Calcutta Business School PGDM Review By Swati Richhariya

Getting into B-schools is tough, and when you are looking for the best, you really need to work on your cut-off, which is pretty much high at CBS. I was new to town and didn’t know about the college, so I applied. Thankfully, I got admission as my score was good, and my journey at Calcutta Business School began. The campus was not spawling as other B-schools, but it was adequate. I am not comparing oranges with apples here but I have seen many B-Schools before joining here and on the basis of that, I am saying so. The students got to do their internships in good companies, which gave us great exposure to understand the workings of organizations. The insight of companies before actually getting to work in one of them boosted my interest to work and achieve good jobs. The academics here are quite strong as the good academics of CBS then have paved the way for a great future today.

The college is known for very good performance by the students and for that college’s academics are appreciable. CBS has maintained this record for a very long time as they have made sure that students learn the curriculum in the best way possible. The exhaustive syllabus was often not so welcome with the students who had to put in long hours. After which, they need to complete assignments and deliver projects on time. It did mean we had stress levels going through the roof, especially with thirty subjects that needed to be studied. It took all our strength to work around this, and by the first year, we had somehow understood the pattern and knew how to work smartly and get studies done as well. The second-year subjects increased but still, it was less stressful than the first year.

The faculty that taught our course were highly qualified. They worked very hard with us and ensured that we delivered. They were very encouraging and ensured that every ounce of doubt was cleared then and there, giving us ample opportunity to study and come back more well-versed in the subject. The professors had to make sure we followed every part of the protocol to maintain the high expectations of the institution every year and keep the standards on par each time. I am quite happy with how the faculties performed because they always kept students’ interests first and their noses back.

The placement scene is very good, with many good companies approaching the students. There was an equal opportunity for all the students to try getting good jobs from the campus placements. Students with different specializations also got jobs, and not always marketing and finance were the only takers on most campuses. Banks, financial institutions, large corporate, and even MNCs are at the college seeking to take home candidates. The college needed to get all the students placed, and they have succeeded in doing so. By the end of the course, almost all of the students. That’s right, including me, all had job offers.

A common building was used as a hostel and was on the premises. The floors were divided for girls and boys separately while the other facilities were common. The rooms were for single students, and it was great who wanted independence and to keep the room how they wanted to. The meal area was a common ground for the students to sit together and enjoy their meals. The hostel food was great, and you probably would feel like going out to search for a change.

CBS is located on the outskirts, which makes traveling very difficult if you happen to go to your native place, you need to catch the train, and the train station is far away. Hence, most students stayed back at the hostel and would only go to their native places when there were some important festivals. The campus, as mentioned earlier, isn’t very big but it houses the hostel and administrative building with all the enmities. The space may be small, but the campus had greenery around it, making me feel homely. All the classrooms have Air conditioners which are a big relief during summers in Kolkata. Since there was only one canteen to satiate our food cravings, we would also try out food just outside of our campus.

The campus didn’t have many participants in events as the whole day went into academics, so there was no point in arranging events and fests. Most of the people in CBS are locals, and if you are from the outside state, you will find it hard to follow what the students often chatter because most of them speak Bengali everywhere they go. It took a lot of time to adjust. However, by the end of the course, I could converse in broken Bengali.