Enough of Quant, DI, Verbal.... A different game now...

The time has arrived. CAT 2007, now, is just a week away. I have thought about posting something related to CAT in the past but always put it off cause I didn’t want to jinx anything in anyway by saying anything. But considering the fact that thinking about CAT takes up almost 75% of my idle time, I had to write something about it sooner rather than later. So today I’ll write not about CAT, but something that is the key element in CAT: The Pressure.

With CAT just a week away now, everyone has conceded to the fact that studying now isn’t going to bring about any miracles. But now, since the study part is over, a different game has begun. The people who have pinned a lot of hopes on this exam are now fighting their mind every single day, somehow trying to convince their brain that everything is okay… you needn’t worry… worrying won’t get you anywhere… you’ll do well. So, in this post, I’ll try and write about the different approaches one takes to fool his/her brain. If you can relate to them, maybe you’ll see the lighter side of it.

So here they are:

1. The stakes aren’t high: This approach goes something like this. Hey, I am taking cat for the first time here. What if I don’t clear it, huh? What would really happen? Nothing. I won’t die or starve…. I have a job in hand. Will go work. Take CAT again. And clear it then. This approach loses its effect once the person starts thinking about all the preparation they have put in or the possibility of others making it and the person him/herself not making it.
2. Blame it on God: This one goes like this. I have worked hard; put in the effort. God, you have troubled me all year and all my life. I am sure you will not disappoint me this time. And if by mistake, you happen to do that then… then… then it just won’t be fair and… and… and my faith.. will be broken... This is, in a way, emotional blackmailing we are subjecting god to. When I use this approach, I sometimes go a step further and threaten god in ways. Well, this one lasts as long as one doesn’t see that other hard-working people too haven’t cleared CAT in history and you are no different than anyone else.
3. It’s just another day, it’s just another test: This one can be used by someone who is doing as well as he/she would like to in the mocks. And here’s how this one goes: I have performed the way I wanted to in 85% of the mocks. So I just have to take CAT as if it’s just another mock and I’ll do well. After all, people who do well in CAT are normally people who did well in mocks. Sounds plausible but this one fails when one starts thinking about the 15% of the mocks where one didn’t perform well and starts wondering what would happen if CAT turned out to be like one of those days
4. I’ll come, I’ll conquer and there ain’t a damn thing anyone can do about it: And finally, my favorite: the aggressive approach. This one is straight forward…. I am the champ… I am the stud… and will take the test like one. When I come out, my face will read “Mission accomplished” and that’s that. This one works really well, except for the fact that it’s impossible to stay this aggressive for too long.

So what I am saying here is use all the approaches in rotation and do whatever works for you. I plan to take the 4^th approach into the test. Baaki bhagwaan dekhega. Vaise bhi, aise kitne test nikaal liye, ek aur nikaal lenge… aur nahi nikaala to kya? to kyaaaaa???.... kuch nahi…masti mein hi jiyenge…mar thodi jayenge!!!;-)