Knowing your basics can help you crack any Management entrance test: Aditi Kataria

A people oriented person with a free, broad-minded and creative approach would best describe me. Strong in academics, I never considered Commerce as my cup of tea because it was all very methodical and scripted, that is, you cannot show much creativity in accountancy. Further, never being appealed by Arts (basically, Geography, Civics and Political Science), I was pushed towards Science. Biology always had a charm for me because it gave the insight of how the human body functions. Allured by Biology, I also had a firm belief in the importance of Mathematics in daily life. There was a push from other streams and a pull from Science that solidified Biology and Mathematics as my subjects of interest and with these came, Physics and Chemistry under the subject combination. Due to these, I ended up having PCMB (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and Biology) in 11th.

I chose the second option and found myself with English Literature (Hons) to broaden my mindset and to understand and accumulate knowledge regarding different perspectives. After completion of BA English (Hons), I concluded that I am good in understanding and managing people. Hence, I wanted to choose a career that could give me ample opportunity to interact with people, and the course that supplied my purpose was HRM. Following my interest, choosing an institution that was suitable for me was a big challenge. The parameters on which I decided my current institution are ROI (input: fees and output: placement), reputation, faculty, location, ranking and scholarships. All the criteria aptly matching my requirements indicated at Jaipuria Institute of Management, Jaipur: the best MBA institute in Rajasthan by Outlook in 2015.

How I cracked my college admission?

I cracked admission through MAT. And I had appeared for CAT also. I did not attend any coaching.

Process: If you know your basics and content then cracking any exam is a cakewalk. Similar was the case with me. I knew my strengths and weaknesses. I devoted some time (30%) in sharpening my strengths and 70% of my time in working on my weaknesses. To be succinct, I brushed up my basics (Mathematics) from the books of 8th class onwards (CBSE), prepared General Knowledge from sites like Jagran Josh, current affairs, etc. practiced a lot, took mocks to acquaint myself with the pattern, read interviews to motivate myself and watched various videos/ tutorials to get expert tips and pieces of advice.

Quant, General Awareness and English are the sections where one can score highest, given proper attention; hence I focused on these the most. If you follow logic then solving mental ability questions become easier.  Every day, for almost 2 months, I devoted 7- 8 hours to prepare for the exams and the hard work was reflected when the results were announced.

Other institutes that I was trying for: FMS (Delhi), IMI (Kolkata), MILE (Pune)

What I gained from my college years

Well, most of the times, I am running out of time because there is always something or the other happening in your life when you are in Jaipuria, Jaipur. Either you are completing your group projects, assignments or are interacting with your friends, be it in student lounge or in the classrooms. If you are not engaged in the aforementioned activities, then you must be involved in the preparation of some event that is going to take place in the campus or you must be involved in some committee work. 

Time flies in Jaipuria, leaving behind a sweet scent of memories. 

I like attending all the classes. The simple reason behind this is the learned and knowledgeable faculty. All of them are helpful, hardworking and genuinely concerned for you and your understanding of the topic. If you do not understand anything, you can have a conversation with the professors and can accordingly sit with them for the clarification of the doubts in the free period. There is also a facility of “Impartus Lecture Capture” where all the lectures taken in the class are captured and can be revisited anytime. 

Extra-curricular activities 

I am officially a member of two committees, namely, Training and Development committee and Academic Programme and Research Committee. Apart from this, I am a Dell Campassador, coordinator of Jaipuria Debate (under Abhudaya, fest), have won the institutional level Badminton (girls), tug of war, attended summits, and have participated in singing competitions. If given a chance, I would want to showcase my communication skills more by anchoring more events. 

My college has changed me on following parameters:

Better time management, more efficient, networking has improved, my skills are being polished, multitasking, ability to perform under pressure, leadership qualities, convener, team management and stress management. 

About the Author

I am an optimistic soul and a free spirited person who is currently pursuing PGDM from Jaipuria Institute of Management, Jaipur. Having an academically and culturally diverse background, I am interested in expanding my horizon of knowledge. My interest lies in meeting people and listening to music.