Just like last year, CAT 2021 is also going to be a 2-hour exam. Over the years, we have accustomed ourselves to the 3-hour pattern and we manage to make time to recover from our mistakes during the exam. But the changed pattern now puts us under a lot of pressure and gives us absolutely no time to recover in case we get stuck or make a mistake. This pressure further translates into our preparation for the exam, and we tend to find ourselves struggling to cope up and stay put in our rigorous CAT preparation. Hence, managing temperament is supercritical than ever before.
Letting the CAT preparation pressure get to you and panicking will only leave you shook and struggling to recoup, further distancing you from your aim of acing the exam. So, what can you do to stay on the track and handle pressure effectively?
Anxiety uses up attention and working memory, hindering performance
First things First
The first and foremost thing to understand is that you are not alone! Everybody undergoes pressure and feels anxious at some point or the other. The trick lies in calming yourself down and keep moving forward. Even the greatest of athletes and sportspersons feel the weight of performance, so you do not need to be so hard on yourself if you feel the same way some time. Take a deep breath and try out one or more of the following tips to handle pressure.
1. Don’t Assume
We all tend to assume certain things about ourselves or fall into the trap of stereotypes like, engineers are better at maths or I have not touched maths for so long, I won’t be able to ace the exam, etc. Steer clear of these assumptions and stereotypes and try to work on fixing the gap, instead of just sitting and whining about these things.
Reiterating only makes stereotypes play on its own
2. Trust Yourself
This is one of the most crucial things to do when you are dealing with pressure. Do not put yourself down. Instead, have that confidence and trust in yourself that whatever comes your way, you’ll deal with it and manage your preparation well. If you feel anxious, take a deep breath, and repeat this to yourself. Just like reiterating stereotypes makes them play on its own, repeating this will help it play on its own over time. Do not let yourself fall into this vicious loop of self-doubt.
3. Try and Fail
Do not run away from struggle. Struggle during your preparation, experiment and try out new strategies so that you sail smooth during the final CAT Exam. Stop questioning yourself. Try things out. Its okay to try and fail. The more you try, the more you’ll things you’ll learn and the more you’ll know.
You try. You fail. You learn from your mistakes. You try again.
4. Maintain Routine
Maintaining your routine even when you feel pressurised will help you get through it and feel accomplished. You will get a sense of moving forward which will de-intensify the pressure hovering over you. If you have made a schedule for yourself, make sure you stick to it, even on those that you feel you are lagging in your preparation. Be so religious in following this routine that you forget about everything else and focus on just the thing that you are doing.
If you still do not have a schedule, check out 2IIMs customised CAT Preparation Schedule.
5. Speed it up or Slow it down
When you feel the pressure getting to you, do not try and get things done super quickly. It is very likely that you’ll mess it all up in an attempt to speed up yourself. Slow down. Take a deep breath. Stare into oblivion and convince yourself that you are capable of handling this. Now, refocus and resume! This will help you relax and have faith in your ability of getting through the tough parts.
6. Focus on the “Now Shot”
Ten minutes ago is irrelevant, and who knows what will happen in the next ten minutes?
Whatever is in the past or in the future does not matter. Regretting your performance in the first few mocks or constantly worrying about how you’ll fare in the CAT exam will do you no good. All it’ll do is hog on to the time you could have utilised for your preparation. So, focus on NOW. Stop fretting about the past or the future. Concentrate on your preparation right now and do what you can do to best prepare for the exam.
7. Take plenty of mocks
Time and again, we have emphasised on the importance of taking mocks. Mocks give you a feel of taking the actual exam and help you get familiar with it. You can experiment during the mocks and figure out a strategy for yourself that will help you make the most out of the time on the D-Day.
Taking plenty of mocks will also help you in dealing with stress and pressure. You’ll be able to identify gaps and channelize your energy into improving your performance rather than worrying about things you can or cannot change or get done.
Know more about taking mocks here.
Check out 2IIMs Test Dojo series for efficiently consolidated set of practice questions and CAT mocks.
8. Do not overthink
With your rigorous CAT preparation and regular mock-taking, you’ll be good to go for the exam. Trust your instincts. The constant practice you’ve done over time, will lead you to a sort of automaticity. Do not second guess your answers and absolutely do not waste time rechecking your method and answers over and over again. Steer clear from the paralysis of analysis.
Everybody goes through pressure at one point or the other. Do not let this pressure get the better out of you. Take a break, re-align yourself and then dive back into your preparation!
Cheers and Best Wishes!
Vibhuti Sharma works with 2IIM as a Product head.
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