We love movies but we don’t believe them. We find ourselves immersed in novels but question it the very next moment we shake hands with the real world. But is it so? Are movies completely different from what we call real? Are words capturing emotions in a novel found to be lifeless when applied to real life? For me, the case is more tilted towards NO. Each day we are writing a new chapter of our life. We all know that we are not good with the pen. We are aware that the previous chapter could have been framed in a better way. And then we try to compensate for it in the coming future and this is what life is.
So, here I am writing about how I went through a journey that had the thrill and excitement a movie has, the pain that a novel encompasses, and the dreams that give life its amazing flavor.
Perfectly fitted business suit with a mic in one hand and the other adjusting the tie. The hall is full of the audience. The entrepreneur’s words are pouring into the mic and inspiring the listeners. And then the engineer’s dreamy eyes went back to the ticking clock of the CAT exam (2018). The exam felt like a tough nut to crack. Minutes flew like seconds and the dream of going into a B-School received a blow from reality. The engineer sat for the college placements and the goal of pursuing an MBA and becoming an entrepreneur was dying a slow death. Got the job! Decided not to face the CAT exam again! But then what brought me back to appear for the exam again? How I scored 99.51 percentile in CAT 2019 & reached the doors of FMS, Delhi?
And the answers to these questions serve a dual purpose. Firstly, it will complete the story I began here. Secondly, they will serve the purpose of writing this article.
So, why am I moving my fingers at midnight on my keyboard? To help you with your VARC / DI-LR / QA? Can be considered as partly true. But there is something more to it that I found should be shared with everyone who dreams to embark on an MBA journey. Going through various articles for each section is a must. But there are some important things which play a key role in the exam.
So, it's June 2019 and I have accepted the offer letter for the job and the CAT exam is now a matter of the past. The joining was delayed for an undefined period. And every day there was a voice within to take the chance again. But it was silenced by the fear to fall again. Moving the calendar to July 2019. I was performing well in the mocks. Yes! You heard it write. MOCKs.
So, here comes the first learning that was helpful for me and will be helpful for all the MBA aspirants:
- Don’t Give Up: There will be various moments while preparing when you will feel like giving up. But hold on there. Nothing comes easy. Gauge your performance day or week wise and make the necessary adjustments.
When I appeared in 2018, I was unable to solve a single DI/LR in the first 15 minutes. And slowly I started giving up and performed poorly. So, hold on there till you make the dream a reality.
So, July 2019 went well. August 2019 came up with the maximum learnings. Here is the main learning:
- Without me (strategy) it's not possible: We make ourselves good at problem-solving but when it comes to adjusting properly to the time constraints and difficulty level of the exam, we find ourselves helpless. And here the role of strategy comes in. Strategically beforehand for each and every section in the exam is a must and here’s how I strategized for my second attempt.
| Section | Easy | Medium | Hard |
| VARC |
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| DI/LR |
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| QA |
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September 2019. A mail was lying in my mailbox. I had to join the job in October. I knew that my preparations were going to be affected. The time was cut to less than half. But as it is said the biggest problems give you the biggest learnings. Here’s how I used to plan my day.
| 6 AM - 8 AM |
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| 8 AM - 9 AM |
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| 0 min. travel to office |
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| 1 PM - 2 PM |
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| 20 min travel back to home in Evening (Around 7 PM) |
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| 9 PM - 11/12 PM |
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And then D-Day came and you all know what the climax would be. We know we are capable of doing great things. But at the same time, we doubt ourselves. We Believe But We Doubt !!. And sometimes it is required to keep us grounded. But never let the doubt take a victory over Self-belief.
Email Id: anuj.g22@fms.edu
Name: Anuj Gupta College: FMS, Delhi
