FMS student dispels CAT preparation myths

Sahid Hussain is a first year MBA student at Faculty of Management Studies, University of Delhi. An Electronics and Communications Engineering passout from Bengal Institute of Technology, he has about 3.5 years of work experience as a software engineer.

In this article, Sahid dispels the common myths attached with CAT preparation and suggests ways to prepare for the exam.

I would like to start with a very clichéd question which is very common among the students who are preparing for CAT. ‘Do you think I am good enough to make it to the top IIMs?’

Well I would like to answer this question with my humble opinion. It's not what others think about you. It's about what you think of yourself. Rather than asking this question to others, I feel we all should ask ourselves 'Am I good enough to make it to the top IIMs? Am I ready to give what it takes? Am I motivated enough to cross all hurdles which might come in my way?' And if the answer to this question is ‘Yes’, then trust me, there is no reason you cannot make it.

Remember preparations can take you a certain distance, but having confidence in your own abilities will take you till the very end. If you are not confident about yourself, then nobody else will be.

The Myths

Let’s begin with the story.

1. ‘IIMs are out of your reach’

I was also like one of those students who thought being at one of the top B-Schools is an unrealistic dream. But once I realised I had what it takes to be there, there was nothing in this world stopping me.

So I would advise, that first ask yourself if you are ready to take the grind and work hard for your dream. If the answer to that question is yes and you are passionate about your dream, then there is nobody to stop you from achieving it. Do not listen to anyone who tells you that IIMs are out of your reach. Just believe in yourself and start working towards that goal from this very moment. Not next week, not tomorrow, not an hour later, but you have to start right now!

2. ‘Only IITians and NITians make it to top B-schools’ / ‘You do not have a good profile’

Another myth regarding top B-Schools is that if you do not have a good profile, your chances of converting them is very low. I would like to state that this is baseless. I myself belong to that category of people whose past academics are not great, neither do I come from the IITs or NITs. To top it, my first language was Hindi till I passed my boards. So you should realise that it’s only about your belief and your performance in the CAT exam. So dismiss all such myths from your mind and focus on preparing for the CAT and doing well in it.

CAT 2013 was my third attempt at making it to my dream B-School. I was very clear about one thing from the very beginning, that I will only do my MBA from one of the top-5 B-School of the country. So even though I got admission offers from all the new IIMs the previous year, I did not take those offers. I prepared again for CAT and I did achieve my dream.

3. ‘It’s difficult to crack CAT while working fulltime’

I was working full time after my B-Tech. So it was not easy to find out time after my office hours. But the will to make it to a top B-School kept me motivated in this journey and I made sure I gave at least an hour every day to my preparations. One thing which helped me prepare was the fact that I loved what I was doing. I was not frustrated with my job. That experience taught me a lot of things. But then I would agree to the fact it is difficult to prepare when you are working. There were days when I used to reach home after midnight, but I would make sure I do open my books for that “one hour”. I would like to emphasise that while preparing for CAT consistency is the key. Two to three hours of preparation every day is optimal for CAT. Try to have a calm and content mind while preparing for CAT. And don’t let anyone discourage you. It is expected that every one of us might be weak in one section. But it is up to us to work on our weakness and try to improve it.

4. ‘I tried my best but couldn’t clear CAT’

It is very important for you to be honest with yourself. Keep asking yourself are you giving it your 100%?  Because if you are not then you are wasting your time. The simple reason is that the competition is very tough. Always remember there will be others who will be giving their 100% and if you cannot do the same, then you don’t deserve to be there. I was very weak in verbal section. So I made sure I give majority of my preparation time to this section. Make sure you are discussing your doubts regularly with faculties, friends or anyone who has the experience. It really helps a lot.

CAT 2015 prep tips

1. Be confident

One very important quality that is essential to crack CAT is confidence. Never let anyone discourage you. You have to be confident that you can make it. No matter how difficult it is, but you have to keep believing in your ability. Remember preparations can only take you a certain distance, but having confidence in your own abilities will take you till the very end. If you are not confident about yourself, then nobody else will be. I always knew what I wanted and I was never going to compromise on that. This helped me reach where I am today. Confidence along with hard work and diligence paid off for me. They always do. As a result of which, I was able to convert each and every call that I got (I had calls from IIM Lucknow, IIM Kozhikode, IIM Indore, all the new IIMs, IIFT Delhi, IIT Bombay and FMS Delhi).

2. Know the basics

While preparing for the various topics make sure that you are well versed with the basics of that topic. As for example, I used to face difficulty with Time Speed Distance (TSD) problems. I realised I was not clear with my basics in that chapter. So I borrowed a 10th standard Mathematics book from one of my cousins and made sure I am clear with the most basic concepts of TSD. This helped me a lot.

3. Analyse Mocks

Another important thing that I realised during my preparation is that Mock CATs are one of the most important tools for you to crack CAT. But you should not focus only on writing a lot of Mocks. Analysing each and every mock that you write is more important than writing that actual mock. Finding out where you went wrong and rectifying it is something which will help you avoid those mistakes in the actual CAT. Always remember diligence always pays off. Never let anyone discourage you. You have to remember that it is your dream, nobody has the right to deprive you of that.

4. Stay Focused

Lastly do remember that CAT is not the end of the world. Stay focused. Work hard and most importantly enjoy the journey. You will miss that once you make it to your dream college. Whatever you learn during this journey will help you survive the next one and come out at the end of it with flying colors.

All the Best!