I had always dream to convert a biggy and post here…the sacred thread….but here is a total failure story of an idiot…why I’m posting here then? to motivate myself to go for one more try…to recollect myself and give my 100% one more time…

So here it goes:

Cat-06:

Was in final year of my college…Had given GRE and had an admit from Denmark university…was ready to pack my bag and leave to denmark…was laughing at my friends who were part of this insane rat race….went to examination hall without even knowing CAT had maths and english in q’s…did some timepass…thought to myself that maths was a joke…and verbal was something out of the world….didn’t care to even check my results….after all i was flying out of this country….who cares for an MBA? but there was a hitch…i really liked a girl….had proposed…turned down….was trying to just hear a magical YES(she was still my good friend)…tried to convince her to say yes till March-07…before the college would be over…come May-07…i somehow got the reason for denial…she wouldn’t consider someone who would be out of India…as her parents, family were here(it’s all emotional stuff…but she had a valid point)…i had to decide…to stay back in India…take up a job in a s/w company that I had been placed into…or go to denmark and say bye-bye to my love….i chose the 1st one..

So now i could be considered…but all my career plans had crashed…I had to find a new one….didn’t feel like pursuing technical studies in India…so CAT it was….

CAT-07:

Serious preps started….

I delayed my joining of company from june to november….Maths seemed easy(yet again failed IIT attempt but strong in maths case)…In Sep-07…I got the YES….the most precious moment of my life…..everything seemed to be working good…scores started improving from 85%ile to 92%ile to 95 to 97 and finally to 99%ile in last 2 mocks….i was pretty confident to have a decent attempt….but finally my weakness…VA…had destroyed me…

QA-99.3, DI-96.x, VA-69.x, OA-98.45%ile

no calls even from MDI or NITIE because of low VA….

Had IIFT call which couldn’t convert and rest exams were horrible….

In the mean time I had joined the s/w firm in Nov…Didn’t like my job in first place…knew it was CAT-08….my final attempt….

CAT-08:

I once again started working hard….analysing mocks properly…..made some friends in banglore who were really good…did group studies…mocks scores were sky rocketing high…even i was surprised to see my scoes…had maintained line of 99.x %iles…it was a flawless performance from my side….the parents of my girl had been pressurising her to marry…which sort of had made this attempt real crucial for me…I was dreaming of asking her hand as an IIM guy(I know it’s geeting little bollywood style senti)…Come CAT…everyone…my family,friends had loads of expectations….but final day….i still don’t know what happened….VA had very high weightage and it got to my mind…i crashed yet again….i knew this coming out of examination hall….and from my past performance….i knew I won’t convert any other exam…had no hopes…

didn’t know what to do…plus my job was becoming a nightmare…I hated every moment of it…finally I could bear no more…decided to resign from the job in december….

I fanatically searched for a new job and parallely wrote other exams as well…But there was no one looking for me in a time of recession….Got kicked from many interviews or the jobs were totally useless and I didn’t join them…Then results started pouring in…I got IIFT, then NM, then JMET-372 and two biggies XL(99.51 %ile) and FMS both calls…I knew with so many calls..I will convert atleast one good one….stopped hunting for job and started preparing for the interviews..interviews went average with XL-BM going extremely well…

Results came…got dinged from IIFT…was expected…NM waitlisted at a low rank…FMS reject(both MBA and MBA-MS rejects)…but I knew XL was still there…

then came the bomb….XL reject(both BM and PMIR rejects)…not even waitlisted…

now here I sit infront of you…waiting for IIT-B…I have given so many sleepless nights to my family…to all my friends….am jobless…don’t know if I should go for it 1 more time? start hunting for job that seems to be a painful process? What if IIT-B accepts? It’s no doubt a great b-school…But should i give 1 more shot? What if IIT-B rejects? What will I say to my girl’s parents who are ringing her everyday with new offers of guys having 10L packages? If I’ve messed up my life so badly do I deserve to be a manager? I’m just an emotional fool who had fought really hard…can I do it 1 more time? I am totally clueless at this moment…crahed yet again….

I wish to thanks Banglaore dream team(esp shabadp and rssriram84) for supporting me…and BBBT…it was a pleasure being a part of the team…

I’ll update my post with the final result and the final decision I take…

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updated on 13 May(2009) –

9 calls – 9 rejects. Still hunting for job…seems like won’t get one…

am planning to join my family business….let’s see…

these are really interesting times…behavior of people has changed a lot(both in +ve sense coz of calls and in -ve sense coz of rejects)…

but most importantly people(my family and friends) close to me have been great support….they have not changed..

and yeah…my girl has given me great support and courage…(she has convinced her parents somehow to wait for one more year..reason given – want to concentrate on career

)

I thank God for showing me this day….It has been wonderful(ironic but true!)….

Next update will be in 2010 when results pour in…

Hoping and praying I end my “story” on positive note…

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Quick edit on 1st July(2009):

got 2 converts…NM and IIFT-K…good to have some converts finally 

got a decent job…

it’s going to be next yr CAT for me..as promised next update after 2010 season results…

best of luck to all!

[Note: This is a post on the user’s CAT journey that has been captured in his own words. We have not edited it in any way when publishing it as an article. Cover image is from http://www.sitebuilderreport.com/stock-up]