Every year, millions of students participate throughout the nation. Everyone hopes to crack at least one exam they appear in. Some fulfil that, while some exceed expectations and ace every exam.

Securing a seat in a university means setting up an ascendancy. Certain rules, strategic preparation, and a specific goal pave the way. A similar track set the stage for Rifat Al Rafi, who secured first position in the DU B unit admission exam.

Recognising his valiant effort, I sat down with Rafi to learn about his admission journey and gain insights into how, a few months before the admission phase, he finally decided to pursue B unit, along with some valuable advice for the next applicants.

While preparing for admission, his main ambition was to be in the DU IBA, while considering the B unit as a backup if things went off track.

“I have always been indecisive about my future, and my ambitions changed a lot over time. At different points, I wanted to be a pilot, a journalist, and even thought about aiming for BUET.”

Every admission candidate has their own subject preferences and a dream from early days, and so did he.

Rafi shared, “Honestly, I might have gone for Journalism, as it always fascinated me when I was younger, but considering career prospects and social expectations, I’ve decided to go for Law. There’s something about the Law department that feels like the right fit for me.”

As the B unit was his backup, he didn’t prepare for it in the first phase. He told us, “I didn’t prepare for it that seriously at the initial stage. Whenever I got fed up with my IBA preparation, I would just glance over B unit materials that included Question Banks, notes and lecture sheets provided by UCC and my private tutors while solving previous year questions.”

While failure often crumbles the weak, Rafi did not back down. After the devastating result of IBA, he decided there was no option but to step up.

“I started preparing rigorously for the B unit after my IBA exam, studying 10 to 12 hours a day. One week before the B unit exam, I got my IBA result and found out I wasn’t selected. After coping with that situation, I studied almost the entire day. I studied GK from Jubayer’s GK, Mihir GK summary, scrolling over different GK-related groups and gave model tests in UCC and at my home with my private tutor. Complementing all this, debating for a long time helped me a lot in this regard. I was good at Bangla from my early college days. So I just revised the important grammatical items and looked through previous year questions.”

As he had taken preparation for IBA, he already had a solid foundation in English.

When asked why he chose Law despite all other subjects, he stated that he doesn’t have a long-term plan of choosing it.

“I just want to complete my LLB from DU for now.”

Every year, some manage to cope with the pressure while others set a bar. Rafi’s story is different. It includes struggle and eyes full of disappointment with countless efforts of not giving up.

A thorough preparation, a specific target, and proper planning can make the whole admission journey comfortable. For the next admission takers, our interviewee advised a few things that, if followed, can bring a better tomorrow.

“I think everyone needs to find the approach that suits them best on their own. What worked for me might not work the same way for someone else.”

He advised focusing on academic English, building a strong fundamental aptitude, and having a proper grasp of Bangla from school, which will reduce the intense pressure of covering them during the admission phase.

“Apart from all, the most important thing is to believe in yourself,” concluded Rafi.