“Honestly, I wasn’t that prepared until the last phase of the exam, but that actually motivated me,” FLAME University’s student Dhruvil Shah’s words are all you need to hear when CAT 2020 is only a few days away. Serious preparation in the last leg, and staying calm was his mantra to ace the test last year. We talk to him about this unusual strategy and learn how it panned out for him.
Dhruvil starts off with a disclaimer that everyone has their own study pattern and they should stick to it. In his case though, he didn’t dedicate a lot of time to CAT prep. “During the last phase I studied every day without looking too far ahead. Every night I had the smile of satisfaction on my face knowing that I had studied,” he reminisces.
According to Dhruvil, that attitude not only helped him stay calm but also gave him confidence. “The last phase of preparation is not for experimenting; you just need to get more serious with what you have been doing. I had a clear idea in my head that I didn’t want to let this opportunity go in vain,” he explains the sense of commitment he had to the test.
Interestingly, Dhruvil also believes that the pressure you experience a few days before the test can be used to your advantage. “I agree that pressure is not healthy, but there is no motivation like it either. CAT is nothing but a test of your mentality; it’s a time race that creates panic. Your success depends on how well you allocate your time and energy,” he says.
Of course, Dhruvil speaks from experience as he made his strategy count with his CAT result. It helped him secure his admission at FLAME University, which he admits was his go-to place. “The fact that it is a Liberal Arts university was appealing to me. I was looking forward to the varied learnings and opportunities it offers. So far I am happy with the way things have progressed,” he ends with his trademark positivity.