‘I am grateful to my alma mater for making me what I am today’

Meet Prakhar Srivastav, an alumnus of Apeejay Stya University, who aspires to work in Star Sports someday as a sports presenter, since he believes in the power of manifestation and law of attraction, Prakhar is trying hard each day to reach his final destination in no time.

In a candid interview he shares about the good times he spent at his hostel and college.

Tell us about yourself.

I am Prakhar Srivastav and I belong to Lucknow. I have done my college from Apeejay Stya University, Gurgaon. Currently I’m working in NDTV, Delhi as a Junior Output Editor. Recently I have completed 2 years in the media industry and the experience has been amazing. During my professional journey I learnt multiple skills, since the learning process never stops, hence I am enjoying everything now.

What does a typical day out of your life look like?

A typical day usually starts with my morning gym routine. I regularly go to the gym and never skip my workouts. It’s been 1.5 years now. By 8 am I am in the gym and after that have my essential meals. I reach the office by 11 am where I usually spend my day working and enjoying till 7 PM. After that I head back home and on the way I hit my protein intake with some egg whites. By 9 pm I am done with my dinner and till 12 or 12.30 spend some time leisurely by keeping it simple and subtle.

Tell us about your college life.

My college life was amazing. All the teachers were really good including the seniors and juniors. I made some lovely friends there and the hostel life was a blast. I am a state level badminton player so I was mostly busy with the game, and just outside my hostel room there was a badminton court. The teachers were really supportive, especially the Dean Sir and other staff. The only regret is that I couldn’t enjoy my last year in the hostel due to Covid-19 pandemic situation.

Which specialisation you picked and why?

I didn’t pick any specialisation as such at that time since you have to learn everything. You cannot just focus on one thing and try to be good at that. Therefore I was kind of focusing on every skill set and trying to learn them. I feel, the course I took up in college has begun my learning phase. I understood that one has to learn everything by being disciplined and sincere.

How is the faculty at the college?

The faculty at the college was really very good. They were very supportive, and the focus was more on the practical training and then on theoretical training. We were made to do photo shoots, assignments, videography edits, and a lot of short films for our photography projects. We basically learned everything so that we understand and realise our true potential in the vast media field. Our college helped us thoroughly in this. Also, the teachers are very helpful and they were always very supportive. I did my first internship in Times of India, which was given by the college and the final internship, which is industrial training, I was given to work in NDTV and I’ll be grateful for that to my college.

What is your dream and goal in life?

My dream or a goal in my life will be to work in Star Sports. I want to be a sports presenter in the long run. I plan to work hard and master my field so well that the path I tread towards achieving my dream becomes clearer and easier. I believe in the principle of hard work and smart work.

Any message for the aspiring students of your field?

Firstly, you need to have a lot of patience. Sometimes things do not go according to you. You just have to wait for your time and keep practicing. Just keep your focus on the practical training, which is the main thing. Read about things, watch different videos, learn about new things and keep yourself updated. A journalist is always ahead of others in terms of news, therefore, just keep regularly reading newspapers and do watch a lot of informative stuff. You should be very aware of what’s happening around you.

Your comments on the brain drain trend.

Let’s start by saying that it is because of the lack of opportunities that the country is giving the youth. Some people lack patience and to get a good job, they move out and find a good career opportunity there. But the sad reality is that the salary might be really high abroad but the amount of expenditure is even higher as compared to what we have in our country. Most of the times when your family is left behind in India and you are settled outside, it also creates a huge barrier in your personal life. You should focus on growing yourself in India, which will obviously help in boosting our economy. And you will also live a much easier life here, rather than a strange unknown country. I feel moving abroad is just a glorified trend and nothing can replace the comfort and value of growing and succeeding in one’s own country.

How did Apeejay help hone your skills?

Apeejay gave me enough opportunities to discover my strengths and weaknesses. I was not very keen on video editing and similar skills but I learned them by the final semester. I was always a good orator and because of my speaking skills, I can now face the camera without any fear. All these kinds of skills that are required today in my professional life, I could imbibe them through the support of my college and teachers. I shall be forever grateful for this.