CLATdoscope

7 months and change. That is the amount of time left to You-Know-What.

This is probably the time of the CLAT year that one begins to hyperventilate, feel swamped by work, feel as if nothing has been accomplished and nothing ever will be. Time seems to be going by too fast and yet everything is at a standstill, preparation and progress trudging on at a snail’s pace. The weather is enunciated by frequent 30 second dance sessions and pity parties where the world is against you.

Stop the frenzy. Breathe. Think. Analyse.

Here are my two cents on the whole shebang, as a CLAT survivor.

For those writing the boards in 2018 as well, the next few weeks are probably the only time where you can dedicate your time towards bettering your CLAT chances. Soon, invariably, your focus on the boards will increase and CLAT will be pushed to the backburner. This can be dangerous. You could lose touch and your hard earned knowledge, proficiency, speed and accuracy could actually deteriorate. Even if your time is majorly concentrated on the board exams, do not completely turn a blind eye to the law entrance exams. Keep working on GK, stay up to date with current events. Solve a mock just for the sake of it or do a set of logic, legal or English questions instead. This is also a great way to take a break from the monotony of studying school subjects.

It is imperative that you take mocks regularly. (Do check out the CLATGyan Test Series, 2018!). However, the key is not to mindlessly and numbly take mocks and forget about it. Analyse the mocks till the cows come home. Go through the mock and the answer key repeatedly until you have gleaned every nugget of information about your performance that you possibly could have. Pin point your strengths and weaknesses, your accuracy rate and speed, your rank and your score. Use this data to create a tailor made action plan. Cross reference the various mocks you did and look for any patterns. Attempt the same mocks over and over to ensure you learn from your mistakes. And don’t keep the answer key in peeking distance, that hasn’t helped anybody. Don’t bend the rules with time either. The online format has only minimised any human error that could give you those precious extra few seconds. If anything the thing could malfunction and reduce the time you have.

It is crucial to solve past years’ papers. Not only does it help when the paper setters repeat the same questions, but it also prepares you to solve papers of any pattern, calmly.

Speaking of calm, do not give in to the panic. Not now and most certainly not from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. on the second Sunday of May, 2018.

Ensure you keep taking breaks and don’t blow a fuse. This is no time to burn out. Think Emma Watson, not Amanda Bynes.

And it breaks my heart to say this, but this is probably not the best time to get addicted to anything. And yes, I mean those beloved, alluring, television shows. I know the coming episode of Suits in January has everyone on edge, but there will be plenty of time to watch that while you are procrastinating in law school instead of working on your paper that is due the next day. Just kidding, I totally study all the time.

Remember, there is no ‘one size fits all’ approach to studying for anything, much less an entrance exam as temperamental and sadistic as CLAT. Figure out what works best for you.

Keep working hard, the finish line is in sight, and we at CLATGyan are cheering the hardest.

May the odds be ever in your favour.

Aishwarya Birla
CLAT 2015 – AIR 64
Class of 2020, NALSAR University of Law.