Music was an integral part of CAT (Common Admission Test) preparation for Amrit Anwesh. Well, it wouldn't actually be a stretch to go as far as to say that it's an integral part of his life. All kinds of music, from Old Hindi songs to strange Japanese music find their way into the 21-year-old's playlist, which he resorts to when he is not studying or doing mock tests. Or he'll strum away on his guitar. Again, it won't be a stretch to say that music has helped him score 99.98 per cent CAT 2021, making him the state topper in Odisha.

Well, putting aside music, what really helped Amrit's cause was that he was preparing for GRE simultaneously. "Since GRE also has verbal and quant sections and is, in some ways, more extensive than CAT, it helped me a lot," says the final-year student pursuing his Electrical Engineering from National Institute of Technology, Rourkela (NIT-R). Given his Engineering background, the Math problems were easier, the verbal section was where he worked harder since he started preparing from August 2021.

YouTube came to the rescue every time and was central to his strategy. Any concept that needed explaining or doubts that needed clearing — Amrit found a video for everything. Then there were the four to five mock tests which he would dissect as much as he could. "I took my time to understand where I took more time, where I was weak and which questions I was stressing over. This helped me strategise for the exam," shares the Bhubaneswar-born youngster. And that's why, before the exam, he got a night of sound sleep and next day, arrived early at the venue to familiarise himself with the environment.  

Having written GRE and having applied to universities as well and now, having cracked CAT, Amrit's plans have certainly changed. "I am leaning towards being accepted into IIMs like Ahemdabad, Bengaluru, Calcutta or Kozhikode," shares the youngster. You might call it a long and ambitious list, but the youngster doesn't want to settle for anything but the best. Why? Because ultimately, he wants to be an entrepreneur dedicated to the service of the nation.