Preparing for GMAT while trying to maintain a work-life balance can be a stressful ordeal. The fluctuating demands of a taxing 9-5 job, the ambition to grow personally as well as professionally and the drive to constantly develop a social network doesn’t come easy in combination with preparations for an exam which has the potential to shape the professional trajectory of your life. However – as they say – if you want something enough, you’ll make a way.
The first step towards managing my busy lifestyle along with my personal studies was being grateful for the opportunity to be in my position – to have a job offering multiple learning opportunities and the chance to further enhance my knowledge for my future. Instead of negatively approaching the workload as a burden, I acknowledged my luck to be an individual with tremendous scope for growth and learning. This change in perspective helped me to always strive for more, whether it was in academics or a workplace situation.
My strengths in logical reasoning and being able to prioritize work certainly helped me to decide how I devoted time to every aspect in life, whether it was work or fun. A healthy balance between the two prevented feelings of monotony and aimlessness from brewing. Organizing my day by putting together a timetable kept me accountable and reinforced a sense of control over my day. Frequent mock tests helped me to track my progress and pinpoint my weak points. Additional resources and persistent revision came to my aid in trying to work on the weak points. As I became more comfortable with the areas I was not very confident about, my scores gradually experienced an upturn. Support from my friends and family was always helpful.
Preparing for GMAT was an experience unlike any other. I have learnt about things that extend the bounds of academics – the discipline that grew in me along with a new perspective of looking at responsibilities is something that I’ll always carry forward, even in the future. These qualities of patience, discipline and persistence that I imbibed in the process helped me to grow personally as well.
-Mridul Kaushik, PGP Co’23