How to start your preparation for GD, PI, and WAT?
Well, it is that time of the year where you need to worry about the second stage of preparation and wrap your heads around it.
Primarily speaking, there are three things you need to prepare for:
- Group Discussions (this activity is becoming increasingly obsolete from the B-school admission process and most schools have shifted to essay writing instead)
- Personal Interview
- Written Assessment Test/Essay Writing
But you knew the above already? Well, let’s discuss things that you need to keep in mind for the above.
Time for the Five Tips that get you started for the Second Stage!
- Identify a good mentor/sounding board
It is critical to have a good mentor/trainer/sounding board at this stage of the preparation. This is the time when you need continuous evaluation and it is best to have someone who has gone through the process. Peer group preparation is of limited value at this stage (can be good for increasing your general knowledge but not awareness about these selection tools).
Your first preference for a good mentor should be someone who is local and someone you can interact with. All major cities have specialists who help with this round of preparation. If you cannot find any such person in your vicinity, then find a mentor online. Honest suggestion: use online preparation as a supplement here and not as the main ingredient.
- Self-awareness is key
Most students fail to answer two basic questions about themselves:
- Why MBA?
- Introduce yourself
If you do not know the answers for these questions, then you probably should not be preparing for MBA! As simple as that!
Make sure you take some time out from your daily activities, place yourself in some corner away from the world and figure out the answers to these questions.
Remember, all of us are unique individuals with unique qualities. At times, it is simply about understanding these qualities and accepting/embracing yourself. Clichéd but true: The answers lie within you!
For Why MBA, I need you to do one simple thing: find people from different MBA streams, talk them, understand what it is all about and then identify why you wish to take up any particular MBA field. This forms the best possible answer for this question! Remember, all about self-awareness. Understand what you wish to do and why do you wish to do so.
- Do not shy away from honest feedback
Most of us shy away from honest feedback. We are scared of criticism and cringe when exposed to honest, scathing criticism. But you need to understand: this is where you desperately need criticism that helps you correct your errors. Make sure you do run away from criticism and make the desired changes.
- Read and watch great stuff: Learn continuously
This is the stage where you need to read great material and watch good videos (TED videos are a good starting point). Go through previous experiences of people who have done it before you and use these to formulate your approach for this process. Put yourself in mock situations and try to understand how you would cope with the scenarios mentioned.
Make sure you work on your general awareness (remember, it is not about facts but about how you comprehend what is happening around you).
- Start making notes and start writing!
I am being very honest with you: it takes time to form perfect answers for common interview questions and improving your writing skills.
Start now! Start today! Start to compose answers for all common interview questions and at the same time, start writing daily. Nothing improves your writing skills more than writing itself.
Pick up some general topics and try to write articles for the same. Also, if nothing comes to mind, start a daily diary. Every day, your aim is to write one full page. With time, you can start to critically evaluate the same.
These are five things you can start with. In January, we will be completing a full set of articles for GD, PI, and Essay writing preparation. So tuned for much such stuff!
