From hating coding to making a living out of it. Read Bhaskar Rai's story.

Bhaskar Rai

Bhaskar was born in Sainkheda village near Silwani town of the Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh, in a family full of teachers. And that is where the zeal for learning new skills comes from, no matter how hard it gets!

Bhaskar always did his best to avoid computers because he did not like to code at all. He skipped the Computer Science subject in 12th standard by taking up Hindi as his optional subject and went with Mechanical Engineering to avoid coding of any kind altogether.

But, destiny had different plans. Today, he is a Software Engineer! In our recent conversation, Bhaskar takes us along his life’s unpredictable journey. 

Can you please shed some light on your academic journey?

Let me start from the start. From 6 to 12th standard I studied in Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya. Interestingly and ironically, I have been avoiding anything remotely related to computers since my school days. In the 11th and 12th standards when I had to choose between Hindi and Computer Science, I chose Hindi just to stay away from computers.

I completed my 12th in 2016, and joined the LNCT Group of Colleges, again to avoid coding and computers, I chose Mechanical Engineering. I graduated in June 2019 and joined Masai in March 2021.

What did you do after graduation and the time between joining Masai?

I did not sit for college placements because I was not serious about it, moreover, the college had limited scope for placements. Long before I joined college, I always wanted to join defence services. But, my plan was that I will appear for CDS SSB interviews after I graduate. I did attempt the interviews twice, but, couldn’t clear. After that, I gave up on my dream of getting into defence services and thought it’d be a good idea to prepare for MBA, therefore enrolled myself in a CAT preparation institute.

However, with the pandemic around, I thought to self-prepare and dropped the idea of joining the coaching institute. I started studying on my own, by getting study material from my seniors and other resources. But it was not that easy. It is difficult to be consistent when you are on your own studying with no defined structure or roadmap. At the same time, there was also some pressure from family members to take up a job as I had graduated a long time ago.

Finally, in September 2020, I took up a job where I used to deal with online sellers’ tickets. I worked there for six months. 

What was your parents’ reaction when you wanted to quit your job and join Masai?

To be very honest, the good thing is that money was not a problem because I come from a financially sound family. My family was very supportive of my decision. The only thing my father told me was that just be very sure about what you want to do in your life now. And, if you are not sure about anything, I will guide you in some business, but you need to make a decision on your own. I assured my father that I have decided to become a software engineer, and introduced him to the idea of Masai School, and its unique fee structure which allows students to pay only when they get a job with a minimum of 5LPA. He was happy to hear that. 

So, how did you end up getting into the Masai School?

Back then, I was investing more than nine hours per day in that BPO job, and earning just 10,000 per month. When I was doing that job, Anurag (a friend of mine), who was in an IT company in Bangalore, used to tell me about getting into the IT sector as there are better opportunities. He used to tell me the same thing during our college days. He was the one who introduced me to Masai School.

After that I and another friend, Balram joined Masai School. The funny thing is Balram had forcefully registered my name for the entrance exam even though I was not at all prepared. I will always be thankful to him for that. Balram is currently working with 5Paisa and is an alumnus of the Masai School.

What was your reaction to the signature 9-9-6 curriculum of Masai School?

I am not that good at academics. And I was very much aware of that. But, what I knew was that if required, I can work for more than ten hours a day. My philosophy was that if I can work ten hours a day for a company that pays me just Rs 10,000, I should be able to work for more than ten hours a day on self-development. That thought was really motivating for me. And, this mentality actually made me fall in love 9-9-6 curriculum. 

What is your advice to the students of the Masai School?

Please complete your coding assignments daily, regularly, by hook or crook. If you keep on being lazy and skip assignments now and then, you will never be able to catch up. 

How is the placement process at the Masai School?

Out of my 71 batch mates, only 7-8 students are not placed yet. That shows how good the Masai School is at placing its students in good companies. The Masai School prepares everyone with great coding skills and that is what matters the most. 

Another good thing is that if you sit in an interview through the Masai School, nobody cares about your degree or qualifications. The only important thing is your skills and ability to solve problems. Plus, the Masai School teaches you how to learn. That helps a lot in interviews. I am selected as Full stack developer even though I do not have a good grip over it. I was told by the company that they will be able to train me very easily as I am from the Masai School. This shows the trust employers have in the Masai School and its teaching methods. 

How did your friends and family feel when you got placed?

Everybody was really happy. My mother finally can have some peace now that I have a stable job. My father was also very happy.

What are your future plans?

I know my weaknesses and I want to work on them. I am looking to upskill myself by learning new programming languages. I will cash on the habit of working for 10 hours that I have developed at the Masai School. Apart from that, I also want to grow my YouTube channel.

What is your message to the people who call Masai School a scam?

Oh, this is a very interesting question. One day during the pandemic, we were told that the Masai School has set up a Covid Relief Fund. To do our bit, we went to Prateek Sir and told him that we also wanted to contribute. But, I was shocked when he said that the fund was for the students and alumni of the Masai School, and they do not have to donate anything. This fund was used to procure oximeters, RTPCR, vaccination etc. That day I became a huge fan of the Masai School. These ethos and values make me recommend the Masai School to everyone. There is no scam here. 

Apart from that, the mentors are really supportive and helpful. I was stuck in my assignments somewhere, at 12 AM night. I messaged one of the mentors, and he replied immediately. This is a very usual practice in the Masai School.

And, I see the Masai School very differently. See, I have the responsibility of just myself on my shoulders, especially of placements. But, the Masai School has the responsibility of thousands of students and their placements. And, they are not lying about anything, about placements. The numbers tell the truth. And, count me also in that number.