CLAT Essentials is proud to present one of our own — Aranya Sen, who secured his place at NLU Odisha (NLUO). Meet Aranya — a student whose journey is a testament to resilience, perseverance, and the importance of never giving up on your goals.
Like many aspirants, Aranya’s path to law school was filled with uncertainty. Despite putting in immense effort, the results initially seemed to point him towards taking a drop year and preparing for CLAT all over again. With determination and clarity of purpose, he had already begun preparing himself for another attempt. But sometimes, persistence has a way of opening unexpected doors. When he secured admission to NLU Odisha, everything changed.
Today, Aranya is pursuing B.A. LL.B. (Hons.) at NLU Odisha, carrying with him the lessons learned through every setback, challenge, and moment of self-doubt. His story serves as a powerful reminder that one examination, one rank, or one disappointing result does not define your future. Often, opportunities arrive when you least expect them, provided you stay committed to the process.
In this interview, Aranya sits down with CLAT Essentials to reflect on his preparation journey, the emotional highs and lows of the admission process, the mindset that kept him going, and the advice he would give to every aspirant facing uncertainty. If you’ve ever questioned whether your hard work will pay off, this is a conversation you won’t want to miss.
Q. What motivated your decision to pursue a career in law?
There was no such concrete motivation; law was the only professional course that was left to me after deciding to take Humanities. I chose a career in law mainly by negating other choices.
Q. Could you outline the daily routine you adhered to during your preparation? Specifically, how did you structure your day to ensure effective study hours versus necessary breaks?
My routine during my Grade 12 preparation was fairly structured around school. I would return home by around 3:30 pm, and from there until 6:30 pm, I would decompress, going out, meeting friends, and simply giving my mind a genuine break. I firmly believe that rest and recreation are not a luxury during preparation; they are a necessity. Burning yourself out by studying through every available hour is counterproductive, and that wind-down time kept me mentally fresh and motivated.
From 6:30 pm onwards, I would settle in and study until midnight. That roughly five-and-a-half-hour block in the evening was where the serious work happened. Studying at a fixed time each day also helped condition my mind; over time, it became easier to focus because my brain knew what to expect at that hour.
The key takeaway is consistency over intensity. A predictable, sustainable routine that you can actually stick to will always outperform an aggressive schedule that burns you out within weeks.
Q. The decision to take a drop is rarely easy; there’s societal pressure, self-doubt, and uncertainty. How did you mentally prepare yourself for the drop year before it even began? And how did you know it was right for you?
It was not an easy yes at all. I met with mentors at CLat Essentials, prepared a list of pros and cons between NUJS (with a drop year) and NLUO. It was sir’s and my parents’ advice that I physically go to Odisha and take up the opportunity if it arises.
I did not feel like I was giving up on what I set out to prove during the drop, the main reason being that I considered NLUO a good enough option, and I saw it from the perspective of taking a conscious decision towards certainty.
Q.When you decided to take a drop, NLUO wasn’t in the picture yet — it was a straight-up bet on yourself. What was the moment or realisation that made you think this score isn’t where I need to be, and how did you convince yourself the drop was worth the risk when there were no guarantees?
I am from a humanities background, and law was the only professional course left for me. I had already decided that I would only study law in the general quota of Tier 1 or Tier 2 NLU’s. My rank in CLAT 2024 was 3332, which wasn’t good enough for a Tier 1 or Tier 2 NLU in the general quota.
I had already enrolled myself in a college in West Bengal in a BA course in History. So, for me, the risk was almost nullified, as it was all or nothing. It was either a T1 or T2 NLU in 2025 or B.A. History without a year loss. So, taking a drop became an option. But it is very important to understand that I had still applied for vacancies in multiple colleges.
Taking a drop is not something that can be decided suddenly, it requires deliberation and interaction with experienced individuals.
Q. The preparation journey is often long and arduous. How did you navigate periods of burnout or suboptimal performance in your mock tests to maintain your momentum?
The preparation journey is undoubtedly a marathon, and navigating periods of burnout or hitting a plateau in mock test scores was one of the most challenging aspects of the process. When those difficult phases hit, I managed to maintain my momentum primarily through the strength of my support system. My family and friends served as my emotional anchors, offering a safe space to step back and reset whenever the pressure became overwhelming.
Professionally, my mentors at Clat Essentials played a pivotal role in keeping me on track; he helped me deconstruct suboptimal performances objectively, transforming frustrating test results into constructive learning opportunities rather than sources of anxiety. By shifting my mindset to view mock tests as diagnostic tools rather than final verdicts, and leaning heavily on the encouragement of those around me, I was able to accept that progress isn’t always linear and find the drive to keep moving forward.
Q. CLAT is distinct for its high-pressure, speed-intensive nature. How did you manage exam-day anxiety, and did you utilize any specific techniques to maintain composure during the test?
Consistently taking mock tests was, without a doubt, the most effective tool for mastering exam-day anxiety. By the time I sat for the actual CLAT, my mind and body were so conditioned to the routine that the real exam felt like just another mock; the pressure was definitely there, but it was entirely manageable. On a personal note, I found that doodling during the test helped maintain my focus, a habit I developed during practice and carried into the final exam. Whether it is doodling or taking a brisk walk right before the paper, I highly encourage aspirants to use their mock sessions to experiment and discover what uniquely centers them.
Tactically, remember that you are never restricted to the printed section order of the question paper. Play to your strengths by tackling your best sections first to build early momentum. Crucially, master the art of skipping; never allow a single difficult passage to drain your time and energy. Secure the accessible marks with confidence, and return to the tougher questions later with a calmer mindset. Ultimately, top rankers aren’t those who find the paper easy, but those who refuse to let the pressure derail their execution.
Q. With the abundance of study material available, could you list the primary resources, books, periodicals, or platforms that you found most indispensable to your success?
For the core sections outside of General Knowledge, my preparation was anchored in CE theory books and workbooks. To sharpen my skills in Logic and English, I integrated past-year questions from the GMAT and LSAT into my practice. For Mathematics, I built a strong foundation using R.S. Aggarwal for intensive practice, while using topic-specific online tests to evaluate my speed and accuracy.
General Knowledge demanded a much more structured and deliberate strategy. I systematically tackled a comprehensive list of over 300 topics curated by Clat Essentials, alongside standard monthly compendiums from trusted online platforms. When compiling my notes, I leaned heavily on reliable sources like Drishti IAS, official government portals, and mainstream newspaper articles. In the final stretch leading up to the exam, concise YouTube one-shot videos and specialized online capsules were incredibly helpful for quick reviews. Ultimately, mastering GK came down to two things: relentless revision and actively treating mock tests as learning tools to discover new topics and varied question formats.
Q. How instrumental were mock tests in your overall preparation strategy? Specifically, how did they aid in your conditioning for the actual exam environment?
Mock tests were the cornerstone of my preparation. Taking a sufficient number of them builds crucial speed and helps you lock in an optimal exam-day strategy, removing all guesswork by the time you face the actual paper. Beyond refining performance, mocks are invaluable for building stress resilience and mapping out your exact strengths and weaknesses across different subjects and question types, ultimately allowing you to channel your remaining study time where it matters most.
Q. Beyond merely attempting mock tests, how did you approach the post-test analysis? Did you maintain a systematic record of errors to track your improvement?
Attempting a mock test without a thorough analysis is, as Rajneesh Sir always emphasized, a complete waste of time. Early on, I dedicated three to four hours to personally review each test, a process that naturally became faster and more efficient as I gained experience. Following my individual review, I collaborated with peers, either at the center or via group video calls, to resolve doubts collectively, before taking any lingering questions to my mentors for final clarity.
I also sought my CE mentor’s personalized feedback after every single mock, leveraging his deep expertise to fine-tune my approach. To keep myself accountable, I maintained an organized Excel sheet to log my scores and progress, which I shared directly with my mentor. This systematic tracking not only made my growth visible but also ensured our strategy conversations were data-driven and highly productive.
Q. Time management is critical in a 120-minute examination. Could you walk us through your section-attempt strategy?
Effective time management is a cornerstone of exam strategy, and while every question paper demands a slightly different approach, something you naturally discover through mocks and analysis, I found great success with a specific framework. I treated these time allocations as strict upper limits, allowing 25 minutes for English, 10 minutes for General Knowledge, 25 minutes for Logical Reasoning, 30 minutes for Legal Reasoning, and 15 minutes for Quantitative Techniques. Adhering to this structure left me with a crucial 15-minute buffer that I could flexibly allocate to whichever section demanded it most, a cushion that proved absolutely invaluable during the actual examination.
Q. In hindsight, is there any aspect of your preparation strategy that you would alter or improve upon if given the chance?
If given a chance, I would be more consistent with my preparation and listen and follow what my mentors told me to.
Q. Based on your experience, what is your primary advice for future aspirants targeting CLAT 2027?
Stay calm. Take Mathematics seriously and practice it consistently. Attempt plenty of mocks, invest fully in your preparation, and trust the process. This journey requires hard work, but with focus and consistency, everything will fall into place.
Q. Did you take up any dedicated mentoring support, and how important do you think one-on-one mentoring from experienced educators is in shaping a student’s CLAT preparation?
I did take mentoring support at Clat Essentials. One-on-one mentoring is very important for CLAT, and I found my mentors at Clat Essentials to be the best suited for me. Every journey needs a roadmap, and a mentor will give you the roadmap; it is highly important.
Q. The comprehension-heavy format of CLAT rewards strong readers. Was reading always a habit for you, or did you consciously build it during prep — and if so, how?
Reading was already a habit for me, but I personally believe that developing the habit of reading is not a difficult task.
Start with newspapers, force yourself to read the paper for 7 days, and you will automatically find yourself intrigued to read the paper on the 8th day (this was how I started reading the newspaper). Every habit is something that has previously been done continuously and consistently.
Q. What do you think was the most common mistake CLAT aspirants make?
I am not aware of what mistakes fellow aspirants made that killed their rank, as for me, indiscipline and inconsistency were the biggest mistakes that I made.
Q. Comparison with peers is one of the most silent yet damaging traps during CLAT prep. Did you ever fall into it, and how did you learn to block out that noise?
I never had the habit of competitive comparison due to my upbringing. But at the same time, I did compare my position with my peers, and through the All-India mock tests to understand my own position and prospects, this is very important, and not doing that might prove fatal.
As I did not face it, I cannot accurately advise someone on how to stop the habit of comparison. My only advice is to set your priorities straight and do what you are here to do.
Q. Finally, what is your message to students who are currently weighing whether to take a drop for CLAT 2027 — both those who should take it and those who perhaps shouldn’t?
There can be two possible scenarios here: someone has an NLU and is considering a better option, and someone has not been allotted an NLU and wishes to take another chance.
For the latter, the decision to take a drop year is fairly simple.
Coming to the former, it has to be a very reasoned decision, study the college, look at the recruitment statistics (if you wish to go for corporate). Most importantly, speak with people who are aware of the current status of the NLU that you have been allotted. If you are a student of CLAT Essentials, the mentors there are the best people to guide you through the process. It is very important to remember that there is no guarantee that you will get a better college next year.
A CLAT Essentials Interview by Oyishee Bose