u/Dear_Landscape1072

Scared to give CAT – Average student, weak in Maths, 6/7/7 profile, 12 months experience, ST male, non-engineer

Hi everyone,

I'm feeling extremely anxious and would really appreciate some honest advice.

6/7/7 academic profile.

ST category.

Male, non-engineer.

Around 12 months of work experience.

Very weak in Maths.

Preparing for CAT but constantly doubting myself.

Lately I've been reading a lot of Reddit posts about:

Toxic MBA culture.

Post-MBA work-life balance.

Crazy working hours and constant grinding.

People saying IIM tags don't matter as much as everyone thinks.

Placement struggles and layoffs.

Education loan pressure.

After reading all of this, I've become genuinely scared.

My biggest fears are:

What if I somehow crack CAT but nothing good happens afterward?

What if I take a huge education loan and don't get placed?

What if I never earn enough to repay the loan?

Worst case, what if I don't get into an IIM and end up in a lower-tier college with poor placements?

What if all this hard work ends up making my life worse instead of better?

Right now I'm feeling 100x more demotivated than motivated. It has reached a point where I'm wondering if I should just give up on my MBA dream before it turns into a nightmare.

Has anyone else gone through this phase? 

Especially people who were average students .

I would really appreciate honest advice, success stories, or even reality checks. I just want to know if these fears are normal or if I'm chasing something that isn't worth it.

Thank you.

Scared to give CAT – Average student, weak in Maths, 6/7/7 profile, 12 months experience, ST male, non-engineer

Hi everyone,

I'm feeling extremely anxious and would really appreciate some honest advice.

6/7/7 academic profile.

ST category.

Male, non-engineer.

Around 12 months of work experience.

Very weak in Maths.

Preparing for CAT but constantly doubting myself.

Lately I've been reading a lot of Reddit posts about:

Toxic MBA culture.

Post-MBA work-life balance.

Crazy working hours and constant grinding.

People saying IIM tags don't matter as much as everyone thinks.

Placement struggles and layoffs.

Education loan pressure.

After reading all of this, I've become genuinely scared.

My biggest fears are:

What if I somehow crack CAT but nothing good happens afterward?

What if I take a huge education loan and don't get placed?

What if I never earn enough to repay the loan?

Worst case, what if I don't get into an IIM and end up in a lower-tier college with poor placements?

What if all this hard work ends up making my life worse instead of better?

Right now I'm feeling 100x more demotivated than motivated. It has reached a point where I'm wondering if I should just give up on my MBA dream before it turns into a nightmare.

Has anyone else gone through this phase? Especially people who were average students .

I would really appreciate honest advice, success stories, or even reality checks. I just want to know if these fears are normal or if I'm chasing something that isn't worth it.

Thank you.

I'm 22M from India and I'm feeling overwhelmed because I have too many goals and not enough time. I have a full-time HR job (around 10:45 AM–7:30 PM) and by the time I get home I'm mentally exhausted.

These are all the things I want to achieve at the same time:

Lose weight (currently around 89 kg, goal is around 74–75 kg).

Build muscle, get stronger, improve my powerlifting numbers, and eventually get visible abs.

Start running and improve my cardio.

Follow a proper skincare routine to reduce tanning, hyperpigmentation, acne marks, and get clearer, brighter skin.

Prepare seriously for CAT 2026 while working full-time because I want to get into a top MBA college.

Sleep 7–8 hours consistently.

Eat a healthy vegetarian diet while staying within a budget.

Save money every month for my future while also planning to buy a laptop.

Reduce screen time, stop procrastinating, and stay disciplined.

The problem is that I feel like every goal is important, so I try to do everything at once and end up doing almost nothing consistently. I often come home tired after work, scroll on my phone, and then feel guilty that I didn't study, work out, run, or follow my skincare properly.

For people who have managed a demanding full-time job while preparing for CAT or another competitive exam and also stayed fit, how did you structure your day? What should I prioritize first? Is it realistic to do all of this together, or should I focus on one or two goals at a time? I'd really appreciate practical advice, sample schedules, or any personal experiences.

I'm 22M from India and I'm feeling overwhelmed because I have too many goals and not enough time. I have a full-time HR job (around 10:45 AM–7:30 PM) and by the time I get home I'm mentally exhausted.

These are all the things I want to achieve at the same time:

- Lose weight (currently around 89 kg, goal is around 74–75 kg).

- Build muscle, get stronger, improve my powerlifting numbers, and eventually get visible abs.

- Start running and improve my cardio.

- Follow a proper skincare routine to reduce tanning, hyperpigmentation, acne marks, and get clearer, brighter skin.

- Prepare seriously for CAT 2026 while working full-time because I want to get into a top MBA college.

- Sleep 7–8 hours consistently.

- Eat a healthy vegetarian diet while staying within a budget.

- Save money every month for my future while also planning to buy a laptop.

- Reduce screen time, stop procrastinating, and stay disciplined.

The problem is that I feel like every goal is important, so I try to do everything at once and end up doing almost nothing consistently. I often come home tired after work, scroll on my phone, and then feel guilty that I didn't study, work out, run, or follow my skincare properly.

For people who have managed a demanding full-time job while preparing for CAT or another competitive exam and also stayed fit, how did you structure your day? What should I prioritize first? Is it realistic to do all of this together, or should I focus on one or two goals at a time? I'd really appreciate practical advice, sample schedules, or any personal experiences.