Being a part of IIM Bangalore's current cohort, the unconventional class of 2022, is a joy to behold. Unconventional because we all start our MBAs in the opposite way of a more wanted, physical one. We've been interacting with mere faces on Zoom calls, only hoping to form genuine connections, both with knowledge and people. While the 'am I audible?' questions go on, let us rewind a bit.
I write this article for MBA aspirants and anyone who dares to dream of a prestigious B-school. At the onset, please do dream big. Dreams cost nothing, and they might end up taking you to the right place. My CAT journey started back in July 2018 when I took up coaching, signed up for some mocks, chalked a full-fledged study plan, and managed a full-time job. The usual humdrum right? Hold on, here's the catch. My job wasn't your regular 9-5, I was putting, on average, whooping 60-70 hour work weeks at a Mumbai-based investment banking firm. While the ones familiar with the atrocities of an IB life will empathize, but for others, IB roles are very ambitious and demanding. They involve strict deadlines, millions of dollars at stake, and usually no barriers to working hours.
Typical employees work 9-5, and CAT aspirants can efficiently devote the latter part of the evening or even early mornings for studying. I had no such option. I would reach the office by 10, and my work would stretch post-midnight or even till 3 am, and often on weekends. I made a meticulous study plan and started the preparation. Soon, I realized that I was falling behind all schedules. Weekdays were consumed by work, and weekends flew by to catch up on house chores and sleep. I missed classes, fell back on topics, and skipped a lot in the quest to keep with the schedule. I would study on any good days, weekends, and public holidays although the mocks didn't seem to be showing much improvement.
CAT 2018 came and passed without high rewards and only some converts. My heart was set on the holy trinity; it was always A/B/C or nothing for me. CAT2019 was the new target, bolder and more focussed this time. The first part of 2019 passed by in work engagements. Fast forward a few months, and soon it was July, time to prepare for CAT once again.
I needed to assess what went wrong the last year. I zeroed in the reason as a futile attempt to stick to a schedule. How can a person with a dynamic calendar, hectic weekdays, and even busy weekends stick to a chalked plan? Hence started my quest to look for 'windows.'
When we plan to study, we generally look for relatively sizeable chunks of time, somewhere from one to three hours. While full-length mocks do require 3 hours, we often tend to miss the small windows. The 15-minute auto ride from home to office is perfect for catching up with 2-3 good articles on any news/content application. There happened the verbal brushes! My cook's 10-minute delay in preparing breakfast was an ideal opportunity to solve crack a DI set. The hold up before a meeting while IT is being set up and the members assemble is an excellent opportunity to watch a quick video and revise a concept! The list of cubes and important formulas pinned to my office desk board allowed me a glance now and then.
I worked in collaboration with offshore bankers; the time-difference often led to gaps between information sharing and email reverts. I kept question print outs, hand-outs, and pull-outs from study materials on my desk. As soon as I spotted a workflow gap, I picked up a paper and solved/ read away to glory. I carried a notepad with me at all times - in my handbag, to the canteen, for any long commutes or travel, and tried to grab every opportunity to address some quant questions.
While late nights were still the norm, I took to more sectional tests v/s full-sized mocks. Sectional tests meant a one-hour commitment and were easier to analyze. I tried to take the three-hour mocks every alternate weekend. I found classes and coaching to be an unrealistic time commitment; hence I chose online lectures as and when required for any topic. The plethora of good quality online videos is a resource every aspirant must use to their advantage! I strongly recommend the Elite's Grid channel on Youtube. With a little above a 98%ile, although I didn't do miracles in CAT2019, the score was just enough to get a Bangalore call. I put in all I had to convert the one I had, and that's all matters now.
There is no substitute for hard work. Sticking to a schedule is difficult for some; the key is short, numerous spurts of time, which lets you put in that hard work. While sticking to a time table works for many, a dynamic approach can give you that extra required impetus.
In my opinion, any working professional, with the hardest of jobs, can try to find these small windows and successfully crack CAT. It's about finding what works for you. While many professionals would find work and personal timelines blurred in the current WFH scenario, a set mind, and some smartly utilized time slots can facilitate the preparation. Find your windows and conquer the CAT scenery!
