The modus operandi the CAT will follow this year amidst the ongoing pandemic casts a looming uncertainty among students regarding their preparedness and wellbeing. This is enough to raise the
anxiety levels of many students who were anyways trying to fight the upcoming
exam jitters. With just a couple of weeks left for the CAT many students wonder about what
additional efforts they can put in or techniques they can adopt in these final weeks that can provide them with that final push over the edge.
A dilemma that surrounded me during my preparation was whether to stick with the ongoing study and life routine or make some
“dramatic” changes in my study patterns. With some initial hesitation, I chose to follow the latter and make some short-term but difficult changes in my routines. I decided to significantly reduce my leisure time to be almost negligible and concentrate hard on the concepts that I felt were still not up to the mark. Little that I know that my dilemma will turn in to a
social dilemma (yes, pun intended for Netflix viewers).
I found
quitting social media for those last 2-3 weeks notably difficult which was bizarre for I never thought I was so hooked to my wall and news feed. It was a difficult undertaking but I had my goal cleared in my mind. Whenever my mind used to compel me to check my social media accounts, I instead used to pick up a cheat sheet for quant formulae and read them out aloud. I made a separate YouTube account where I managed to
tweak the algorithm to show me only CAT related videos instead of using my usual account that made me watch videos about FRIENDS bloopers at 3 am in the morning.
I was bound to give it my best shot and go out of the usual to prepare for the exam. I knew this price was too less against the prize that was waiting on the other side. I reduced my sleep cycles and spread them across small naps to optimize my time but also preventing myself from getting too sleep-deprived. I decorated the rooms of my wall with post-it notes with any last-minute tips.
These all were signified of the extra effort I was willing to put in those final weeks, I took the route that I knew could not be sustained beyond 2-3 weeks but that’s exactly for how long I followed that. I tried to push my limits but never to a point that it became suffocating and caused stressed.
So long story short,
please get off your Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter for the next 2 weeks. One doesn’t realize the amount of time and mental energy they erode. For relaxation, have a conversation with a friend instead (preferably on non-CAT related topics) or a quick 30-minute workout. Social media is not the answer. Something as harmless as news or current affairs could be addictive! While it may seem awkward to
self-discipline for a 22-24year old, it’s worth it!
In the end, while enumerating various things that could give me anxiety about my exam, the feeling of being underprepared and not giving my best were significantly reduced due to my “valiant” efforts. “Valiant”, an adjective that I can now use without hesitation because it was not an easy undertaking but one that helped me and I hope would help other CAT aspirants as well.