Hello, CAT takers!
The clock has started ticking, it will soon be CAT-O’clock. As the D-day approaches, it is natural for your adrenaline to hit new highs and for your heart to palpitate faster than ever. It is normal for you to see flashbacks of your journey so far: your performance in mocks, your tryst with coaching classes, and your secret affair with QA, DI/LR, and VA. While these thoughts might occupy your mind in the last few days, remember that they can have serious implication on your performance on the final day. The secret to doing the best on the D-Day lies in the art of staying motivated in the last week and therefore on the final day. Here are some tips that will help you stay positive and perform to the best of your potential in your final shot:
- Relax: You don’t need to strain yourself with the burden of revising everything. One, that’s not possible. Two, it will only bog you down if you end up missing on a certain topic from your final revision. Such things condition your brain to treat some particular topics differently.
- Sleep well: Don’t burn the midnight oil for that one extra mark. It’s illusionary. Sleep well every day, starting today. Sleep does magic. It is that secret fuel that can propel the wagon of your scores a little further.
- Think Positively: Heard of “The Law of Attraction” talked about in the book The Secret? The Secret is that everyone has the ability to create their own reality. In other words, “thoughts can become things”. If that is the case, think positive, stay positive, believe in the power of positive outcomes and it will reflect in your final performance.
- Past is Past: “I couldn’t score my dream score in the last Mock Test” Sulk Sulk! Wait. None of your previous mocks will ever define your performance in the actual paper. Neither the difficulty level nor the nature of questions will be the same. So don’t let your past performance tell you tales that pin your wings down. Wake up, set flight and soar; because the past has passed.
- Stop comparing to others: Let not any Tom, Dick or Harry’s score or performance or even preparation level make you feel any inferior. Stop Comparing. One, because your competitive set is not just them but a much much larger set of students.
- Adapt your biological clock to test timings: By now you already know which slot will you be taking CAT. From hereon try adapting your biological clock in such a fashion that you take a sectional test or maybe even a mock during the same time as the actual exam. Also, try to align your sleep cycle to this.
- Reward yourself: Pat your back each time you crack a difficult question. Keep rewarding yourself with your favourite music, book, food, etc. This is the best way to keep the motivation up at all times.
- Eat light. Stay safe and healthy: Keep a safe distance from junk food or even the oily and spicy food items. You wouldn’t want to pick up any disease at the last moment. So, eat light and healthy.
- Wear comfortable clothes: Something as trivial as your apparel and footwear can also impact your performance. Make sure you wear comfortable clothes that don't restrict your body movement.
- Talk to friends: Friends are real healers. Call them up. Talk to them. Not necessarily about CAT, about life in general. This will keep your spirit fuelled up.
And above all,
Believe in yourself:
You are your own armor,
You are your own light at the end of the CAT tunnel,
You are your own self-help book.
Believe in the power of YOU!
Lastly, remember, CAT is just an exam. It most definitely is important but will not decide the trajectory of your future, will not define you.
All the best!
Have more doubts and queries before the D-Day. Join the author for a live webinar today at 6 pm. Register on InsideIIM and get notified with more details.