“You know that chip that you have in your mobile, that you use to upgrade the ‘RAM’, as you call it, to increase its speed when you play games? Well, I used to design its circuit!” I explained to my best friend at IIM Lucknow, who keeps forgetting what exactly I did as an R&D Engineer, and confuses me with “some IT/software/computer stuff” in her words.
I joined IIM Lucknow exactly 4 months back today to experience the dreaded life at “Hel(L)” as they like to call it. But it was not a cakewalk as it may seem. I was working as a level-II R&D Engineer at chip design organisation (yeah, the cool stuff I mentioned above!). I had joined the organisation as an intern and received a PPO after 7 months. I was working on many high-end projects which required me to work for over 14 hours almost every day. But the work was interesting, hence it didn’t seem overwhelming. I was also mentoring 2 interns, which was a fulfilling experience in itself. In fact, it was during the training and mentoring, that I realized that I was more interested in the managerial aspect of business than technical aspect. But it was easier said than done.
I had way too many responsibilities to shoulder in the projects I was handling, to even think of preparing for CAT. But, I somehow mustered the courage to google “How to prepare for CAT?” and was flooded with the search results of all the coaching institutes. But, as I was working on the weekends as well, there was no time for coaching. I bought the “most recommended” books for QA/VA/LRDI. The moment I opened my QA book, I realised I had forgotten all that I had studied in school (as Quant basics are those we have studied till 10
th standard). Brushing up the basics and the formulae was a task in itself. Yet, I had to begin from somewhere. But, I decided to take out at least an hour each day, no matter what, to study. I would come back home at 11 at night and would be dead tired to even have dinner, let alone study. Once, I remember, I had finished working at 2 am and my eyes were drooping due to sleep-deprivation. Yet, somehow, I kept going. I believe that is what makes all the difference. Consistency in endeavour is more important than intermittent spikes in effort. I used to push myself for that extra one hour each day for 6 months.
After I had gained a little confidence in the preparation, I decided to enrol for mock test series. It is advisable to sit for as many mock tests as possible before CAT, as it provides a stimulatory environment and trains the mind to work in a time-constrained structure with varied difficulty levels. I was expecting bad results for my first mock, but surprising I got around 90 percentile (I considered that good enough for my first attempt). That motivated me to prepare in a more focused manner. Around a month before CAT, I dedicatedly studied for at least 3-4 hours each day (even if it meant compromising on leisure time and sleep). And finally, all the effort paid off and I got admission in the prestigious institute I had always wanted.
But resigning from a position of such high responsibility was not easy. I expressed my desire to pursue higher studies to my manager who was gracious enough to support me, but wanted me to be sure of my decision, as I was an essential contributor in my organisation. Eventually, he was convinced. Parting with something you have been a part of, for so long, is not easy. But, nothing comes easy in life. My team threw me a wonderful party and gave me a parting gift with a collage of the team members and me. It is sitting on my study-table here in my hostel room, as I write and grow nostalgic. But that’s the beauty of life I guess. It lets you grow, and growth is never easy, growth requires you to stretch and strain. But the end result ought to make it worthwhile. Well, here’s hoping.