Well i got a chance to post in this sacred thread. I don't know whether my story may inspire others and bring a hero out of them .
but still hopefully my try is a worth.
to begin with
i belong to the small town of deoghar(jharkhand) it can called be as half urban town .
all this is necessary to say because many start chasing there dreams from a raw age of 10-12 yrs.
well during my school days i was good enough , sincere towards my studies
i studied in the best school of the city (st. francis)
the reputation was such that we were taught the difference between " take CAT n give CAT" which many 100 %ile holders of CAT don't know(no offence intended)
studying in such a school (although not too famous) was something to take pride of
i could not carry my form of pre boards and got 87.3 % in 10th (i should have done better as per my school records)
my parents were not happy enough but consoled there is always a next time.
however my 10th level knowlede was pretty strong.
This was the time when i had to decide between IIT or medical.
I chose IIT preparation and hence had to take quality coaching in that.
Meanwhile one of my cousins who was planning to take CAT that year asked me to solve some questions wich i did easily
so the CAT bug had bit me by the time i did not even pass 10th.
After 10th i moved to DPS , RANCHI
chasing my dreams of an urban life , girlfriends , IIT and of course IIM
being from a small town and extremely introvert in nature i struggled for the 2 yrs .
i failed during my 1st terms in DPS.
how could i show my face to my family members who considered me as a bright student.
they thought that there " SIDHA SADHA BETA" had become a spoilt brat.
back in ranchi the school environment was not the best to study
most of the locals were sons n daughters of rich class , so there life style was pretty different and surprising to me
i was happy riding a new ranger cycle in my 1st day @ DPS ranchi
only to discover that 10th n 9th class kids drove there own cars n bikes :o
i could hardly find a friend there. struggled to catch up with the sudden pressure of 10+ 2 n IIT.
visited my native every 20-25 days(8 hrs frm ranchi)
life was hell for me
somehow after pushing a bit i passed my final term and moved to 12th.
here i was not as pathetic as 11th
finally after my preboards took board with ease n secure a not so bad 77.2 considering the situation i had lived in the past 2 yrs
as expected i didnt clear the big one IITjEE
dropped a year
prepared a bit harder this time
yet not fully commited
result : again the same , slightly different i was eligible for AIEEE central counselling with an AIR 25000 roughly
with no hopes of top NITs
i got MGR engg college , chennai
thea fees was so high dat i derived proportional relation with fee n facilities.
but to my surprise i found the case was not to be this.
i would not malign my college as i have spend 4 yrs there
but certainly an advice to everyone
please verify extremely well before taking any big leap.
the 4 wonderful years
this was the place i found ppl from all backgrounds , states n cultures
the situation was that teacher did not know the formula of tan A
and a student didn't know how to convert centimetre into milli metre
this was my 1st experience of engineering collge.
anyways to shorten we were hit hard by a couple of floods
massive strike in the 1st yr.
2nd yr a handful out of thousand frm our senior batch (2007) got placements.
that was smthing to cheer for . even we cud get placed in an infy or tcs like our seniors.
the sprirt was high
2nd yr passed.
coaching for cat
joined IMS with full enthusiasm
as my 10th was rock solid , english was good enough because of my 10th school
strated preparing
managed to solve da package questions very easily.
then in the middle of 3rd yr got placed in a software firm
felt confident that i m not useless
but became lenient towards CAT
at the end of 3rd yr (200
received the jolt
our seniors were deferred joining
so started CAT prep again
was very tensed and nervous
college load + just 4 months to do everything
i was pretty scared , toughest exam on earth and 4 months thats it
wen i flunked IITJEE aft 3 yrs of prep
could i do it?
yes as my 10th was strong
no i hav never proved myself in the past
well
my 1st mockcat gave me 84%ile
i was happy bcause this was without preparation
next 10 tests there were fluctuations
high 80s n mid 90s
All this time i was aspiring for IIM A
but i knew with my %ile dream was just a dream not a reality
the harder i tried the worse it got(the frustration)
in all these tests i workd for strategy what to do
time allotment n similar stuffs
all these time i thought if i get SIBM i would be the happiest man on earth
on the second i always thought its only IIM
that too IIM A
OCTOBER HEAT
with arnd 1 month to go
my simcat results showed no signs of getting near IIM cuttoffs
i managed 95-98 in the last 5 tests
i thought i could clear atleast 2 out of 3 sectional cutoffs
the ones which i attempted 1st
this was the case in my last 5-6 simcats
then came the shocker
our 7ths semester exams were scheduled as
10th , 11 , 12 , 14 , 18 , 22 november
cat 16th november
dis was another challange to face
actually my collge life was not too inspiring
lots of demoralising events , people ready to pounce on ur slightest mistake
sarcasm high on sky
even there was a general feeling
from our college no one could get an iim call
the C day
NOVEMBER 16th
regular semester papers had taken me out of practise
i was worried
but counted on my simcat journey where i learned a new thing every simcat
so just brushed up all the formulae of maths
was confident that i would clear 2 sectional cuttoffs
was worried about 3rd or the last section i attempted
didn't know what to do
anyways 1 more thing which i got was , cat center was 35 kms from my resident
but if god creates problems
he creates solutions
just find them out
i found my solution
a friend had his center there as well
he owned a car
so we went like we were off to a picnic
i thought just keep your nerves kool, kool ,n kool
this was my 1st attempt for CAT
for the 2.5 hrs i kept myself involved never thought that i was taking an exam
attempted 54 qns
QA 15
DI 17
VA 22
as per various solutions i expected a score of 141-156
expected 0-7 iim calls
as i expected
55 in qa
53 in di
33-48 in va
va was the decider
8tH january 2009
my heart was pumping like a generator
didn't know what would be the fate
i expected 99+
but was not sure of iim calls
R DAY
results came on 9th
server was down so got my result through sms
got 161
or 99.83 %ile
more than expected
why was GOD so merciful
he gave 5 marks extra
that means i was in top 350 of a test which had 2.5 lacs takers
that was amazing for me
based on last year criteria i was sure i would get calls from IIM A,C,L,I,K
although not 6
i was happy that i got call from my dream IIM A
TWIST n TURN
hello dere is someone who has been playing with me since i have opened my eyes
lets call HIM destiny
i checked ma result in the evening
i saw there was NO 'A' call
i felt like crying
was getting 99.83 a crime
with
qa 99.5 (55)
di 99.71 (53)
va 96.43(53)
by that time
most of the people were informed about my 5 iim calls
but actually there were 4
the bitter truth was hard to digest
i was penalised for something which i did 5 years back
so 1 galti bhi maaf nahi hai???????
GD/PI
NOT SO EASY
then came the stressful gd/pi preparation
i thought it would be a cakewalk with my high percentile
surely i would manage atleast 2 converts
with my 99.5 in qa i was confident of a 'C' convert
but then i came to know about horrible stories of 6 calls , 0 converts
100%ile no iim converts and all
i got restless
no work x for me
asked several people what to do
they said prepare hard
but what to prepare??????????
everything
how come is that possible?????
oh nothing to prepare just prepare about yourself
what is that??????/
your hobbies
your interest
your grad subjects
why mba
all these in 40 days
i thought i had no chance now
as i had not taken my academics seriously during my graduation
partly due to my college
and partly because i thought
what has mba got to do with engineering?
but i was wrong
and by the time i realised it was too late
how much could i do in 40 days
4 years engineering syllabus
current affairs
why mba
pi
lots of travelling
college projects
and many more
plus my college background and me being a fresher was giving me sleepless nights
suddenly i realised i had certification in NCFM
so thought this might be of any help
i just kept my kool
didn't study too much of my academics in that period (ps: not recommended for others)
9th march was my IIM C gd/pi the biggest of all
http://www.pagalguy.com/discussions/2009-2011-iimc-pgdm-gd-pi-experiences-25037586
it couldn't have gone better
10th was K
http://www.pagalguy.com/discussions/2009-2011iimk-gd-pi-experiences-25037408
it was OK
12th I
http://www.pagalguy.com/discussions/2009-2011iimi-gd-pi-experiences-25037548
L was on 25th
which was like a rapid fire round
http://www.pagalguy.com/discussions/2009-2011iiml-essay-gd-pi-experiences-25037587
didn't have much hopes with I
but was sure of 3 converts
if 9th jan is good
10th april is better
finally the result came
i converted iim C,K
C was ma dream institute (not a anymore :x)
actually discovered that C was much better institute (i have my own sweet reasons)
also i think destiny did not play dirty wen it snatched A from me
but it had a new role , a challenge for me
to fight against established beliefs
why is one institute considered best
i am here to break another established belief
that IIM X is best and IIM C comes 2nd
IIM C here i come
i was going to be part of finance powerhouse
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
i know my story was very long
but didn't want to miss any thing
as i consider it as my comeback
i want to make a statement
to those
who think people from grade c or grade d college are worthless
to those
who think
you can do well in future if n only if you have done well in past
to those
who think
life doesn't give chance everytime
i think my story can bring heroes out of people who have not done so well in past but are willing to improve
just go for the kill
u can do it
finally people may say my dreams have ended
I would say
they have just begun
SUYASH BHARADWAJ
INDIAN INSTITUTE OF MANAGEMENT , CALCUTTA
CLASS OF 2011
Long time ago I was sitting under a tree and I thought I wanted to get into Civil Services. I was pretty determined until few IAS officers told me " Dude We'll be glad to welcome you to hell".
Then one fine morning in the month of August 2008, I returned from my holiday like internship in France and under the hangover of french wines and champagne, I decide to give a shot at CAT. I rushed to TIME and used brand IIT
to get preferential treatment. They offered special classes on topics like Numbers before I return back to college to resume final year studies. Worked hard in the month of August and good aimcat results kept me going. But september and october I spent time watching Friends and movies since I got so bored doing the same maths and DI problems. Revised thoroughly in the month of november, repracticing the attempted aimcats.16th Nov:
Finally the CAT day. First impression was that it was an average type attempt :banghead:. On checking scores I landed at 146 which everyone said was good. Verbal was 54 so i wasn't sure whether I'll make it or not. I thougt I might just manage to get calls from IIM LIK.
9th Jan:
Mom's birthday. Thought what a mess would it be on her birthday if I do not qualify. Checked the results before she got up at 6 AM in the morning and lo!!!!
:w00t:Calls from IIM A(PGPM and PGP-ABM) and C(PGDM) and none other :drinking::drinking:. Dad says "beta check kar inke alawa sab se hogi". But the fact remained. Surprised and shocked people still keep on asking "Dude why only A and C". What more even the interviewers at C asked me the same question. I call it LADY LUCK.:cheers:
Once through CAT I knew I stood a strong chance with my reasonably strong profile and good interview and GD skills. Prepared well and was confident. Interviews were as below:
IIMC
http://www.pagalguy.com/discussions/2009-2011-iimc-pgdm-gd-pi-experiences-25037586
IIMA
http://www.pagalguy.com/discussions/2009-2011-iima-pgp-essay-pi-experiences-25037584
As the IIMC prof almost confirmed that I was in, so I was pretty sure about C
but couldn't say about the dream "IIMA".10th April:
Get up early in the morning and check the result to find that they are not yet out. Clicked refresh like a million times and finally at around 8:30 AM IIMC declare their results and as expected a Congrats message :
. Family fairly happy. Me thinking "yeh A waale kab denge". Was hardly happy at C result as it was already known. Now all attention at A's website. Refresh and more refresh 
. Family move to their work since no result till 9:30 AM. Then prescisely at 9:36 AM A declares result and lo!!! and double lo!!....:drinking::drinking: underdog who expected to merely manage a call from LIK becomes the king....ends up with IIMA. To add cherry to the icing I checked the IIMA PGP-ABM results and it also said congratulations :cheerio:. It was like Midas touch. Message from the story:
Believe in LUCK and Trust yourself. Every dog has his day.
Finally,i am posting on this thread..sort of a dream cum true..alwas thought ki kaash main bhi yahan post kar pata..:p
SCHOOL DAYS:-
I started off my career with a ok 82.60% in my 10th standard..I never got above 80 in my entire school and in the last 15 days leading to the board exams,i studied a bit and manged this percentage sumhw..I was a very shy boy thru out and one of my maths teachers alwas said-'he is a very dull boy'
..But,he was the one who taught me maths early in ma life..My father once came to ask one of my teacher's at school how I was doin..she said dat i ll do better as i grow up..i thought dat she said it just like dat to make my father happy..And today wen i look back,I realise the meaning of it..there were numerous occassions wen i was scolded by my teachers for nt studying and tarnishing my sister's reputation who happened to be a topper at the school..
INTERMEDIATE DAYS:-
This was the time when my family moved to bhubaneswar from khurda road,a small town wer i grew up..:pso,now i was in a city for the first time in my life and i was sort of puzzled so as to hw will i adjust here in the crowd..i gt admitted in a gud college(BJB) where there were many toppers..I studied very normally those 2 years and alwas dreamed about buying a mitsubishi lancer which i saw everyday..
I whiled away most of my time in those 2 years working hard for only 4 months and as expected dint do well in ne of the exams..gt a decent 86.00% in the board exams..but apart from that i gt nothing..never thot of IIT as sumthng i can achieve,but i was hopeful of NIT..but that too i flunked badly..
..padhunga tab na hota..I had made up my mind that i ll prepare for another year and do well..But,as destiny would have it,I got a 2461 rank in the state JEE and gt myself admitted in Civil engineering in CET,Bhubaneswar(ghar main bole-'bharti hoja,why waste 1 year')..again a good college..
COLLEGE DAYS:-
I joined Civil branch finally but wanted to change my branch.So,studied a bit seriously before the exams and at the end of first year changed my branch to electrical..now,i was happy and i thought-'sahi hai ab,life ban gayi meri..college main placement toh hojayega koi software company main n i ll earn 20k per month,big money..coool'.In my first year,I took part in an Extempore competition in my college fest..I gt 'ambience' as my topic..I wanted to speak,par kya karun i dint knew the meaning of the word..
But,then happened sumthing which changed my life forever..I fell in love with a girl at the very first instant i saw her..The truth is that i started my MBA perp to only impress her..I started reading THE HINDU newspaper religiously and found out the meaning of every new word i got..I started Norman lewis for Vocabs..For the first time in my life,I was sincere abt sumthing..I vowed to do 1 exercise of Norman lewis everday..43 exercises completed in 35 days..meanwhile my level of frustration increased as i increasingly came to know dat i will never succeed in my pursuit and she ll never say yes to sum1 like me who had nothing..Meanwhile,fests were on in the college and i saw my friends win in many events and here i was participating in evry event and geting nthng but dissapointment.. I felt that i am an absolute loser aur merese kuch nahn hoga..My HINDU was wat kept me goin at that stage..
In my 3rd year,I joined career launcher with no real aim but just to carry forward my relentless pursuit which gt more agonising everyday..Also,joined a computer course just to keep myself occupied..was least interested wat was taught there..
I was reading now regularly and solving the material that i got..was geting more serious everday and studying hardd and real hard was my only way of venting my helplessness due to the girl i was after..she rarely talked to me..
But,again as destiny would have it,after 1.5 years,i got committed one fine day and my dream came true..she said yes to me...I was very happy that day..But,very soon i realised that now I have to get into a gud B-School in order to convince her parents ki main layak hun..Now,my parents came to know abt this and i was bambooed like anythng for this..It was only getting difficult for me to concentrate on my prep as it was geting very emotional coz of my relationship and the flak i received for it on a regular basis..I knew that for personal reasons this will be my first and also the last attempt at MBA exams..a do or die situation..But,she alwas stood by my side n encouraging me that i can do it..Now,i grew only stronger everyday and was determined to do well..My parents sacrificed a lot to make sure that i get good education..
My coaching was goin on in an ok ok manner with me geting occasional bamboo at home..I studied hard n real hard,cried many a times for making my parents and her unhappy at times..worked like a donkey..
Then came the mocks and i started with a 83 percentile with only 1 section cleared.I kept on working..sum mocks were gud but most of them were bad for me..I knew all along that i can do better..I learned a lot from mocks..these exams teach u a lot about life..i learnt to be patient and realised that there is no place for personal ego here..learnt from my mistakes..I even told her lies abt my mock scores just to make her happy..den in one mock i gt 43 percentile with a -13 in Englich section..13 attempts,13 wrong..my confidence took a serious blow..after all those endless hours of practice,i gt this..i thought i can never do well in xams..merese hoga nahn,i am nt made for big things..but i went on to work hard,and she alwas was der 4 me..
D-DAY
After 1.5 years of endless mocks and practice,I was all geared up for the big moment..My last mocks were gud,nt IIM types though..I was fairly hopeful of my chances..struggled to sleep the day before as i remembered all the things i had done in the last 2 years for this very day..slept at 2,woke up at 7..went to my center too early,carried a choclate as sum1 suggested it wud keep me cool and an ipod that will again make me cooler..:nono:..my nerves gt the better of me n i flunked CAT..it was over before i cud know wat happened..I was dejected like hell..my friends who prepared with me did well as xpected and were xpecting IIM calls..
Then, i sumhw managed to get out of it and geared up for IIFT the following week..did fairly and was xpecting a call..results came soon on dec 12th and i missed the cut-off my 1 mark...14th dec,JMET.I was determined to do well this tme and went in with a very cool head(no more choclates and ipods this time).had a very good paper and it was the best of ma life..i could never have done better..xpected a SJSOM call n a rank below 150..was very happy that day..den came SNAP,did well there also..xpecting a SIBM,Pune call..
3rd Jan.
The day before XAT and JMET rsults were on net..I gt a 437 rank,cud nt bliv my eyes..just cudnt bliv that my best performance ever gave me this...this was the lowest point of my life..next day was XAT n i was in no mood to appear for the xam coz i felt that i can get nothng in life even after giving my everythng for it..XAT day,went in thinking nthng this time,did fairly well..came out,no hopes this time around..9th jan. SNAP results declared and i missed SIBM by 0.5marks..i was just speechless at my luck..10th jan,the day b4 FMS,CAT results declared..gt 96.74,no calls obviously..many of my friends gt BLACKI..i felt very very low..all this time i was thinking just 1 thing-'wer has all my hardwork gone?'..FMS day,gave it my best with a cool head and returned home..All the way along,she was behind me..my mother encouraged me dat i ll get sumthng gud at the end of it all..Also,there were ppl who said ther is no use of crying coz of bad results and i shud have worked harder in the preparation time..:nono:
19th Jan
XAT results declared and to my utter disbelief,I got a XLRI,BM call..I cried for 20 minutes,cudnt sleep dat night..den came FMS,gt both the calls from it..i was happier..now i had sumthng to cheer about..den came GD/PI stage, i worked normally this time..all interviews wer over and den came results..
VERDICT
First came FMS..waitlisted at 49 for MBA n rejected for MS..i knew FMS is over for me..actually had an xcellect PI there..My XL interview was also very gud..but after this,i was doubtful now..XL came on 25th Mar,i was waitlisted at 53 for BM..i knew i had a fair chance..
Finally,after all the effort that I had put in for the last 2 years,the agony,mental pain and ofcourse sum lovely moments also,on 27th april,I got a mail dat said I am thru XLRI.Felt a big big relief,tasted success for the first time in ma life..I was happy..felt vindicated..I had proved myself finally..
I would like to thank my parents for everthng that they have done to me,thank her for being with me all along and showing the faith wen i had lost it all..I thank my friends avinash and gogi for helping me out of very emotional situations..ur really special to me..arnav n jami for preparing with me and showing me wat this world of MBA means..a special thanks to PG..
BELIEVE IN URSELF AND NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE.ITS NEVER ALL OVER.
My CAT journey began in 2005 December. I'd heard about CAT for the very first time around then (was in my 3rd year BE). Engineering sickness was at a high for me and this crazy little feline seemed to offer me a radiant lucrative path away from technical stuff. I joined IMS classroom coaching for CAT 2006 and attended a few lectures, took some tests etc. I'd scored a couple of 90s in the mocks and since people were of the opinion that CAT day is a completely different ball game, I was deluded by false hope that I'd score a kickass 99%ile with multiple calls and get into one of the IIMs like they'd already readied a red carpet welcome for me. CAT 2006 only got me a 93%ile, and that too because I managed to score decently in VA. I gave XAT and FMS as well. Suprised myself with a 97%ile in XAT and that got me a call from SPJain. The group interview there was a hopeless case for me and I was the only fresher and was attending the first ever interview of my life. It seemed to me at the time though, that SPJain would be the most important convert of my career. I obviously didn't make the cut. My disappointment knew no bounds. Since I screwed up my Math and DI in CAT, I felt a desperate need to pull up my socks. 
Meanwhile I joined Lehman Brothers on the IT side and after a couple of months decided to take CAT 2007 - Software/IT was fine, but I wanted to be in the thick of the business. I was told that coaching classes are no good and that private coaching was much better. I joined one such class for the test series, but what can I say - the students there were too bright for me. I couldn't solve as much as the others could, and I was always one of the worst performers there. Nevertheless, I decided to take a break from the class and practiced my Math and DI really hard - much much more than the efforts I'd put in for CAT 2006. VA has always been my strong point and I never practiced VA at all.
Come CAT 2007 and I gave it my best shot. But even my best wasnt good enough. I got single digit marks in VA (my supposed strong point) and QA and my overall percentile was 63. I was never so ashamed of anything till then. No one in my friends circle had scored so less. I kind of went into withdrawal and decided not to tell anyone my scores. People would come and say "Arre, bata de na yaar. Come on you wouldn't have done that badly. I know the meaning of 'bad' - you must have scored some 90%ile and that's your definition of bad. I bet it wouldn't have gone below 85 worst case". Well, unfortunately there is a big difference between 63 and 85 😃 I decided to give up on CAT, hang my boots and continue working at LB whether I liked it or not. I was pissed at myself and did not give any other exams that year - no XAT, no FMS, no nothing. 
Work started picking up in 2008 and I felt that I had a good future in the company. I'd got promoted and won an award for some achievement and was being given more responsibility to shoulder - so I decided that after the 2007 fiasco, there'd be no point even thinking about CAT. By around August, rumours were rife that LB might not survive. This was a shocking new development for the worse. Here I was not having bothered about CAT at all, and suddenly it seemed to be my only hope. I was still partially reluctant to believe that anything so dramatic like an LB backruptcy could happen and decided to close my eyes and think it'd be dark everywhere. Luckily for me, my family and friends forced me to sign up for CAT 2008 and then I began taking mock tests with TIME around September - yes it was quite late to begin preparations, but this time, I just had to get out - and couldn't depend on my workplace to save me! :nono:
Since work was almost nil, I started studying in the office with some other batchmates. I decided that I'd primarily solve, re-solve, analyze and re-analyze the tests from various test series. I joined CL, IMS, TIME and CF and brought back all their papers home and solved and analyzed several of them. I maintained a separate book for writing down any new questions/methods I would come across - the idea being that in the final days before CAT 2008, all I'd have to do was to revise that book. I also solved a lot of questions from Tenaday.co.in as well as some chapters from Nishith Sinha. I'd understood that self-help was going to be the best help. Still, my mock tests werent going very great, and my scores were generally hovering around the 85-95%ile mark. The coaching class VA answer keys used to be so irritating as there were never any explanations that made sense. Nevertheless, I put all this behind me and continued to focus on my preparation.
One thing that I'd gained so far was experience. 2 CATs old and about to take a third, I realized that keeping my cool was what would work. People will tend to say and do several kinds of things. People will score amazing marks in mocks, act like they dont study at all, hail from IITs and hence score 100%iles in math and di every time etc etc etc. My advice - the competition is between you and yourself only. Forget what others have to say. Never waste any time wondering what would happen if so-and-so guy were to get into IIMA and you didn't get there. Dont think about the future - it can take care of itself. 
Since my work environment at LB was getting quite shaky, I decided that I was going to take all the entrance tests possible. So I registered for IIFT, SNAP, XAT, JMET, FMS and NMAT. I just knew I had to escape somehow and was ready to take up any college. 
Come CAT 2008 and I wanted to give it my best. I didn't think I could drop below a 63%ile anyway however hard I tried :). After the test I knew I'd made some very silly mistakes in DI but apart from that I was largely satisfied. Come 10th January and this is how my scorecard looked like -
Section - I Quantitative 38.00 (out of 100) 95.52
Section - II Logic & DI 29.00 (out of 96) 86.65
Section - III Verbal 71.00 (out of 160) 99.18
Total 138.00 (out of 356) 99.24
You have been shortlisted by the following IIM's for their PGP interviews. Details available on the individual institute's website (candidates for IIMC should check whether they are shortlisted for PGDM or PGDCM or both):
Lucknow
WOOHOOO! I couldnt believe my eyes. I'd somehow managed a lone call from IIM Lucknow! My joy knew no bounds and I was relieved more than ever. I now stood a chance to be a part of the elite IIMs. But relief was soon overcome by an avalanche of self-doubt. There were people who had got 6 calls and had converted none. How was I going to convert just one single call? It had been a while since I'd participated in any GDs (back in college), and I was never really a quizzer nor was I from an IIT. Reading some of the previous year student's experiences only scared me further. I started preparation slowly rather than steadily. Work was also slowly trickling in as LB was taken over by Nomura and managing office work and studies was proving to be very very very difficult. 
I also got calls from IIFT, MDI, FMS, NITIE, SPjain, SIBM-P and NMIMS meanwhile which boosted my confidence. I joined the IMS Achiever's Workshop. These 2 days were what really really readied me for my GDPIs. Not that I did very well during the workshop, but I got to understand how others were doing, what they were reading/studying and what it generally means to have BLACKI calls. I found that just because people have multiple calls doesnt mean you are inferior to them in any way. Like one prof kept saying - "It doesnt matter how many calls you have in your kitty - Even a guy with a 100 calls will ultimately take up only one". :D
My outlook changed that day. I decided to try and convert the negative self-doubt into a positive workhard attitude. I tried to cover up as much reading as I could. Magazines such as The Economist are perfect for this. I wish I had started reading it earlier. The name is quite misleading. It's also expensive - around 200 bucks per isue, but I suggest you buy 2nd hand issues - say a week old or so, you'll get them for much cheaper. I read The Economist, India Today, TOI and very rarely the ET. Also the articles at testfunda helped a lot CURRENT AFFAIRS. But remember, knowledge is a vaaaast ocean. And your interviewers are always going to know more than you. Its a tough testing period, but just relax and continue with your determination.
My IIFT GD PI went okay, but it wasnt the greatest - and I was wait listed at IIFT Kolkata. You can read about my experience here - http://www.pagalguy.com/forum/other-exams-xat-fms-jmet/37335-iift-gd-pi-experiences-2009-a-7.html#post1388053.
At FMS though, I had a blast in the GDPI and I managed to convert. I was completely elated and felt worthy as the FMS selection procedure is one of the toughest there is. You can read that experience here - http://www.pagalguy.com/forum/other-exams-xat-fms-jmet/38257-2009-2011-fms-mba-ft-5.html#post1449206.
My IIM Lucknow experience was something I wont forget soon. My group had people mostly from the IITs and mostly with BLACKI calls. It was going to be quite competitive. I put forward some good points in the GD and essay but my interview was a complete disaster or so I thought. The questions they had asked me were so vague and seemingly irrelevant I felt cheated almost considering I had just one chance at the IIMs. This experience is detailed here - http://www.pagalguy.com/forum/cat-and-related-discussion/37587-2009-2011-iiml-essay-gd.html#post1426646
I also decided that I was not going to attend any more GDPIs, although people told me otherwise. They said I'd gain from the experience and stuff. As I mentioned earlier, dont give a crap to what others say. Hear them out and then do whatever you want to. No offense meant to anyone, but it didn't seem right to me to aim for an IIM but also be ready to accept an NMIMS. I did not go for the GDPIs of NITIE, MDI, SPJ, NM or SIBM-P.
10th April 2009 was a tense affair. I was hoping that my efforts would pay off. When I keyed in my details, this is what I got -
CONGRATULATIONS !!!
You have been selected for admission to PGP 2009-2011 batch at IIM Lucknow. 
:clap:
Ohboyohboyohboy!!! My lone L call and I'd converted it. WOOOHOOOOOOOO!!! The next 2 days went in letting the news sink in and also on the telephone. Future aspirants, trust me on this, while all B-schools are good - an IIM is an IIM. No two things about that. You need to experience it to feel it and savour it.
People all suddenly start looking up to you and it wont matter whether you iron your clothes or shave your beard anymore .
A few pointers to all the aspirants out there. It aint over till it's over. Give CAT your best shot. Forget about any previous failures (I should know - from 63%ile to 99.24%ile). Dont bother about what others tell you. Dont think your profile is any worse than others'. Maintain a separate notebook for CAT and GDPI prep to jot down new things you learn so that all you need to refer is this one book. Attend the IMS Achievers' Workshop. Dont get depressed if you're unable to work+study - do how much ever you can - and know that everyone faces the same time constraints. Dont worry about getting VA wrong in any of the mock tests. Study VA from the GMAT OG guide if possible. Be positive and be yourself. You need to believe that you can make it. Always remember, NOBODY can be good at EVERYTHING. Find out what you're good at and project that and forget about what you arent good at.
Thanks to PG and Puys for the amazing help each and every time I was down and out. I couldn't have got here without you.
All the best to everyone!
I seriously do not have to describe what it feels like to convert an IIM call. And, it starts right from the time when you actually get a call. So, here's a little story about my beautiful venture.
When the CAT fever started ?
I was in my 3rd year during Engg. I was in Mech, btw. So, there were few friends of mine who signed up for some mock tests. Till then, i never heard of CL, IMS or TIME and for that matter, i had no idea about CAT. So, one fine day, i asked one of my friend about whats the test like ? So, he explained as to what CAT is and the syllabus thats involved.BTW, I am big mathematics maniac, i just love maths, probably as much as my gf ;).
So, i said that i too wanna give a free mock. So, one sunday, I too appeared for the test and scored decent marks. To be specific, out of 20-25 guys who used give mocks, i stood 2nd. I was so delighted. And, it was then the fever creeped in.
CAT2006 : This year was simply the most busiest year in my life. I was in love and u guys can understand how busy we can be. English was the weak point and i needed to work really hard to cope up. But, i think that i took CAT too lightly and to my dismay, i fell on my face. I got 94.61%le.
CAT2007 : This was my second attempt. The whole year, when i was supposed to spend time studying, i used to be busy with phone calls and my job. I seriously wanted to work hard but never worked on it. I got 91.23%ile.
CAT2008 : We all have our times when we thought "How screwed my life is?". This was the year when everything in my life was in such a mess. My love life was on the brim of collapsing. Heavy and idiotic work schedule. I got detached from my friends and many such things. There was a time when i thought i wont be writing CAT as well. But i gathered my self together and started with few friends(roomies). I used to study1-2 hrs a day but cudnt pay enough attention....I was just so broke. And, probably it wud have been the case with any1. But somehow, i gave my best.
I still remember Nov 16, 2008. I was at my center, hungry, thirsty and with a lot of tension. Then, i got a call from my mom and later from my gf(which was a surprise) to wish me luck. So, i went inside and gave a shot(certainly not my best). I still think I cud have done better but its now water under the bridge.
CAT2008 Results : I got 98.91 percetile with a lone IIM call from IIM Indore. I was happy and sad, both at the same time. Happy becoz i got an IIM call, and sad becoz i just had 1 call !
My IIM I Gd/PI : I never actually practised for GD. The only class which i attened for GD was the one in which i just sat listening to every1. I dint even spoke a word! So, during my IIM I GD, i was really tensed. Finally, the GD got over, and it was very very ordinary(atleast this time i spoke few points). Then i knew that my PI had to be a miracle. My Pi actually was excellent. I cud not answer 2 questions which were 1. What is the literacy rate of women in India? and 2. What is Infant Mortality rate of India? . Apart from these, i answered all the remaining 20-25 ques.
IIM Results : This has to be the best day of my life. I converted my lone call and that too NOT in the waitlist ! I cud not hide my smile throughout the day. I thought abt my condition when i started my prep for CAT and my present. Persistance really paid off.
My advice to IIM aspirants
- You might have heard from a lot of people now but seriously, its so true.....Believe in yourself !
- Its always good to have a peer group to study with. It helps u to get different ideas for solving problems.
- Join some classes. It helps.
- The most important thing......Mock Tests....It tells u where u stand.
April, the 10th....simply the most feared and awaited day of my life. All those stupid phrases like 'butterflies in stomach', suddenly came to reality. I was in office that day, logged onto to PG(as always). Btw, I work in an IT company, just like many of us. And, like many others, i hate my job. I always thought that I am capable of doing much more than what i actually do. But, thats a different issue. So, coming back to that dreaded yet beautiful day, I was sitting at my desk. My TL, to whom i look upto was an inspiration and motivation for me throughout the year. She was with me when i needed time to study and the times when I was broke. At 9:30, she came to my desk and asked 'Abhi, are the result out yet?'. I said 'No ma'am'. Till then, i read a post saying that IIM Indore will come out with the results at 4:00 pm in the evening. So, i told her that may be the results are delayed a bit. But i had a gut feeling that results will come on time. Thinking this, i opened the IIM I site and to my surprise, I found the link for the results at 10 am. I clicked on it and the page where i had to enter my CAT details, was displayed. The first thought that ran in my head 'How to check the results? What to do next?'. I went so blank that I lost my human ability to THINK. Then, a coarse voice inside me yelled "Gadhe, CAT reg no. type kar". My fingers were literally shivering. It took me 5 mins to just correctly type in my CAT reg no.,date of birth and the number in the image. Before clicking on submit, i cracked my nuckles, wiped off the sweat dripping from my forehead. Everything that happened to me before in my life, the faces of people who matter most, everything, zoomed through my mind. It was like, all the investments, dreams, happiness,sorrows, tears, smiles, blessings now hangs on that SUBMIT button. My fingers refused to follow my directions. With a lot of effort, I clicked....... and I clicked !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Congratulations
You have been selected for admission to PGP Batch 2009-2011 of IIM Indore.
I never thought that these set of words will sound so pleasing. I raised my hand to wave to my TL. She asked in a sign language 'What happened?'. I changed my wave to a fist, with a smile on my face. She came as fast as she could to my desk and said 'Well done , Abhi. I am so happy for you'. I have always tried to make others smile in my own way, but today its my turn. I seriously was not able to hide it. I made infinite no. of phone calls to my parents and friends. And, suddenly, my reputation in my office climbed few stairs,..... who am i kidding, it climbed the whole staircase.
Believe me people, when you do something believing that 'Yes, I can' and under such extruciating conditions, its like a Phoenix born from its ashes. Whatever I've just said people, its just to make every1 know that its not over until its over.
So..all the very best to every CAT aspirant. Hold ur nerves and get on with it.
*Well finally writing my experiences of CAT. Even though I finally dint end up with any gr8 or super gr8 IIM call, I still end up with decent options (at least to my satisfaction). This while exciting journey of CAT and other exams has really brought up some good interesting stuff within me.
I don't know whether this story will be an inspiration but this would be what I my experiences about CAT and other B-school exams
Year 2005:I was a final year BTech guy preparing for a coveted seat at IIM. I prepared hard man but overlooked English(what a folly). I joined TIME test series and was very confident on my quant because (I had appeared for IIT JEE twice in MAINS!!!!. What a reason sirji). I don't at all remember but followed the TIME test series assiduously. I collected whole lots of material from Nayi sarak at Delhi and thought that now I can prepare. Dint even studies a word not even newspaper, magazine nothing.
Result: CAT 2005: 90.7 percentile XAT 90 percentile JMEt: not qualified
I was so happy because the other biggies in my college (Ppl burning mid night oil, bunking classes and all had managed not more than 93. So I thought I was pretty close!!!). Those ppl finally got admitted in IIFT, SCMHRD and me fool thought I was made for IIM stuff only!!!
Year 2006: I got two months to prepare in advance as my final session at college got over in June. Now I utilized this time by starting with English. I thought I should work up now with this area. I got hold of Wren n Martin and started reading "The Hindu" assiduously. I used to solve Sudoku to improve my analytical skills .Joined IBM Bangalore at Aug 06. My first job. I have never been out of Delhi. So Bangalore was a very new location. Meanwhile I also joined TIME test series again. Now because of the new location, I took lot of time for adjusting myself. I remember when I gave my first TIME mock at Bangalore I scored some 70 percentile. But I used to spend time looking for my company's new job and so my scores fell further. On Sept 15, in one of the TIME mock I hit the rock bottom and scored 35 percentile. Now wait!!! What's that? How come my percentile decreased so much? Well if u just give the mocks incessantly without caring to ponder over your mistakes, this is going to happen. Somehow I got hold of past Cat papers then and began to practice then. Some guys in my PG were also preparing for CAT and they gave me some CL papers. I started in the right spirit identifying my problem areas and worked on them. My prep began in full swing from there on. But English was a problem. I don't know what was casing the problem. I used to fail miserably in RC. I thought he bhagwan RC kash CAT me na aaye. But aisa nahi hota . Even my Verbal was not gr8. This time I came to know ki SNAP ka paper bhi hota hai .Meanwhile l an interesting point. CAT takes place usually in the third week of November. I was told by my manager that I have to relocate to Pune with effect from 6th November (I was told that in the last week of Oct) :shock:. Hell I had to get three centers changed(CAT,IIFT,JMET) with gr8 difficulty.
Result
CAT 2006: Cat 90.9,XAT 77,,IIFT: Not qualified, JMet : Not qualified, SNAP No call(SIBM),
Morale: English was killing me and of course other areas were also not that good
Year 2007:
Some how I managed to take a transfer from Pune to my home city Delhi and started my preparation from Pune only before the transfer. It was I guess, the month of May 2007 when I joined TIME coaching classes there. English was a subject which I thoroughly wanted to improve. I again started reading newspaper and started identifying words with dictionary. This I started last year also. I soon began to have a list of words which I have come across in the newspaper and novels. I used to note them down in my notepad and also looked upon their meaning in dictionary. I also used to browse dictionary.com for finding the corresponding synonym of the word. This proved useful to some extent my RC skills . Reading novels was never a hobby for me. But I somehow had been developing this hobby since last year. I read non fiction, fiction, some good novels like Fountain Head etc. In TIME mocks I used to clear two cut -off(obviously Quant and DI) at regular intervals but English was a problem. Our English faculty at TIME noted this problem and used to say me that I was not able to clear English cut-off because of only 1 factor fear factor . Do remove this fear factor from ur heart and then u see the results. I did that but English cut-off clearing never happened to me. As if English was saying dude English to tujhse is janam me nahi sudhregi!!!!!
After coming to Delhi, I was a total vela as far as office work was concerned. I used to study 6-7 hours for my CAT prep. I used to solve mocks mocks,practive questions in office sab ke samne coz all my managers were in Pune and I was working alone from Gurgaon. So there was no fear factor. I remember taking two weeks off before CAT exam and fighting with my manager for my vacations. Somehow manager granted me the vacation . Trust me guys CAT was my life at that time. I used to do quick calculations at even my shop (Yes we have a fabric shop). Sometimes mistakes happen while taking money from customers at my shop. But my calculation speed was simply amazing and improving . Waho ab to numbers ka koi bhi sawal fod dunga CAT me.I used to manage late eighties somehow in TIMe mocks and managed a decent 93 in the last TIME mock for the first time in my CAT prep history
Result Cat 2007: In the paper I was simply blown away because of the sheer pressure of CAT. I remember before the paper commencement.I went thrice to rest room, washed my face. This I kept on doing 4-5 times to make myself fresh!!!!!!!!!!. I managed to get 83 percentile!!!. Boy that was very demoralizing when my frnds who had hardly prepared for CAT were able to solve those questions in CAT I left assuming difficult ones!!!!. Then came IIFt,JMET,XAT,FMS,SNAP all evaporated in quick succession. This time again no GD/PI call. I remember I used to browse endlessly pagalguy for the result update but jab result aaya to mai kahi nahi tha. Only I managed some 2400 odd rank in JMET and hoped to get a call at least from IIT-R. I filled IIt-Kharagpur form also and asked my manager (working at US) to get his reference on the form. Facts are facts and I dint get any call as my rank was so low. Also my manager thought that I was going for an MBA dumped me from the project.
March 2008 My GMAT Prep:
Disappointed I started my GMAt prep not because I wanted to study in a dream foreign B- school but coz I accepted ki I can't get a call from any Indian B-school after 3 committed attempts. I started my prep but English to GMAT ki is way ahead of Cat English. I used to stumble on English. I got hold of some good Manhattan and Princeton books of GMAT English but used to manage not > 28 in Gmat Prep. GMAt I gave in June 2008 managed meager 600 (VA 24 QA: 45) and guess what ,I couldn't finish my quant also on time on GMAT day . Many of u must know that there is severe penalty on GMAT if you couldn't finish a section on time.
Now I dint know where to go . I failed during my IIT-JEE time also. I failed at CAT also (can't even manage a call from top 20 institute forget abt IIM) .I failed at GMAT also. Shayad mera dimaag ka level hi itna hai. At my home everyone suggested me now to concentrate more on family as they need me badly as a son. My grandfather who was fighting with cancer always wanted me to understand family business and help my father while doing quietly my job at the IT company. They used to think ki if I do an MBA, life would be a hell as sabun tel bechne se acha I'm quietly doing a 9-6 job. But how could I explain them ki it is not a 9-6 job. Stretch back is there in this job also. Late nights work was very usual in Pune .I used to stretch lot there. Probably they haven't seen that.
Year 2008: I don't know what prompted me and on July 14th , the first date of availability of Cat forms, I went to AXIS bank and filled up the CAT form again. My frnd used to say" is ke to jab bache bhi ho jayenge na to bhi yeh Cat deta rahega".But this time I was vigilant. There was no desperate trying. There was no "CAT nahi hua to zindagi kaharab ho jayegi attitude". I became a more responsible person towards my family.CAT is just an exam and not an end . This is wht I have learnt all these years. So wat I haven't got a single GD/PI call, I may be destined to do something else in life. First time in 2 years of my job, I prepared my resume and uploaded at naukri.com. I saw in Education Times, a free PT mock(PracCAT). I went there on one fine Sunday and gave the mock. The mock was not that gr8 but when I checked its keys ,my English answers were matching. Cleared English cut-off at Prac-Cat first time ever. When the result came I was stunned. I had scored a 99.4 percentile with two cut-of cleared. Now wait what's that!!! How come a person who has never score above 93 in TIME mock(only once) who has score 33 percentile in TIME mock suddenly score 99.4 trust me there was a new sense of feeling. I got the entire PT test series at Rs 150flat!!!. Second Prac-Cat worse than the previous one I again got 99.2 with no section cleared. Very close to cut-off at English.!!! Now I got it I thought now I'd join another mock. Somehow I resisted joining TIME mock (coz was doing for last three years). For a change I joined CL mock. First CL mock I gave and sach me "aukat pata chal gayi vaha par". I scored a pity 69 percentile. I then analyzed the whole paper . I had made hell lot of mistakes in quant. My accuracy level was pathetic in quant(which never improved ). I improved on some areas. Next CL mock . bingo I scored a 95 percentile with good sectionals and cleared English cut-off. Now I started with gr8 respect towards English. I dint do anything gr8 in English but English was proving out to be easy for me. I always used to do QA-DI-Va in this order coz VA was my problem. But this yr I somehow started doing in QA-Va-DI.What was doing the trick for me in Englsh. I don't know. My preparation level was same as that of previous level except just a change of attitude . I began to see English with new respect. Was GMAt prep doing the trick. No idea boss but I was a bit happy coz my scores were improving and so was my confidence. My grandfather's health was deteriorating day by day. That was the only concern of me and my family. I used to sit in front of him daily from office and he used to scream in pain a lot. On Saturdays I used to do some daily household work . That dint affect my Cat prep. However after the office and studying was a bit hectic but somehow I used to do that. On Sunday I used to give CL mocks and one take home or mock for practice I used to give at Friday morning at 3' AM. Yes I used to come home from office at around 8'o clock and used to sleep at around 11 'o clock only to wake up at 6'o clock next morning to catch my 7:15 bus. Delhi to gurgaon jounrey is too hectic. But on thursday I used to make sure I sleep at 9-9:30 coz I had to take a grueling mock at 3'o clock to 5:30. On other days I used to study for 1-1.5 hours daily after office This schedule worked for me and the results were good as I used to score in the range of 85-95 at CL mocks. I began to touch 97-98 also. Meanwhile I keep on reading diverse set of books,novels,newspapers and publications for improving my English.
Oct 8,2008: Most unfortunate day of my life n family. Grandfather deserted us. Hell man hell I cried wept . One thing I forgot I used to study English from him . He was a retired English school teacher. My hold on grammar increased because of him. He even used to help me for grammar in CL mocks. Office work also increased as those were the launch days of the project. I had to take accidental leaves from office as the condition was very bad at home . Loads of relatives came and I was like deserted. First time I have seen life so horrible at home. For the next 15 days I suffered some intestine infection. Even at this condition I had a company's laptop. My TL at office pleaded to send him some important files which I had prepared .I kept on sending some office work regularly also. Cat prep , yes it affected morally a lot. Situation at office was very taxing. I resumed duty after I guess 20 days. Afterwards I had to regularly stay late at office. My work schedule was starting at 7:00 AM when I used to be on call till late 11:00PM at night. I used to curse my work. My 4 years of prep would have blown away if this trend continues. But I never compromised on my prep after such a grilling schedule. I used to read and revise my formulas I had stored on my laptop. Even during travel at late nights I used to study in the cab just to make sure I'm totally abreast of my prep.
Finally D-day arrived: I was very relaxed and calm as compared to my previous years. I started with qa. I think this section made hell lot of difference. Had I scored 10 more marks in this section(it means 2 questions which I had got incorrect to be correct), I would have easily got a at least one call from IIM . It made a huge difference to my score. When I came to English I saw lot of homonyms which I had accumulated a lot from Prac Cat and CL-mocks. Solved all of them and correctly(with keys). Quickly moved to RC . This is the area I had improved quite a lot in CL-mocks. There were 5 Rc , I solved 4 completely. DI was also decent.
When I came out of the hall there was a feeling of satisfaction first time that I did something good. After checking the IIM keys, I found my every RC answer was correct. I feel GMAt prep had done the trick here.
TO be continued........
JMET 2008 : 1195 rank
XAT 2008: Well that was the paper where my GMAt prep come to rescue I think. I till regret y I dint mark a case let question in quant. But I think I missed XLRI call just because of my Qa scores . I managed 99.01 percentile in XAT with qa 71 percentile
Puys I think even though I dint end up getting an IIM, I always think that my commitment to perform was always there. When some one scores as low as me in mocks and actual CAT, it is very hard to bounce back to get a decent score (at least to my standard). Cat prep has taught me so many things academically and otherwise as well. It has led me to a person which is more responsible towards his family and career as well. Pagalguy is a forum which I have been browsing since 2004 . It has been 5 years now. Im just writing this to make sure if it helps any one who has given up. Success has many fathers failure is an orphan. Some frnds have even advised me to write Cat for one more yr . However I think Im very much satisfied having some decent offers(personal opinion though) and after nearly 7 years of trying(for JEE) I have managed to get into IIT. All the very best to everyone out here.
Seaon 2008: CAT 97.77 JMET 1195 XAT 99.01
CALLS: IMT-G,IMI,IIT-Kgp,IIT-K,IIT-M,IIT-R
CONVERTS: IMT-G(Fin),IMI,IIT-K,IIT-R
REJECTS: IIT-Kgp,IIT-M
Finally it's time when i feel like penning down my thots
Just after the XAT results had come out I had published a poem in this forum itself.--"Emotions turned into words" and I am thankful to my fellow PG frnds for appreciating it.
For those of you who haven't read the poem yet--It had been written when I felt like crying but I wudn;t as I cudn;t. BIG BOYS DONT CRY
The pent up emotions had to be let out someway-- I had narrowly missed XAT (only maths got botched) CAT was not that great, had screwed up the DI and the math sections equally.
So there I was --- no hopes from any other exam coz speed is not my forte and it definitely had to be either CAT or XAT
had lost all hopes and was ready to sit for cat 2009
but then thankfully got a decent enuf percentile and as expected had done horribly in math and DI --- anyway the only good college still within reach was IMT G ... BUt u know after having been drubbed each time by lady luck there wasn;t much hope left in life and so i continued the same listless way , fearing how the demon of recession would mar my IT career. Just then the demon had started affecting my personal life and obviously my career -- lay offs -- poor ratings and wat not -- those threats ---i was doomed . didn;t know wat to do. Then it was bcoz of those trying circumstances i thot to myself tat there is one golden opportunity I still have which can let me out of the situation.I started preparing for my only decent interview and went thru PG's posts.Only then did i realize how superb PG is. Almost indespensible for someone hoping to make it to a decent B school.
I had a few other calls too, but I wont name the colleges coz that 'd be demeaning the rest.
But thankfully my effort did not go waste and I was able to convert the call.
Infact i converted all the 4 calls I had and the choice was easy -- grabbed the golden opportunity I had got , even after messing up my cat.
We need to undergo an endurance test so that we don't fail in "LIVE"
While i start typing in what i wanted to say...one word pops into my mind...DELAYED....both my finally getting to this point to post on this thread...and my actual posting on this thread when i got here....
The former is actually gonna be the subject of this post...but the latter has its reasons. So when the results came out on April 10th, its only now that I am in the place to post here....primarily because this being a dream thread, i wanted to give it my 100% while posting.
So now I ll start my gyan about the former DELAYED activity..getting here...
Of course i know that this is a thread every one dreams of posting in but few really read. but still at the risk of having no audience what so ever i ll go ahead and post my heart out.
To begin with lets get one thing straight...I am no extra-ordinary kid..
so like every other kid my CAT ambitions took birth in my final year in coll..and of course the dreams that year ended with a brilliant 77%ile...the reasons of course were many though some personal turmoils are usually the ones to get blamed.
The best part that i do remember about my first attempt, were obviously the mock tests. I used to some how manage to score a 96%ile some what consistently without putting in any real effort...so it just made me think...hey things are going ok...so lets not study and mess up the balance...but we all know how that generally ends up...
Then was the next attempt in 2008(yes I made a hat trick giving cat)...
a lil seriousness did come then...but to lil avail...being busy with work i knew there wouldnt be much i would be able to do...secondly i hadnt matured enough to crack the exam anyway...
The good thing about me is...that even before i start with my prep I have my reasons for failure ready...it somehow becomes a lil difficult the otherway...
So as expected....this one was slightly better....96%ile and 3 calls....and i converted 2 outta them,...
Had an admit for SIBM which I was almost all set to join...but then something happened...a lame sense of self-belief....or just the greed to try once more...or probably just the idea that 2 yrs of wrk ex is considered perfect before an MBA....which ever way...after a lot of contemplation....i decided to chuck it...for better or for worse...
Now as i entered, which was to be my last attempt at CAT....I had some real enlightments....
i had it clear in my head, that what ever happens...this was my last attempt...and that i would take whatever came my way...
i didnt want my greed to become a habit...
However this time, as i look back,.there was a sense of purpose,...a maturity in my prep,....though it was only rarely coupled with a do or die attitude..
When i left SIBM, I had targetted in my mind A,B or C,...and nothing less...but as the cat day approached, it became more and more clear to me...that that would be a distant possibility..
the day before CAT, I realised, I would be lucky to get into MDI or institute in the vicinity of that...
I did realise though that this was an attempt different from my earlier ones...earlier I had been sincere...as in... always thinking abt CAT...but never Serious...as in ...not really working for it...this time i was both...
and then the CAT day came and went, and i thought less and less of it untill Jan 9th(I did give other exams, but needless to say, none of them were even worth checking the results of...not because of the standard of the exam...but simply thanks to my performance)..
n yes...I was one of those smart ppl who thought could outsmart the mysterious creature called CAT...for starters...I encircled every course i was eligible for ...and second...though I am working actually in IT for a bank...i entered my field as BFSI instead of IT/ITES...hoping that the BFSI thing would get me a call from B...interestingly...the B call never happened...and I missed out on a C PGDCM call , as they had extra points for IT/ITES...
so the results were just abt the best i could have hoped for...A(PGP,PGP-ABM),C,L,I,K...only B had evaded me...but i would rather call it their loss now...and the results did trigger some moisture in my eyes...though now...i cant see what all the fuss was about...
well that was that....and then the prep for the interviews began...well if u can call it prep...
it started with buying engineering books which were as new on the day i returned them...and enrolling in TIME,IMS classes which now offered special discounts just because i had calls....jo bhi tha...saste mein ho rahaa hai toh mere baap ka kya jaata hai....
the interviews went pretty much as expected....with smooth sailing in A,L, and K and happy screwing by the interviewers in C and I...
A PGP-ABM was ofcourse a laugh riot...obviously not for me...but for the interviewers....they some how found my interview form to be a page out of the archies comic book collections...and that too the funnier ones...
Other than these few hickups...April 10th came rather early..of course not to mention the desparation at work...and the thought of jumping from my floor in the office(the 8th floor) at the thought of continuing any longer in the job....
Whenever I did think about getting into an IIM, I used to just shrug it off...cause I always knew(please note the usage of the word...its "Knew" and not "thought")..that I wasnt good enough...and when my dreams ran wild, I thought i could at best make it to C...
The one good thing.... or better thing about the final results over the CAT results...is that the results(final) come out one by one...one IIM after another...so u neednt be depressed if u dont make it into one...there is always hope for the next...or ur levels of happiness are bound to rise from morning to noon...if of course u make it thru all...
Fortunately my case was the latter...even the PGP-ABM interviewers who thought I was Johny Lever's twin...were kind enough to give me a seat...
So it was a clean sweep this year...all 6 IIM interviews and 2 Non-IIM interviews(both for MDI) cleared...
needless to say...i am going to A...
BUT surprisingly...for me the real deal was not the run-up upto April 10th...but the days after that...
For a small/irrelevant/average guy like me..the real learnings were to come after the big day...
I think a hill looks high only until u scale it...but at its peak u suddenly cant understand what all the fuss was all about....
for the past 3 years...most of my thoughts had gone dreaming of that single moment..entering my CAT Tr No. and DOB in the IIM A website and getting a Congratulations in reply...but when it did happen u r left blank...not the kind of blankness that happens when u r in shock...or extreme happiness....just a question mark...why was i doing this??? why, for 3 years did my life revolve around this??...was it really that important??
for those who are thinking that I am a lost kid...mind you..I am not...I know this is what I want to do...n i know i ll be fairly good at it...but the entire euphoria makes little sense now...
u come to realise...its not big to get into IIM A..or harvard or IIT...its sufficient just to get ur dreams...no matter how big or small they are...
suddenly I realised, that the exceptional performance awards i got in ofc...were just abt as satisfying as this...
So as i understand...its not the size of the trophy...but what and how much u had to do to get that trophy that really matters....
with relation to this...my respect for CAT and the process of admissions grew...I realised, I didnt have the maturity to get into an IIM before...its only now that I realise what it means...so for me the take away at the end of it has been not the admits...but the journey...had I got in any earlier...i probably wouldnt have appreciated it enough...
Today i probably am good enough to get into an IIM, not for the person I intrinsically am...but for the person this journey has made me...
PS: For those who remember...I had started last year when I was unable to decide whether or not to join SIBM..the thread was called "Is IIM worth the wait?" ...
well I did wait and I did get into one...but i still dont know the answer to that question....
Hi All,
I remember very vividly when I was appearing for class 10th,I had come to see off my Dad at the railway station and we got talking and my Dad asked me very earnestly what I wanted to do in life and I gave only 1 line answer I want to do my MBA from IIM- Ahemdabad (Year 1999).
I was always percieved by my family to be a chap who is academically brilliant, had scored high marks always, has gone to the best schools hence nothing less than an IIT would suffice my family as my under grad course but I disappointed one and all and ended up in some engineering college in Bangalore (I never believed in dropping years and some bad luck with my NSIT+DCE exam/rank)
So from the 1st year itself I had set my mind on IIM, starting doing some tit bits during my free time from RS Agarwal and other books since I love solving puzzles and decided to join Career Launcher in 3rd year owing to proximity and seniors influence.
CAT 2004:-
Did all the hard work, attended the classes regularly, completed all the material provided by the classes, attempted the mock test, did decently well, but was never consistent.My percentile ranged from 70-99.Later I realised it was kind of bull headed approach that I followed. I thought solving as many questions as possible would do the trick for me. Never realised the strengths of analysing my papers, my mistakes.Was very rigid in my approach in attempting the paper (VA-DI-QA). I always felt quite confident in VA and QA always proved to be a nemesis for me.The D day approached.With great enthusiasm sat for the test and as the bell rang, voila the first victims of the changing stripes of CAT.Took me totally by surprise,was transfixed for 15 whole minutes and then regrouped myself and started attempting the paper.(VA-DI-QA).Did reasonably well in VA.moved to DI, found DI tough, spent lotsa time there and by the time I saw my watch only 20 mins left for QA. I knew instantly I am screwed.Anyawys came out of the exam hall, headed straight back to my room and forgot that I had appeared for CAT.With not much information available as did not have the luxury of net at my place I wrote XAT,JMET and IIFT only and forgot them too.Results came and thats when I was introduced to PG.Managed some 92 Percentile with not so impressive breakups.Did get calls from FORE and Manipal but I have got a job in Indian MNC by then hence decided to try once more for CAT.
CAT 2005:-
I was now regular on PG thanks to the IT job but decided to concentrate on my job and skip CAT that year as I wanted to get some work experience before I got for my MBA.
CAT 2006:-
Started my prep around July-August with some regular studies a home after work and on weekends.Joined TIME AIMCAT but then again could not improve on my accuracy.Percentile ranged from 75-95 again.But I always had the confidence except quant, filled forms of all good schools as I was tired of my job and wanted to do an MBA more for a break then any other reason at all.I did start analysing my mistakes but with no peer group to study or giving CAT I would get up stuck at times and hence get frustrated and leave the stuff.In the mean time I got a transfer from my job to Pune and it gave me chance to stay with my brothers and sisters, which culminated in me having more fun rather than studies.Anyways D Day arrived.Went to the centre,had envisioned all types of permutations and combination with the paper could throw up and was ready with my strategy.Opened the paper and saw quant 1st, it was too easy for my eyes to believe it and hence took on my ego to kill quant and score cent but got stuck up in the wrong question (bloody paper setters) and spent 1 hr in quant.Then did VA which was out of the box and was finally left with 20 odd mins for DI.The results came and I have fared worse than before.Wrote all other exams apart from NMIMS. Did well in all except for XAT and FMS.Got a call from IIFT,700 odd rank in JMET hence 3-4 IIT calls and calls from SIBM and SCMHRD.First was IIFT. Did decently well in the GD and PI and waited eagerly for the results, In the mean time attended all other interviews apart from IITM.IIFT results came and voila I had made it to IIFT D.Was eager to resign from my company, talked to my manager and put in my papers the same day with a promise to be released after 3 months.But fate had something else in store, the OBC crisis arose and was put into the Waitlist of IIFT Kolkatta which never cleared.With no job and no other converts I was in a soup.Those were the toughest days of my life.Started searching frantically for jobs,thankfully market was ok that time hence found a decent job in Gurgaon.Shifted to Gurgaon with a new vigour as it was do or die for me as my parents had told me "You go for your MBA this time or we are marrying you".
CAT 2007
Found a junior from my college who was also writing CAT hence with a two to tango started my prep in full flow and attended TIME mocks religiously.Percentiles again varied but this time only in 90's.And was clearing cut offs in VA n DI almost all the time and Quant was proving to be a nemesis.Was solving quant all the while but never had the confidence.Filled forms for all decent B schools this time.With the lesson learnt the hard way decided against filling the form under quota and give CAT my best shot.
D Day arrived.Started the paper but this time I was more cool and wasnt taking any pressure.Started with VA, I found it easy did almost 20 ques in 45 mins and moved to DI, did 18 ques in DI and moved to QA. Found quant really tough.Since I was already down with confidence hence could not spot the sitters also attempted only 10 ques and came out of the exam hall as soon as the bell rang.And the 1st thought that came in my mind was thats it I am not writing this exam anymore.Came back home and started analysing the quant paper only to realise that I have lost 10 vital marks in QA by a silly mistke i.e. I have calculated 20/2 - 100 and I knew I may be doomed, checked my scores and was getting decent marks in VA and DI but QA was doubtful.But Time predictions have given me some hope.In the mean time wrote JMET/NM/IIFT etc.Results came checked it through SMS
VA - 98.xx
Di- 95.xx
QA - 78.xx
Overall:- 97.19
I knew no IIM calls but was good enought to get calls from other B Schools, In the mean time SPJain has come out with the results and voila I had been called, finally calls started to pour in.NITIE(ITM),MDI(IM),IMTG,IMI,NMIMS,Great Lakes,SCMHRD had decided to test me.Missed IIFT cutoff by .01 and SIBM cutoff by .01 in Quants.In the mean time wrote XAT and FMS and missed both again by a whisker.Started with SCMHRD interview and gave all other interviews.With NITIE being my last interview desperately waited for my results.First came SCMHRD - Reject, then came Great Lakes - Reject, I was also rejected in the 1st round GI of SPJain,finally NMIMS showed some mercy and I converted the call and since I had already made up my mind to do an MBA this year hence decided to put in my papers.Talked to my manager insited that I should stay as he was very happy with my work and told me to work for a couple of years and then go for exec MBA as he saw a very bright future for me in the company.But I had made up my mind so had to disappoint him.Meanwhile other institute also started coming with the results made it through IMI,IMT but was waitlisted in both the institute which was high on my preference. MDI(IM) - 100 odd and NITIE (ITM) - WL 5. Paid the fee to NM and waited eagerly for the WL movement, PG was my soul companion throughout and finally sometimes in May my WL in NITIE got cleared and I was on seventh heaven as it was my 1st preference.Took the refund from NM and packed my bags for NITIE.I always wanted to build a career in IT unlike most of the junta hence IT Management was my only preference and after I have completed 1 year in NITIE I am absolutely sure on the saying that "Jo hota hai achhe ke liye hota hai". The pain of not getting into an IIM will always be there but I have no regrets what so ever and I am so lucky that I have been given a chance to do my MBA from this great institute called NITIE.
Lessons that I have learnt in this journey:-
1) CAT is a journey and not a destination.
2) Preparation for CAT is more like an personality enhancement so enjoy it and do not worry to much about the results.
3) If you keep your cool then you will do much better.
4) PG is the best companion one can have for his/her CAT prepartion.
5) Never ever give up.
6) The competition is always with yourself and not others.
Thanks
KGB
Finally the time has come for me to write a post on the most sacred thing in my life on the most sacred thread of PG...about the one thing which has eluded me for 4+ years...the one thing which made the boy in me to jump with joy and hapiness at times...and the one thing which made the man in me to take control of my emotions and anger at the other times...
It is the thing which had been the meaning of so many words in my dictionary,.....happiness, dreams,joy, sorrow, enthusiasm,frustration,ego,sacrifice,sweat,hardwork,toil,friends,love,affection,self confidence,trust,relation, failure ,success and on and on and on..
This is an attempt of mine to have a look at my journey with Myself in search of victory through the exam called Common Admission Test-CAT..and yes I am not ashamed to post here to say that I am not the one among the chosen few...but....The GAME is not over yet..not for me..not for you..not for anyone who is a wanna be and gonna be MBA.....infact...its just TIME to START and PLAY the GAME......
and still if you think that you are one of the very few people on this planet who have lot of patience...here it goes..
Till my 10th std, I was just like any other common indian high school kid...study well get good ranks and then get a gift..be it a watch/bicycle/cricket bat from your dad or a kiss from your mom..which used to provide the necessary fuel till the next one....
the time came when I had to chose between IIT and other small things incomparable to IIT...din want to risk myself at the competition at 10t std level and settled for lesser tougher things..
LESSON-1: never under estimate urself...be it a dragon fly or Dragon competing with you...and never give ot up before actually competing....thinking about winning is half winning...
Had finished my plus 2 as one of the top 20 rankers of my state.....still didnt worry about what I have had done or what I could have done....
Lesson 2: Think what you are capable of...and its a failure even if you achieve some thing which is lesser than what you are capable of achieving...
also ended in the top 0.5% in the entrance test and joined one of the best Engineering colleges in my state(and its in a town area where you donthave much awareness about CAT or for that matter abt MBA as well...)
Success is the only word which drives people crazy about the goal....its the best feeling and u cannot even think of loosing once you come into a winning streak...
and yes ..it happened with me in my first year...topped my department...
The Change:A UG is a course in which you will develop more personally than professionally..your friends increase, your way of taking things to heart changes and its the place for lot of things to happen like love,fight,jealousy,humour,fun,wit evrythng....
and its during my second year in Btech Ive felt in love with what i thought is an exam of stupid no.s and silly words,has actually made me what I am in the next 3-4 years..
RENDEZVOUS WITH CAT:
I am actually ragging a couple of juniors and one from the third year and one from the final year( a hyderabadi...love his damn attitude...and awareness) are having a converstion regarding future..
3rd year: sir what abt the other prospects after btech..GATE??
4th year: technically interested??
3rd year: na sir...not at all...tho kya karna hai..dont know any other option...job??
(this is how exactly awareness in our college used to be...apart from a few profs..no one knew abt CAT..but for rest stuff..its one of the best.....It gave AIR-1 -10 in GATE every year..if not interested abt tech stuf..straight away land in a job coz of booming job market..)
4th year: arey dude..CAT is there naa....try that...but its way to difficult..par tho impossible nahin...
a stupid second year: sir how to give that and what to do to crack it sir??
(guess you got who that was by now..)
And yes..it started like that...have come to know abt the three secns...and some how maths and puzzles are what I had lots of interest ,just like the case with many engineers..and similarly,I was also very weak with verbal...
(u might have already come to a conclusion abt my MIND BLOWING writing skille..)
ACTION:
So action plan made....and prep started...enrolled for CAT-Long term batch(from which the things Ive learnt is very minute....)
contd ...part 2...
Hi All,
Sorry for not being fully aware of what was required on this thread.
Talking about CAT now,
I first decided to do an MBA when I was doing my B.Tech. My college was not a good one and like others I was skeptical about placements. So, I joined CL here in lucknow.
I must tell you the faculty here was amazing. If one is in Lucknow, CL is the place to be in. In June 2006 HCL tech visited our campus and I got placed. Having got placed and my joining date in July itself there was some pressure from my family to join the company and give CAT parallely.
I did the same and the result was that I was not even able to give CAT. I was engaged in a onsite project.
As my 1 year in job was nearing, my wish for an MBA was invigorating. I really wanted to do it that year. I started preparing for CAT 2007. I joined CL, Noida weekend batch(for working professionals). The faculty was nothing in comparison to CL Lucknow. By october 2007 I was again sent to New Zealand for a project but I was able to return for CAT(thankfully). Since my preparation was not adequate, I performed miserably. Got around 70%ile.
In december I was again sent to NZ. after returning in Feb, I was determined to do an MBA this time. I didn't join any coachings as I was aware of my strengths and weeknesses. I became regular on newspaper (TOI and economic times). I joined test series of TIME.
i was very strict on analysis of mocks, they really helped me. I also started some pranayam in the morning. It really helped me.
the pressure of job was not allowing me to study. I finally decided to quit job and take a risk. In my job I have had good international exposure and had worked on some good technologies. this gave me confidence in my decision for leaving job. I thought that I will get another job even if I leave job at that time. So, after 26 months with HCL I left it.
I gave CAT and other exams as well. Luckily I scored 97.9%ile in CAT. I got GD/PI calls from IMT G, NITIE , SPJIMR, SIBM and others. I attended IMT, NITIE and SPJIMR only and conerted IMT and NITIE. I am joining NITIE this year.
I wish lost of luck and success to all the fellow puys.
Edit: I converted SP Jain(yippeee) so joining it now. I was in the first list for GI calls. finally cleared the WL.
All The Best.
Episode-2:
2 years of my btech have finished and Now i was into my third year...
And the desire in me to crack cat by any means has grown up like amonster inside my heart..and thats the problem when things are starting from your heart and not your mind....
Reason: wait till the section called Flashback...
during 2nd year holidays...
first thing first...wanted to get hold of VA as soon as possible..(which I ve had very little success..)started reading "WORD POWER MADE EASY", barrons GRE, and hindu editorials like a mad guy crazy for something...and the result got burnt out
LESSON 3: never over do anything...there must always be time for many small but beautiful things in life,whose flavor, u will be able to taste ,only once you experience them...always keep time for your regular routines like Hanging with friends,helping your mom to cook,taking your sis for a ride, eating bhel puri with your dad ....enjoying a look at gals standing in a bus stop etc etc....
Thereby ended up buring out in the very intial stages itself...had one very good friend of mine in mech dept who has actually taught me what i have written in the para above...that CAT should only be treated as an exam....
so things started by and had planned accordingly and now with the help of my friend have actually prioritized my things in life...even then,at times, I Used to spend more than 7-8 hrs in CAt prep...there were times when i used to do QA probs in my engg classes,reading flash cards sitting at the back benches...
Flashback: It was immediately after my second year when all my friends have deserted me coz of opinion differences...major reason being jealousy as I have topped my dep and naturally got the attention a topper generally gets... and have been alone for Quite some time ...this is the time My first love happened in my life....
nothing special has happened here like heart throbbbing,pulse increasing etc etc...
A girl from other dept...used to spend a lot of time with her at this point of time....and my interest towards herhas reache dher thru a postal mail/courier service ...courtesy ..my friends who had differences with me...
Result-relation broken...
I am very proud of myself to say that inspite of all these "twists", "turning points" in the life story of kill_cat,kill_cat has never ever given up and he continued to be in top3 of the class in succesive semesters....
finally all my friends have come together and after some silly chats,I cried for being away from them for such a silly reason...they repented abt the thing they have done but,The damage has already been done...
Enough of Senti stuff here..gettin out from falsh back thingy....
So this desire of cracking CAT has given me a new dimension...like to crack it for fame and recognition among your friends,who will respect you for whaat you have achieved...also I wanted to use this as a means to prove worthy of myself infront of the one who came to me when I was alone and who left me alone when evryone else came back........
LESSSON: Do Anything for Your Self... Dont ever do a damn thing because it is done by someone else and he became proud happy famous watever...
Give CAT for yourslef..not to prove others that You are able to crack which some TDC has cracked and which some 245345 guys are unable to crack...
Have a justification to what You wanna Do,How You wanna Do....Do It just because YOU REALLY WANNA DO IT FOR YOURSELF....and YOU KNOW WHY YOU ARE GONNA DO IY....
By the end of my third year CAT has become my part and parcel of life....only word which can describe the love is "OBSESSION" yes..I was obsessed with cat....CAT became my life...and there is one senior of mine whom I know very closely but to whom I never used to speak so much ...and he is very much silent and reserved.....And then..
HE CRACKED CAT....
CAT%le 99.95, BLACKI....
things started changing suddenly and evryone in the college started speaking abt this nes thing called CAT...it went to such an extent that TIME guys have come to our college to give a special presentation abt CAT ...
He Converted L and I...coz of his reservedness cudnt talk much in GD and PI so he attributed his failure to that....and he encouraged me a lot saying that my %ge in Btech 12th and 10th will help me a long way in fetching final calls from IIMs(which,for me, had been as difficult as lalu yaadav speaking american accent english..)
even attended classes in time hyderabad after getting special permission from my centre head and attended classes there for quite some time...but didnt find much value addition to myself...came back to my home town and concentrated hard on my Placements...
things started going really good for kill_cat....kill_cat attended the placement process in the college having the distinguishing First in Class factor.....Signed off with three offers from 3 best companies in chronological order...and taht too which dont have any bond.....attended only those as I am sure that I would not be going to be in IT sector for a long time...
FIRST ENCOUNTER:
Once job offers has come in,many aspirants of cat in my college have started become negligent of their CAT prep...to which in contrary..I have actually started pushing myself inch by inch closer....wanted to do that and to be there..SO INTESIFIED MY PREPARATION...and then the real test for any CAT aspirant...mocks started...
Started my mocks with me scoring decently in QA and DI..but always lagging behind in VA...evrytime used to try different strategy and ended up screwing VA..whatever order I do..
CAT notification came and because of the CAT conversion by my senior,many people applied to it....and then things started moving very fast...slowly my verbal scores also improved and though I cudnt cross the cutoffs..my confidence has slowly but definitely increased.....
OCT 3rd,2006
My friend has called me up saying something abt the CAT application acceptance details....I, on a casual note has checked the appln status on the last day for resubmission(till lst year if appln gets rejected u can buy a new one and submit it again within 4-5 days time given by IIMs..)
Entered my CAT Appln no and the most disgusting moment in my life has happened then..
"YOUR APPLICATION IS NOT ACCEPTED"..
Reason: photo not affixed...
I am damn sure abt the claim which they have made for rejecting the application...
All my energy got sapped immediately....and I started crying in the middle of the net centre like a small kid ...my dad,who is emotionally very strong man ,and whom I respect a lot for this quality,was unable to console me as well in this point ...
Questions started pouring in like anything...
1. Have I lost the battle even before I fought it?
2.What would I do now for the next one year?
3.Would I have cleared it this time itself?
4.Will I be able to clear it next time?
and on and on and on...
My dad,have called up IIM-B for 232454657678 times and they are kind enough to say "it is an admission policy matter"..we cannot help you...
he has pleaded them for so much time keeping aside all his work matters for some 5-6 days....and at that moment I have understood how he wants me to see in the future....and I MADE UP MY MIND and got one of the real motivation factors at that moment which kept my chips up even till this very day...
LOVE YOU DADDY....
POST DESTRUCTION:
CAT-06 was out of the bag and to my embarrassment QA and DI which are my strengths are cake walks..and VA is from hell...and for 75 qns, 5 options 1/4th -ve stuff...all these ,had it been on my day,wud have cracked it well and VA as is tough wud have been a tough call for evryone..so for VA well doers,there is not much of advantage...
All my friends scored OA-97+ percentiles with horrible VA scores ..
Decided to move on and give XAT and FMS the next year but cudnt prepare well after that strong blow on a 20 year old ,still childish guy....
REsults: ding in XAT and FMS both..
BANGALORE WELCOMES:
Finally accepted an Offer from the best of all and have moved to bangalore...
new job,new friends,new life and cool 35k plus salary have made me negligent abt CAT and used to enjoy my weekends and only enrolled for AIMCAT series just to give it for fun...Dunno how I have become so lethargic abt the thing which has been my companion for the last 2 years by then...
took all care filling the application(arey who wants to get humiliated twice yaar?),and once it was recieved properly...just solved a couple of AIMCATS in the last week....wrk pressure in Office started growing up like anythng..and worked till12 even in the week prior to the one in which cat was conducted...
CAT-07
reached the venue early and saw the real tensed aspirant faces who were quickly formulating strategies,referring materials,flash cards etc..As if CAT paper was just leaked...
Went in calm and cooland to my surprise found the model to be the same...
Started with QA and finished it well..then moved to DI and got stuck somewhere...moved to VA..and oh my god...it was the same bull shit wchich appeared last year..went back to DI and finished it just in time..
came out of the hall amidst the shouts and chats of many aspirants..
"is saal tho aana hai yaar"
"dude.I ve attmpted arnd 80% of the paper.."
I was like damn...Am i losing something here?...
best thing i did that year is to apply for all the exams...gave IIFT,SNAP,XAT,FMS as well..and
results came out..
QA-98.xx
DI-95.xx
VA-84.xx
OA-97.9x
I was like okay....if this is the case with no prep..next year tho hojaayega....and to my good luck,SIBM and FMS have called me....
Changed my company due to my dissatisfaction with the work and moved to delhi for 3 mnths for training.....
and to check for the past experiences for preparation for GD PI....have first had my encounter with PAGALGUY...
sounded cool....have registered here as kill_cat..and slowly got used to all posting learning invlved etc...and after the help offered by puys here on the thread regarding GDPI...thought that it was so easy.but Damn..
SCREWED UP both GD/PI royally...not even in WL...
SELF CRITICISM
was posted in bangalore again by MAY 2008 and then this time I have analysed myself why things actually didnt go right in GDPI...started preparing for CAT-08 and this time enrolled for classroom course just fearing that i might be ending up wasting my weekend time..and slowly became more addicted to pagalguy...
this is when I have met a tall, a bit fat guy whose attitude ,is what I loved from day one I have met him...PREM RAVI the mod himself....
also got many puys here has friends..the_hate, shabad,satanica etc...
hate bhai..U simply rock maan.....would love to see u in the red bricked building next year...you know u will and I know u will.....
Keep rocking...
Prem bhai.....what else can i mention..have had very little acquaintance with you..but ur zeal is what i like the most in you..
Shabad....jokar......ATB sirji....