At 20, I couldn’t even ask for extra chutney in a restaurant.
Today, I’ve presented my research at an international conference.
Confidence didn’t come naturally to me—it was built step by step.
Until the age of 20, I struggled to speak in English. I avoided asking questions in class, feared speaking on stage, and hesitated to interact with people. After my UG, I decided to pursue an MBA and took a year off to prepare for CAT. That’s when I realised something important: getting into a good B-school wasn’t just about exams; it required communication and confidence.
I started preparing day and night, watching multiple YouTube channels and reading posts on how to introduce myself in English and answer common interview questions. I got my first interview call from PSG Institute of Management, Coimbatore. There, I couldn’t express myself properly and struggled to explain things in English. It was disappointing. I walked out disappointed.
That moment pushed me to improve. I worked harder on my communication and attended another interview at Thiagarajar School of Management. This time, I performed with confidence—and got in.
However, the real challenge began there.
After getting into TSM, I attended my first class, which was conducted in English. During my school and UG, I was used to listening to classes in Tamil. I was anxious to ask doubts and answer questions to the professors. When I faced my first class presentation and debate, others were speaking, but I wrote down my points in a notebook with me and read out from it. Also, I came from a background where I studied in an all-boys school and even in college, boys and girls were non-integrated. They were expected to keep a level of “social distancing”! However, at TSM, I was shocked to find that everyone mingled and learned together without any discrimination. I somehow survived the semester with an arrear in one subject.
That was my turning point.
I felt very bad and promised myself to move out of my comfort zone—from sitting in the center of the hall to promoting myself to the front row. From being the silent one to interacting with professors in whatever English I knew, I was determined to put myself out there. I realized very early that real personality growth cannot be focused on superficial aspects. I started working on myself intellectually as well—reading newspapers daily and interacting with people from different backgrounds. That gave me new perspectives.
I also started an NPTEL course to gain deeper knowledge in my core area, marketing. Along with that, I worked on live projects with organizations such as CII, CREDAI, and YESCON. I joined the gym and participated in sports because I believed confidence shouldn’t be built only internally; it should reflect externally too.
There were failures too. I didn’t get selected for college clubs I applied to. But instead of stopping, I kept moving forward.
After my third semester, we had to do an internship and project. I did my project at Thangamayil Jewellery. My mentor, Dr. Natraj, found my research interesting and unique. So, he encouraged me to present my paper at a conference. I trusted him and applied just because he asked me.
I applied to the NASME Conference 2025, an international marketing conference held at Great Lakes College, Chennai. NASME, which brings together participants from various countries. NASME receives thousands of research papers from around the world; among them, mine was selected for presentation too. I was elated; but also nervous about presenting before scholars, professors, and students from all over the world.
So, what did I learn? I should keep working on myself and not worry about the results. The outcome, which can be either positive or negative, are not in my control at all.
And dear friends, are you eager to know what happened in the end?
I received awards in sports and in most of the events I participated in. I may not have been able to join every club I wanted, but life showed me a different path. There was a club at our college that had been inactive for over 6 years. A friend and I took it up, rebranded it, and conducted multiple competitions for students. We completely revamped the club’s image: the name, logo, and how people saw it.
Want to know a secret? Reading newspapers helped me guide my friends on geopolitical issues and current affairs for our viva interviews. Personally, that felt amazing! I also received awards and appreciation from companies for live projects and won competitions such as quiz, throwball, and Adzap.
Yes, I presented my paper at the conference. From being that boy who once nervously read out my speech as notes from a paper, I had come a long way. Here I stood, presenting my research at an international conference.
I was the one who struggled to speak to professors not so long ago and had an arrear in the first semester. On the day of the conference, I knew I made my mentor proud. Recently, I was told that I missed the prestigious Dean’s List by a mere 0.06 marks. In my mind, that is still a win!
Most importantly, I built meaningful friendships; that matters more than anything else. In the beginning, I was scared to talk to girls, but now I have many good female friends. I even got the confidence to propose to my crush! Of course, I got rejected, but it was after I bravely asked her!
Today, I’m in the final phase and the final semester. I am no longer in my college. No, I did not get dismissed from my college. I am just out on my internship. During my last semester, I had a choice: either take a course or do an industry project. I chose the latter to gain real exposure in my core area of marketing, since I hadn’t yet gotten enough practical experience in it.
Many well-wishers warned me that an industry project would be more difficult than regular coursework. I still took that risk. And now, I have the confidence to face whatever outcomes arise out of going with my own decisions.
More importantly, I learned that confidence is not about perfection—it is about action.
Storyteller
