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!!!;-)

Mitra on ZOOM IN.....

Today, on my blog, I have a post from my friend Siddharth Mitra. happy reading everyone....
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Historically diwali has been regarded the festival when people show affection and love for their near and dear ones.
Earlier people undertook long journeys, which apparently to some were just to give a small box of sweets, but were truly to pay regards to elders, shower love on the contemporaries and bless the juniors. Those who were unable to undertake the journey made up for their absence by sending a personalized message in the form of a letter or a greeting card. But times change. And so do the people.
In our generation no one has ‘THE TIME’ to undertake any journey. We have done away completely with the practice of visiting our friends as we are ‘BUSY’ doing other things. Okay agreed that we are the busiest lot of people to have ever taken birth on this planet. But still there are the good old fashioned greeting cards aren’t there? We can still pour our hearts out if we wish to. But nopes! Cards are meant only for our respective girlfriends and boyfriends and for others it’s some money down the drain. Okay! One can agree with this reasoning too. But still there is the savior of our generation, the technological advancement which has made communication dirt cheap, our own hero - - “THE SMS”.
Now if we consider the possibility there is nothing much to go wrong with an sms. If it’s holi one can simply say – “hey brother happy holi and I wish we could be together on this fun filled day”. On diwali one can similarly go-“hey brother happy diwali and I miss you on this auspicious occasion”. So if a person wishes then sweet and simple personalized messages can be sent to each of the near and dear one.
But I am sorry to say people don’t even have this much time to spare. For past few years the messages which I have received and many of you would have received too, are the crappy forwards picked up from the internet and then forwarded without any changes. On a day when the messages should bring warmth, cold vibes emanate from these messages. The senders of these messages don’t even care to add personalized salutations. They start of with either hey or as it go ‘wishing you and your family….’
Even such messages were palatable. One could with a heavy heart accept these messages and return the messages, if one still had the heart, with personalized messages.
But on this diwali people have taken to a practice which is beyond reason. As if to receive a forward on diwali wasn’t bad enough people have started to sign off diwali messages with either their first names or, in worse cases, with their full names.
That shows a complete lack of sensitivity on the part of the sender. It makes a mockery of the whole concept of diwali. Such a message arouses in the receiver a feeling of contempt for the sender who has put the receiver in the category of people who don’t matter a bit to the sender. Obviously if one is signing off with one’s name then it means that one is sending it to some people who don’t even recognize one’s number, and the people who don’t recognize one’s number aren’t obviously one’s friends. So today I put a question to the people that has the necessity to just register one’s presence taken precedence over the old fashioned practice of leaving a long lasting impression? Have we in order to cultivate ‘contacts’ forgotten to nourish the flower of friendship?
I for one feel that a true friend overshadows a thousand so called friends (read contacts). They are the ones who are the real lights in life. But strangely enough the people around me believe otherwise or how else can I explain the presence of people signing off with their full names a message intended for a friend. I urge sane people to tell the crazy people that their friends know their names, at least. And kudos to people who have sent heart felt greetings to others. For it’s the personal touch, that little extra, which says that you care.