St. Xavier's College B.Com Review By Gurleen Kaur Brar

St. Xavier's College (Autonomous), Kolkata is known to be the best college in Kolkata and one of the best in the country. Apart from the various awards and rankings it has received, this college has also produced quite a list of notable alumni. But don't let that fool you. Unlike what most people would like to believe, being a Xaverian doesn't automatically make you great- your experience is good as the choices you make. The college is affiliated to Calcutta University, but is an autonomous institution. St Xaviers Kolkata Admission for most programmes, mainly depends on one's Class 12 Board results. However, for some courses, like mine (BMS Hons.), half the weightage is given to an entrance test. Once the classes begin, one realizes that there are a lot of rules here - sitting roll number-wise, following the dress code, maintaining 75% attendance and being on time for class, to name a few. Students are penalized if a rule is broken.

My course, Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS Hons.) was earlier known as BBA. You can apply for this course if you secured a decent (doesn't have to be excellent) score in your Boards. Keep in mind that marks in Mathematics and English are taken into account while calculating the percentage. You will have to appear for an entrance test. The combined score of these two will determine whether you'll get shortlisted or not. The BMS course is a great choice whether you're looking to build a career in management, want to start up or want to work in your family business. The insights you learn here sure do come in handy in a variety of situations. If you are doing a professional course on the side, or have an excellent record in co-curricular, you may land a good job without doing an MBA. In most cases, though, it's best to go for further studies if you want to work as an employee.

The BMS faculty at St. Xavier's is competent enough, with some professors having done their PhDs. I would, however, like to say that getting a PhD alone does not qualify one as a great teacher. There are other soft skills that not all my professors seemed to possess. Having said that, all the professors here know their subject well and are friendly enough to approach if you have any doubt.

The placements for my batch were not great as not many companies came for the drives. To be honest, very few people benefited from the college placements.

A large percentage of students at St. Xavier's come from locations outside of Kolkata, for whom the college provides relatively cheap accommodation in its hostel. It is around 1 km away from the main campus, on A.J.C. Bose Road. The hostels are separate for boys and girls. Due to its limited capacity, preference is given to students with not very well-to-do families. Many hostellers switch to PGs and shared flats after their first year of college, owing to the unfavorable conditions and stern restrictions imposed on them by the hostel authorities.

One of the best things about St. Xavier's College, Kolkata is its beautiful campus. It'll make you fall in love at the first sight. Entering from the back gate, you see a fairly large ground in the middle, with buildings on three sides and the gymnasium on one. The building on your right is the school's building, beyond which are the library and the basketball court. The college also has a beautiful chapel, a girls' common room and the green benches in two places. All of BMS classrooms are well-lit and air-conditioned and have long benches, a black board, a white board and a projector. There are two canteens - one in the ground floor and one in the fourth floor, though the food is not great. But there are countless eateries and street food stalls just outside the campus as the college is located in one of the most happening areas of the city. The college has a beautiful auditorium where most events take place.

Every department has its own society. For BMS, it's the Xavier's Management Society (XMS). If you get to be a part of such a society and choose to not leave till the end, your college life improves 10 times over. Apart from being fun, these societies offer you many opportunities for your growth and development. Apart from the departmental societies, one can also join the Xaverian Academy of Dance and Music (XADAM), Entrepreneurship Development Cell (EDC), the Hindi Literary Society (HLS), etc. College societies organize various events all round the year which are great for both the participants as well as the organizers. Last, but not the least, I'd like to talk about Xavotsav, the annual fest of Xavier's. It is one of the biggest college fests in Kolkata and is held for 3 days in late-January. It is the best time of the year for any Xaverian. It is closely followed by Beyond Barriers, an annual event where well-known musical artists come to perform.