Me, Myself and the CAT

I am not writing this because people can follow this while preparing for CAT, but just to record my acquaintance with the preparation. And in case someone from Mars was reading this, CAT (Common Aptitude Test) is one of the toughest competitive exams in the whole world, testing the candidates on basic Arithmetic and English. The preparation method worked for me does not mean it will work for everybody else. And that's one of the key attributes of CAT. :-)

First and foremost, why did I want to take up a career in Management?? Was it because of my people management skills I exhibited by being Class Leader in IV standard? Or because of my transactional skills I displayed by making my VIII Std class-mate buy me a Coke to have a ride on my new bicycle? Or the negotiation skills I flaunted by making my XI Std Chemistry teacher boost my percentage? Or the innovative skills I manifested by inventing newer reasons for not going to college? Or the communicative skills I paraded at work? (Nothing wrong in bragging!!Who knows, my potential recruiter may be reading this!!)

On a more serious note (not that all the above are false ;-) !!), one of the main reasons I decided to pursue an education followed by a career in Management, was the accelerated growth of my career path. In two years, I would be inhabiting a new role, a much responsible one, earning 4-5 times what I do now. Now, who would say NO to such a lucrative career (without taking into consideration the countless hours to be spent to achieve that level). The social image that curls you up once you are from an IIM will skyrocket at lightning speed, taking you alongside the stars.

Coming to my preparation for CAT 2006, it kickstarted once I joined the TIME course in April '06. I got the shelf-filling books of all sizes and neatly stacked them. Little did I know that they would remain there without any disturbance till October. For the first few weeks of classes, the basics in all the required areas were covered extensively, allowing me to cope up with the proceedings without any effort spent at home. I am basically comfortable with numbers (and also with her around, or my friends, but it doesn't matter here!!). I have been maintaining a good track record in all Maths papers ever since my 10th standard. But it did not get me too far, once the mock CATs started.

The mock CATs crushed my hopes just as Australia crushed Sri Lanka in yesterday's WC match. I fared miserably in all of them. Every week, I faced it with renewed vigour, thanks to her for raising my spirits, only to find that the results were consistently below par, very much like the Minnesota Vikings' last season. Many classes went abegging for attendance. Workload was on the increase. Lotsa movies were released. The NFL season became more exciting. Schumi's last races were numbered, making every race a must-see. The days ran as fast as Marvin Harrison running to catch the 60-yard pass from Peyton Manning. And still my mind kept telling me that there was plenty of time left to prepare.

And voila!!! CAT is just around the corner, with a month to go!!! The harsh reality struck me like a speeding truck!! All the expectations, all my dreams (or infact, our dreams!!) was making me a little nervous (Ok. I admit it. I was really a hell lot nervous!!). The last one month saw a complete transformation come over me. I relinquished all my movie-going, took a week off from work, stayed away from the TV and my PC, but more importantly was glued to every available material in relation to CAT's preparation. Worked out a number of mock test papers, borrowed from my friends. But still my TIME mock CAT was as consistent as Roger Federer.

And on D-Day, I really dont know how I was able to score over most of the people who fared much better than me in the relatively-tougher mock CATs. CAT was much much easier than expected. I was very much satisfied with my performance. And I attribute most of this success to the incessant motivation provided by her and the pure hardwork put in the last 1 month. With the final admission results due to arrive in 3 more days, dont stop your prayers (and of course, your comments!!). Waiting for the good news!!!