Having gone through so many experiences on this thread I have to say the emotions have been infectious. So here is my experience as well.
My relationship with CAT began in 2010 when I first appeared for it in my 7th semester of B.Tech. I was just testing the waters so I ended up scoring an average 86%ile. I had my mind set on work experience so ignore it completely . Then came 2012. My work experience had definitely given me a reality check and I realized a technically inclined career wasn’t the thing for me. And so, I was reminded of my past love, i.e. CAT
My workplace had been stressful all thanks to a chauvinistic and egoistic manager. It was August already and I was yet to kick-start my CAT 2012 preparation. My preparedness was nowhere up to the mark. Knowing I hadn’t put in much efforts, I knew the outcome wouldn’t be very pleasant but there’s always a part of you which is forever hoping for miracles! Then came January 2013 and brought with it my CAT score. Meager 84.59 %ile was all I got. I was taken aback. I really wanted to leave my job so I followed the page @CAT 80-90% ! I still tried to make the most of it so applied to 3 colleges. To my surprise, I even converted one of them. My confidence soared and I decided to take one final shot at it. So, I pulled up my socks for CAT 2013.
Being employed meant I was mainly left with the weekends and a few hours after the job (which I mostly managed to waste). I did as much as I could on my own but joined IMS test series which kept me in check. Appeared for September CMAT, scored 242, ranked 1013. My confidence for CAT went a notch higher. Knowing this was my last attempt and not wanting to waste it, I convinced my managers to let me take an off from work before the exam. The D-day arrived – 31st Oct, 2013. I wasn’t happy with my performance. My attempts were few and so were the chances of cracking it. But then, CAT has its ways of surprising you. Result: 95.13%ile! I knew this was my ticket to an awesome MBA college and I would finally live my dream.
So, here I am today, joining MHRM at IIT KGP.
Lessons learnt :
1. It’s never too late to follow your dreams.
2. Keep exploring the world, keep challenging yourself. Life is an ongoing adventure.
3. It’s okay to be stupid sometimes.
Advice to CAT aspirants :
1. Be regular in your preparation.
2. Apply to as many colleges as you can, even if you think they’re out of your league. (I regret not filling up MDI/XIMB)
3. Appear for all the exams. You never know which day is yours.
4. Lastly, CAT or even MBA is not the be-it-all. There is life beyond it.