Down but not OUT!!!!
There have seldom been times when I have felt down and out!!! Today was one of those few days. Today was the day when my SPJain, Mumbai results were out. Verdict – Not selected!!!
In the past 23 years there has been lot many things that I hadn’t longed for but had got!! But here was one thing that I had always dreamed off, ever since my childhood. A potter’s son dreams of becoming a potter, a farmer’s son; a farmer, a weaver’s son; a weaver; I too wanted to do a Masters in Business Administration like my dad. What started off just as an imitation of being like my dad eventually gathered steam by the time I was in college. It’s just a coincidence that what I wanted to become is what most of the youth aspire to do today.
It’s been 2 years since I had given the CAT for the first time. I was in my final year of engineering then. A group of friend with same eagerness to crack the exam, a devoted faculty at the coaching institute and being in college (where you could bunk the classes at will), all conducive for the cause I was into. But guess fate had something else destined for me. By the time I was giving CAT, I was already recruited by L&T. But still the zeal to excel in the exam, the zeal to make it through one of the premiere B-school in the country was still burning inside me.
It was the Nov 2003 CAT. The exam went well and was very confident when I came out of the examination hall. But then came to know that papers were leaked and so there was a retest scheduled for Feb, 04.
My center head was a motivating guy. In spite of so much happening, he kept me telling that if I could do well in Nov then I could repeat the same in Feb. But things were not the same when I was giving the retest. I had lost touch of the Midas touch. Had the Semester exams in between, followed by a trip back home (especially when I didn’t go home in Diwali, just to pool in those few days more for the Nov CAT).
Though I had got calls from NMIMS and KJ Somaya; I thought otherwise and went ahead to join L&T. I told to myself that CAT 04(The one in Nov) would be a curtain raiser for the Nov, 05 which I was actually targeting. By the time I would join for the course I would be having approx two years of work experience, which would not only add up to my cause of selection but also play a vital role in the placements. So all wasn’t lost after all.
I hadn’t enrolled for the preparation anywhere except for the final test series. I was indeed missing my group of the college. Though my room mate (also an L&Tite & a year senior to me) was also giving CAT this time along with me, he was on a deputation assignment to France. But against all odds, I gave the exam in Nov, 05.
Till the time the results came in, I was anticipating something good. But to my utter disappointment I didn’t fare well. In fact it was the lowest of all the CAT’s that I gave. I was kind of stunned in disbelief. The next day I had XAT. It took immense courage to give the same and to be very honest I wasn’t even expecting anything out of it. But was in for a surprise; 96.23%ile.It at least made me believe in myself after the CAT fiasco.
After an eventful phase, I finally managed to get a call from SPJain, Mumbai. I was delighted, because of the fact that it has been my dream to settle down in Mumbai sometime down the line. Mumbai to me has been proved quite lucky; both professionally & personally. What was even more exciting that even my roomy had got a call from the same. We had the interviews on 26th of Feb at Mumbai. Apart from the excitement of going to SPJ for the first time, I was equally, if not more, nervous about the outcome of the interview.
...............To be continued
There have seldom been times when I have felt down and out!!! Today was one of those few days. Today was the day when my SPJain, Mumbai results were out. Verdict – Not selected!!!
In the past 23 years there has been lot many things that I hadn’t longed for but had got!! But here was one thing that I had always dreamed off, ever since my childhood. A potter’s son dreams of becoming a potter, a farmer’s son; a farmer, a weaver’s son; a weaver; I too wanted to do a Masters in Business Administration like my dad. What started off just as an imitation of being like my dad eventually gathered steam by the time I was in college. It’s just a coincidence that what I wanted to become is what most of the youth aspire to do today.
It’s been 2 years since I had given the CAT for the first time. I was in my final year of engineering then. A group of friend with same eagerness to crack the exam, a devoted faculty at the coaching institute and being in college (where you could bunk the classes at will), all conducive for the cause I was into. But guess fate had something else destined for me. By the time I was giving CAT, I was already recruited by L&T. But still the zeal to excel in the exam, the zeal to make it through one of the premiere B-school in the country was still burning inside me.
It was the Nov 2003 CAT. The exam went well and was very confident when I came out of the examination hall. But then came to know that papers were leaked and so there was a retest scheduled for Feb, 04.
My center head was a motivating guy. In spite of so much happening, he kept me telling that if I could do well in Nov then I could repeat the same in Feb. But things were not the same when I was giving the retest. I had lost touch of the Midas touch. Had the Semester exams in between, followed by a trip back home (especially when I didn’t go home in Diwali, just to pool in those few days more for the Nov CAT).
Though I had got calls from NMIMS and KJ Somaya; I thought otherwise and went ahead to join L&T. I told to myself that CAT 04(The one in Nov) would be a curtain raiser for the Nov, 05 which I was actually targeting. By the time I would join for the course I would be having approx two years of work experience, which would not only add up to my cause of selection but also play a vital role in the placements. So all wasn’t lost after all.
I hadn’t enrolled for the preparation anywhere except for the final test series. I was indeed missing my group of the college. Though my room mate (also an L&Tite & a year senior to me) was also giving CAT this time along with me, he was on a deputation assignment to France. But against all odds, I gave the exam in Nov, 05.
Till the time the results came in, I was anticipating something good. But to my utter disappointment I didn’t fare well. In fact it was the lowest of all the CAT’s that I gave. I was kind of stunned in disbelief. The next day I had XAT. It took immense courage to give the same and to be very honest I wasn’t even expecting anything out of it. But was in for a surprise; 96.23%ile.It at least made me believe in myself after the CAT fiasco.
After an eventful phase, I finally managed to get a call from SPJain, Mumbai. I was delighted, because of the fact that it has been my dream to settle down in Mumbai sometime down the line. Mumbai to me has been proved quite lucky; both professionally & personally. What was even more exciting that even my roomy had got a call from the same. We had the interviews on 26th of Feb at Mumbai. Apart from the excitement of going to SPJ for the first time, I was equally, if not more, nervous about the outcome of the interview.
...............To be continued
posted by Arijeet | 2:48 PM
2 Comments:
Awww... tough luck. Don't feel bad. I had a 98.3 and 99 percentile on my CAT and XAT, and did not even get called for GD/PI!
Anyways, don't take it to heart and think of what you wanna do ahead.
Must admit u had a tougherluck than me... sory for teh late reply... was into a hibernation...;o)
Cheerz!!
Ari
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