Saturday 22 March 2014

To be a winner - start early (A post for those who gave 10th board exams this year)

This is a post mainly for JEE 2016 aspirants - candidates who gave their class 10th board exams this year. Others may also find it useful because I have tried to answer some of the common questions like - "How to study ?", etc
Warning : Extremely long post!!
10th exams over ! pheww !!! a sigh of relief for you - a big load gone of your head or maybe it will go in a couple of days. Your teachers/parents must have told you - "Get good marks in class 10th and your life will be settled well"



Now let me acquaint you with the bitter truth
If you are aiming for engineering, then class 10th mark sheet is nothing but your "Age proof". Shocked! Yes it is nothing more than age proof. No one will ever ask you your class 10th percentage. In no competitive exam(engineering) will you be judged on the basis of your class 10th marks. So, even if your exams didn't go well, don't panic. Your dream destination - IIT has nothing to do with class 10th marks.
Let's start with exposing some bitter truths about your next 2 years : 



  • First of all, an extremely important point - "Your class 10th percentage/CGPA is in no way a measure of your ability to understand the things. It simply reflects your ability to memorize the things". So, you must not feel superior about being a 10 pointer or scoring a 95%. You must immediately forget your class 10th percentage which you might be taking as your biggest achievement in life till now. Maybe society will think you as a topper if you scored a 10 CGPA or a 95%. But soon you will realize that all this is material pleasure (Moh - maya as you call in Hindi). I have seen people with low percentage in class 10th and who cleared JEE with flying colours and I have also seen people who had good percentage in class 10th but could not do well in JEE. To summarize

Golden rule 1 : Forget you class 10th percentage for the next 2 years.


  • Till now you were in a river - Now you will be thrown into a sea. This statement has 2 meanings intended :

  1. Till now your syllabus was very much limited (compare it with a river). Now, your syllabus will be huge (compare it with a sea). There are no books prescribed for IITJEE. People can only name a few books based on their experience which are closely related to IIT JEE syllabus. There will be a large number of chapters. Some of them will be interesting and others will be extremely boring. But, to get a rank, you will have to cover each and every chapter in width and depth.
  2. The second meaning intended is more important. Till now you were competing with maximum of 300 batch-mates (compare it with a river). Now, you will be competing with 13 lakh candidates (compare it with a sea) who are aiming for those handful of seats. So, better accept that fact that you are not going to top every time even if you were a topper in school.

Golden rule 2 : Brace yourselves - a storm is coming
and it will continue till your death




  • Accept the things as they are. You might be having a habit of inspecting about each formula/equation taught in school. But, you will have to relax this a bit. You won't be given proof for each and every equation now. There will be some things which you will have to accept as they are.

Golden rule 3 : Not everything has an explanation at your level

  • Only highly talented extraordinarily intelligent people who were born smart are able to clear JEE. This is the most popular myth(a false belief) among JEE aspirants. JEE rankers are not born intelligent. They are also normal people. What distinguishes themselves from others is that they are motivated , dedicated , hard working and patient.

Golden rule 4 : JEE rankers are not born intelligent

Now, we come back to the questions that you must be having in mind.
Which coaching to join ?
Should I go to Kota ?
Can I crack JEE with only self study ?
Should I join a correspondence course ?
How to start the preparation ?
What exactly is the way to study ?
How to get the desired motivation ?
What books to use ?
How to manage time between school and coaching ?
Should I join a dummy school ?
How many hours should I study ?
.
.
.

.
It's a long list. I will try to answer most of your questions - of course I also had the same questions in mind 3 years ago. Since I have travelled the road that you are going to travel, I am eligible to answer these.

One of the most important thing in deciding your fate is the choice of coaching. It's important to choose a coaching wisely. There must be a number of coaching classes in your city - all claiming that top JEE rankers are from their institute and you must be attracted towards them. Let me explain how I made a choice.
I stay at Kanpur. In Kanpur, a coaching as XYZ is famous (assume the name XYZ because I don't want to name the coaching). Thousands of students study at this coaching centre. Whenever I asked any of my seniors that which coaching should I join, the immediate reply was - XYZ classes. But considering the fact that thousands of students are taught at a time in that coaching (with a microphone), my parents refused to send me to that coaching. FIITJEE was newly established. So, I appeared for the entrance test and got a 65% waiver in tuition fee. And so, I joined FIITJEE. End result : a number of students of XYZ classes have also joined FIITJEE and are repeating this year.
So, make your own choice - it's your choice that will matter.
You may decide to go to Kota. I didn't go to Kota/Delhi for coaching because my parents were not convinced that I can live on my own in a hostel. So, they refused to send me for coaching outside Kanpur.
As far as I know - Kota can build your life or destroy your life. If you are focused and not attracted by things around you, then you will surely make it to IIT. A good competition prevails in Kota and you can also find the best faculty there.
However, if you are distracted by the things around you - you may spoil your future.
Also, if you think that you won't be able to live without your parents at this stage, then it will be wiser to stay at your city and join a local coaching institute.
To decide the institute, check the following : 
Past results
Authenticity of past results
The faculty members
Coaching timings
Their study material quality
Facility of a test series
etc etc

There might be some of you who do not have a good coaching facility in your area. In that case, you may choose to study on your own. Remember that coaching won't make you clear JEE. It's your efforts and dedication that will help you to get through the toughest exam. Coaching only provides a direction to your preparation. Cracking JEE will be your own task.
Also, you may choose to opt for a correspondence course. The one provided by Resonance is the best in my opinion. It's just right for JEE and if you study it well, then you will surely clear the exam. Resonance also provides you with the facility of a test series.
Another choice would be FIITJEE RSM. Note that RSM is slightly more difficult and is above JEE level. I personally won't recommend RSM.
Correspondence courses are designed exclusively for JEE and can prove to be the best material for JEE - it will be a good choice to opt for a correspondence course parallel to your coaching.

Now we discuss the general aspects of JEE preparation.
Let's start subject-wise
Physics : You will be beginning with basics of calculus. Calculus is something that will be completely new to you. After that you will be proceeding to Kinematics , Laws of motion and so on. All this is a part of a branch of Physics called as Mechanics. I would recommend purchasing a book called HC Verma (Part I and II). It's the most popular book for Physics and you will find it everywhere when you search for "Books for IITJEE". It's one of the best books for JEE Physics. Read the first few chapters from the book.



To read more about mechanics, you may like to go through the following post :
You can find more about physics here : 
For most students(including me), it turns out that Physics is the easiest and the favourite subject. Enjoy JEE Physics - it is indeed beautiful.

Maths : Depending on your coaching, you will begin with algebra/coordinate geometry/calculus. All the three are really really important for JEE. If you are from CBSE board, you are advised to start with RD Sharma. It's the best book for beginning any chapter. If you are from ICSE board, then ML Agarwal is the book to be followed for basics. You might think that board level books are useless for JEE (I had this misconception in the beginning). But let me tell you that Board level books are the most important books for JEE. My rank - 33 is a result of studying NCERT in great depth.
NCERT Maths might not be a good choice. RD Sharma is the book to be read.



For maths : 

Chemistry : This subject is viewed as the most boring subject. People think that chemistry is all about cramming. It's completely wrong. This is the subject that decides your JEE Rank. The general trend among JEE aspirants is that they are good at maths and physics but weak at chemistry. The thing that differentiates toppers from others is that they study chemistry well - and hence, chemistry turns out to be a deciding factor. 
Chemistry has 3 wide(and mostly unrelated) branches : Physical chemistry , Organic chemistry and inorganic chemistry
Physical chemistry : it is more like Physics(in chemistry). You will enjoy this. NCERT is the book to be followed in the beginning.
This link will be helpful :
Physical Chemistry for IIT JEE
Organic chemistry : it is another beautiful branch of chemistry. It's about carbon and the wide variety of compounds that it can form. LG Wade (Pearsons Education) is the best book for organic chemistry. It is a bit think but you may begin from this book. It will take you right from the basics to the advanced level.
Helpful link :
Organic chemistry for IIT JEE
Inorganic chemistry : This is viewed as the most boring branch of chemistry.
I won't say much about it



Read here for inorganic chemistry :
And here for more about chemistry :

You might get scared seeing the size of the books (LG Wade has some 1000 pages). Indeed you will have the study these entire books thoroughly. You will have 2 whole years to do it. So, it won't be difficult - just that you need lots and lots of patience and hard work.
It is advisable to refer JEE syllabus and stick to it while preparing for JEE.

I had a general strategy of studying.
Before a particular chapter was covered in coaching, I used to study it from the base level books (mentioned above). This way I already had a brief idea of what was going to be done and so I remained more attentive in class. Next, when the chapter was covered in class, I used to make detailed notes (self written notes are always the best). After every class, I used to revise my notes in depth. Sometimes even a single page took half an hour. But finally I ensured that I know each and every concept that has been taught in class. Next I went on to solve basic problems from the board level books (mentioned above). When I was confident, then I moved on to the challenging problems of the FIITJEE study material. This way I made a smooth transition from zero level to JEE level. Next I used to solve Past year IIT JEE problems. If time permitted, then I also solved(+ read) a particular book (which I will be mentioning below)
I never studied at night - I took a complete 9 hour sleep.
Note that I was admitted to a non-attending school. So, I had a lot of time to study for JEE (Read below about non-attending school).
My general schedule : 

  • Get up at 7 o'clock
  • Get fresh by 7.30 AM
  • Study from 7.30 AM to around 11.00 AM (this varied from 10.30 AM to 12.30 AM)
  • Next I used to take a break of about 1 hour in which I used to take my lunch, bath, played computer etc.
  • Then again I sat to study from around 1.00 PM to 3.00 PM
  • Then I had a coaching from 4.00 PM to 8.00 PM (3 days a week)
  • It took me around 1 hour to travel
  • I used to come back home at around 9.00 PM
  • After that I used to watch television/have dinner from 9.00 to 10.00 PM
  • Then was time to sleep (at 10.00 PM)
This used to be the general schedule.
On non coaching days, I had more time to study. And I used to plan the things accordingly.
One little but useful strategy that I followed was "planning the next day". Every night before going to sleep, I used to plan what I would do the next day. It used to be a short term plan/goal like - solve rotation package + read p-block elements from NCERT etc.
This way I had a clear idea of what was going to be done the next day (JEE is all about planning the things smartly and wisely)
JEE is like a race. If you have watched 3 idiots - "Life is a race. If you will not run fast, you will be a broken egg :P". To remain running in this race for 2 long years, you need lots and lots of motivation.
Get motivated here :
and here :

Now I will be mentioning the books that I used (the books I used in the long run) :
Physics : NCERT + HC Verma as beginning books, DC Pandey as a supplementary
Maths : RD Sharma + ML Agarwal as beginning books, TMH as a supplementary
Physical Chemistry : NCERT as a beginning book, OP Tondon for additional theory, RC Mukherjee for advanced problems
Organic Chemistry : NCERT as a beginning book, LG Wade as a supplementary
Inorganic Chemistry : NCERT as the godbook, JD Lee as a supplementary

These books are more than sufficient to get a good rank in JEE.

Coming to another important topic : Dummy school
It is highly recommended that you should join a non-attending school for JEE preparation
In general there are 3 types of students : 

  1. Those who are extremely weak :  Such students are not motivated to get into IITs. Such students should not leave school if they want to secure a seat. Reason being - inclusion of board's marks in the normalization procedure. If anyhow you manage to get a good percentage in Board exams, then you may get a seat in a good NIT even though you do not have good marks in JEE Main.
  2. Those who are average : Such students are capable of getting good rank but they haven't realized their potential. They are satisfied even if their rank is not that good. Such students should also not leave school.
  3. Those who are highly motivated to get a good rank in JEE advanced : Such students do not care about JEE Main rank. They are hungry to get into IIT and will settle for nothing less than an old IIT. They are recommended to leave school if they feel that school is a waste of time.
Note : Leave school at your own risk. I am not responsible in any way if you leave school and mess up your life. Use your own discretion rather than blindly following my advices. The blog contains all what I did. It's not necessary for you to follow everything(blindly).

Another question that a number of aspirants ask me is that "How many hours should I study ?". This question really has no answer. The number of hours will vary from zero to 15 sometimes. From my study schedule that I had mentioned above, you can easily see that it's not that rigorous. Don't think that JEE preparation is about shutting yourself in a room and studying day in and day out. You should enjoy it. It's all about right planning and right execution. Don't ignore any of your extra curricular activities. I loved playing computer games and sometimes I played them for hours. That refreshed my mind and I could focus better.



Finally, I would like to conclude.
I would suggest you to enjoy with your friends and family for say a couple of weeks.
Your preparation should start by the mid of April. Study whole-heartedly and enjoy IIT preparation. IIT preparation is like a journey - a two year long journey which you will never forget if you enjoy it. You will get to learn numerous lessons of life in this journey which will help you to face the world boldly.
This blog will always be there to help you.
Here is something that you would definitely find useful: A guide to get a top 50 rank in JEE
Feel free to post any doubts/queries.
Scroll through various posts to get an idea of the topic.
All the best

Tuesday 11 March 2014

The time that will matter

Edit : A number of edits have been suggested in this post by one of my friends which have been taken into account and the post is now in it's final structure.

This post is dedicated to the time that will matter - the time after Board exams and before JEE Main - the time that is extremely crucial and the time that will greatly change your JEE Main rank if utilized properly - the 15 days time that may change your future.
You might think that you are listening to some news channel where a news reporter is trying to scare you with heavy words. But mark my words - this is the time that may change the game.
Let's come back to the point.
The aim of this post is to approach and help all sorts of students from extremely weak to weak to average to good to outstanding. Even repeaters might find it useful.
This post has been designed to be rather in a Question answer format. A student (you) will be asking questions from me and I'll be answering them.
Let's begin...

01.)Question : My board exams are over. What should I do to improve my JEE Main Rank ?
Answer : JEE Main syllabus is exactly same as CBSE syllabus. So, the books that are the best for JEE Main are also exactly same as the books prescribed for CBSE, that is - NCERT Books. For JEE Main, NCERT is the god-book. Prepare NCERT thoroughly - both class 11th and 12th. It should take around 1 week to complete NCERT if you have prepared for your board exams well.

02.)Question : I haven't prepared exclusively for JEE Main. But I am going to appear for it. What should I do ? I am an average student.
Answer : Since you haven't prepared exclusively for JEE Main, it might be expected that you aren't thorough with class 11th syllabus. So, it is advisable that you should start NCERT class 11th. You must rely solely on two things : 
->NCERT Textbooks
->Past year AIEEE (now JEE Main) papers
Solve the problems given in NCERT and all the past year papers.
It is highly likely that you won't find yourself comfortable with past year papers because you never prepared exclusively for the exam. In that case, I would suggest you to look for solutions to the past year problems in the websites of various coaching institutes (FIITJEE/Resonance for instance). Also, you can buy Arihant past year papers (with solutions)
Solve them and you might end up getting NIT or any other good college.

03.)Question : I have prepared well for JEE Main and have taken a coaching for JEE preparation in the past. What should I do to get the best out of this time ?
Answer : It's good that you utilized those past two important years. You are soon going to get rewards for that. Revise - revise and revise. Solve a number of problems. Ensure that you have solved all the past year problems carefully and understood well the solution of each and every question.
In case you haven't solved the past year problems, I would suggest you a strategy.
Pick up a paper say every alternate day and start solving it from morning 9.00 to 12.00 afternoon. Sit on a table and chair and don't get up for those 3 hours. All this is meant to give you an actual feel of the examination.
Ask you parent not to disturb you during these 3 hours.
After you are done with the paper, take a break of say 1 hour.
Then again sit back and check your score. Find out your mistakes : 
Did you commit a number of silly mistakes ?
Did you misread the question ?
Did you go short of time ?
Were you not familiar with a particular concept/didn't know a particular idea ?
etc
etc
Such questions will help you to realize what's wrong with you and your strategy. You should also try various sequences in which you are attempting the paper (PCM or PMC or ...) and find out the one which suits you the best.

04.)Question : I have taken coaching in the past 2 years but I didn't focus much so I am not confident of getting a good rank in JEE Main. What should I do ?
Answer : In that case you should read the following 3 questions :
I am weak in Maths. What should I do ? (Question 09)
I am weak in Physics. What should I do ? (Question 10)
I am weak in Chemistry. What should I do ? (Question 11)

05.)Question : I am confident of getting above 250 marks in JEE Main and I am confident that I will clear JEE Advanced too. What should I do during this period ?
Answer : First of all, make absolutely sure that you are "confident" and not "over-confident". For checking this, take help from your teachers. Ask them that do you have the potential of being an IITian ?
If the answer is "yes" then read on.
Since anyway your main aim is JEE Advanced, you are suggested not to waste time in JEE Main topics like semiconductors, statistics, etc
Note that this will decrease your JEE Main score (I lost 20 marks in physics because I didn't bother to prepare semiconductors) but since you don't care about it, it will least affect you. Keep preparing for JEE Advanced. You don't need solving JEE Main papers exclusively. You will find them damn easy. Focus on solving tough JEE Advanced problems. Just don't take JEE Main as a big exam.
Note : You might interpret the above paragraph as - "ignore JEE Main completely".
"WRONG" !! That's not my point. My point is that don't take JEE Main preparation as a burden. Since you are anyway preparing for JEE Advanced, JEE Main will be covered side by side automatically - you don't need extra efforts for it.
Also note that don't forget to analyse JEE Main paper because this is going to be your first official "big" exam.
For example, I misread plano-convex lens as bi-convex lens and made a silly mistake in JEE Main. The same mistake was made by my friend in JEE Advanced (yes! the same mistake).
I got it correct in JEE Advanced because I had noted that mistake.

"Finally I would like to say that if you have prepared well for board exams then it won't be a problem for you because your JEE Main syllabus has already been covered.
Also, a good score in JEE Main will please your teachers, parents and friends and will also boost your confidence."

06.)Question : I am a repeater. I appeared for Board Exams last year. What should I do ?
Answer : Since you don't have board exams, you have enough time (more than others). Give your 100% this time. Study NCERT books thoroughly. Ensure that you have solved "all" the past year papers. Don't leave even a single question.
Those who are appearing for the improvement exam, please refer Question 01 and other related questions.

07.)Question : I am not from CBSE Board ? What should I do ?
Answer : Not a big problem. Although, you are recommended to purchase NCERT textbooks and study them thoroughly.

08.)Question : I am done with NCERT. I have repeatedly revised it and I am confident that I will not be stuck in a direct NCERT Question. What should I do ?
Answer : In that case move on to solving past year problems. If you have done that, then get some good revision package meant exclusively for JEE Main and solve it completely.
Choose whichever package you want. All are equally good.

09.)Question : I am weak in Maths. What should I do ?
Answer : Nothing much can be done about it. Ensure that you are solving a number of questions from various topics. Maths is an art. It cannot be learnt in a couple of days. You need patience and above that - a lot of practice to master it.  Solve as many questions as you can. Revision packages will help you. If nothing works, your last resort is RD Sharma. It's the best book out there.

10.)Question : I am weak in Physics. What should I do ?
Answer : Something can be done. First try to cover NCERT fully. Read each chapter carefully and cover at least all the theoretical points given in NCERT. Solve all the problems of NCERT (including the additional problems). They are really good - some of them are up to JEE Advanced level. When you are done with it, move on to solving past year papers.

11.)Question : I am weak in Chemistry. What should I do ?
Answer : A lot can be done about it. Start mugging (cramming) each and every word of NCERT chemistry. If you are successful in cramming NCERT completely, I can guarantee you a good score in JEE Main. Also, it's extremely - extremely important to solve "all" the past year problems. Don't leave any. In JEE Main, questions of chemistry are frequently repeated. So, if you are lucky, you may be facing the same problem again (whose solution/answer you already know).

12.)Question : What do you have to say about examination temperament / examination pressure / fear ? What do you say about "D-day" ?
Answer : A lot is to be said about D-day. Ensure that you get up on time. I assume that your parents will take care of that. Get ready. For this, ensure that you have kept your Admit card, a water bottle, chewing gum (optional) and of course your pencil box.
Take blessings from your parents. Tell them that you are going to give an exam and you aren't going to fight a battle. Tell them that you are a student and not a soldier. Tell them to keep their expectations low.
When you get to the centre, you will see a completely new scenario. There will be all sorts of people. You might see some candidates studying right before the exam and you might feel nervous. What I would say is - "ignore it". A true students never studies at the last moment. He/She is always prepared to be tested. Last moment studies can't help you.
Secondly you might end up meeting one of your friend. It might happen that you both start discussing about the exam - "how tough it can be ?", "which subject you are weak at ?" etc etc. I would suggest you to refrain from all this. This will simply make you nervous. Your friend might tell you some wrong information and you might get scared right before the exam. This might hamper your performance.
You might feel nervous. It's natural. Little bit of nervousness is really important to avoid over-confidence. Almost all the aspirants will face this.
You may also feel too excited about the exam because you have prepared well. That's wrong. Don't be too much excited.
Next comes the time to go inside the centre. Bell rings, paper begins.
You first step would be to get a quick glance of the paper and decide which section is the easiest and which one is the toughest. Your plan would be to solve the easiest section first and the toughest at the last.
In a particular subject also, you are to decide the easier and the tougher questions and solve them in the sequence easiest --> toughest. "Don't" start solving tough questions.
Note that if you are accustomed to solving a particular subject first, then go with it. It's absolutely fine. But please ensure that if say you are used to solving Physics first and by chance physics paper comes extremely tough, then you should be ready to solve maths or chemistry first.
Don't get excited if the paper is too easy - you may accidentally misread a particular question if you are too excited
Suppose you are stuck in a particular question - simply leave it and come back in the end when you have solved other questions.
Carry chewing gums with you. They will help you to keep your mouth wet and avoid thirst. This way, you won't need visiting toilets again and again.
Don't mess with invigilators if you find any question to be wrong. They can't do anything about it.
Another important problem that many students face it that "should I tick the answer about which I am not sure (even when there is negative marking) ?".
My answer is yes - there is no problem in guessing but don't resort to "blind guessing". You might make intelligent guesses say by eliminating 3 options and get to the correct answer. It might happen that dimensional analysis leads you to the correct answer (it happens frequently in AIEEE).
Blind guessing is highly discouraged.

13.)Question : What should I ensure a day before JEE Main ? Can you provide a brief check list ?
Answer : A lot is to be ensured. Most importantly, you are suggested to sleep not later than 11 PM. You will have to get up early the next day.
Secondly, I would suggest you that you should "not" study the day before the exam. You should relax your mind completely. Don't think about the exam.
Watch movies, hang out with friends, play computer games.
Don't play any sport (like cricket/football) because you might end up exhausted/injured. You might break your spectacles (take special care of your spectacles).
Have a light dinner and then set up your bag.
Keep your Admit card, Pencil box with at least 3 pens, water bottle, chewing gum, medicines (if you need them), etc.
Before sleeping, ensure that all the mobiles are in silent mode. It might happen that some of your relatives may call you late night just for wishing all the best. Unknowingly, they might disturb your sleep (happened with me before JEE Advanced).
It may be possible that your sleep blows away. You are excited/nervous/scared and you are not able to sleep. It's natural and nothing much can be done about it. All you can do is to take help from your parents by telling them that you are not able to sleep. This will surely help.

14.)Question : I have opted for online exam. Can you tell me something about it ? How different is it going to be from the offline version ?
Answer : I really won't be able to help you much with this question. Try googling it or posting a question on Quora.

15.)Question : What if I am stuck with a particular question during the exam ?
Answer : Leave that question. First make sure to guarantee your selection and then try to build up your rank. By guaranteeing you selection, I mean that first solve all the easy problems and make sure that you are well above the JEE Advanced cutoff. If you are stuck in a particular question, then leave it. You don't have to be sentimental with a particular question. If it's tough, leave it without giving it a further thought (It does not mean that you leave everything). Come back to it in the end if you get time. But remember that such questions will be the rank deciding questions. These are the questions that will differentiate you from the common junta. These questions will build your score.

16.)Question : What if they suddenly change the pattern of exam ?
Answer : Please don't expect the paper to be of the same pattern as that of last year. I made this mistake and this is the reason my rank slipped a little bit in JEE Advanced. Frame your mind to accept a new pattern. Also, keep in mind that it is a change not only for you but for everyone. So, most of your competitors will be bearing the same pressure as you if the paper pattern changes.

17.)Question : What if the invigilators are terrible ?
Answer : You can't help it in any way. You will have to bear it. In my case the invigilators were 2 ladies and throughout the paper, they gossiped about their daily routines. I was fed up but I couldn't do anything. Remember, don't mess with the invigilators at any cost.

18.)Question : What if I make bubbling errors ?
Answer : Since you are going to use pen to bubble the correct option, you really can't do anything about it. If at some point you realize that you did make some bubbling mistake, stay calm. You can't correct it. Using ink eraser might rather render your OMR unreadable by the scanner. So better not try it. Just make sure to bubble the remaining part correctly and with full caution.

19.)Question : Negative thoughts keep coming to my mind. What should I do ?
Answer : It's completely natural. You might well imagine that "what if Physics paper is tough ?" , "What if I am not able to solve maths questions ?". This little bit of nervousness is important. You should be confident but not over-confident. Almost all the students will face negative thoughts some or the other day. It's not only you.
You can't really help it if paper is tough. If it is tough for you, it will be tough for everyone including the guy who will top the exam. The thing that matters is how you are performing relative to others.

20.)Question : What if the exam does not go well ?
Answer : Well let it be. It's over. There are thousands of people whose exam didn't go well. You can't score 360/360. If you are confident enough that you will be in the top 1.5 lakh then keep calm. You have probably qualified for JEE Advanced. Your aim now must be to figure out why did the paper go wrong ? What kind of mistakes did you make ? Can those mistakes be rectified in future exams ? Did you go short of time ? or did you commit a lot of silly mistakes ? Did you interpret the question wrongly ? or did you use the wrong concept. Such questions will help you find the flaws in yourself and your examination strategy. Try to rectify them and ensure that the same mistakes are not repeated in JEE Advanced. I remember making a silly mistake in physics in JEE Main and my friend did it correctly. In JEE Advanced, the reverse happened. Because I made a mistake in JEE Main, I learnt from it and hence I did not repeat it.
There may be another case - you are pretty sure that you won't qualify for JEE Advanced. In that case, your hands are tied. You cannot do anything except waiting for the results. If after normalization, you rank comes out to be good enough, then congrats. If your JEE Main rank is not good enough, then probably you should wait for counselling. You will have further options to join BITS or other colleges. Or you may choose to repeat the next year if you are willing to work hard next year.

To conclude the looooong post, I would say that all kinds of suggestions and comments are welcome.
Please don't post questions of unrelated topics on this post.