Author: iimkashipurblog

“The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

It’s that time of the year again! The concepts are all done and dusted, mock tests are in full swing, and the CAT exam is around the corner. As the countdown to this highly anticipated MBA entrance exam begins, many MBA aspirants find themselves experiencing more sleepless nights and heightened anxiety. It’s quite common for stress levels to skyrocket and self-confidence to take a hit as the exam draws nearer every day. Now is the moment to revise thoroughly and gear up for the ultimate test day.

In preparation for the CAT exam, it is crucial to not only have a clear understanding of concepts but also to enhance your accuracy and speed. As the exam date draws near, it’s essential to concentrate on these aspects. This can be achieved by practicing many timed questions, honing your mental calculation skills, adopting efficient problem-solving shortcuts, and ensuring quick access to all the necessary formulas.

In the final stages of exam preparation, the most effective approach for revision is to tackle as many questions as possible. With only a few days remaining, it’s essential to expose yourself to a wide range of questions to boost your confidence for the actual exam day. Whether it’s working through past years’ question papers or taking random online quizzes, your readiness to tackle any CAT question should be at its peak.

The CAT syllabus is extensive, and as a result, there’s a possibility that you might have skipped certain topics, either because they seemed too challenging or to revisit them later. However, it’s crucial to understand that this is not the right moment to delve into those topics. It’s wiser to leave them aside. Trying to learn new subjects just days before the exam could lead to confusion and increased stress. Additionally, there won’t be sufficient time to practice these topics adequately. Therefore, it’s best to stick to your established study routine, maintain your revision methods, work through CAT mock tests, and expose yourself to various question types while avoiding uncharted territories.

Despite its apparent simplicity, following the exam day instructions holds equal significance alongside all the aforementioned aspects. This includes ensuring your hall ticket is prepared, carefully reviewing the candidate instructions, verifying the exam center’s location, planning your transportation to arrive on time, and addressing any other exam day-related details.

Stay calm, take a deep breath, relax, and trust in your preparation. Anxiety can cloud your thinking, so keep your composure before & during the exam. Ignore peer pressure, and focus on your own strengths and strategies. Don’t compare yourself to others; you are unique, and your path to success is yours.

Lastly, remember that the CAT exam is just a stepping stone in your journey to a bright future. Trust in your abilities, stay calm, and keep pushing forward. CAT is a highly competitive exam that attracts many aspirants seeking admission to the best MBA colleges in the country. With everyone striving for a top score, it’s crucial to maintain both mental and physical well-being during your preparation. This involves following a well-structured preparation plan in the days leading up to the exam, adhering to a proper schedule, nourishing your body with a healthy diet, ensuring sufficient rest, and incorporating mood-lifting activities to manage exam-related stress.

It’s important to recognize that even the most well-prepared individuals can fall short if they don’t perform well on the actual exam. Therefore, it’s essential to fortify your mental and physical health before the big day. Cultivate self-confidence and have faith in your abilities. Ultimately, a strong knowledge base, a healthy body, and self-belief will pave the way for success in any endeavor.

“Believe you can, and you’re halfway there.”

Team Insite, IIM Kashipur wishes you all the best in your CAT exam journey. You’ve prepared, and you’ve got the skills, now go and ace that test!

Ajayshankar G S

Ajayshankar is an enthusiastic first-year student currently pursuing his master’s from IIM Kashipur. Learning new things across different domains has molded him into an interdepartmental person with an optimistic mind. He enjoys playing football and cricket. He is currently one of the admission coordinators of IIM Kashipur. You can connect with him on LinkedIn.

Karan Kumar

Karan Kumar is pursuing his MBA in Analytics from IIM Kashipur. He has published more than seven research papers covering various aspects of management. His interest areas include International Relations, Politics, Diplomacy and Intelligence. He is currently serving as the admission coordinator of IIM Kashipur. You can connect with him on LinkedIn.

“The biggest journey begins with a single step, but it’s the mindset that determines how far you’ll go.”

The Common Admission Test (CAT) isn’t just an academic challenge; it’s a transformative journey that tests not only your intellect but also your resilience and personal growth. To succeed in this challenging endeavor, it’s essential to approach it with a positive mindset and a commitment to self-improvement.

In the final stages of CAT preparation, motivation becomes one’s driving force. The anticipation of the exam can be both exhilarating and overwhelming, making it essential for one to hold onto the motivation. Also, this is the time when dedication and hard work will culminate, and your dream will be within reach. Stay motivated by visualizing the success, setting small milestones, and celebrating the progress. The burning desire for the dream MBA program will keep one focused and invigorated.

Patience is equally crucial during this phase. As the pressure intensifies, one must learn to be patient with oneself. Avoid the trap of rushing through the study materials. The final stages are the refining moments where patience and meticulous attention to detail can make all the difference in your CAT performance.

Maintaining an optimistic mindset during the final stages of CAT preparation is an essential factor that will influence the individual’s performance. This positive mindset along with determination helps one to keep on going during the toughest phase of CAT preparation. 

Peer pressure is a common challenge faced by CAT aspirants. Avoid unhealthy competition and instead focus on your personal progress. Understand that everyone has their own unique journey and pace. Support your peers and build a positive study group where everyone helps each other grow. This will pave the way to developing your ability to work in a team, which is the most important aspect of MBA life.

Health is an often overlooked aspect of CAT preparation. Many often forget to maintain their health during this toughest phase, which ultimately results in decreased performance while preparing. Remember to prioritize your physical and mental well-being. Ensure you get enough sleep, eat a balanced diet, and engage yourself in regular physical activity. A healthy body and mind are essential for effective learning and sustained focus.

Stress management is a skill you must master. Stress is inevitable during CAT preparation, but how you manage it makes all the difference. Allocating an hour or two for gym or cycling will be an additional tip that will improve your optimistic mindset and help you stay fit and fresh. Practice relaxation techniques like meditation or yoga, take regular breaks to recharge, stay organized, and maintain a healthy work-life balance.

Lastly, never underestimate the importance of love and care. While striving for excellence in your CAT journey, don’t forget to care for yourself. Surround yourself with a supportive network of friends and family who provide love and encouragement. Self-care is not a luxury; it’s a necessity for success. Maintaining your health in these tough times would give you enough strength to prepare without getting tired.

Remember that the CAT exam is not just a gate to your dream college for admission; it’s a transformative experience. Self-assessment, positivity, psychological resilience, focusing on strengths, addressing weaknesses, managing stress, and nurturing self-love are all vital components of this journey. Embrace these principles, not only to excel in the CAT exam but also to flourish in the life that follows.

“Success is not the destination; it’s the journey and who you become along the way.”

Ajayshankar G S

Ajayshankar is an enthusiastic first-year student currently pursuing his master’s from IIM Kashipur. Learning new things across different domains has molded him into an interdepartmental person with an optimistic mind. He enjoys playing football and cricket. He is currently one of the admission coordinators of IIM Kashipur. You can connect with him LinkedIn

Karan Kumar

Karan Kumar is pursuing his MBA in Analytics from IIM Kashipur. His interest areas include reading and analyzing Geopolitics, Social Change, and other world affecting recent scenarios. He is currently one of the admission coordinators of IIM Kashipur. Through his articles, he tries to give information and state various facts. You can connect with him on LinkedIn.

“Success follows the One, who follows a schedule.”

CAT, the Common Admission Test, is a pivotal gateway for all aspiring to enter the prestigious realm of an MBA. The journey demands planning, dedication, and a well-structured strategy. The paths they follow may vary, but the destination remains the same. The goal of clearing the CAT exam unifies all the aspirants with varied perspectives despite their differences.

There are millions of options worldwide, and what matters is the priority one gives to a particular option. Whether they utilize the time for their goal decides the course of their journey. So, prioritizing tasks according to one’s needs will aid in achieving optimal ways to use the time.

As the CAT exam deadline is approaching, preparation is the priority. Stay devoted to your strengths. If the CAT aspirant is among the pioneers who began preparing early this year, they might be in the revision phase. If some topics are still left, completing them before the second week of September is advisable. Taking as many mock exams as possible will help analyze one’s mistakes. Learning from mistakes can be the key to success. One should put efforts towards improvising where the individual needs to catch up. Try to ace a consistent mock exam schedule by setting a goal on the first day of October, followed by regular feedback and improvement. Refrain from considering the results that other students will receive. Consider only the positive side of your results, and tailor your preparation according to your strengths and weaknesses.

To all the late entrants, those who started their CAT preparation process in May or June, it may seem like there is little time left. However, one can still work on the crucial aspects of preparation by building a solid foundation. Strengthening the basic principles will lay the foundation for success. Make sure you fully understand the foundational ideas in each section by delving into them in depth. Consider attending mock tests progressively as you strengthen your foundation. These exams will assist in understanding how to apply one’s knowledge in a circumstance similar to the main examination. The key here is to attempt the mock exams and meticulously analyze the results. Identify the challenging areas, the topics that demand more attention, and the questions that consistently confound you. Creating a tailored study plan reduces the existing weaknesses.

Lastly, for the starters who embarked on their CAT journey as recently as August, while the road ahead might appear daunting, remember that it’s not just about how early you begin but how effectively you utilize your time. For starters, it’s crucial to grasp the CAT syllabus comprehensively. Familiarizing with the weightage of topics from previous years will help improve one’s confidence. Rushing through the material to cover the ground quickly would not help. Instead, the focus should be on understanding concepts deeply. Working smart involves a balance between gaining breadth and depth of knowledge.

Amidst this rigorous period, take into account the value of leisure time. While a dedicated and disciplined study pattern is essential, taking breaks in between and allowing your mind to rest is equally important. Utilize this period in a way that will boost you up and also prevent you from being too burned out in the process.

As the days unfold and the pressure mounts with each passing day, remember that success is a journey, not a mere destination. The daily choices, the hours dedicated to learning, and the persistence exhibited in the face of challenges contribute to one’s growth. The CAT exam is a test of your aptitude but also a testament to your dedication and discipline. Stay committed, curious, and, above all, faithful to your journey.

Ajayshankar G S

Ajayshankar is an enthusiastic first-year student currently pursuing his master’s from IIM Kashipur. Learning new things across different domains has moulded him into an interdepartmental person with an optimistic mind. He enjoys playing football and cricket. He is currently one of the admission coordinators of IIM Kashipur. You can connect with him LinkedIn

Karan Kumar is pursuing his MBA in Analytics from  IIM Kashipur. His interest areas include reading and analyzing on Geopolitics, Social Change and other world affecting recent scenarios. Through his articles he tries to give information and state various facts. You can connect with him on LinkedIn.

Most of the Major B-schools have completed their entrance exam process, now every aspirant’s next focus should be on preparing for the interviews and the process ahead. The critical thing any aspirant can do during this time is to make sure they take steps to build a good profile for MBA. A carefully carved profile can make a massive difference during the interview and final placements on campus. So, one should start upgrading their profiles as early as possible, that will be the real deal.

So, what are the components of a profile? These include academic performance, work experience, academic pedigree and achievements, co-curricular and extracurricular activities, positions of responsibility, and pursuit of special interests. Each of the above parameters gives you an edge over other possible aspirants. A good profile is one in which there is a decisive edge in one or more of the parameters, which makes the aspirant unique in the eyes of the institute.

Summer placements will occur three to four months into your MBA program. It means that your resume will remain the same. So, the profile you had before applying to b-school is what you will have when applying for a summer internship.

At this point, the brand value of the college where you earned your bachelor’s degree and the firm where you worked becomes essential. In the case of freshers, it depends on the courses taken for certifications, projects, and internships done until then. Firms will receive many resumes from all b-schools, and they will make their jobs easier by providing shortlists to those with big brand names and unique points on their resumes.

How to build a profile?

Take up certification courses aligned with your career aspirations 

Depending on the field in which you want to specialize, take up required courses that can enrich your knowledge level and, at the same time, pitch yourself to potential recruiters.

Positions of responsibility

POR adds value to your resume showcasing how much work you had taken up in your under graduation, and if you have no POR in your early academic years, you will get plenty of opportunities to do it in your MBA journey. There are many committees and clubs you can be part of and actively work to ensure that you get certified for the same.

Take up social impact activities.

You can collaborate with NGOs and other non-profit organizations that play an active role in child education, healthcare, and the environment. It showcases your social responsibility and the intent of changing society at large.

Take part in case competitions, events, and cultural fest

If you are not keen on organizing, participate in events and show your skills on those platforms. The essential takeaway is that you should come across as someone who does more than go to college and come back.

Improve on public speaking skills

Public speaking improves communication skills, which can significantly impact the interview and your MBA journey.

Case analysis is to MBA what equations are to an engineer or a stethoscope to a doctor. It is the founding skill to build any analytical skill, develop thought leadership, and be a better manager and leader. The case study methodology serves as a link between theory and practice, thus, preparing students to handle complex situations in the workplace.

A case is a compilation of known facts & information and even perceptions that can matter. It is somewhere in between complete truth and fiction. It is the analysis of the situation and not just the problem which makes it a unique pedagogy.

It enables a simulation wherein the classroom becomes a Boardroom! The case method taps into all the people it brings together, and the knowledge pool is almost three-dimensional in the classroom because every person present there is the sum of their thoughts, talents, experiences, viewpoints, culture, and industry.

I confronted my first management case study during the induction process in the first year when our esteemed faculty, Vaibhav Bhamoriya Sir, took an introductory session on case- based learning. He introduced us to this vicarious method of learning and stressed upon the classic answer to the case-based question as ‘depends’, which we internalized after going through numerous case studies in every course.

Case studies discuss real-life situations that business executives have faced in the past. It helps to deal selectively and intensively with the problems in each field and hones the ability to think and reason rigorously. It is not just about proposing a solution but evaluating it, generating and assessing the alternatives, and integrating them all to re-assess.

This fun intellectual activity is also accompanied by the most dreaded 2Cs- Cold Calls! Being cold-called may give you shivers, but you will warm up to them once you develop the skill of thinking on your feet.

Just like data scientists invest 80% of their time in data cleaning itself than in generating insights, situation analysis, and identifying a clear and crisp problem statement are the most crucial task.

Even though it’s unlikely that the case method will enable us to amend the past, it will provide an exciting opportunity to step into the roles of famous historical decision-makers, to use creativity unrestrictedly in a setting where failure won’t spell the end of one’s career. You can handle complex situations in a well-defined, dynamic work environment by using the real-life data that is provided to you and your own unique combination of experience, knowledge, and brainstorming in teams. It also gives a pre-cursor to crack the prestigious corporate and B-school case study competitions and entrepreneurial ventures.

In the fast-paced, tech-driven business world, what is a success today may be a failure tomorrow and vice versa. Hence, no solution is timeless, and there isn’t a unique solution to a case, as it can be answered from different perspectives and domains.

However, in the end, you must choose a course of action. There is no correct response, but you must acknowledge the complexity of your decision. What if the individuals in that room represented a variety of professions, roles, experiences, and backgrounds? All assessing a similar situation and reaching a decision each day?

That is what the case-study-based pedagogy at IIM Kashipur trains you to do.

As soon as I read the word “Accepted” on my IIM Kashipur portal, tears of joy rolled down my eyes. I knew I’ve taken a big step towards my goal. I called my parents at that moment and shared the news with them. The months after that went by in a jiffy, and here I was at THE Indian Institute of Management.

What are some of the big moments we anticipate? Is it our dream job, the first relationship, or a dream career? These special Eureka moments give you a sense of accomplishment. Getting into an IIM was my Eureka moment that I had been waiting to live once. I clearly remember D-Day when my screen glowed with the word ‘Accepted.’ I had tears rolling down my eyes. It might not be the goal but a dream come true. It was a chance to roll out my plans for the future. I called my parents immediately and shared the news with them. I have seen months and days passing like hours and minutes. Eventually, I was standing in front of IIM Kashipur in the real world.

The day I reached; the induction process started. We barely slept, we barely ate, and me-time, what was that? Well, it was hectic, but these were probably one of the best ten days I had experienced in my life. “Why?” you may ask. This is because, during these ten days, I knew I had developed life-lasting bonds, learnt how to manage time and acquired many more academic and non-academic skills.

It was not a happy start. I was in the induction process as soon as I entered the place. The first two weeks were very hectic. We barely slept or had our meals on time. We performed multiple tasks and solved case studies. Yes, welcome to an IIM! You know this place is worth some grind, isn’t it? Nevertheless, when I look back at those two weeks, I would say I loved every bit of it. I made some great friends, learned many things, challenged myself to the core, and could get a clear grasp of the things about to arrive.

While all this is going on, one thing that takes a backseat is your mental health. The reason can be anything, it could be that you are living away from home, a sudden shift in the schedule, or something else, but your mental health should always be your priority. Coming from someone, who has been pampered for their entire life, and has never lived away from home for more than two days, the initial months were hard.

When you are tired, exhausted, and exerted by the end of the day, how sane enough can you be to keep a check on your mental health? Slowly, your mental health takes a backseat in your priority list. The reason can be many. It could be a sudden change in your schedule, a new experience, or your first time in a new city. When it comes to someone like me who never lived away from home, it was tough to self-manage everything and get along in the new environment. At the end of the day, I felt dull and gloomy.

Now, I am no expert to talk on mental health, and you should take professional guidance if you have the need, but some things that worked for me were taking one day at a time, following a schedule, listening to music, speaking to my friends and family, and sitting in the nature while reflecting on my feelings. Thanks to the location of IIM Kashipur, you have ample spots to enjoy the beauty of nature. You will even get the opportunity to enjoy looking at mountains on a clear-sky day.

I’m neither an expert nor a scholar on mental health, but if I could ask everyone to check on one thing in life, it would be their mental health. I am not eligible to provide any expert analysis on mental health. But I believe my experiences and small changes in my habits helped me a lot to overcome these difficult days. 

When we look at the three most common causes of mental disorders, it talks about experiences from the past, continuous feelings of loss or grief, and the biological factors associated with it. Now the question arises, how do we deal with it? Something I learned during these months regarding mental health and its challenges is that we have to be grateful for what we have. We can take one day at a time, follow a schedule, listen to our favorite or newly explored music, or converse with our close ones. Most importantly, make sure we spend some time with ourselves. Thanks to the mighty Himalayas, we have numerous beautiful scenic places full of nature and natural heritage. There is no harm in gazing at a beautiful sky in solitude. Regardless of the place you are in next time, pause your work once and look at the sky when the sun sets.

People might have told you how time fixes everything but trust me, it does get better with time. If you have motivation and persistence in your efforts, things will surely get easier along the way, no matter how difficult the start has been. It isn’t the last lap you are racing on- you have many more ahead.

So, when you reach an IIM, I suggest you follow the rules of FAB4, not the cricket ones but the ones which will keep you going even on the tough days. Always be willing to learn and accept things in life. It gives you clarity and saves you unnecessary thought provocation. If you have done your best, there is no use in going back and turning the tides. Let’s wait and surf the next wave.

It is crucial to grab every opportunity, but it is not okay to misjudge yourself for the opportunities that you missed or didn’t come your way, Last but not least, never be afraid to seek help, find the right people to surround yourself with, and make sure you aren’t pushing your mental health off the cliff for any of them.

I would like to conclude by quoting Noam Shpancer who is a PhD at the Center for Cognitive and Behavioral Therapy, who says “Mental health…is not a destination, but a process. It’s about how you drive, not where you’re going.”

As the journey of life continues, mental health goes hand-in-hand here at IIM and beyond. Quoting the same, Noam Shpancer, Ph.D. at the Centre for Cognitive and Behavioural Therapy says, “Mental health…is not a destination, but a process. It’s about how you drive, not where you’re going.”

The final stage of admission to the IIMs and other elite business schools is the personal interview. Despite months of preparation, no one can precisely foresee an interviewer’s questions. The personal interview aims to assess your interpersonal and communication abilities and learn about your goals and vision as an aspiring MBA candidate. This blog will walk you through some frequently-asked personal interview questions and themes in the B-school selection process.

The most important and inevitable question you require to answer is, “Tell me about yourself.” It will establish the interview’s tenor and tempo. Given that there are few situations in which you would have used your conduct research for the personal interview.

Learn as much as possible about the institution you are getting interviewed for. Delve deeper into the business you want to make a career in. By conducting a thorough study, you will maintain your confidence in this matter and be prepared to respond to any inquiries that may arise. Visit the organization’s or institute’s website and read the “About Us” section. Ask acquaintances who have attended the same school or worked for the same business what they think of the institution or company. 

Personal interviews are primarily intended for two categories of candidates: Those with job experience and those without it.

Candidates with work experience are typically questioned on topics like responsibilities within the workplace, job description relationships with peers and bosses, accomplishments, innovations, and strategies they apply at work. There can be inquiries about career advancement plans, including short- and long-term objectives, knowledge about the industry and company’s target market, and competitors. In a nutshell, ensure you are detailed with your profile, your rivals, and the firm’s history if you have worked there.

Those with little or no work experience can anticipate questions from a more comprehensive range of subjects covered in college since they are yet to use their managerial abilities in many situations. Take your UG discipline courses very seriously, as the IIM interview panel will test your knowledge of geometry, basic number theory, introductory statistics, etc. The inevitable question is why you would like to pursue an MBA when you could acquire some work experience. Questions on current events, general knowledge enquiring about your opinions, and suggestions about how to change/improve the scenario are asked. There will be questions about your interests and hobbies. Only mention your hobbies if you are confident about them. For example, if you claim that viewing movies is your pass time, you should feel at ease discussing different movie genres, well-known filmmakers, and films.

Apart from this, a few hygiene pointers that a candidate should be mindful of are:

• Be Elaborative & open to communication

An interview shouldn’t look like a one-sided interrogation; it should be smooth communication between you and the interviewer. Cite relevant examples with every answer you give & ask questions.

• Keep your essential documents handy

It’s crucial to keep your essential documents like 10th, 12th & graduation mark sheets, etc.; the interviewer might want to ask you questions. Accordingly, ensure you’re thorough with the conceptual question/concepts from your bachelor’s as sometimes interviewers tend to grill the candidate on this.

• Follow the basic Interview etiquette. 

Maintaining a formal dress code, being on time, etc., can fetch points. It would also leave a lasting impression on the interviewer. 

• Mock Personal Interviews 

It will give the best exposure to PIs for the CAT with various subjects and scenarios that will ensure you stand out during the event and ace it on D-Day.

It cannot be more cliched to call human beings social animals. But that doesn’t change the fact that it is true. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs puts social needs as the third basic need we aspire to fulfill. We like to be in the company of others. Often what we think and do is shaped by our interactions with the people around us.

Robert Cialdini, in his book, extensively describes a phenomenon called social proof. It says that one method for deciding what is correct is to learn what other people think is right. We regard a behavior as more correct in each situation if we see others doing it.

It serves a social purpose; people don’t have to do everything on their own – they can look to others’ experiences and suggestions. It makes life a little easier. It gives the comfort that they are not alone in doing something.

Social proof has a significant impact on one’s career choices. Often our career choices are narrowed down to the careers taken up by our peers. People who tend to confirm their decisions by their peers especially fall victim to such errors. In the short term, it reduces the burden of making a difficult decision. But the career options one would consider would be limited when looking at only her peers.

Firstly, such individuals stay less aware of the breadth of their career choices. Lack of awareness reduces the career options available to them.

Secondly, peer pressure can manifest in a slightly different form where the social comparison comes into play. Here, competition becomes the driving factor. Acting out of competitive forces, a student may try to outdo other peers by taking a more socially rewarding career choice over a personally preferred role that is less socially valued – to signal a higher social status.

Either of the two forms of peer pressure has implications in the form of sub-optimal job fit, inadequate performance, or educational/job satisfaction. It might have been the case that an individual had artistic sensibilities and could have excelled in a creative field, but he chose to become a mediocre engineer.

Another aspect to explore is the strong peer resistance or derision if an individual opts for a non-traditional career. Considering an amusing example, HR aspirants are often subject to jokes by peers opting for more ‘esteemed’ functional fields such as Finance or Consulting. Often a joke is made about ‘Rangoli making’ to be the core job of HR professionals. While not all individuals might be affected by such resistance or active discouragement, some reconsider their choices.

It becomes important then for the institutions – such as schools or colleges to encourage career choices that align best with the personality or competencies of an individual rather than his peer group. Adequate mechanisms must be implemented and readily accessible to students seeking career guidance.