My dear juniors who are appearing for the upcoming CAT examinations and who are aspiring for MBA in future, here is something I want to share as a person who had been through all these processes of Exams, Interviews, GDs, Mock GDs, Mock tests and lots and lots of reading material.
The hefty amount of money, a big bundle of energy and two years of your time, I am sure these factors always haunt you when you think about leaving your Job for CAT. The saying ‘Few people achieve their dreams by playing it safe’ may be a motivating quote to quit but what remains equally valid is that ‘Taking unnecessary risks is plain stupid’.
“Do not go gentle into that good night; Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Though wise men at their end know dark is right, Because their words had forked no lightning they; Do not go gentle into that good night.”
There are not many who have the good fortune of having a close friend on campus while preparing to join an IIM, fewer still who have any clue what life on campus is really like. Most of us just buckle up and decide to do an MBA just because it is a sure shot at ‘success’; at least the way society has defined it. Some sorted out souls may have grand career plans where they know exactly which institute to join, what specialization to undertake and which company to work for even! But for the uninitiated majority, we hear tidbits from friends who have cracked CAT earlier and as always, a little knowledge is a dangerous thing.
Have you ever looked at your pitiful mock scores and heard that small voice whispering in your head, “You won’t make it this time so why not relax & prepare for the next attempt”. If yes, then Bingo! you are just on the threshold of a world of countless opportunities because this is the day you should drown that little voice in your head and prepare for the battle yet to come.
Life never gives you things when you expect, you get them when they're least expected. 7:00pm, 27th April, 2018, the moment I was signing off from my office with a myriad of apprehensions in mind regarding the uncertainty I had dragged my life into. Practically, I had nothing at hand, results awaited and a job already over. The moment I was to punch out from the office for the last time, a message pops up on my screen 'Congratulations! I know you'd have made it.' There's this adrenaline rush in my body, the heart beats pace up and the hands tremble. A little soul terrified of one email potent enough to decide her future course was just a click away from uncovering her fate. It happened for the first time that I wanted to stay in office a little longer and know what life has brought next for me. Instead of punching out, I went back to my desk with a head full of all kinds of thoughts jostling past one another and mustered the courage to open the portal and check my results. Ultimately, as the effect of inundating emotions subsided a bit, I closed my eyes, remembered the Almighty, took charge of my own thoughts and thanked God for whatever he'd decided for me. I unlocked my phone and a sudden surge of thoughts made me recollect the expectations that rest on my shoulders and above all, I was afraid if I'll be able to confront my inner-self if I fail at making it.
Being a fresher we always view the world as a place full of opportunities. I was not any different from that. While preparing for CAT the thought of joining a new IIM never even crossed my mind. After the results, I had calls from IIM Indore and the Common Admission Process (CAP). It was quite probable for me that I'd go for IIM Indore if I converted it, else I'd go for workex and take CAT again. But the predictability of CAT is always an issue when one is considering for aiming for it, it's not just the test which would make you succeed. A whole list of factors come attached to the probability of you getting into an IIM of your choice apart from just the test. Although I had planned to go for workex a thought popped into my mind about the new IIMs which led me to do my research for them.
Not long ago, I was browsing through articles of InsideIIM. I was an aspirant, who wanted to know all that he could about B-Schools. And InsideIIM helped me a lot. After a few months, I am on the other side. Now, I am a student at IIM. And this article will tell my story from being an aspirant to an MBA Student.
