Prashanth Suri, the All India Affiliate Rank 1 for the March session and All India Rank 1 in F8 (June 2017), sits down with ANSA for a chat.
ANSA: Hi Prashanth, tell us a bit about yourself.
Prashanth: I am an ACCA Affiliate and a B.com graduate from RKM Vivekananda College, Chennai. I am working at PwC. My extra-curricular interests include Cricket, quizzing and reading Quora.
ANSA: What piqued your interest towards ACCA?
Prashanth: ACCA is a comprehensive qualification. I felt that it will help me to master technical and professional skills that are required of a qualified accountant. The qualification is based on International accounting and auditing standards. These standards are accepted in a large number of countries. Therefore, an ACCA member is equipped with skills to work in any country where these standards are accepted. I also loved the flexibility of writing one paper per exam session.
ANSA: Why did you join ANSA?
Prashanth: My association with ANSA dates back to 2014, when Suresh Sir had come to my (our) alma mater- Vidya Mandir, Mylapore to enlighten Class 12 commerce students about ACCA. Shebani Bhaskar, the American woman cricketer, accompanied him to share her insights about the course. After the resourceful session ended, I was quite intrigued by the structure and the syllabus covered in ACCA. After finishing school in 2015, I walked right into ANSA and there was no turning back since then.
ANSA: What are your thoughts on classes at ANSA?
Prashanth: Apart from the professionalism and friendliness of the faculty and the support staff, ANSA also excels in creating a learning ambience. Inculcating such a learning culture is extremely important. The class schedule and other important dates are well communicated, keeping no room for ambiguity for the students. Eternal support and motivation which extend beyond regular classroom boundaries make ANSA stand out from the rest.
ANSA: Can you talk to us about some of your experiences at ANSA?
Prashanth: Let me talk about my experience in attending Murali sir’s classes.
I consider myself lucky to be in his class for 4 subjects – F5, P1, P3 and P5. His mastery of the subject in terms of conceptual understanding, professionalism and ethical stances are unmatchable. Despite his high stature, he was extremely approachable, ensured that his classes were interactive. The uniqueness in his teaching methodology was that – he used to link any given concept to one his professional experiences. This nurtured my conceptual understanding to a whole new level, which would have been impossible if I had read just the study text. His remarks and tips to improve my answers in the exam are invaluable.
In his classes, he always stressed upon the importance of values and ethics in one’s life.
I distinctively remember few of his musings:
Opposite of fear is love!
Being half an hour early is better than being two minutes late!
“The Banana magic”– His theory of eating a banana right before the exam, which supposedly boosts the functionality of the brain.
Though he always had the last laugh, I always enjoyed having banters with him, during the class. Not securing a rank in one of his subjects is still a regret for me.
ANSA: What is your approach to studying for ACCA exams?
Prashanth: I kept things simple and stuck to the basics. After attending all the classes in ANSA, I used to read the study text once, go through exam kit and practice a couple of question from each section. To evaluate myself, I used to take up all the mock tests and exams in ANSA. That helped me to identify the areas in which I need to focus on. Then, I used to hone my knowledge on those areas by practicing more questions from that particular section in the exam kit. Additional resources like the Examiner’s remarks and the technical articles were also resourceful. I used to take up timed mocks in ANSA in real-exam conditions. This helped me to remain calm during the actual exam, without getting stressed. I always believed in this quote – “All you have to fear is fear itself!”
Even though many of my close friends from ANSA were able to write 2 or 3 papers in an exam session, I knew my abilities. Ever since I started the course, my goal was not just to pass, but to master the subject. Therefore, I wrote only one paper per exam session, which helped in getting a strong conceptual understanding, which ultimately resulted in high scores.
ANSA: What is one key take-away from your journey that you would suggest other students to follow?
Prashanth: Perseverance. Putting the effort required to do something and keep doing it till the end, even if it’s hard, until you achieve the ultimate objective.
Very few people know that I missed out on a rank in 4 subjects by small margin (1-2 marks). Though it was disappointing, I was never demotivated or derailed from my ultimate goal of mastering the subject. I realized that getting a rank was not in my control, but securing a good score was.
ANSA: What are your plans now as an ACCA Affiliate?
Prashanth: I have been promoted as a Senior Analyst at PwC, in the Risk Assurance Services department. The learning curve has been high; I am exposed to diverse clients and engagements.
I am going to Singapore for Master’s in Finance programme, later this year. Miles to go before I sleep!
Thank you Prashanth. It was nice talking to you and we wish you great success in all your endeavours.
Up next, we have Sayee Rakshith sharing his journey with ANSA – Click here to read.
Click here to read more testimonials from our students.
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