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You have spent many a days attending classes, giving mock tests, competing with fellow aspirants, et al, and many a sleepless nights with your nose buried in the books. Soon all
your hard work would be put to test. This very thought is enough to give anyone the jitters. So, no wonder many students suffer from the so-called 'CAT Scare'. And this fear gets all the more pronounced as the examination day approaches!

CAT, as popularly believed, is not just the test of Quantitative or Verbal Prowess. The top B-schools are more interested in your ability to handle uncertainty and stress. Numerous studies conducted by psychoanalysts have shown that 'stress', as opposed to general notion, is not entirely bad; it can have both a positive and a negative effect on us. As a positive influence, stress can help compel us into action; we all thrive under a certain amount of stress. Deadlines, competitions, confrontations, give us a new awareness and perspective. Simply put, stress can be our driving force. Thus, our goal should not be to eliminate stress but to learn how to manage it in a way that it works for us rather than against us!

Managing Stress

At the macro level, you must always keep in mind that you are gearing up to appear for an examination which aims at testing whether or not you have the requisite skill set to make a good manager. And as a manager, you would be required to face innumerous stressful situations, hence, it's a must that you learn how to handle stress effectively. And, at a micro level - focusing on only the next few days - now is the time that you must begin training yourself to avoid the influence of anxiety on your performance in the CAT.

Here are some tips for better stress management.

From Now Till the Day of the Examination

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* Contributed by -
Jasveen Grewal is an alumnus of New Delhi's International Management Institute (IMI). She is a Verbal Faculty at Top Careers and You (www.tcyonline.com), the leaders in MBA, MCA, GRE & GMAT preparation in Punjab.