Finance MisManagement

After the CAT, it's time for an onslaught of dogs, sheep, goats, cows and the rest of the cattle. And the worst part is, each one of them is damn expensive! I've spent nearly ten thousand bucks on exam and college admission forms alone, and there are more to come yet. My folks think I've got a secret source of illegal income, that's why I'm spending so much of it. But how do I explain, that this is how this wretched world works? That you have to apply to several colleges EVEN BEFORE knowing how much you will score in their entrance exam? It is obvious that this is nothing but an easy way for these greedy colleges to make more money. Their excuse: If you get into one of these colleges, you'll make a hundred times more money after passing out.

Aha. Thus you learn the first principle of management before even getting into the college - I'll loot you, you loot someone else.

The Aftermath......

Phew!! The past several months of hectic preparation finally culminated in a nerve-wracking two and a half-hour climax last Sunday. And boy, was it a cracker! This was one hell of a wild cat - tough, tricky and dangerous. I was majorly mauled, but have survived to tell the tale!

First of all, the main lesson I learnt from this exam : Never underestimate others' intelligence and your own stupidity.

Was it tough? You bet! But then, that's the fun in it - as I keep saying - the bigger the challenge, the greater the glory. It doesn't get bigger and more challenging than this! This was surely the final frontier in terms of mental challenges.

Was it possible to tame it? Possibly. Could I have fared better? Definitely yes. But then, days are rare when each and everything goes exactly as planned. So, I end up with a score that is tantalizingly close to an IIM call. So near, yet so far. That's when you realize the value of a single mark. A mark that could have probably made a difference of a lakh in my earnings. A mark that could have changed my career, my life. Just one silly, goddamned mark.

I've always felt, that marks are like money. Inspite of how much you get, you still feel like having some more. That was exactly the case here. From what I can see, my performance here has been better than most of my mock cats :) That gives me some kind of solace and comfort.

As for the hope of that one single call, well, I'm keeping my fingers crossed ! The suspense unravels after another 40-odd days... Till then... adios amigo and hope for the best!

Enjoyyy
Vivek S.