JEE : The decisions I regret

" The only person who has never committed a mistake, is one who has never tried anything at all."

In my previous blog I recollected the correct decisions I made. Today I would like to share the mistakes and the wrong choices I made. I hope others may learn from these and will be smart enough to not make these same mistakes again. Also, don't make fun of me if you feel my mistakes were stupid ;-). ( This list is probably longer than the previous one :-P).

1. I Started Too Late : I didn't even know what JEE is in class 10. Need I say anything more? My dad would always tell me that he had finished the entire syllabus in 11 and throughout class 12 he revised ( This story would seriously scare me :-P) I completed my syllabus a few months before mains.

"Start as early as you can because the competition is increasing at a pretty fast rate. That doesn't mean that if you start late you don't stand any chance, but then you will have to work harder in lesser time. If you have elder siblings or good teachers to guide you there are a few things that you can start early."

2.  I Never Paid Attention at School : Okay, I don't really know if this was good or bad for me. My teachers were always shouting at me for having non-course books on my lap ( I was made to stand outside the class on more than one occasion :-P). While On one hand I missed most of my school lectures and had to do it all again at home, On the other I used that time to solve higher level problems which probably helped me in Advanced.

"At school, if the discussion is about a topic you have not studied before, pay attention to it. If you have already studied it, spend that time in school solving maths."

3. Give Equal Attention To All Subjects : This was my biggest mistake. I absolutely hated chemistry! (And I probably still do). I started studying organic around September in class 12*. I left quite a few topics in physical chemistry completely. And in the end chemistry pulled me down.

"All three subjects are equally important to get a good rank. If you are weak in one subject, start giving that subject more time before its too late. "

4. Have A Schedule : At one time, (I was really crazy about physics) I used to wake up at 2 in the night, study till 4 and go back to sleep. While studying at night is recommended, studying at odd hours used to make me sleepy at school and Prerna. Don't turn yourself into a maniac ( pagal k jaise padhne ki jaroorat nhi hai ).

"Study as much as you can, but do follow a schedule  Don't study 6 hours one day and take the next day off because you are too tired."



These are the main mistakes I remember I made. Apart from these, a few mistakes that I see others making :

1. Suppose you are unable to integrate a function. You can ask your teacher and he will tell you a particular substitution. Once the path is known 99% of the people leave that question and move on. Don't do that, solve each question till the end.

2. Regarding the above point, don't ask someone your doubts till they have been with you for at least 24 hours. Try the question different ways, look up the texts, keep thinking about that question till you have your Eureka moment! And if even after one or two days it remains unsolved, then ask for help.

3. The Board Dilemma : Trust me, the most convenient thing in the world is to blame others for your own losses. Your school doesn't matter that much and neither does the board ( ICSE/CBSE). If you did not crack some exam it is your and your fault alone. Don't run around blaming your situation and your luck.

4. Watching television is not refreshment. It will occupy your mind and you won't be able to study the same way again. Similarly, FIFA or Facebook is not the right break in between studies. Exercise is the best thing to do, or even doing some house work ( or plain old sleeping :-P).

This is pretty much all I can remember right now. You can comment if something else comes to your mind. Don't make these mistakes which I did and you'll be on the right path.

The more you try, the more mistakes you will make and the more successful you will be. So keep trying.

Note: I get this feeling that quite a few of the points I have written here have also been mentioned before in my blogs. If that is really the case, then those points are extra important ! (:-P).



*I don't know how but KK Mishra Sir singled me ( and Priyam ) out for being exceptionally poor at Chemistry but being good at Physics and Maths. He used to call us for a sort of an extra class every Saturday. That really was the turning point in my relationship with Chemistry. Without that extra help, I wouldn't have been anywhere today. Thank You Sir :-)