i took a drop year for clat (first attempt) and came rank 1K. way less than i expected, i got a decent tier 2 NLU, also got symbi last year but went for drop. Now i'm completely confused, is it worth joining the tier 2 nlu and trying clat again, or just try slat and go for symbi for 5 years. are 2 year drops common, do they affect your career, does the age matter in interactions among batch mates? just need some guidance here

2 years drop won't be a big problem in the long run if u are keen on doing corporate,you should have joined symbi last year itself and studied for clat along with it but done is done now either join the tier 2 nlu or symbiosis depending upon your choices ( i would recommend tier 2 nlu due to the fees and hostels) and study for clat simultaneously as we know how unpredictable clat is.good luck

Ask those who "advised" you to take two drops to give back your two years. Dropping a year should not be a trivial decision as it is made out to be on this platform.