The Quantitative section was an annoyance for me

……says Raina Burbure a Bachelor of Engineering in IT in conversation with Reshma Majithia. A National Talent Scholarship winner and Maharashtra Talent Search Examination (MTSE) winner twice in a row, she is also a state level chess and badminton player. She is currently doing her MBA from IIM Kozhikode and her hobbies involve dancing, cooking, and solving Sudoku as well as word puzzles

Why an MBA?
During my BE, I was associated with organising national level events on a large scale. The kind of work we needed to do and the challenges we faced were different and exciting, it was then, that I decided on a career in management.

What were the weakest areas when you started for CAT? How did you work on them?
The Quantitative section was an annoyance for me. I wanted a mathematics free paper. Also building good vocabulary was a challenge to meet the level required for CAT. Vocabulary preparation continued on a regular basis with the help of newspapers and reading a number of novels. For the QA section I timed myself and covered topics that were taught by my instructors at IMS and I made sure I practiced them on a regular basis. Also Sundays were dedicated to solving sample papers.

Tell us about your selection experience at IIM-K highlighting the structure and the way the process is conducted.
During my time we had GD/PI process plus an essay. The GD and essay were my strong areas and I did fare well in that. However, I was a bit nervous with the PI, but the guidance given to me by my mentor at IMS Mr.Ganesh Zine helped me to a large extent.

How was your experience with the GD and interview? What were the most valuable lessons that you learnt from that experience?
The GD was the best I ever had as compared to the mock ones. I guess the benefit of reading newspapers helped me a lot as I could quote a lot of examples, which gave me an edge over the others. Lessons learnt were, don’t hurry, think and speak, try to come up with something different, compliment others, if someone is trying to make a point give them a chance and the most important would be building on points of your fellow members.

What would you like to advice the MBA aspirants who probably long to be in your shoes?
Read all kinds of articles and google the ones you find most interesting, so that you are able to quickly come up with thoughts and ideas. Sleep a lot and do not tire yourself out, avoid stress but be dedicated to your work. Time-management is important. Be ready to work with a diverse set of people, as it could be a blend of grievance and fun.