GMAT : Just do it

You might have heard these before, but let me tell you just once more.

#1. More than anything else, GMAT is an ENDURANCE test.
225 minutes=AWA 30 minutes (Analysis of an Issue)+ 30 minutes (Analysis of an Argument) + 10 mins (optional/scheduled break)+ 75 Mins QUANTITATIVE (Problem-solving + Data sufficiency) + 10 mins (optional/scheduled break)+ 75 Mins VERBAL( Critical Reasoning+ Reading Comprehension + Sentence Correction)

You have to get used to sitting continuously without moving your a#$ too much, without drinking water and without going to the loo.
Only the scheduled breaks between the sections allow you 10 minutes each.
Any unscheduled break in between results in deduction from the test time.
It is best to make best use of the optional breaks. Stretch yourself, keep breathing (silly it might sound, but don't stop breathing out of nervousness- your brain needs all the oxygen it can have)

2.For the test takers in and around Delhi who have
TESTING CENTER LOCATION
Pearson Professional Centers-New Delhi, India
18,Ramnath House
Yousuf Sarai Community Centre
Above Hyundai Show room
New Delhi-110016

They'll tell you: DIRECTIONS TO THE TESTING LOCATION
From AIIMS / SafdarJung Hospital crossing take any bus going towards IIT-Delhi. Get down at about 2 km at Indian Oil Building at Yusuf Sarai. Take a left turn. Ramnath House is in Yusuf Sarai Community Center, above Hyundai Showroom, opposite to Jet Airways office.

What they won't tell you is that the centre is on the 4th floor of the building and you better take the elevator even if you are claustrophobic.

3.Keep your cool.
>>>>>FOCUS<<<<<
Meditate prior to the test if necessary. But please don't think about your boyfriend(s)/ girlfriend(s) during the test. Think about nothing else.

4.Full -length-tests (FLTs) give you more than just confidence to face the test on the test day. It helps you build up your system to face reality.
At the beginning, I had difficulties in concentrating, and by the end of the 3rd section I used to feel.."Baas ab khatam ho"
Such thoughts are fatal. Get yourself conditioned. Get enough practice.

5. It's about attitude. The test takers are testing your LIMITATIONS. Don't lose your nerve if the questions become increasingly difficult. It only means you are doing well. You will need to be familiar with how the Computer Adaptive Test (CAT) works to understand this. (The computer assumes you have an average score in the beginning of the test and decides the next question depending on your response- hence, you can not get back to the previous question once you have confirmed your answer)

6. Treat each question as if it were scored. Smarties know there are "experimental" questions scattered all over the test. Only fools will try to guess which ones.

7.Answer every question. Leaving questions in a section will face more penalty than getting them wrong. If you are left with very less time at the end of a section, you have to make intelligent guess and move on. Don't struggle with a question. It's not worth it.

8. Pace yourself. Here again, the only saviour is PRACTICE.

9. If you are taking the Kaplan tests, don't let the scores disappoint you. You will have an increase of 60-100 in the total on test day. Trust Jai!

Now, with the easier part of applying to B-schools over, get ready for the next step.

*** Also, have a look here

The day I was proven wrong

This post is dedicated to Rachna and Siddharth who have restored my faith in humanity.

It began just like any other day. I was still solving some RC questions in my dreams when I woke up in the morning. By afternoon I decided it's time I watched Dhoom-2. (We were supposed to go for it on Monday, but my phone was on silent as usual.. and after 14 missed calls my friends gave up hope of reaching me)

In the evening, we tried Chanakya first..all the shows were housefull. Then we tried Sangam, got the balcony tickets (I had forgotten they existed. Courtesy: multiplexes)

We had some time before the show began so we decided to got to Qutab Institutional Area to have my fav Chicken paranthas in the Dhaba just opposite to IIFT.

But when we returned to Sangam, I realised I had lost my wallet on our way back from IIFT and it had the movie tickets in it, a debit card, some cash.. but most importantly -pics of my family.

There was no question of watching the movie ..I wasn't in the mood anymore.
I came back home and tried to call up the Citibank Helpline number. But everytime I tried to feed in my account number the voice said the ATM account has been closed. In a while, a Citi bank officer named Bhavna called up and I reported my loss. She said that the wallet has been found and a lady named Rachna has it. She wanted to verify a few details about my date-of-birth, mailing address etc. But I got suspicious. I asked her
"How can I give u my details just like that? How do I know u r really a bank officer and not somepone trying to misuse my card?"

My cynicism was met with pleasant amusement and she asked me to call up a Citibank helpline number and talk to a officer there.
I called up and gave my details. The contact number of the lady who had found my wallet was provided to me. She had taken the pain to get the card blocked.

The rest of the story is quite simple.
I called her up, she said her husband would be heading for Noida soon and I would get my wallet back. I was curious, I asked -How did u find my wallet??
She replied a man had found it lying on the street and not without a little stricture she said that fortunately it was found by someone who was not interested in the money. I asked if there were some photographs. She replied in affirmative and said that my passport size photograph had "Elsevier" written on its back. I confirmed it is the name of my project. And she added a word of advice: You should be more careful with your belongings!
But my bewilderment was more in intensity than my gladness.

She asked me where I lived and informed that her husband would be heading for Noida soon for his office.
I reached the gentleman's office and picked my wallet in due time (not without his verifying I was the girl in the photograph first ) . I just couldn't thank him enough.

He kidded about wanting to go to the movie themselves. I said" Oh you should have! At least the tickets would have been utilized!"
But then he said they had an one-year old kid and he had to come to office anyways.


I was still feeling incredulous.
And even while I script this post I can't help but wonder what made me lose the faith I had in people. Exactly when did I begin to believe that most people suffer from shortsightedness and view the world in terms of their needs and desires?

When did I become so skeptical of human nature and I found it difficult to believe the designs of my own species?

Rachna and Siddharth, I can't thank you enough. But if you are reading this I want to you to know- you have returned me more than just my wallet.

24-hour Citiphone Lines
Noida 0120 255 2484
Delhi 95-124-254-2484

Other citibank helpline numbers

Decode the female lingo

A friend of mine is presently the victim of "Adam-teasing" in his office. The female who is victimising him, owing to the most unfortunate device of the Devil himself , sits right behind him.
His plight, I find difficult to describe..and sometimes even more difficult to comprehend. And though he is terrified most of the times, I find the whole situation quite comical..much to the increment of his agony.
Sorry yaar! Can't help it.
Lolz..anyways, as one conversation leads to another, I discovered that no matter how different females are, they share a common vocab most of the times. So keep your dictionaries aside, and refer to this rather short word-list to know that what the girls are speaking is not Greek...but very much English.

Tweety : any fav soft toy. Typically the yellow canary in the Warner Bros- Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies series of animated cartoons. Be careful if a girl calls u Tweety..she might be hinting that she wants u as her soft toy.

Ghonchu: Any stupid guy whose gawkiness is rather cute. VERY special title. Be happy if the girl you like addresses u by that name. You need to qualify for this..oh trust me!

Stone-hearted: If she calls u this, it only means that she wants more attention from u. Now, if she's an ugly customer like that guy is facing, or rather has his back to ...it's a pretty difficult job! (Sigh! I have my sympathies with you. May you escape unscathed )

Guy pal: Typically the sexless, rather harmless creatures girls prefer hanging out with. Mostly for the comfort level they are eager to provide.

Boy friend: Rather confusing term and may have as many as 101 meanings and implications. Some girls mean they are simply dating him, some claim that they are romantically inclined, while others may say " He is just one step away from being ' my guy' "

My Guy: Refers to the guy she is ready to commit to or is already committed to. Even if he looks like a dry twig, don't wonder "What does this chap have that I don't???"..coz the female brain works in a mystical way..and the thought processes are very very very complex.

and finally

Bitch: Any female who's interested in "My Guy" or " My Guy" is tendentious towards..hence a threat.

("Bitch" is an interesting word.. See comment box )

Awaarapan... Banjarapan...

The sweetest melodies are those which tell us of our saddest thoughts.
There's something about this song from Jism; I always end up getting into an introspective mood .
Sometimes, when I lie awake at night and wonder- which are the instances where I had gone wrong? Something in my mind tells me - maybe this is going to take more than just one night..Lol

I guess it comes from the belief that " I am in control".
" I am in center"
I give meaning to my life.
And I , only I am responsible for my actions and their consequences.
People who believe in destiny or some cosmic device are happier, they don't end up talking to the mirror.
Waise dekha jaye to- I have nothing to complain about.I have all the comforts of an average girl, living a boring urban life.

But still, I lie awake, listening to that haunting song... and wondering...
Chuck it..who cares?

Elephants can remember

Maybe they do.. But I believe happiness consists in having a selective memory.
They say " Honsho jotha Ombu modhhat"... just like the Swan manages to pick its food from muddy water... we should derive the essence of an event and remember only what is pleasant. You might argue - "But what about the lessons?"
I'd say..forgive those who have wronged you, but don't forget their names...

Never ...forget your lessons...though you will be pleasantly surprised to know that there are exceptions.

My theory of selective remembrance may well be equated to having your own version of truth. Yes. But you are not lying to yourself. Reality , is very relative. My perception differs from you. Your perception differs from your best friend's. But you guys have sticked together for years...haven't you?

A difference of perception -> different line of reasoning -> difference in opinion
will always exist. Some think logically. They stress upon existing facts and figures. Some depend on prior experience. Like the way my Dad predicts the outcome of an event is ..well...eerie!! He is nearly always right...experience taught him I guess.

Women are attributed to have more intuition... and sometimes they are equally correct in prophesizing a result. (Yeah Mom , I was thinking about you)

Youth is naive and they probably do what they want to..
The "want to " can be a direct consequence of peer pressure, the urge to get noticed or to remain invisible (it works either way).Could be nothing at all.. a mere absence of the knowledge that it is better to streamline your efforts to achieve desirable results.

At 23, I can hardly be categorized anywhere. I want to grow up..but I know I should learn how to .
Someone observed "You are quite wise"
I replied" Not as much as I would like to be"
But I don't have any compunction about it. By the time I am 100, and the reporters interview me to list the most memorable experiences of my life, I am sure I will have plenty to share including :
1. My visit to a Buddhist monastery nestled in the mountains.
2. Learning to play piano from someone I know.
3. Seeing my first snowfall, and catching flakes with my tongue.
4. Getting my first book published.
...
and of course those little things that have happened already :)
(will list later when I find time )

If you are not the one...

"Perhaps luck exists somewhere between the world of planning, the world of chance, and the peace that comes from knowing that you just cant know it all " -Little Black Book

We spend our lifetime planning for a lifetime. Life's funny that way..once you let go of the wheel, you might end up right where you belong.

I could hear him sob from the other end of the phone...
I didn't know what to say and even if I did, I knew it wouldn't make sense...not to him right now.
We humans are too short-sighted, we can't see beyond the obvious...
if we could, we would have been thankful to the Supreme Reality (some call God) for not only what we have but also for what we do NOT have...

Changing Colors

Does it occur to you that you are not being happy ?
That you have become more irritable than you were before?
Do you feel that you have more friends than you ever had, and yet you never felt so lonely in your life?

No, I am not going to ask you to dial a helpline number.
Coz if that was the only solution, I'd have done it long back.
The reasons can be many- personal problems, pressure at workplace, expectations of your near ones to constantly live upto the image you have built for your self, the indomitable urge to excel always...

But the basic solution lies at one focal point - YOU

I believe happiness is a CHOICE, you have to CHOOSE TO BE HAPPY.
I might stand the peril of repeating myself, but this is my simple philosophy of life.
Do not only what pleases you, but also what makes you happy - truly.

ELIMINATE the factor that causes you grief and is the root cause of your emotional ill-being.
Once, someone said to me, "I don't encourage bitter experiences in my life"
I have the highest regards for that person becoz whatever I have known of him, I have found him to have a great capacity for happiness.

In the Moral Science classes at school, we were often given the instance of an empty water bottle. Father David (one of the best teachers I had) would ask us, "My dear children, if this bottle is empty, will I be able to quench my thirst?
If it doesn't have water inside, can it give water to me?
Similarly, you can't learn to love others unless you learn to love yourself first.
Because what you do not have, you can't give"

Someone pointed out that some of my posts had shades of Masochism.
I admit- pain did thrill me. Inflicting pain upon myself had a strange intoxicating effect. But after a while I realised..it is not all.
There might be 108 different shades of grey perceivable to the human eye..but there are more colors in life to add on the palette of life.

And so, I have decided to paint my variegated sky with the colors of my dreams.
I might win, I might lose. I might come back triumphant, I might not come back at all
Whatever happens, I will let you know...
till then
keep the faith