“Failures Are Proof You’re Trying” – What CAT Toppers Don’t Show on Instagram

“Failures Are Proof You’re Trying” – What CAT Toppers Don’t Show on Instagram

Planning to give CAT 2025 but worried whether you will crack the exam or the exam will crack you? No worries, champ, if you succeed you will gain; if not, you will learn.
Remember the proverb, Failure is the stepping stone to success. At least you are trying your best; some don’t fill out the form because of the fear of ‘failure.’ Don’t worry; failure is only a stepping stone, not the end.
In this article, we will discuss why failures are proof that you are trying and how to overcome them.

Failure does not mean you lost

The concept of failure as a stepping stone to success necessitates an understanding that losing and taking wrong turns along the way can initiate the learning and growing process, ultimately leading to success.
When we measure progress in life, failure appears to be a negative, but it is the final step toward success. It is critical to understand that failure allows a person to learn, grow, and move forward.
Moreover, failure strengthens a person more than ever. It is an excellent teacher who can impart valuable lessons that success cannot. Failure also helps us develop our personalities and empathy. It humbles our nature and teaches us to care for others.
To turn failure into a stepping stone to success, you can:

Recognize and accept failure as part of the process
Learn from your mistakes
Reframe your perspective
Keep trying
Celebrate your failures
Surround yourself with positive influences
Adopt a growth mindset
Set realistic goals
Maintain a positive mindset

How does failure affect the individual?
Indeed, failure can change our lives. It leads us out of our comfort zone and encourages a riskier approach in life. All it takes to succeed is to take chances, learn from mistakes, and keep trying.

What Toppers Don’t Show on their Instagram accounts?
Toppers live a simple life of success on Instagram, but in reality, they are photographing their actual studying, proper time management and concept clarity, rather than just facts.

Here is a closer look at what "toppers" might be hiding on Instagram:
Focus and Dedication:
Toppers may minimize the time they devote to studying, giving the impression that they achieve high grades effortlessly.
Study Strategies:
They might not talk about their techniques, such as applying the Pomodoro technique to maintain intense study sessions or breaking down complex topics into much smaller, manageable sections.
Stress Management:
Most of the toppers will not talk about the stress and pressure of exams and the techniques used to overcome it, such as some relaxation techniques, or prioritizing sleep and exercise at those times.
Social Media Usage:
Although it seems that they are busy with social media, they may have rules governing such inclusion within their setup, thus so that they can stick with their studies.
Self-Doubt and Insecurity:
Some toppers may even be motivated by self-doubt, using it as an incentive to work harder and achieve greater heights.
Understanding vs. Memorization:
Rather than cramming for exams, the toppers ensure that they understand those core concepts and principles, which allow them to remember and apply the knowledge better.
Time Management:
They know how to manage their time, prioritize their tasks, and allocate their time wisely to balance their academic obligations along with other activities.
Organization:
They may be organized tracking their assignments, deadlines, and study materials using tools and strategies.
Active Participation:
Frequently, the toppers are seen participating actively in class discussions and asking for clarifications of the topics that they find hard to comprehend so that they can keep broadening their knowledge and understanding.
Self-Assessment:
They're in the habit of regularly assessing their performance and identifying areas that require improvement so that they can modify their study tactics accordingly.
They make these assessments and determine where to work on improvements in their study techniques.

Mistakes committed by students during CAT preparation
Giving too many mocks without preparation:
The idea of giving too many mocks has developed recently. Students preparing for the CAT read success stories from other students and attempt to replicate their strategies. Toppers who took mock exams understand their strengths and weaknesses, so they gave mocks before the exam, with confidence.
These students have completed their concepts and only need mocks to maximize their score. Ideally, they give 10 to 20 mocks after thoroughly preparing all of the concepts and topics. If an aspirant only gives mocks to complete the syllabus, his efforts will be futile because low scores will demotivate him. To avoid making this mistake, a student should assess her current level of preparation and decide how many mocks he/she will give. Use the lessons from each mock to improve any weak areas.

Overconfidence:
Overconfidence is the ruthless killer for poor performance and low percentile. Most of the students consider themselves considerably superior to the others and presume that it would be a piece of cake for him or her. This type of behavior is what causes CAT failure.
A student should never have this attitude while preparing for or taking the CAT. Prepare with confidence, but do not stress on exam day; this will get you far in the CAT. Do not waste time on things that do not matter. Concentrate on CAT preparation; analyze your strengths, and work on your weaknesses. Assess yourself and study smartly, focusing on your weaknesses without becoming stressed during the exam or preparation.

Overemphasis on one section during CAT preparation:
Students preparing for CAT give importance to one or two sections and leave the other section during the CAT preparation. For example, a student tends to emphasize a lot on the Quants and Verbal ability section and ignores the DI and LR section.
All three sections in the exam are of equal mark weightage, and ignoring one section may fetch you a lower percentile.
Rectifying these mistakes will lead you toward success in the CAT Exam.

Final Thoughts
It is difficult to pass the exam on the first or second try unless one has been in good shape for at least 10 to 15 mocks and has extra resources to withstand a tougher paper.
Now that you know everything about the CAT exam, you can move forward. If you fail, learn from your mistakes, improve your strategy, and try again with a more positive mindset.

Sambhavi Prakash