Read Part 1- My CAT 2024 Story: Journey to IIM K as a Journalist
The memory of my 10th standard exams from 2014 is still fresh because that was the first time I felt truly lost. Coming from a small city in Bihar, where education typically means either IITs or government jobs, I had no idea what lay ahead for me. Even during those board exams, I didn’t know how those marks were going to help me or why I was studying so hard. Because, where I come from, the only goal was to score above 60%- the “first division” in Bihar Board- and start preparing for government exams. And, if you did really well in 10th, you might be “allowed” to go to Patna for JEE coaching.
Although I barely scored 8.2 CGPA in my 10th, thanks to my lack of awareness, I still joined a coaching centre in Patna. Every day, I travelled nearly 1.5 hours one-way by train just to attend coaching classes of 6-7 hours. Yet again, I didn’t even know why cracking IIT was so important or what I’ll be doing in an IIT. I was simply doing it because everyone else around me was doing it.
Tired of spending over 12 hours outside home every day and having little to no time for self-study, I finally shifted to Patna in 12th grade. But once again, health issues plagued me, and they took a toll on my performance. I ended up scoring just 66% in my board exams. Honestly, I wasn’t expecting such a low score, but it was the last 4-5 months where I was bedridden that did the damage. In fact, I used to rank among the top 4–5 in my class and truly believed I could have scored at least 80%.
As for engineering entrance exams, I couldn’t crack even a single one. And like many, I could’ve still pursued a B.Tech degree from a private college, because in India, you can do engineering even if you’ve done nothing.
But I didn’t. And interestingly, that decision wasn’t mine- it was my father’s. Not because he thought I wouldn’t make a good engineer, but because, in his eyes, a B.Tech degree would only lead to two things: preparing for government exams or landing a job with a salary of around ₹30,000/month.
At the time, it felt accidental. But today, I truly believe that was one of the best decisions that unknowingly worked in my favor.
By this time, I was sure that I didn’t want to pursue government jobs. I had seen people around me spend their entire 20s preparing for exams that offered no certainty. But I had no idea what else to do. No one I knew had pursued a course like BBA or B.Com and built a career from it. The few who had degrees were either teachers or still preparing for government jobs.
Thankfully, a friend introduced me to Journalism. The moment I understood what it was about, I felt drawn to it. For the first time, I saw a career path that was clear and somewhat exciting. That’s when I decided to pursue a degree in Journalism and Mass Communication from St. Xavier’s, Ranchi.
But my interest in CAT, and MBA in general, only sparked after I joined Essentially Sports as a Content Editor post-graduation. Before that, I had given up on all competitive exams, disheartened by past failures and a lack of proper guidance. I used to believe that MBAs only produced salesmen. But while working at Essentially Sports, I met a few MBA graduates, and my perception changed completely.
As I learned more about what an MBA truly involves, I began researching the CAT exam. And just like that, it rekindled something in me- the urge to crack at least one competitive exam in my life. I made up my mind: this was my second chance to make up for my past failures.
Coming from a family where no one has studied beyond the 12th standard, even daring to dream of an MBA from a top IIM felt like a blessing - a gift from God. And that’s the journey I’m on. One that’s not just for me, but for the legacy I want to build for my family and the belief I want to ignite in others like me.
Read More:
- FMS Vs IIM Calcutta
- Online vs Offline Coaching: Pros and Cons
- Self-Study vs CAT Coaching
- DILR Strategies to Score a 99 Percentile
- Free Formula Book for Quants
- From a Failed UPSC Attempt to IIM-C
- From Journalism to IIM-K
- VARC Guide For Engineers
- 5 VARC Strategies to Begin Your Comprehension Game
- Staying consistent with the 6-month-long CAT journey
