A fortnight ago, I left my hostel, for good. After 5 years in the same college, for the same 4 year course. It has been something that I can never forget. Neither do I wish to. Since then, I managed to spend an even 42 hours at Mumbai, and came back to my parent's place in Ahmedabad. I was just happy to be out of the place and going back at long last, without the slightest premonition idea of how to go about doing whatever it was that lay ahead of me. I was moving, and that seemed a good enough start. Then, after the homecoming, the euphoria gradually wore off, and the body recovered from the shock of four good home-cooked meals a day. Now, the final decision arrived.
Am I Ready?Can I Do It?
(I swear the Capital Letters came themselves and are not of my invention)
So, the usual hullabaloo started. what test series to join, what material to use, what to do, what not to do. as expected, every person on my contact list with the slightest connection to the word MBA - past, present & future - seemed like a possible lighthouse in the sea of chaos where I was floating like the massive leviathan that I am. finally I settled on a single institution on whom I decided to unload the burden of my unpreparedness. In one of the classes that followed last weekend, it went something like this :
A : So how long have you been preparing for an MBA Entrance Exam?N: It's my first day sir.A: So you have given CAT before?N: No.A: Well, have you ever given any management acumen test before ?N: No.A: And you intend to give CAT this year?N: Yes.A: With the aim of seeking admission into one of the ...N: IIM's.A: Ok. (pause)N: (pause)A: You do realise I cant take any payment from you. (Long story behind this bit)N: erm... not really (inaudible)A: So I guess we have to give you a Zero-Prep Test to measure your level of CAT Crack-ablity.N: Sure. When do I give it?-- After 150 minutes --N: well? what do you say?A: hmmm. this is good. 100/300. and you are easily getting past all the individual cut-offs too. What we need to change your strategy .....
this was followed by a good 15 minutes of advice, that can only be judged in the light of the events to happen on the 16th of November, 2008. hence, for now I shall reserve judgement.
Finally, as we sit here, the story so far is that 52 days remain. A month ago, Xonix & I were debating the possibility of acing an examination with last than 8 weeks of preparation that most graduates of the country spent 8 months slogging over. A lot remains to be seen.
All that I can say right now is now feels nice. let's go with that and see what happens.
