Hello friends! This is Shreya Kumar, I always used to visit ssbcrack.com and used to read experiences of different aspirants weather recommended or not, and thought of writing mine sometime… And I think the time is absolutely right..! Because by god’s grace and the support of my family and friends I got recommended from 2 AFSB Mysore on 16th November 2013, and the next day that is 17th Nov was my birthday!! 😀 which I ultimately celebrated in train with my parents and an annoying co-passenger 😛
Anyways, the good part is that I had my parents beside me to enjoy the moment, even though I am still not able to realise the fact that it has actually happened!
AFSB Day 0
I arrived at mysore with my family at 5am on 10th Nov and decided to visit mysore with them, as it was a Sunday, we wer lucky enough to witness the lighted avatar of Mysore Palace at 7pm sharp! Felt awesome, prayed to chamundi mata for my success and returned to my DFRL guest house which was just 700mtrs away from AFSB centre.
AFSB Day 1
I reached the railway station pre paid auto point on 11th November, where I met many aspirants like me, and interacted with them, we got onto a grey bus on which was written “INDIAN AIR FORCE” and reached the selection centre. Feeling was great, many thoughts were haunting my mind, and I was busy enjoying the early morning breeze and surroundings at Mysore, and we entered the selection centre, the display of planes and hoardings gave a great feel.
Soon we had to assemble in front of the “testing wing” and were alloted chest numbers, and taken inside the hall for OIR testing. I couldn’t complete “verbal” part, like many others cause time was very less, but, I was able to complete the “non verbal” part as time was enough and questions were quite easy, infact, many SSB related books offer different question sets on verbal and non verbal, and trust me, none of them actually are asked in the OIR, its just spontaneity and intelligence which can help u sail through this test, and I am sure most of you will be finding the test easy ( I was very tensed about the kind of questions asked in OIR as it forms a part of the elimination round on the very first day!)
Next, we were shown a picture on which we had to identify the number of characters and write a simple and positive story around the main character. The best thing about the whole SSB is that, they will not only explain you each and everything, but, also provide you with sample questions for practice, all you have to do is FOLLOW THEIR INSTRUCTIONS CAREFULLY and ditch all pre conceived ideas/advice that people must have given you.
Then we were divided into groups of 15 and entered a room, where 3 very smart assessors were sitting. All of us narrated our stories one by one and then a discussion began. In my opinion, speaking the most or loudest is not the key, but, speaking effectively and to the point will fetch you marks.
The results were announced after some chai-sandwich, and out of the 135 girls that had reported, 64 got screened in!! I was quite happy to get screened in, and felt bad for my friends who couldn’t make the grade.
AFSB Day 2
The Psychological testing began a little late, and I wrote simple stories to the best of my knowledge in TAT, I did all 60 words in WAT , but, only 42 SRTs…. But, whatever SRTs I wrote went quite well. SD was nothing but, writing about views of ur parents, teachers, friends, and yourself and I wrote all this in such a hurry that my handwriting looked like chinese-urdu and I was thinking ‘ki chalo koi baat nahi’, boys never think about their handwriting, and just imagine if they were to write in a hurry, what would be the outcome! 😛 The psychologist must be now used to reading such hurried up handwritings. I was sad that I could not complete more SRTs.. But, I decided not to think about it anymore! And enjoy my stay with friends. Then, we thought of preparing some G.K for the Interview, which was the next day at 9am so, I searched everything about basketball on google as i had given it as my hobby, and in the interview not even the spelling of basketball was asked! !!! :-/
AFSB Day 3
I got up early, got ready in my formals that I had decided to wear the day before, and headed for breakfast. All my friends were wishing me all the best and I was just thinking one thing, that I have no idea about much of current affairs and G.K what the hell will happen now! I was called for my interview at around 10:30am, and I rushed to the interview building breathless, and found an attendant almost laughing at me, and telling me to relax and take a seat in the candidate’s waiting hall. I tried relaxing myself, and thought ‘chalo jo hoga dekha jayega interview hi to hai, mujhe select karna hoga to karenge, varna koi baat nahi’, its definitely not the end of the world!
I was called after some 10min, I entered the hall, I dont know why I was beginning to smile wide, as if haan beta ab ready ho jaao to get grilled 😀
The interviewer told me to sit back and relax, was yawning and looking at the clock throughout the interview, he was keeping his hands on his forehead as if he’s going to sleep now! I thought why the hell is he not interested in taking my interview! Do I look dumb! But, I kept smiling and gave my interview confidently. And to my surprise, he asked me a LOT OF G.K other than my PIQ. He was asking me too many details, which I feel are not even needed about each and every current affairs. Jitna mujhe ata tha, I answered, baaki I said sir I dont know, i’ll check up and tell you. He said, what????? Check up and tell me? When? Next year? I said no sir, i’ll find out the information. And throughout the interview he kept mocking me about my answers, like he was laughing and saying “huh, where did you find such an answer!” …“who told u this”… “who said its like this”… “do you think google is a reliable source for all such information”. And whatever I was trying to answer, he wasn’t listening and was cutting me short and asking another question. I still dont know, why he was being so hard on me..anyways I gave my interview, and returned to the Candidates Mess named “AASHIYANA”. My frnds were eager to know, how my interview went, I told them the whole story in detail, they were shocked to know, how can an interviewer behave like this! But, They told me to relax and not to think about it, as its already over and nothing can be done about it.
AFSB Day 4
It was a free day for us, and 14th November also! I woke up with a headache, too many thoughts about how stupid the interview went were haunting me, I wish I could have said this, I wish I could have explained ‘so & so’ thing better!! Then after having lunch, we all went to Chamundi Temple, where I prayed ki bhagwan ji aapko ache se pata hai how my interview went, plz save me! We went up the hill in a bus (and we had to walk a lot to get to the bus stand) and me and my roommates, thought of exploring the place and we went downstairs on a lonely path. I thought it might not be safe, but, still went, it started getting dark, and after reaching neeche, we came to know ki bus to upar hi aati hai, then we visited Nandi temple on the way, and walked all the way up!!! Next day GTO series tha, but, we dint care because nothing can come in our way when we wanna enjoy.
We came back at 7:45am had dinner, decided the dress for the next day and went straight to bed, that night I didn’t get proper sleep, even after walking sooo much!
AFSB Day 5
This was the GTO day!! Our sirs were asking us again and again, khana khaya hai na sabne?? Ache se khaya hai na?? Kyuki aaj bohot bhagna daudna hai. I dont know whether they were scaring us or helping us! 😛
We were taken to a different building for GD and GPE. Our topic was “Women rising in MNCs, is it because of :1) Exposure 2) Work efficiency 3) Modernisation of thoughts, I spoke in favour of Exposure given to women in today’s society, because successful women like Indira Nooyi have been working efficiently from 20-30 years or even more from when they started working! I spoke for like 2-3 times in both the GDs and also in GPE. The 2nd GD topic was FDI ke aane se sabse zada fayda kisey hoga?? 1) Aviation, 2) Finance or 3) Retail.. I spoke in favour of Aviation. GPE went well, and I came to know how many wonderful ideas my fellow group members were giving in the GPE discussion! Then we went jogging to the GT grounds, and were made to sit inside a room. We were given bournvita and monaco biscuits 😛 and then called for PGT, my frnds were coming up with wonderful ideas, and everyone wanted to rule out other’s idea and apply hers’.
On the other hand I was giving ideas wherever I could and also helped wherever I could. I wasn’t happy at all with my performance in PGT, HGT, FGT because ideas were not clicking instantly, and if ever I got an idea, nobody was listening. Humara HGT got over in a shocking 30sec- 1min. In Cmnd task, I was the first candidate called by the GTO, he looked like Mr. Bean, was a little sarcastic but, alright on the whole. He took my mini interview, told me to turn back, and see the area where I was supposed to carry out the cmnd task, he asked me sarcastically.. So, Shreya have you seen anything like this before? I said no sir! In the CT were weird flat surfaces on the ground with no structures to fix balli and plank.. I did it somehow, and later was getting depressed about the fact, that he called me sabse pehle and task wasnt that difficult also, maybe I was not in his good books.
But, there is a rule in SSB: “Never become your own assesor, listen to all instructions carefully, act accordingly, and be happy and positive, results will always be in your favour”.
But, after my cmnd task, I lost all hope, and din’t care about Individual Obstacles, I could do only 4 out of 7… And the difficulty level was way high than what we read in SSB books about Navy and Army SSB Individual Obstacles!!
After the whole series, our GTO gave us a good lecture about never minding failures in life, and choosing the right field for ourselves etc etc etc…
When I came out people started congratulating me, I asked for what? They said we know you have been selected, look how long your conference went! I said beta sabr rakho, we can never predict like that even though I was optimistic from the start.
After having our lunch, we all gathered to hear our results, I was damn scared!! They started announcing recommended candidates serially, then he said Chest No. 52, I got up wide eyed, and open mouthed! The 7 of us were supposed to go and stand on the stage, and the long hall was filled with claps. I couldn’t believe I had made it..!! I congratulated everyone, later I hugged two of my friends who started crying and couldn’t believe their selection themselves 😛
Later there was endless form filling from 1pm till 8pm and we were given gift hampers as well. Next day was my birthday, people were calling to congratulate me and also wish me birthday, I still couldn’t realise I have got recommended and also its my birthday! Have my medicals in feb, hope everything turns out to be good…!! 🙂
About Author: Shreya Kumar: Shreya Kumar is a defence aspirant. She has got Recommended at 2 AFSB Mysore
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