Grinded into the dust

Read the preparatory post @ With No Preparation
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My dreams were smashed to smithereens yesterday when I had logged in to check my CAT 2011 result. I sat for the top notch entrance exam few months back as the first customary step to fulfill my dream of getting into the best B-school in India. Cracking CAT is the first step towards chasing your MBA dream as it paves way into one of the best management institutes of the country, the Indian Institutes of Management or IIM’s. 

Around 1.85 lakh candidates took the test over a 20-day testing window across 36 cities from mid-October out of which nine were successful enough to secure 100 percentile in the Common Admission Test this year. And, here I’m licking the dust all around. I never thought of making it into this year coveted list except in my dreams where I thought God blessing me with HIS supreme powers and getting me an easy access to the IIM’s. Yet the dismal of not being selected vex me. 

licking the dust all around

This post contains the autopsy report that I prepared to know about my weakest links and areas that I needed to improve if I want myself into one of those Mecca of management studies in India. After going through various CAT coaching websites after the initial CAT exam I speculated of getting something around 80-85 percentile but then destiny had some other plans for me and I hardly managed to get somewhat around 70 percentile. A 10 percentile steep fall startled me completely and compelled me to diagnose my footfalls. 

Failures are stepping stone to success

The gravest mistake I happen to commit was not getting enrolled for any mock tests provided by almost every coaching institute. I had my own reservations behind that but at last it’s the end results that matters the most, where unfortunately my technique collapsed. To every CAT aspirants please before the actual test sit for some mock tests that may eventually help you in easing out the pressure and letting you know about your preparedness for the CAT. Mock tests make you learn from your mistakes and ensure that you don’t commit them in future.

Secondly, I scored badly in Data interpretation (DI) where the certainty of having more than one close answer dilapidated me completely. For solving questions on DI accurately one must fully get himself versed with all sorts of graphs, schemes, plans, etc. Nothing else other than practice can save your sinking boat . The busy schedule of engineering tolled with major project in the last semester proved a big hindrance to my path towards achieving mastery at DI. But excuses are the nails used to build a house of failure. Consistent practice increases the accuracy and speed needed to improve this section that comes through lot of practice papers. 

Excuses are the nails used to build a house of failure

Thirdly, the Quantitative section though junior classes based still needs a thorough understanding of mathematical formulas.  Lack of practice made it harder for me to recall the important formulas when I needed them the most. Adding to the mayhem were the close options the question paper contains where judging the answer closely won’t matter until you bang on the target. I never understood how the psychometric analysis works while differentiating a closed option from the correct one. In any case it’s always better to go for the right option than for a closed one. I guess that in my case the majority answers clicked were closed but not correct. 

even an ant works hard to get her food

Lastly, passion is great for cracking the CAT yet a strong dedication and commitment which comes from regular and discipline study are vital  prerequisite for good score. One must study for around 2 hours a day continuously to get ones foot set before the D-day. I know it' gets really hard for working professionals to dugout time from there busy schedule but then I cannot have everything served to me directly in my mouth; even an ant works hard to get her food.  You take out time, study daily, prepare well and make it to IIM’s.

Isn’t that simple? 

I won’t get disillusioned by this year debacle of mine at CAT as they say, “Success is how high you bounce when you hit the bottom.” Will surely learn from my past mistakes and try to put afar the dark clouds looming over me.

Success is how high you bounce when you hit the bottom

The Survival Challenge

Campus placements have been the most important part of every engineering student's life. As soon as one enters in his last year, not only his parents but also his extended family and friends start waiting for him to get placed. Everyone dreams of getting into a core industry with a double digit salary. The helpless student is bombarded with questions related only with his placement. The pressure starts taking its toll and the same student who few months back never used internet for purpose other than Skype starts online job hunts. Now aptitude seems to be more important than attitude. 

 

The same student who preaches one night study for three long years starts preparing for companies written exams way before the speculated time. If that wasn’t enough to torment a young technical mind, there comes a hell amount of competitive exams like CAT, Gate, CSIR and others. Adding to the ongoing stir in the meta-biological activity of a student are the major projects which carry with themselves the power to re-shape aggregate percentage. 

On the other hand, parents after spending their hard earned money takes campus placements as a matter of pride and honour. Any news of their ward getting a campus placement is directly proportional to their social prestige. So now it’s not only about winning the game but winning the game with a six to end the match. Mere placements won’t satisfy them, it’s the campus word attach which makes all the difference. 

Here comes the role of seniors, the same students who once took your introduction and more profoundly ragging. They stand like a father figure protecting you from the harsh bitter reality of the professional world outside the four walls of the college. They guide you and more of let you know about the do’s and don’ts of looking for a suitable industry. The last year tests all the networking power which you boast off hitherto. 

Yet with all the life deep sarcastic realities touching and moulding the soul, the student keeps on with a wide smile of his which he gained over the years of tough path and narrow blocks. He never misses to catch the glimpse of first year girls and ask them for a formal cum informal introduction. He continues to bunk most of his lectures and sleep in rests, completing his 8 hour of sleep which he missed last night as he was dedicatedly playing Counter Strike. 

Dedicated to all those 3.5 lakhs fellow final year engineering students other than the chosen few ( IIT’s and NIT’s) who will soon be churning out action plans for facing the life biggest challenge- the survival challenge. Prepare well and do wonders in your life. 

Important: Help me in getting an internship cum training into any core instrumentation company.