CAT 2020 preparation is proving to be a different ballgame altogether, thanks to COVID. People are worried about different things, ranging from the difficulty level of the examination, how/when/if it would be conducted, and more. And, the worst affected because of this unprecedented scenario are the aspirants who are going to attempt CAT for the first time. Fear of being new can be overwhelming in itself; combine it with the lockdown and other factors beyond an individual’s control, it gets to your head easily. I know because I have been there done that.
Like I mentioned in an earlier article, my CAT 2019 attempt was more whimsical than rational; hence, I am in the “fresher-but-not-fresher” zone in the run-up towards CAT 2020. However, there are five important things that every CAT aspirant – especially those who are preparing for the first time – has to keep in mind in these unforeseen circumstances to maintain sanity while going full throttle with the preparation.
1) Change takes time. Give it that time.
One of the most common questions that keeps coming up is on time management. “I have so much to do at office, how can I allot time for preparation?” is the best version of it. Practically, there are no straightforward answers to it; it is easy to say, “You can definitely squeeze some time in your everyday routine.” However, I have a slightly different take on it.
Remember, you had the same work schedule before you started preparation. It remains the same now, probably with a few changes because of the lockdown. You have added an item in your itinerary. Acknowledge that the problem might not really be with the nature or duration of your work. When the number of hours in a day remains the same, and your work hours remain the same, it is natural that any extra work would seem like a mammoth task.
I know how it feels when you cannot spend that one hour peacefully listening to talk shows and podcasts you love. But, you need to realize something.
You have incorporated an iteration in your routine. It takes time for it to belong into your daily scheme of things. A minimum of two to three weeks go by before it subconsciously becomes part of your routine. Give it that time.
2) Endure. Crib but endure.
CAT aspirants are not a different species. You being an aspirant shooting for 200+ in CAT 2020 does not mean you should not crib about your worries. I have heard “motivational gurus” talk about why one should not crib. Again, I have a different take on it.
Crib; it is okay to crib. You have emotions, problems, hassles, difficulties; crib to someone – to your friend, brother, parent(s), girlfriend (cribbing online is something I do not personally vouch for). However, while you are at it, make sure you endure the rigour of CAT preparation.
If Quant makes you sleep off, sit with the damn book or online material for an hour to two daily. Flex yourself.
Initially, it is okay to compromise on productivity; you cannot solve 50 sums in one hour daily, right at the start. If you are new to SuDoKu, solve ONE puzzle even if it takes an hour. Do not leave it halfway because you think you are wasting time. Because YOU ARE NOT.
This is not a Board examination, where you have loads to cram. CAT is more about your endurance, focus, concentration, agility than about your hard-wired knowledge.
Just acquaint yourself to the idea of sitting tight and focusing on CAT preparation initially. Not looking at WhatsApp is hard, and the change does not happen in a single day.
Unbeknownst to you, things would have fallen in place as the days go by. Keep at it.
3) Work hard. Have patience.
Thanks to the unscrupulous growth of the test prep industry, CAT preparation has been transformed into a mad rush of sorts. The physician-esque prescriptions of “60-day schedule” and “100-day schedule” do not work for all CAT aspirants all the time.
You can use them as an outline – a framework of sorts to build upon – but they cannot become your Hippocratic oath. Frame your own schedule – or at least modify the “prescribed” ones – to accommodate your strengths and weaknesses.
Working hard is highly underrated, especially in the context of CAT preparation (and almost all the other equally, if not more, competitive examinations as well). The addendum to working hard is having patience.
Perseverance is very crucial when it comes to CAT preparation. All the inputs – read, efforts – you give in today may not translate to a desired output – read, higher scores in the next mock CAT – tomorrow itself.
Remember, this is not a rags-to-riches-in-the-course-of-one-song movie; and even if that is the case, you are not a hero (and nobody is, for that matter) when it comes to CAT preparation.
4) Do NOT start bench-marking scores. NEVER do that.
I have numerous experiences to substantiate this claim. When I took my first mock this time on 3 June 2020, the analysis took me close to four days of two to three hours each. I was not aware of most of the concepts and fundamentals, and was analyzing at the rate of 7 to 8 questions per hour. It is okay.
When you have a friend who can analyse their paper in two to three hours, and you take way more than that, do not fret.
Your speed, your accuracy, your score, your analysis – everything will improve incrementally (sometimes, exponentially) over time. Do not get discouraged, looking at others’ performances.
Do not engage too much in social media forums, especially if you are a beginner (even otherwise).
Arguing about an unimaginably difficult Quant sum in a Facebook CAT 2020 Preparation forum is not going to help you as much as solving the real CAT level questions.
Nor do any amount of “enlightening discussions” with Rajesh or Bharath; they can only provide, at best, a spark of sorts. If you include these social media discussion time and YouTube gyan sessions as part of your preparation routine, you are fooling yourself into believing something that is not real.
Nothing – starting from social media discussions to motivational talk videos – can substitute what needs to be done towards preparation for CAT 2020: WORKING HARD. Do not force-fit the “I need to crack CAT this year, or I am doomed forever” narrative, and self-impose it upon yourself. CAT preparation for 2020 can be such an exhilarating journey if you keep this thought of cracking it in THIS ATTEMPT at bay.
5) Form a peer group. Learn and share.
This aspect of CAT preparation is easily overlooked. You simply cannot prepare for CAT on your own. You might need something or the other from someone. Having a closed peer group of CAT aspirants – preferably (but not compulsorily) on your wavelength – boosts your CAT 2020 preparation. Care must be taken to ensure the group thus formed comprises members who are serious enough about CAT preparation.
Once that is taken care of, this group would come a long way in the following aspects:
- Subscribing to different mock test providers and sharing credentials so as to have a taste of everything.
- Analyzing mock tests together so that you learn concepts from a friend (if you are an engineering grad (and even otherwise), you will know how powerful and potent a peer tutor can be).
- Pointing out strengths and weaknesses in terms of CAT preparation that you need not necessarily be aware of.
In a nutshell, not all is lost. You are among a privileged few if you are in a position of not only staying safe at home but also preparing for CAT examination, amidst this adverse situation. If your CAT preparation provider has failed you, we got your back.
Be pragmatic. Remain realistic. Have your options open. Give your best shot towards CAT 2020.
Stay safe. Best wishes for CAT 2020!
Written by Giridharan Raghuraman
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