never make it through the civil service exam. Do something else instead.” I believe that if you cannot help someone with something, you have no right to discourage them from it.
Most importantly, when you’re in trouble, always keep your mouth shut. For the year and a half before my results came out, I kept my mouth closed. Many words accumulated; those are the words I’m sharing with you now. Your success can silence everyone. So throw down the gauntlet to yourself, not to others.
Life is like the shoes of all the world’s long-distance runners. You have to break them in. Yet life sometimes comes to a halt. Suddenly your own alter ego appears before you in a different mirror! The yearning to be free, even knowing that freedom is uncertain—as futile as it is intense. I understand very well the agony of remaining nameless and unknown. Especially when everyone around you wants you to become something you don’t want to be—that’s when you feel utterly helpless. The flash of inner consciousness is more influential than the glitter of sharp logic. You could say it completely overturns mental equilibrium. I believe spiritual liberation occurs precisely in reason’s helplessness before inner consciousness. That’s what happened in my case. I spent many days torn by this dilemma: is confidence necessary for success, or is success necessary for confidence? I thought I might be lost forever! The understanding that only tough people survive in the current of hard times—this thought sustained me always. Destiny became my ally. I didn’t lose! Build your dreams. Take an oath to touch them with audacious daring. Welcome, O dreams.
This piece was published in a somewhat modified form in ‘Prothom Alo.’ The link is here—
http://www.prothom-alo.com/deta…/date/2012-07-04/news/270941