My MBA exam preparation story : Eeti Agarwal

We bring to you a success story of how Eeti Agarwal prepared for the MBA exams and the keys to her success !

1.Hello Eeti , warm welcome to IdeasMakeMarket.com. Tell us something about your journey so far.

Thank you IdeasMakeMarket.com.

Is there any way I can answer this question without being a narcissist? (*chuckles*).

I feel what defines me today is my motivation to accomplish which enables me to outgrow situational hurdles and work to the best of my potential. Living in three different cities across India for educational and professional purposes has taught me more about who I am and who I aspire to become.

Done with the pep talk, I did my schooling from City Montessori School, Lucknow and completed my graduation (B.Com(H)) from Hans Raj College, Delhi University.  I bagged a job offer for the role of an Investment banking Analyst at Verity Knowledge Solutions (UBS Affiliate) where I worked for approximately an year. My thirst to know and understand entrepreneurship made me land at TiE(The Indus Entrepreneurs) Delhi Chapter .  The social butterfly in me and the desire to work for the good cause always pushes to travel that extra mile and work with organizations like Bachpan, Make a Difference and Padhaku.

I quit my job last year to prepare for various MBA entrances. Now here I am, all set to pursue MBA from NMIMS, Mumbai  from Academic Year 2015-2016.

2.You have worked in quite challenging roles. How has that shaped your personality?

Well, one major takeaway from my association with TiE was understanding how important it is to communicate effectively. When you see big names like Sanjeev Bikchandani, Deep Kalra and other inspiring entrepreneurs visting your office, discussing things that matter, you are bound to communicate and put your thoughts into the right set of words.  Good communication can take you places!

Apart from the good things that happened, the challenges introduced me to something called “stress”.  Considering the workload, I often found myself wrapped up in stress . The mantra here was to prioritize what’s important and get things done. And have well maintained vent out zones (friends :P) to listen to your continuous rants.

3. Tell us about your life at Hans Raj College. What did you love the most?

The very mention of “Hans Raj” gives me the chills. The 3 year journey at Hans Raj is very close to my heart, not only because of the amazing memories that I created there but also to the plethora of opportunities that came knocking my door. I started with volunteering for various events in the 1^st year. In the 2^nd year I worked as a Coordintor for Placement Cell and Commerce Society. Working as the Vice President, Commerce Society in the 3^rd year taught me some very important lessons of management. It helped me to understand people better, taught me to work under stressful conditions and built right set of contacts. We ensured that there was complete transparency in the working of the society by ensuring that each member is accountable for every penny he spends. I was given the Colour Award, the highest recognition given by the college.

Staying and Studying in North campus gave me access to some absolutely wonderful people, societies and opportunities. I discovered  the all new myself.

4. How did you prepare for MBA exams? What was your key strategy for success?

Since I had quit my job in June 2014, I had good 4-5 months to prepare. The very first thing that I did was I got myself registered for a Test series. The first mock that I gave me a rough idea of where I stood and what level of preparation was required. I would rather say, that my preparation was entirely mock based. MBA exams tests you on your aptitude. True. But speed here plays a very important role. So for every topic that I prepared, I appeared for timed tests which helped me to a great extent. So, when I sat for the final exams, I found myself at peace! !

My key strategy was to identify my strengths and focus on them. For instance, I was quick with DI calculations. I found myself to be doing fairly well particularly at DI in mocks. Similarly, for the Verbal section RC and LR were my strengths and I knew however hard I tried I can never get my Para jumbles right.This was somewhat around the month of August. I had good 3 months in hand to work on it.  And at the end of the day I found it to be working in my favour.

5. One incident or key learning you would like to share with the MBA aspirants & readers

Tough question!

So during the one year of preparation, there were times when things appeared a little gloomy. When I found myself not performing upto the mark in the mocks, I had thoughts like “MBA is not my thing. I should probably get back to working, etc. etc” and other excuses to pull back myself from preparing.  One advice to everyone out there – Take a break, party, have fun but never, ever lose the sight of your goal in your head and that’s what will get you going.

6. How has IdeasMakeMarket helped you in your journey?

IMM extended a phenomenal support during my preparation. IMM takes a holistic approach towards addressing all your queries, however trivial they may be and at the end of the day you would find yourself much at ease. My CD/PI preparation was entirely taken care of by IMM. The mock interview and case discussions conducted by Abhirup prepared me thoroughly for THE DAY. I kept his pragmatic feedback in mind and found myself very comfortable during the actual CD and PI.

It proved to be a one stop solution to all my problems- choosing between colleges, how to tackle Personal Interviews,keep myself updated on various hot topics.

A big shoutout to the entire team of IMM!

7. Apart from studies and writing, what else interests you?

Origami! You would often find me making funny things with paper lying here and there. From boats and caps in childhood, I have learnt to make more refined forms of birds, flowers, paper bags, etc. Often waste material finds utilization through origami.

During the past one year, I have picked up on reading as well. I love reading various entrepreneurial journeys, “It happened in India” by Kishor Biyani is my personal favourite.

I ardently watch Secrets of Branding and Vital Stats of India on History TV. When you don’t feel like sitting on the internet, these series provide you the food that your brain needs. I also love to watch a couple of travel series on FoX traveller, my favourite being Dolche India!

8. What are your future plans?

My immediate plan is to get the most out of the next 2 years at NMIMS. And then get a foothold in the FMCG industry, particularly in the marketing domain.

In the long run I see myself as a successful entrepreneur working in my office and planning my next voyage. 🙂

Thank you!

We wish you the very best in your journey. Have a great career ahead !

MBA aspirants can reach her directly on our portal @eeti-agarwal .

Tags: Eeti Agarwal Exam Prep MBA NMIMS