RP: Randomness post-ified!

Jis baat ka dar tha wahi hua.. lymphosarcoma of the intestine.. yeah I watched Munnabhai M.B.B.S again. So finally I am done with CAT. And was rather bored a couple of days back. Just felt like updating the blog. So decided to post something.

Lately I've been thinking a lot. Of how life would turn out to be if I do make it to one of the IIMs. And I've concluded that I am not yet ready to take that leap.

The leap from IIIT to IIM. Especially IIM-A and IIM-B.. Imagine this if you can.. I willl be sitting with 100 odd Pranav Kumar Vasishtas.. all speaking in an eloquent manner.. longish statements with at least a word or two from Barron's put in.. guys who'd rather rejoice when the TATA-Corus deal gets finalized.. who prefer eating with a spoon AND a fork.. who do not believe in over-eating (wtf??!) who are more interested in the Nigerian diamond mines and the economy of Fiji AND the Persian carpet industry. And me?? :-<

I, on the other hand, will be stuck with my not-so-smooth Hinglish, Tamilish and Telugu-ish sentences.. who'd be happy and satisfied if India puts up a fight against the South Africans.. who is to overeating what Martin Luther King was for African-American rights.. who is more interested in the fact that a couple of Guru's songs sound similar to Swades's.. who thinks Esperanto is incomplete without smileys!

I guess I'd stick out like a sore thumb :( Or maybe I might be an overnight celebrity because of my uniqueness! I continue to amaze myself with such a high degree of optimism.. I seriously need to get rid of it! [-(

I read the book "The Ultimate Gift" by Jim Stovall.. expected it to be ok-ish but it exceeded my expectations. Its a conglomeration of all simple things (or gifts as he chose to call) which we choose to overlook in our lives. The book did bring back a few memories of my brief stay in IIIT.. how I've evolved over the years.. how well I've adapted to the environment.. how I've changed from an innocent guy, who can be taken advantage of.. to someone optimistic who is not so dumb.. who can be shrewd and cunning.. who is not so good after all.. and who is bitchy now and then.. :P I know some of you might choose to question the "not-so-dumb" statement but lets save it for rainy days. Thought of writing a post on my 3.5 year stay at IIIT.. but then, I dont think it will be well received. Will be blogging more often from now onwards a la Halley. And surprisingly my random crap generator seems to be working quite well.

Quote of the day:

A man should never be ashamed to own up when he has been in the wrong, which is but saying, in other words, that he is wiser today than he was yesterday.

- Jonathan Swift

PS1: I need to update my blogroll!
PS2: Of late, I somehow feel incomplete and empty inside. Need to find something to keep myself challenged. Haven't played CS in a while! :(
PS3: I've not been in touch with lots and lots of people. Sorry guys. Need to get back on the social network now. Its a pain in the ass initially with people asking all kinds of uncomfortable questions but once everything is on track, I guess it should be fine.
PS4: All the best to all the people who're writing TOEFL.
PS5*: 12 hours earlier I used to hate GAG. Now I despise him.
PS6*: Placements politics is expected to get shittier tomorrow.
PS7: Fauji, download Spawn-still mighty!! x(
PS8: I wonder what would have happened if Lage raho Munnabhai had been made with Ambedkar figuring in the scheme of things instead of Gandhi.. :-?
PS9: My cousin from Mumbai was pelted with stones when he was commuting in a local train (thanks to the recent riots and protests) He was not hurt, thankfully. So am frustrated right now with these protesters.. and I don't want to get started on the Indian team's performance! Maaannn, how can so many things go wrong simultaneously??!!
PS10: Liked the song tere bina from Guru. Me thinks its a tribute to Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan from Rahman :)
PS11: Was reminded of the things-to-do-before-I-leave-IIIT post written by mythalez. Plan to write it sooner or later. Preferably sooner :D Did you notice that theres no pic inserted in this post? And IV, I coined a new word! Post-ified.. :D So what do I win? :-??
PS12: We wont be surprised if we win the best poster award! :P
PS13: This is the end.. :D

* - Strictly views of the author.

For the majority of CAT aspirants who thought that I did not post because I might have screwed up my CAT, please stop celebrating :P Because I think I have belled the CAT successfully! :D And I'd like to thank ALL (yes the handful of em) my readers for ALL their wishes. yay! I'm halfway there! :D And the quote of the day is (Don't ask me who said it)

A guy who cannot believe in himself is wasting his hard work.

CAT '06 - Expect the unexpected

And so.. as the nation works itself into another CAT frenzy, speculations are rife.. particularly among freshers on the pattern of this years exam. Last time around, apart from a more logic-based DI section, there were only 90 questions as opposed to 123 questions in CAT 04. Also it was explicitly mentioned that wrong answers will carry a negative marking of one-third of the marks allotted to the question. The only thing constant about every CAT paper is change. So what can one expect from this year's paper?

DO NOT expect any set pattern of the paper. Be prepared for anything and everything. Do not lose your composure during the exam and start panicking. Some of the changes which might figure in this year's paper, according to me, are:

1. Since its a 2.5 hour paper, there might be an increase in the number of questions. However over the past few years, the number of questions has gradually decreased. Hence be prepared for even a 75-question paper. However I find it unlikely.
2. If they do decide to give a 75 question paper, then there's a mighty chance of 1-mark, 2-mark and 3-mark questions figuring in the paper as well. If that is the case, choose your questions carefully. Do not go into aggressive mode and start attempting 3 mark questions like crazy. At the same time, do not play it safe by sticking only to 1 mark questions. CAT is all about making choices. Good ones.
3. They might give 5 options for every question. However there is very little chance for a question having multiple correct answers. STILL one cannot eliminate any possibility.
4. There is a very good chance of progressive negative marking figuring in the scheme of things. Hence it might be necessary, in such cases, to keep the number of attempts lesser instead try increasing his/her accuracy percentage.
5. More importantly, do not waste time in questioning whether the paper was the right type or not. This is very, very important!
6. There is a chance that we might have sections of 1-mark,2-mark and maybe 3-mark questions instead of the customary sections on Quant, DI and Verbal.
7. More number of RCs might figure in the verbal section. For those who are not very good at RCs, try maximising your score by attempting other questions. And for those who are not good at either RC or Vocab (like me) attempt as many as you can and keep your fingers crossed.
8. DI might be more logic-oriented compared to last time. If you dont know what I am talking about, check out TIME's mock tests. Horrifying!
9. Can't think of anything else.

So once again do not waste time in questioning whether the changes in the paper are justified or not. Be flexible. Do not enter the exam hall with a fixed mindset. Do not panic on seeing the changes. If it is difficult for you, it will be difficult for the majority of CAT aspirants. Believe in yourself. Nothing is better than a good dose of self-belief! And do not get stuck on any question. And most importantly.. do not forget your admit card.

All the best for CAT 06. This is the optimist signing off.. adios.

Quote of the day:

One who said winning does not matter, must have lost.

PS1: Rocking in CS now a days. I cant seem to understand how?
PS2: Got 99.87 percentile in the last mock. Pretty cool :D Hope I dint peak too early :P Got lotsa flukes right in verbal :D
PS3: All ye blog readers, wish me luck! :D