Part A: Big in My Life

I jolted straight up from the bed. This was the third night in a row. I was freaking out way too much. This was just an interview; it wasn’t supposed to be the end of the world.

It was three days before one of the greatest opportunities of my life – the CAP interview. It was the secret door to a plethora of opportunities, and I held the keys in my hand. I just had to fit the right key into the right hole. These thoughts, combined with the fact that I will be competing with the best of the minds in the country, were enough to shake my confidence quite a bit, if not a lot. While my parents and teachers motivated and encouraged me every day, I was still lacking that ‘X-factor’ to face the interview confidently. I checked and rechecked all the documents required and fussed over my wardrobe for the D-day. While I had purchased my business formals from a local garment dealer long back, I was still dissatisfied with the way the suit was slipping down my shoulders. On close inspection, I found the stitching near the cuff unravelling. That was the last straw. There was no way I could face a panel full of esteemed interviewers in an unravelling business suit. Desperate for alternatives, my parents and I combed down all local stores for a proper set of business formals, and yet we were met with disappointment every time.

It was at that time, that a close friend suggested we try the Allen Solly and Van Heusen stores at Acropolis Mall, Kolkata. It was a blessing in disguise. Not only did we find the perfect set of formals, but also it was the perfect fit. The smooth fabric, the perfect cut, the way the shirt and the trousers molded itself to my body just blew me away. As I looked around the store, Van Heusen’s tagline “Evolve Yourself” caught my eye. It was then that I realized how silly I had been to let the insignificant insecurities rule my life. As I put on the Van Heusen formals, I could feel confidence seeping into my pores, almost as if identifying with the brand had breathed life back into me. That was the moment, when I realized that our lives turn out the way we design it to be.

The next day, armed with confidence, I marched into the interview room and it was a complete knockout. A few months later, I landed Indian Institute of Management, Ranchi. Looking back, finding the appropriate wardrobe was probably the most crucial aspect to my success. I will forever be indebted to Aditya Birla Group for this.

Part B: One Numerical at a Time

“Being challenged in life is inevitable, being defeated is optional.”

~Roger Crawford

The greatest challenge I faced so far had been when I had started questioning my fundamentals. It was two weeks before the Common Admission Test (CAT). Up until then, I was pretty confident regarding my preparations. I had brushed up all the important concepts and I was performing quite decently in the mock examinations that I had taken. Being an engineer, Quantitative Aptitude was especially my forte.

In the penultimate mock, I scored an abysmally low score in Quantitative Aptitude. While it was enough to bother me, I brushed it off as a one-off event. I attributed my failure to environmental factors. Few days later, I took my last planned mock and the scores shattered me. It was not a one-off event. I had not scored low due to environmental factors. I had scored a series of dismal scores and I had no idea why I was suddenly struggling in my supposedly strong subject. I was forgetting even the most basic concepts of mathematics. I barely had a week left and all my strategies and plans were failing me fast. I could see my dream of securing admission into an IIM fading away. That was not something I was ready to accept.

I rallied hard. I was not giving up my dream that easily. I went back to the basics. I started relearning what I had already learnt long back. I started solving simple equations, easier probability questions and the lighter geometry problems. I started taking all the basic level mocks that I had previously skipped in favour of more complex ones. I did not count down the remaining days, rather I started counting up the topics I have covered. I rewrote again on a completely blank slate. Topic wise mocks built up to chapter wise mocks to complete sectional mocks. Finally, the most anticipated day arrived – November 25,2018, the day of the CAT exam. While I performed to the best of my abilities, I was still doubtful regarding my performance. However, as the results were declared, a magnificent surprise awaited me. I had scored my highest sectional percentile in Quants. It was the dreaded section which saved my day. All my efforts of rebuilding my basics, one numerical at a time, had finally paid off.

AnanyaDas

The Journey to IIM Ranchi - Ananya Das, IIM Ranchi