ISB - My 2 cents for getting in!

Now that you are here and reading this blog, then I assume that following questions must be tormenting you regarding GMAT and B-Schools:

How do I prepare for GMAT?
Shall I join any coaching?
How many marks are enough for ISB?
How many hours do I need to study for getting a 700+?
Isn't GMAT supposed to be only for foreign B-Schools? (yes i was asked this too)
How many years of work ex do I require for ISB? Just 2 yrs is enough?
Do I have it in me to make it?

If these questions are on your mind then go ahead and read this blog post. I will be covering what helped in GMAT prep in this post. For my ISB application and interview experience will write a post soon.

The GMAT Related Queries

How to Prepare - I am going to share how I prepared for GMAT and this may not be the best approach but yes now since I am here at ISB, I can say with confidence that this can be one of the approaches.

1. The Free GMAT Prep Test -  First of all download the GMAT Prep FREE software.They offer 2 free tests, go ahead and give one of them. Do not worry that you haven't prepared and this may not be your best performance. Give it to gauge where do you stand, this will be your baseline and use it to make your strategy for preparation.  (Download link - http://www.mba.com/us/the-gmat-exam/prepare-for-the-gmat-exam/test-prep-materials/free-gmat-prep-software.aspx )

2. The OG ie The Official Guide - Although I did not focus much on it but since I got it from my coaching, so I did flip over the topics and did the Diagnostic Test. I rather focused more on doing questions online as the exam which you are going to give is online hence it helps prepare you for the exam environment. Still, if you are the one who needs a hard copy of a book in your hand to get the feel of studying, then go ahead, you also get access to online question bank of GMAT if you buy OG.

2. Coaching  I got good enough marks in Quant in the first test of GMAT Prep so I went ahead and joined Princeton Review in Jaipur for Verbal and CR classes only, but due to long office hours I went to coaching only during weekends. Coaching helped me know what is the pattern of exam, it is important to understand this as GMAT is very different from CAT in terms of type of questions asked and level of those questions. This really helped me get a hold on verbal and I attended the class on same topic twice just to ensure that I am grasping the concepts well enough. Even if you do not want to join a coaching there are many ways you may prepare like a few I will describe further.

3. Forums - Join a few forums like GMATclub, BeatTheGMAT, Pagalguy so that you may interact with other candidates and you could find some pretty good reviews on preparation strategy, colleges, coachings etc. Being in touch with other candidates helped to be in touch with studies or else its easy to give up as you always have a job in hand and money is flowing in.

3. Prep4GMAT - One thing which helped me most during my preparation is this app - Prep4GMAT. It has fantastic, easy to use UI and tracks your score for individual sections and topics. They have put a few notes in flash cards form and after notes there are tests you can take. These tests have 5 questions from the topic covered and have a time limit of about 5 to 6 minutes. This makes it easy to give them anywhere when you have free time at your home, be it office or while commuting. I gave every test almost twice and ensured I got the logic right at the end. I Used it for CR and Verbal only.
(Android Link for downloading - https://play.google.com/store/apps/detailsid=com.LTGExamPracticePlatform.Prep4GMAT&hl=en )

3. Manhattan Tests They provide 1 free online mock test which I gave and found good , so I even went ahead and bought their test package. If you want to save some bucks then do not buy test directly, rather buy  the kindle edition of any of their GMAT prep book and you will get the tests free. Yes Kindle edition is cheaper than the cost of just purchasing test, I do not know why have they priced it so, but it is so. The link fo Sentence Correction guide - https://www.amazon.in/Sentence-Correction-Manhattan-Strategy-Guides-ebook/dp/B017X1K89Q?ie=UTF8&redirect=true&ref_=s9_simh_gw_p351_d0_i1

4. Other Mock Test - The 1st test you give on GMAT Prep would be your benchmark for further preparation. Give the second one just around 7 to 15 days before exam.  There are many other free tests available out there  the link  is here - http://gmatclub.com/forum/18-online-free-full-length-gmat-cat-practice-tests-link-collection-202780.html . Do not go after giving them all.  I gave around 10 mock tests ( 2- GMAT Prep free Test, 6 - Manhattan Tests, 1 - Kaplan and 1- Veritas Test) to get a feel of all different type of tests available. Do note down the marks you are getting in all these 10 tests at a single place so that you can track your own progress.

5. Score - What score is good enough is something which is also a function of what else you have on your profile.
600 to 660 - Anything above 600 is considered in most of the B-Schools,just that you need to have a solid profile.
660 to 720 - Score in this range combined with a above average profile works.
720 to 800 - Marks will take care of your profile, if required, to an extent.

6. Hour of Study - I studied only on Sundays that too during 3 hours of coaching for 5 months( July to Nov) and around 6 hours a day 1 month prior to my exam on 25th Dec. Most of the time was spent on giving mocks and analyzing the result. I was constantly preparing on app whenever I got time during these 6 months.

Mumbai Vs Jaipur

Photory - Story spoken by Photos

A Photory of how the landscape, culture, people, lifestyle, food, music, colors, transport, societies, architecture changed when I moved 1000 Km north of Mumbai.

1. The Landscape : Water Vs Sand

They say Love is in the Air, but for Mumbai Water is in the air, after all its so Humid. Moreover to say it rains like Cats and Dogs in Mumbai, would be like undermining the rains. I prefer to say "it rains elephants and Sharks out here". While out in Jaipur the Sun makes every individual to rain for themselves (sweat).

2. The Buildings : Swanky Vs Royal 

In Mumbai there is virtually no limit for buildings to go vertically up, while in Jaipur that stands true for horizontal.

3. The Music : Sitar Vs Guitar

4. The Food :  Pav Bhaji Vs Dal Bati Churma

5.  The Theaters : Art Deco of Raj Madir Vs Philip Johnson's postmodern Tata Theater

At Raj Mandir(Jaipur) people come to see the interiors rather than movie, so its ok if you find people looking up or sideways instead of watching movie on the screen. Also popularly its know as Pride of Asia. While Tata Theater(Mumbai) built on reclaimed land is home to the best stage artists of today's India.

6. The Uncanny Constructions amidst water :  Haji Ali Vs Jal Mahal 

Haji Ali - built in memory of a wealthy merchant, who gave away all his wealth, is now associated with legends about doomed lovers. While Jal Mahal constructed by Rajputs as a pavilion of pleasure. Recently authorities have dredged 2 Million Tonnes of toxic silt around Jal Mahal, also created 5 nesting islands to attract migratory birds. Commendable work.

7. Athiti Devo Bhava - Where ever you go, you would always be welcomed:         Good Vs Good

India has so much to offer, grateful to have the opportunity to around few of the towns around the country.

Lost & Found @ Marine Drive

Marine Drive is the Lost & Found center of Mumbai, not of possessions, but of people. Everyday thousands of people come here, mostly facing the perils of local trains, and the others, after the grueling day's work at office. Those lost in the carnival of turmoils in their life, ironically find the calmness in the turbulence of waves  and the tranquil ones are rocked by the waves of the mighty Arabian Sea.

So this season,  LOSE yourself here, only to FIND the better self.

                                                             

                                            Or Maybe your Better Half   ;)

                                                  

Theater - My Newly found love.

Last weekend I watched a play named - "Class of 84" by Rage Productions. What pulled me towards the play was the title- which ensured that I am going to miss my friends from my own class and the venue of the Play-Tata Theater, NCPA. Located at the end point of Marine drive, surrounded by Arabian sea from 2 sides, it pulls one towards it. The auditorium was one of the best among all other theaters I have been to - Prithvi Theater(Juhu), St. Andrews (Bandra), Veer Sawarkar(Dadar), Rangsharda (Bandra), Sophia (Bandra). The Foyer is Grand, and the red carpet beneath gives it the glamorous touch and the wide stairs gave it a palace like feel.

TATA Theater, NCPA

The main hall was splendid, lets say the Indian version of Kodak Theater, Hollywood, famous for Oscars.

The Reddish tinge due to the carpet and the golden glow of the stage mesmerized me. The light and sound system was world class. 

The website of the Play gives its description as -  

• 
  

  
  

  Some found careers. Some found God.

  Some got rich. Some got stoned.

  Some loved. Some lost.

  All of them stayed friends.

  Now one of them is dead.

  
  

  Can their friendship survive?Seven friends who were a tightly-knit group in St. Xavier’s College from 1979-1984 have gathered at the Kashid beach house.

  (For more about the cast and crew plz visit : http://ragetheatre.co.in/production/class-84)

  
  

  The play stood up to its expectations. Watching this bunch of friends talking about what fun did they had in their college and how their life has changed sent me back to my own college and the friends I have made there. Now when even the ones having a GF are supposed to be the lucky ones,after 20 years each one of us would be having a wife around (that too permanent, with less tension of break up :P) Now when we never care to sleep on time then we would have to sleep just to set an example for our children to sleep on time. Now when riding a bike with less than 3 people on it is supposed to wastage of petrol, then we would only let as many people sit in our Cars, as is the no. of seats. And many more changes would  follow. Who knows what the coming few years will bring. But I am excited to meet all my friends some 20 years from now, to know what life has done to them, to know how there experience was, to know how did they travel their path, to know how did they overcome their challenges, to know how much they miss their college life, and to know them all   once again......

  
  

  Yaaron yeh hi dosti hai, Oh kismat se jo mili hai, Sab sang chalen, Sab rang chalen, Chaltey rahen hum sada.

  
  

  Towards the end we sneaked into the backstage and met Rajit Kapoor and Shernaz Patel, both of them are amazing theater artists. Talking to them gave a fitting end to a perfect Journey a play takes you into.

  
  

All in a year

Past 1 year was quite a different experience; it was quite an exciting, enriching, arduous but interesting, journey for me. I had never had such a plethora of emotions in my life. From feeling on the top of the world to a cache of dump, I felt it the core.
Maybe when you get into your first Job and spend your very first year in the corporate offices, you begin to oblige life in a better way. Just fresh out of college where days started at 8 PM to now when you are supposed to be boarding your bus for office by 8 AM and get ready to move at 10 kmph in a city which is famous for its “daud bhag bhari jindagi”, I would rather say it moves at snail’s pace. Most of the newbie’s into the work life go through this phase when they realize that the education which they were ardently consuming is actually of rare use, and you find yourself no more in the coterie of  friends but in a clique of Janus faced people in office. But they will say this is ‘Life for you”.
My first year at L&T had been more of a PAN India tour where I met lot o friends on the way and yes got the real taste of India.Starting from my training at Chennai where I was with Rajul, Avin, Puneet, Ajay, Shweta and others. From getting beaten by Police at Marina Beach for going deep into the waves to the Idli kadai at Murugan, Anna Salai.
I then moved to Ahmadabad, Gujarat where Ishan, Shrey, Sanjeev, Ravi were already working for mighty Tata’s. From Khamand Dhokla to Dabeli there can be any amount of sugar in anything which Gujarati’s cook. If in Gujarat do not miss out on Katiyawadi food the Rootlas with Ghee Gud is the nearest I have been to GOD of food, which you could find at Kismat Dhaba in refinery area of baroda. And ow can I forget the day when trying to escape from rains inside a mall to find Katrina and Imran dancing to the music of Mere Brother Ki Dulhan to promote the movie. The closest I have been to any actress.
It was the turn of a small village named Pali near Jodhpur, Rajasthan. During the 15 days I spent there I got to know the life in a traditional Indian village. Women of the Villages wears old traditional cloths which are bright colored” Lehenga Choli” with traditional Jewellery and Married women covers half of the face with chunni. Women of Rajasthan Looks simply beautiful, they are true depiction of mother India (nation, not the movie).
 I visited Jodhpur where I met Jawalkar, and the hell of a ride which we had to make him reach the college 16 Km away in 10 minutes while it was raining and neither did we had a helmet nor a licence.
Udaipur - The Venice of east, where my didi jijaji lives along with the cutest girl in my life Cherry – my niece was a treat to visit. The city's palaces, havelis, temples sets it apart from the rest.
Then came Mumbai in my life, Mumbai is a phenomenon which happens to you. My  buddies from MANIT Manish, Ankit,  Rohit, Rituraj, Tanuj, siddharth and Anukrati were already here to welcome me, with whom I spent my very first weekend night at Nariman Point. Its not wrong to say that you start dreaming big in Mumbai after all everything is grand out here. From celebrating Ganpati festival to steering through the Mumbai Monsoon, from eating pani puri at Chowpatty to the tipsy nights at Discs and Pubs, it was an overwhelming journey. meeting seniors from Drishtant Naveen(always ready for a treat) and Sachit Mumbai main raho aur Lonavala  ja kar chikki na khao to maja hi kya hai life ka.
Meeting Sarpass Trek buddies kapil and Mandeep  after exactly an year was awesome.And the weeekend in Pune with Rahul and Mohit was great.
Meeting those friends with whom you spent every day at hostel after almost 6 months at convocation is something to be felt and not written down.And the surprise visit for Manish's Bday to Bhopal alongwith Nitin Harsh and Aditi was a refreshing one.
Thanks to everyone who were a part of this extravaganza.
Love you all.
PS: This is My first Note for that matter anything more then 500 words I have written other than the stories in the answer sheets.
Hope this helps you to taste India better. :)