The Journey of Managing CLAT: A Dropper's Perspective

It was a turbulent experience to be honest. As a dropper, I carried the pressure of a previous attempt, which ultimately turned disastrous during my CLAT 2022 experience. This is a meta-review of my journey, from the morning of the exam day to the relief of receiving the results.

The Morning of the Exam

My alarm rang early in the morning, at around 5:15, and it was raining heavily outside. I trusted my father to drop me at the railway station, and I boarded the train at 7:00. By 10:00, I reached Trivandrum, and I then stayed at my relative's house for a couple of hours before heading to the exam center at 12:20. The center was overcrowded, and I started to panic as the pressure was palpable. By 1:15, we were all asked to rush inside, and by 1:30, we were seated. Telling myself not to panic, I still found it challenging to stay composed.

The Exam Experience

My first section was General Knowledge (GK), and I made a critical mistake. In CLAT mocks, I typically scored around 20–25, but by 2:05, I had marked only 11 questions. Panic and fear consumed me; it felt like a disaster unfolding. For the next 15 minutes, I did not attempt any questions. I tried reading sections from Legal and Logic, but nothing helped. My anxiety was spiraling out of control, and I felt like my blood pressure was dropping. I could see my dreams shattering, my hours of preparation in vain, and ultimately my parents' hopes crumbling. By 2:20, I made what I consider the best decision in my life: I switched to the English section, which ultimately helped me.

I slowly regained my composure and completed the rest of the sections: English, Legal, Logic, and Mathematics. I finished the exam before the time was up, marking only two answers for the final set before the clock stopped. After the exam, I ran away from the center and got on the earliest train home, unable to bear people boasting about their attempts. I did not even check the answer key, and even today, I do not know my exact scores in each section. I simply told everyone that the paper was difficult and that I had overthought how my career would pan out.

Exam Aspirations and Reality

Before CLAT, I aspired to study at NLS, NALS, NRU, or through AILET. However, after my CLAT 2022 experience, my only aspiration was to secure a seat at National University of Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS) in Kochi. My overthinking analysis predicted that I might get a rank of 1200, putting me in the domicile category for NUALS.

RESULT DAY: A Surprise Victory

The stress mounted as the day of the results approached. I visited a temple twice and convinced my parents to be more serious in the future. Finally, on RESULT DAY, the stress was unbearable. After a series of fake results, I finally received my results. To my surprise, I secured AIR 171 with marks of 99.25. My happiness overflowed, as words could not express it.

Reflecting on this journey, I learned a valuable lesson in stress management and the importance of staying composed. Despite the setbacks, I emerged victorious. If you are a dropper, like me, and facing similar challenges, remember that perseverance and composed handling of stress can lead to success.