How I prepared for CAT, the thought process and expectations from MBA.
There goes a story of a General who upon landing in the enemy territory ordered his men to burn down their own boats. Thus with no route to exit, his men had only one way to survive - winning the battle. And they did win. The same thought came to my mind last August, when the placement season arrived. I was into CAT preparation for a year or so. Securing a placement in an IT company seemed like a backup option or an exit route if my CAT dreams didn't materialize. I decided I didn’t want any backup options after all. But then the thought came that I had already "burnt all my boats". Two half-hearted and failed attempts at cracking the IITJEE had landed me in a college pursuing a degree that I was least interested in. But in my second year of graduation I finally realized what I really wanted to do. An MBA from an institution that is universally recognized - the Indian Institute of Management. But all hard work and preparation boils down to how you perform in that three hours on the D-DAY that would determine/shape your future. Time is precious but as with everything else, some moments or hours are even more so. The morning hours of 29th November, 2015 were such elite, golden hours that one had to make full use of them. I decided against resting my entire career on the three hours of that November morning and sat for the placements. I secured a job in TCS and then went about my CAT preparation with the same zeal.
Another date that will remain fixed in my memory for a long time is 8th Jan, 2016. I was traveling in a train when someone called to inform me that CAT results had been leaked. I checked the site that obviously showed nothing. A couple of hours later I received an SMS that read that I had secured 99+ percentile. I believe that I am an agnostic, but at that particular moment I first thanked God. IIM at last seemed a reality.
I was in for a cruel shock. I appeared for eight interviews. Everywhere I was either rejected or wait listed. Since I had a call from IIM Indore, the new IIMs were going to share that score. The interview went horribly wrong. I had lost all hope, when one fine Monday morning towards the end of May, my phone beeped and I got the cherished Mail. An admission offer letter from IIM Rohtak. Now the dream was finally coming true.
An MBA course means a lot of hard work - classes, case studies, group studies, presentations, surprise quizzes and I am up for it. I am quite excited to join, give my all and enjoy the next two years that may well be the best time of my life. I seriously hope that each moment in the next 720 days falls in the elite club. I shall participate in all the activities that I am capable of, I want to learn new skills - public speaking and swimming are a priority. I am also looking forward to meeting exciting bunch of mates, forming friendships that may last a lifetime. I shall try to become a better individual. I don't know what values they teach here at IIM Rohtak, but the seniors I have talked to are most helpful, dedicated in their work and are always encouraging. I think I have got a lot to learn from them. And most importantly, after two years of rigorous and diverse work, I see myself emerge out as a better human being, a KATHOR for sure, but somewhat soft at heart.
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About the Author:
I am Joydeep Das. I am going to Join IIM Rohtak soon. I am an Electrical Engineer from Heritage Institute of Technology, Kolkata. History, particularly modern Indian History and cricket stats are my interests. I come to Rohtak with an open mind and an eagerness to learn.
