I am Anmol Agnihotri. Today I want to share my journey but more importantly, I wish to share my failures and lessons that I learned from them. I have graduated from HBTU, KANPUR. I appeared for 3 SSBs (the first 2 in my final year and the Third after graduation)

1. AFSB VARANASI: got conferenced out.
2. AFSB DEHRADUN: got screened out.
3. SSB BANGALORE: recommended for pilot cadre in navy.

Also got merit in for INA.

Hop onto my plane and I’ll take you through the journey.

BEFORE 1^ST SSB:

I started my preparation from the third year of my college when we usually get pretty focused on our careers and what to do with life. After seeing AVNI CHATURVEDI becoming the first female fighter pilot. I felt drawn towards this dream of flying someday and having those wings. So I started searching for the exams. I figured that AIR FORCE and INDIAN NAVY allows women in the flying streams back then in 2018. So I started preparing for the writing. Bought a book of ARIHANT PUBLICATIONS. Apart from this I also started working on my personality including extracurricular and started giving attention to the hobbies that I loved. (painting, reading , public speaking) . I stuck to maintaining a journal about my daily routine with my regular college. I had some sense of clarity about the age limit of pilot entry so It was clear in my mind that I have very few attempts so I have to get all my substance together. Also, have you ever tried speaking to strangers on a train about random topics?? Yeah, I did that too during the travels from my Kanpur to my home in Ghaziabad. Finding of myself in every possible way.

My SSB Description!!

1.) You should know that you might have to walk a long walk alone without encouragement or support. It’s definitely not rosy and it’s fine. There are a lot of emotions, energy, and efforts that build the base for you. Laziness, any kind of hindrance, unfavorable situations comfort zone, etc. None of these excuses in your mind will work. You cannot cover up for them in the SSB. What will matter is how much you are working in the direction of your personal growth. That’s it. Any kind of dis-alignment in your words, actions, and thoughts will come out. FOR SURE!!

2.) Conference out in January 2020.

It was definitely a shock. I felt that pang of rejection and it was damn deep. After coming back home I had some plus points. I had friends who were on a similar journey as mine and a real experience of what actually happens inside. All my personal hidden fears and the undiscovered emotions came to the surface. And that’s when I realised SSB is not an EXAM but It is a MIRROR. Where we come face to face with our conscious and subconscious self.  I wrote down all my experiences in my personal notebook including every minute detail and even asked my group members what they thought about me. I took that back to my college and analysed my performance objectively as a third person.

• The basic structure of SSB is to assess our MANAS (PSYCHE TESTS), VACHA(INTERVIEW), KARMA(GTO). It’s a very meticulously designed structure that takes in the science of psychology to calculate an individual’s performance. I owe this realisation to my 12^th standard where I aced in my psychology subject and its now when I figured how important psychology and spirituality is in our real lives. And SSB IS THE SUBSET OF OUR REAL LIVES. So these two tools become the fundamental pillars of SSB automatically.
• GTO ANALYSIS: I was not taking the initiative and was participating in a passive form instead of being an intellectually active participant. I was letting others take over. It does not mean you have to fight but it definitely means you have to take a stand.

 SO WHAT THAT MEAN?

It meant that I was not taking enough initiative in my real life in terms of career eg :- whether I want to give GATE and follow the conventional path or believe in myself and do something different in spite of all the opposite opinions from others. I Skipped the GATE exam and appeared for the INET exam which was on the very same day ( 8th feb 2020) for electrical engineering. That was one of the biggest risks that I took for myself and my dreams. And this one single event gave me inner strength and strong self-belief.  and the extent of possibilities that lie ahead.

In terms of personal relationships eg:- Handling conflicts and all the emotions instead of running away from them. (Conflicts are usually a source of information about our own minds/judgments). I explored a lot about the concept of how our childhood conditioning affects our adult relationships and directly determines our definitions of self-worth, love, trust, integrity, and honesty. Which definitely helped me build my emotional quotient.

• INTERVIEW PART: I believe that “confidence comes with clarity”. Tie a tight knot on this one. I was already using diary writing so I had explored a lot about myself but after my first SSB I took it more seriously and started preparing my answers which were 3,4 pages long in the first but till my second SSB in September they became concise and well expressed. I even used my classmate’s registers to write everything down. Filled 3, 4 of them in 1 year. Practiced speaking in front of the mirror and recording some of them during the lockdown. I took the help of my parents, siblings, and friends who gave me proper long feedbacks on what they thought about me which was very helpful.

• PSYCHE PART: Here I want to emphasize the “significance” of the tests. There is no set pattern and no amount of TAT, WAT, and SRT practice can help you if you are not doing the introspection part. It becomes superficial. A person who has not practised these but has 100 percent clarity about himself /herself has leverage over a person who has practiced these 100 times. So when you know yourself inside out and you share your true version with all the strengths and accepting the imperfections. YOU will kill it, my friend!!

• 2^ND SSB: Got screened out.

The reason was very basic. HOBBIES!

Listen, my fellow warriors. Hobbies are not for the sake of showing off in the PIQ or doing the stuff that is famously considered a hobby. That’s stupidity.  

 I had got so serious that I kept everything aside for the sake of my SSB. I was working on my fitness, general knowledge, personal clarity, expression BUT not on my personal happiness independent of SSB. And it got reflected in the lack of creativity in my PPDT story and my speaking energy. Became aggressive. ( While I have seen aggressive candidates getting screened in but it definitely gets noticed in later stages and becomes a reason for rejections). So try for a WIN-WIN( 7 habits of highly effective people book by Stephen Covey). What you are doing in your daily life is going to get mirrored. Accept it or not, Your choice.

 From my experience, I have found that discipline and hobbies are like “yin yang”. They complement each other. Discipline provides you a self-control and hobby stuff gives your mind some relaxation and freedom to be yourself which acts as fuel for your spirit, it gives you liveliness, and enjoying yourself helps to maintain positivity. After getting screened out and coming back home,  Being passionate about painting, reading, stone collection, photography, writing was now a priority for me.(refer to FIRST THINGS FIRST book by STEPHEN COVEY). This helped me a lot in my 3^rd SSB.

I took up the 1-month challenge of painting daily, reading my favorite genres, and having conversations with similar-minded people through social media communities for myself and “not” for SSB. (AS IT WAS A LOCKDOWN BUT THAT IS NOT AN EXCUSE)

“BALANCE IS THE KEY” which was also my weakness and I even mentioned it in my 3rd SSB in the interview. Forgetfulness and Strictness being the other two. I was working on them by being present and more accepting of myself and others.  Nobody is perfect at it but yes it requires CONSISTENCY and practice. Before my 3^rd SSB I also took help from Lt.Col. Ganesh Babu sir.

• 3^rd attempt- RECOMMENDED!!

It was a marvellous 5 days experience in itself . Apart from my strong determination to achieve my dream of becoming a pilot , it was different this time. I was enjoying every moment.

The best thing that helped relieve pressure form my mind was my joining in IBM BANGALORE which had got postponed due to covid. My 3^rd SSB was on 10 December and my JOB joining was on 25^th December. So I was asked a lot of questions about my back up plan.

What Kind of a backup plan I think is a good backup plan?

Jaise Sandeep bhaiya bolte hain in TVF ASPIRANTS ki back up plan ka importance hi ye hai to create a balance. Having a backup plan that will support you in building your skills (pursuing further studies) / personal or financial development (job /internships etc) and also that keeps “THE FIRE INSIDE YOU ALIVE” is very important. You have a choice to say NO to anything that does not align with your future vision.

FORCES need an active goal setter and not a passive goal setter. Life of forces demands a personality and Risk-taking mindset person, who has a lot of enthusiasm for it and creating a great life with strong character.

“Don’t go for the secure, Go for the risky. In life, it is very important to measure yourself at least once. Even if that makes you afraid, Run towards it.” ~ movie INTO THE WILD.

THE RIGHT MINDSET FOR SSB:

After considering all the points above and having a clarity of your backup plan, choices , friends circle and family. Having in depth analysis of all the weaknesses without any excuses. I felt there was not a thing that I needed to think about in the SSB so I relaxed and enjoyed my best. That smile was not made up, I was really happy in all the tasks. I made great friends who are my friends till date.

When the result was announced my heart skipped a beat. I was the first chest number in that list. . After waiting for 3.5 months of uncertainty and some more risks and sacrifices. Joining letter from INDIAN NAVY FINALLY CAME stating the commencement of our course in JUNE END.

That feeling was inexplicable. I had no word to express how happy and overwhelmed I was and my family and friends were. Nothing else mattered and all the efforts, pain and struggle felt like it was worth it. Truly grateful. So yeahhh!!

ENDNOTE

Taking that next BIG leap is my Mantra. Don’t work on becoming the best as there is comparison “but” work on becoming a great human being by giving full justice to your entire human potential and difficulties and you will automatically become the best!! (sounds like 3 idiots? CHALO FIR MILENGE KABHI FORCE MAIN).

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Honestly, I have seen it with my own eyes “LAW OF ATTRACTION DOES WORK.”

What’s meant to be will always find its way.

2 Attempts 2 Recommendations and One merit.

Greetings to all!! I am Akanksha Malik. I belong to Rohtak (Haryana) and my roots originate from village Anwali (District Sonipat). I got recommended from 21 SSB BHOPAL (Batch No. PSSW 72019) on 8^th January 2021 in my second attempt and have secured AIR 12 in the merit list. I got my first recommendation from 4 AFSB Varanasi {Batch NO. V-AFCAT (W)/NCC (W)/ 474} on 17^th September 2020 but unfortunately could not make it to the merit. I strongly believe, whatever happens, happens for good.

This process in itself has been an enlightened journey. My SSB preparation and experiences have helped me in developing my multifarious skills like Cognition of detail, current affair knowledge, patience and most importantly made me a better human being in all aspects.

Some of my acquaintances were preparing for CDS and SSB during my college time and I came across their exciting experiences. I and my friend used to wonder what exactly is SSB and we thought of going through this experience at least once. So, we started preparing for the CDS and AFCAT exam and during this very process, we realized how enriching this exam preparation was.

My preparation for SSB started when it was the peak of 1^st wave of the pandemic in August 2020 and trust me within few days of honest inputs, I saw myself becoming a better version of myself. I started watching various YouTube videos about SSB and started making changes in my basic daily routine like waking up early, exercising(20mins), and reading newspapers. This is all I prepared for my first SSB and followed the same for the second. I am fortunate enough to have some wonderful humans like Colonel (Retd.) D.S. Deswal, Brig. (Retd) S.S. Joon, Colonel (Retd.) Sant Kumar, Mr. Sandeep Gill (Coordinator Youth Centre for Skill Development, MDU), Ms. Rekha Malik (Lecturer in English) were always there to guide me whenever I felt stuck or anxious about the process or my own self.

The Youth Centre for Skill Development under Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak also played a significant role in my success by giving me a platform where I could practice by engaging in various group discussions and other tasks.

So, moving forward, let me very briefly share my SSB experience with you all.

As mentioned earlier I got recommended from 4 AFSB VARANASI on 17^th September 2020 and was waiting for my merit. Meanwhile, my second SSB was lined up on 3^rd January 2021 and I got merit out of the Air Force merit on 31^st December 2020, it was a shattering moment, though I was happy on the other side that all my friends from the SSB and medicals made it to the Air Force Academy. I somewhere deep inside knew I had not performed fullest to my capabilities and during this time between September to January I made sure to work on my weak areas, learn more about my own self and work on my physical health and fortunately everything fell in place and I got recommended again and this time I was sure I had performed much better than the previous attempt.

Day 1: Screen In

On 4^th January 2021, I reported in formals at the stipulated time and was astonished to see a lot of aspirants there. After some time, we were briefed by the representative of the board and we boarded the bus after showing our COVID reports and ID proof.

We were taken to SSB BHOPAL and were given Chest No. and breakfast. Finally, the time came for real testing. We were given the OIR (Officer Intelligence Rating) tests. And I was able to complete the first OIR test within time and with accuracy but faced the second OIR test a little challenging as it had more of number sequence questions for which I took a little extra time to solve but I recalled what my friend has told me night before “Akanksha its your time and don’t you dare waste any of it worrying or getting anxious, just focus and fight till the last moment” and I exactly did the same. I somewhere was nervous after the OIR tests so I told myself to perform outstandingly good in the PPDT. A very simple picture showing 3 Army officers in position with guns amid the mountains. We were a group of 15 candidates and almost all of us came up with the similar ideas but still could not reach to the conclusion while the discussion and our accessors asked us to leave without even giving us the opportunity to narrate the story. We all were very nervous as we were not sure how it went.

Finally, it was the time for the results to be announced and 40 of us were screened in and I was allotted Chest No. 26.

Now came the tiresome task of filling uncountable forms and documents verification. We started this around 3pm and were freed around 9:30pm. We all went to our rooms and took a sound sleep at night.

DAY 2: PSYCHOLOGY TEST AND INTERVIEW

We all reported at 6:00am and we were taken to the hall where our psychological test was to be conducted. After a long wait of approx. 1.5 hr our test started, the psychologist gave us the basic instructions and we were given our sheets. The first test was Thematic Appreciation Test (TAT) and was a mix of all type of pictures ranging from very easy to stressful pictures and I wrote whatever the first perception formed in my brain. Next was the Word Association Test (WAT) test and it went smooth. Thereafter came the Situation Reaction Test (SRT) where we had to react to 60 basic life situations in 30 minutes and I managed to attempt 56 situations. The last and the final part was the Self-Description where we were given themes like “Your Parents’,friends’,teachers’ opinion about you, your aim in life” to pen down our thoughts and I honestly enjoyed attempting this test as it helped me introspect my own self. I was completely satisfied with my test.

And as we came out those Chest no. were announced who had their Interview on that very day and I was one of them. I was given the time slot of 11:45 am to report for my interview. We all went to our rooms and everybody tried to relax but I was roaming in my room to recollect my thoughts and then just before going to my interview I went to the Wet Canteen to have tea but there was no tea left and I had no time to wait so I decided to move for interview directly.

While waiting in the Waiting room I interacted with other candidates for some time and then sat quietly and focused on my own line of thoughts. Chest no. 26 flashed on the board and I got up wore my shield and went to the office of Deputy President of 21 SSB board for my interview.

My interview went on for about 40 mins and it was predominantly based on my PIQ and personal life experiences and how I managed my Presidentship at the National Service Scheme of Miranda House. I was asked 3 rapid fires and towards the end, very few current affairs questions and my subject of Graduation i.e., Geography related questions were asked and I was satisfied and happy with my Interview.

DAY 3 AND 4 THE GTO DAY :

The next cheerful morning came and we reported at 6:30 am sharp and went for our GTO 1. Our GTO started with the Group Discussions and the topics were “What plays for the major role in India China dispute?” The three leads were: Border Dispute, Economic reasons or Political Reasons. And the second topic for the GD was “What could possibly be the hurdle for the women Soldiers in Indian Army?” The leads were: Infrastructure issues, Mindset of people or Tough physical standards.

Then we moved to the second task GPE and It was a simple exercise where we eventually reached to consensus. I gave in all my logical points with proper reasoning.

Then the next task came in was the Snake race and as my group was very cooperative we were able to complete it with coordination and ease.

Then we proceeded to the PGT and HGT tasks and I was able to give some good ideas to overcome the obstacles in front of us. The presence of mind was all needed in this very task.

Then we had our last task for the day i.e., Lecturette and as my turn came in, I was nervous and got the topics I had no idea about so I chose the second easiest of all and spoke on “Food and its impact on our daily life.”

We went to our rooms and relaxed and interacted after this tiring day to refresh ourselves and in the evening had chai pe charcha on various hot topics.

The morning came in and it was the second day of GTO. It started with the Individual Obstacles and I was able to do 7 obstacles out of 8 required obstacles to be completed in the given time of 3 minutes and you won’t believe I missed the obstacle no. 1 which was the easiest one of out of all. The next task was the Command task and I was called third last and my task was a bit complicated but I managed to complete all of it very quickly except for the last entry point where I had already given 2 ideas but my GTO was expecting the 3^rd idea too. I struggled for about 10 mins on this very thing and finally with God’s grace I was able to solve the mystery and give the idea and I smiled from ear to ear.

The last task was the Final Group task and by this time we all were comfortable with each other and gave the solution within 7 minutes of the recorded time as a team with full cooperation and understanding.

THE CONFERENCE DAY:

The final day came and we all got up and dressed up with a tsunami of excitement, nervousness and confidence. We all reported and our conference started. My chest no. came and there was no waiting time for me to enter and I was asked very basic questions about my stay and food. And within a minute it was over.

THE RESULT ANNOUNCED:

We were asked to have our lunch before the announcement was made for the result and trust me I ate to the fullest of my stomach capacities.

It was time for the result to be announced and 4 out of 40 candidates were recommended and 3 out of these 4 were from my group. My name was called 3^rd and I was at the top of the world and was so happy. This moment made me realise “You get what you manifest.”

KEEP YOUR SPIRITS HIGH AND MOTIVATION BOOSTED AND MOST IMPORTANTLY BELIEVE IN YOURSELF. THIS JOURNEY HELPS YOU INTROSPECT AND EXPLORE THE HIDDEN HORIZONS OF YOUR OWN CAPABILITIES.

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