So, this is the thing from 2022 when I was preparing for JEE Mains and Advanced.
JEE Advanced is considered one of India’s toughest exams, and it is. Seniors, friends, everyone used to say the same thing: it’s very hard, you have to work hard, only then you can succeed. 10 lakh students appear for it and the selection ratio is 1%. Listening to them was demotivating because the 11th standard, 12th standard were affected by Covid, so there wasn’t much learning in those years. But after the 12th, there was something to do, so I gathered the courage to prepare for JEE and joined PHYSICS WALLAH’s dropper batch. I started studying, and initially, everything was going well, but when classes stretched to 8-9 hours, exhaustion set in.
Preparing strategies:
It’s not necessary to know every chapter of all three subjects, i.e., physics, chemistry, maths. Strengthen just 10 chapters overall and focus more on two subjects. Solve practice sheets, do as many questions as possible. For chemistry, go through NCERT thoroughly, and for physics, some chapters require rote learning like semiconductors, modern physics, electromagnetic waves, etc. Make proper notes because self-notes are the best. Don’t change teachers too often, take as many mock tests as possible, solve previous 5 years’ sample papers, keep your concepts clear, and if you’re studying a chapter for the first time, don’t rush through it in one shot. Revise on weekends, and for Advanced, prepare at least 7 chapters well in each subject and practice more and more.
Understanding the exam pattern:
You can take this exam along with your 12th boards, or you can take a drop for a year and then appear. You can even take a second drop, but then you can’t appear for Advanced. To get into NITs or IITs, you need at least 75% in your board exams. JEE Mains happens twice a year, in January and April, with a one-month gap, and the Advanced exam is in June. The exam is conducted offline, and there’s a negative marking.
Topics to focus on:
First, choose your two strongest subjects among PCM and prepare them well. Focus on scoring chapters like sequences and series, vectors, quadratics, and binomials in Maths; laws of motion, work, power, energy, modern physics in Physics; atoms, s, p, d, f block, and chemical equilibrium in Chemistry.
Do’s and Don’ts:
Do’s: Be consistent, disciplined, practice daily, stick to one book, take proper mocks, trust your teachers, keep two subjects strong and if 3rd one is not that much strong then also it is ok, and practice a lot.
Dont’s: Miss classes, rely solely on one-shot methods for Advanced, watch video lectures at high speeds if you’re not familiar with the topic, skip mock tests, delay homework.
So, that was my experience, some strategies, do’s and don’ts, etc. Overall, hard work is necessary everywhere, and if you’re consistent and working hard, you can achieve anything. My JEE Mains 1 percentile was 73%, then it decreased to 69% in Mains 2. My motivation took a hit, but I gathered the courage, gave Advanced, scored 81 marks, and after negative marking, it was 72. The cutoff in 2023 for OBC was 77, so I didn’t get into an IIT, but at least I didn’t give up. From my experience, I want to say that no matter what the situation is, trust yourself and don’t give up because you have the potential.
Thank you.