Well, we feel that profiling will be best done by students themselves and we haven’t put our hands in this yet!

We are in the process of profiling the BMM department in each college and you can help us by sharing some information.

If you want to volunteer for your college BMM department profiling, join us by signing up here http://bmmbox.com/cafe/sendmessage.php

Every stream has their own ways and trademark styles by which it is somewhat easy for a stranger to identify them. These signs may not necessarily be the ones they flaunt in the college premises but these are those patent aspects of their character that they carry wherever they go.

So, here are some of the traits that distinguish a BMM student from the other folks around.

• Upbeat To The Core:
Be it the wardrobes, the gadgets, the lingo, the creativity…BMM tops it all.

• Lack Of Textbooks:
It is a rare sight to find BMM students roaming around the corridors with huge stacks of textbooks because for them, it’s how much they grasp from the world around them is what matters at the end.

• Redefining Informal Ways:
If ever you tend to find any bit of information coming across to you in some out of the box ways, you can close your eyes and proclaim that it is a BMM brainchild. Pamphlets, Handouts and Announcements are considered outdated by these folks.

• Enjoy Theatres And Plays:
The students around the campus who are most likely to attend a play at the prithvi theatre will never be from the BSc IT or the BMS gang. These students will almost always be hailing from the BMM stream. These are the intellectually mischievous segment of the college.

• Fests That Are Fun And Nothing Else:
Check out for yourself by attending POLARIS, Detour and CUTTING CHAI this year and you will definitely agree with me that exclusive BMM fests are indeed creatively enriching and highly entertaining experiences.

• The Word Play:
These folks are excellent when it comes to Word Play. You just cannot get enough of their arguments and all of them being fantastically logical. At the end of the argument, there are chances you might forget your own point. This is the sheer gift of the gab that a BMM student is gifted with. He will not abuse you and neither will he give up but, win in their own style.

• Their Rooms Speak For Them:
You find a horribly messy room which looks smart and very interesting with loads of DVDs, Photographs, Camera, Magazines, Graffiti, Posters and several colorful tit-bits which you cannot actually make out what they really are. Yes! You might be standing in a BMM student’s room. Their life is defintiely the most colorful ones.

• Involvement of The Crazy Element:
There will always be some bit of craziness involved in the thought process of these individuals. No matter where they are, what they are up to, who they are with, these guys cannot get rid of their devil mind from exploding with ideas that most of the times leave the person at the receiving end spellbound at their power of imagination.

• Lappy Is My Best Friend:
Today, carrying a laptop or a net book to college is no more a rare event. But, who do these laptops mostly belong to? Ah! Without a doubt, the BMM folks top here too. On an average, everyday at least 40% of the class carries a laptop with them to add the finishing touch to their presentations.

So, in case you come across individuals with such traits in them, shoot the question at them…
“Are you a BMM student?” and you will be surprised when they will pat you too hard and flash an extraordinarily broad smile and reply, “How did you guess, mate???!!??”

- Arundhati Chatterjee -

The lives of BMM students all over Mumbai, though diverse, follow more or less the same pattern. And at some point in the pattern comes the realization that it is time to start studying for their exams (For most this happens 2-3 days, or even less, before the exams). A very small number actually realizes this more than a month in advance. For those students who have awakened or are soon to awaken and seek guidance on how to tackle this accursed ritual of testing one’s skill on the basis of an archaic syllabus… here are a few tips

1. Get Your Act…err…Notes Together.

You can’t study if you don’t have anything to study/refer

Not those little chits you’ve passed around during lecture… I’m referring to the substantial (hopefully) tome of knowledge you’ve built while you paid attention to the professor during some of the lectures you attended or while you toiled away in the college library not so long ago. (Oh wait a minute… you’ve probably just woken up … so if you haven’t done either of the two above mentioned activities… do not fear… there are plenty of notes compiled by students and lecturers that are doing their rounds via email. Just pray that someone forwards you a copy )

Note: Please understand that notes are not money. There’s no harm in sharing them. The marks you’ll be getting don’t depend on how well someone else is prepared. (Of course if you have an enemy… feel free to abstain from sending them anything… but don’t expect them to send you anything either.) Also, go to your college library and request the question papers of the previous five years. 75-90% of those questions (including the case study structure) are REPEATED!

More easy, upload good projects, get moderated and avail all the previous questions papers (for boards only for now) from BMMBox free of cost via these links – http://bmmbox.com/cafe/forumdisplay.php?f=4 and http://bmmbox.com/cafe/forumdisplay.php?f=3

2. Don’t wait for the Prof.

He/She’s not going to declare war on you just because you’ve started studying a part of the portion he/she’s not finished.

There’s no harm on perusing a chapter before the professor’s touched it in class. On the other hand, there’s a lot of risk involved in waiting for them. Here’s why: -

• They may have completed that part in a lecture you’ve bunked
• They may have completed that part while you were daydreaming about Katrina Kaif/ Whatever girls dream of during lectures
• They may tell you to DIY (Do It Yourself) one week before the exams.
• They may simply rush through it at FTL speed (Faster Than Light) one week before your exam.
• They may be abducted by aliens before they complete it.
Start your studies (at least just read through the chapter) regardless of where your professor’s reached in the syllabus. Once you’ve collected notes… USE them… the spider in your attic or the roaches under your bed can’t read.

Note: - If you HAVE read a unit before your professor discusses it in class… keep it to yourself. There’s no need to show off your so-called superiority in class by interrupting the professor while he/she’s explaining it. You’re not going to get any medals for it and you’re more likely annoying the Prof. and your classmates.

3. Get Your Net Set.

The Internet, like BMMBox , is a NECESSITY while preparing for BMM exams.

BMM requires one to stay up to date with current affairs and most subjects require students to provide a lot of current examples to justify the theory they vomit out into their papers. The Internet is the most convenient resource for this. So make sure you speak to your ISP. Do anything required (short of death threats and stone pelting) to ensure that you have a WORKING Internet connection while you study.

4. Collect your Projects and Assignments.

If you don’t have a copy of them, request your friends to share theirs.

Your projects are more often than not based on your syllabus and are a reflection of the practical application of the theory you learn. Go through your projects and the projects made by others to further understand the subject. Believe me… projects help you learn a lot of things that would seem incomprehensible otherwise. Share your projects and take some time out to go through them.

5. Form a Study Group; Follow a strict schedule.

There are many advantages to studying in groups

Get a few of your friends together to study with you. Don’t let the number of people in the group exceed four. Your groupies give you company when studying, help you understand topics that they might know but which you find incomprehensible and stop you from drifting off while studying. Just don’t get carried away making jokes or letting breaks eat into your study time.

A schedule is very important when you’re preparing for exams. Make a time table for yourself, PRINT IT OUT, make multiple copies of it and stick it up wherever you’re likely to notice it in your house (Spare the bathroom and the Television screen if you can). Make sure your leisure activities come AFTER your study time. Your study period should not be divided into different parts of the day as it breaks continuity. However, you can take 3 five minute breaks in every hour spent studying. And most importantly – STICK TO YOUR SCHEDULE.

6. The Study Method.

Here’s the method I employ while studying for my exams

i. Read through the notes. Don’t try to memorize the notes. The first reading is just to get a basic idea of the subject. Read it and try to understand what’s being said. You don’t need to remember the number of factors leading to a war or the different types of headlines. Just go through the entire syllabus once. (This forms the basis for your preparation and, despite the fact that you may not even pass if you gave the exam immediately after completing this step, it is still very important).

ii. After the first step, open the previous years’ question papers, and find an answer to each question in them from your notes. Prepare these answers as well as possible while looking up the latest examples to validate the theory from the net. (After this step, you’re definitely going to pass the externals… but that shouldn’t be the upper limit for your goals)

iii. Subsequently, re-read the topics you’ve missed out while preparing with the question papers. This completes your second read of the entire syllabus.

iv. Once done with your second read… go through the entire syllabus again… but just skim through all the topics. Try to close your eyes and remember each sub point as you read it in the previous two revisions. Re-read whatever you can’t remember. (This step will go super- fast if you did the previous three sincerely)

v. For safety’s sake, skim through the syllabus again for topics you may have missed out.

Miscellaneous Tips:

• Don’t forget to ask your professor about the format to attempt your case study.

• Load up the refrigerator with some snacks. Sure you’ll put on weight… but you don’t get distracted as often when you’re munching on something.

• Get your stationery ready well before the exams. Don’t go hunting for it one day before the exam (I mean it… I get through BMM lectures using borrowed pens and notebooks )

• You do not need to take photos/videos of your ‘group study night’ to upload on Facebook.

• This one’s for the guys… give all your computer games/PSP/PS3/XBOX to friends who DON’T have exams and delete them from your computer. Once you get started on ‘em during breaks… there’s no stopping.

• Try not to pull all nighters – not only does it mess up your biological clock; you also forget most of the things you studied while your brain desperately pleaded for rest. Coffee makes no difference to this and neither does ‘Sona-Chandi Chyavanprash’ .

• If the books are too expensive to buy on your own, form a book pool where each person buys one of the required books and the others make a copy of it (Xerox/Photocopier shops in remote places offer students huge discounts for large orders.)

• VERY IMPORTANT – Once done with an exam, leave the centre immediately. Don’t hang around to discuss answers and don’t check your answers after you get home. Concentrate only on the next exam.

Now that you’ve read all this, you shouldn’t be in need to read something on how to prepare for exams again!

- Raghav Rao

Yehi hai right choice, baby

So you’ve just passed out of 12th or awaiting your results and have plenty of options in front of you. Apart from the popular career choices in medical and engineering, professional courses are finally being recognized by parents as well as students. Bachelor of Management Studies (BMS), Bachelor of Mass Media (BMM), Bachelor in Banking and Insurance (BBI) and Bachelor in Finance and Accounts (BFA) are some of them.

What makes these niche courses a hit is that they break the popular myth of turning every individual into a doctor or an engineer. The courses expand the horizon for students and help them explore the world of banking, business and mass media.

While most of the students assume these courses to be an alternate for Bcom, but the fact remains these courses offer you much more than a usual course and prepare you for a path breaking career.

Thinking BMM?

It’s not rocket science; all you need to do is identify your interests or dislikes . For Instance: If you’re good at math and have an inclination towards accounts/finance, BBI or BFA would be a suitable option for you.

Since, we’re talking about BMM, here’s a checklist. We spill the beans on what it takes to be a BMMite.

Believe it or not, you know your a hardcore BMM student when..

1. You’re a PG in your own house.

2. You wake up 10 minutes before lecture. Look at the clock. And go back to sleep.

3. Running away from home (in the name of projects) doesn’t seem like a lie anymore!

Read the whole article here…

BMM, it is.

Bachelor of Mass Media (BMM) is one of the few niche courses offered by University of Mumbai. It is a three year full time degree program which offers students a glance in the mass media industry. It was initiated in the year 2000-2001. Within three years, the course introduces students to 36 different subjects related to the media industry. A mix of theoretical concepts and implementation of them in placements and practical projects makes the course a hit among the youth.

In the third year, students need to specialize in either Advertising or Journalism. The choice made by individuals reflects his/her interests and preferences, which are highlighted during the first two years of the course.

The course is currently offered in more in more than 50 colleges in Mumbai. Click here to check out the various colleges that offer BMM.

Eligibility: Earlier BMM students were selected on the basis of entrance tests conducted by each college. But as of now the criteria remains the percentage scored in your HSC exam. That’s right, creativity is fortunately or unfortunately rated on how high your score is. However, you need to score a minimum of 50% in your board exam to be eligible for this course.

So if you intend to do BMM from one of the top colleges, you need to first compete with the nerd in your college along with hundreds of nerds in the city.

Since your reading ahead, we thought we’ll zero down the top 5 BMM colleges in Mumbai * for you:

1. Jai Hind College
2. KC College
3. Xavier’s College
4. RD National College
5. NM College

(* The list is a compiled on various criteria like College performance in terms of results, participation in festivals, popularity, faculty, etc..)

You can opt out of a particular college in the second/third year and get admission in any of the top colleges, considering you score amazingly well in the first year of BMM.

Hope this helps you clear all your confusion regarding BMM. If any doubts, suggestions or feedback, comment below and we would surely get back to you.

Cheers!

First Year B.M.M. Semester I

1. Effective communication skills I

General:

Study strategies – Grellet, F.N. Delhi : Oxford University Press 1979
ELT Cell, University of Mumbai – Note making and Composition Exercise 1979 – Bhasker, W.S. and Prabhu, N.S.
Communication skills in English – Bellare, Nirmala, Martin, J.R. – Examination Papers, 1981.
Communication Skills in English – Hamp-Lyons, L. and Heasley B. – Examination Papers, 1987.

Reading:

Developing Reading Skills – Cambridge University Press 1981 – Freeman, Sarah.
Reading and Thinking in English, Four Vols. (Vol. 1 for the Lowest Level, Vol. 4 for the Highest Level), The British Council, Oxford University Press, 1979 – 1981 – Saraswathi, V.
English through Reading, Vols. 1 and 2, Oxford University Press, 1988.
Reading and Study strategies, Vols. 1 and 2, Oxford University Press, 1988.

Writing:

Factual Writing: Exploring and Challenging Social Reality, Oxford University 1990.
Study Writing : A course in Written English for Academic and Professional Purposes, Cambridge University Press 1987.
Written Communication. Orient Longman, 1977.
Organized Writing, Book1, Orient Longman
Organized Writing, Book 2, Orient Longman

Thinking:

De Bono, Edward; Teaching Thinking, (1986); Penguin Books.
De Bono, Edward; De Bono’s Thinking Course; (1996); BBC Books.
De Bono, Edward; Serious Creativity; (1992); Penguin

2. Fundamentals of Mass Communication:

De Fleur, Melvin and Dennis, Everette; Understanding Mass Communication; (1988); 3rd edition; Houghton Miffin Co.
Narula, Uma; Mass Communication Theory and Practice; (1944); Haranand.
Andal; Communication Theories and Models.
Ed. Barker and Petley; Ill Effects, 2nd edition; (1997); Routledge.
Ed. J. S. Yadav; Issues in Mass Communication; Kanishka Publishers.
Davison, Boylan and Yu; Mass Media – Systems and Effects; (1976).
Hobart; Information Ages

3. Landmarks in 20th Century World History:

Davis; World History.
Cahoone; From Modernism to Postmodernism: An Anthology; Blackwell Publishers.
McNeil and Seldman; Continental Philosophy: an Anthology.
Hutchinson’s Dictionary Ideas (94); Helican.
J.O. Urmson and Ree; Concise Encyclopedia of Western Philosophy and
Philosophers; Unwin Hyman (89).

4. Introduction to Sociology:

Sociology, Polity Press, Ed 2 London 1999 – Giddens Anthony.
Sociology, Tata McGraw Hill 1999 – Law and Shaffers.
Sociology, Oxford University Press 1998; Leslie, Larson, Gorman.
Sociology Imagination – C. Wright Mills.
Human Society – Kingsley Davis.

5. Economics:

Paul Samuelson; Economics
Begg, Dombush and Fischer; Micro and Macro Economics
Stonier and Hague; Economics
Lipsey and Steiner; Economics
D.M. Mithani; Business Economics (part I and II)
R.R. Sahuraja and others; Economic Theory