I have been mentoring a number of JEE apirants through my blog.
At the moment the blog has received some 443k page views.
The concept of the blog was started to help JEE aspirants. But soon I realized that I personally love mentoring and guiding students.
So, in my first semester, I applied for a TAship.
For those who don't know who a TA is :
Well, a batch of 42 students is allotted a TA (Teaching Assistant) who works under the professor to solve tutorial problems and discuss doubts. We are paid for being a TA by the institute.
I am supposed to take 1 tutorial session of 1 hour every week in which I solve some 10 tutorial problems.
In my third semester, I took the TAship for MA105 (the basic calculus course).
Currently I am the TA for Electricity and Magnetism course which is a mandatory course for all the departments.
TAs are selected on the basis of their grade in that particular course.
Under me are 42 students, almost equally divided into CS and Chemical.
That is, I have under me, some 20 CS students and 20 chemical students.
It feels great to help them.
Here is the feedback that I received as a TA in my semester 3
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1RUSZFMQg2PrhIwxkug-CEv1vNpyU3xqcnwD5v0B_ZhQ/edit?usp=sharing
The students under me are simply brilliant. Some of them have better JEE ranks than me. My rank beta (rank son) is also my tutee (tutee = student). He secured an AIR of 33 in JEE 2014 and so, he is my rank beta. My own rank baap is also in IIT Bombay CSE (3rd year). He got an internship at GOOGLE!
Enjoying the work of mentoring, I also applied for DAMP mentorship.
DAMP stands for department academic mentorship programme.
In IIT Bombay CSE, some 6 students of second year are allotted a DAMP mentor who is generally a 3rd or 4th year student.
Having good academic record and good peer reviews, I have been selected for DAMP mentorship as well. In my third year, I will have 6 second year students under me to mentor.
I hope to see you people as well in IIT Bombay.
All the best for competitive exams.
Sunday, 29 March 2015
Importance of self confidence
Self confidence is a very important aspect of JEE preparation
From the day 1 of my JEE preparation, I was motivated to get an under 100 rank. Why ? Because I wanted IIT Bombay CSE. Soon I came to know that IITB CSE closes at ranks close to 60. I was shocked! But then I had a confidence that I can do it!
I remember putting a paper saying - target under 100 rank in my cupboard.
In the first all India Test of FIITJEE, my score was 153/240. I was indeed the topper of my center but at all India level, I was nowhere. 2 people had score 232/240!
That was a big big score!
Again, I had the required trust in myself. I knew that I could do it! I knew that I can fulfill my dreams!
I worker day in and day out.
A key aspect was self confidence.
You should always believe in yourself. However, you must never be over-confident.
Let me tell you an incident that happened with me.
In class 1st, I got 7th rank.
In class 2nd, I got 13th rank.
In class 3rd, my section was changed and a new section was created.
I got 1st rank in class 3rd and 4th.
I was too confident in class 5th - rather over confident is a better term.
I got 8th rank. My friends went ahead of me. I realized my mistake.
In class 6th, my school was changed to Kanpur's best school.
In my interview with the principal, she told my mother that I can top in a "not so renowned" school easily, but she will believe my potential only if I can top her school.
Well, I performed terribly in class 6th - ending up with a rank of 23rd (70.77%).
But I knew that I had to potential to do better.
I got a rank of 13th in class 7th.
In class 8th, in the second term, I got a rank of 4th. There was this girl G ahead of me (she got a rank of 3rd). I told her that next time, I will get 3rd rank and she taunted me by saying - uske liye padhna padta hai (for that, you have to study).
Well, those words pinched me indeed.
Anyway, I ended up with 6th rank in class 8th.
Next comes class 9th, term 1 - rank 4 and the topper of all 4 sections was just 7 marks ahead of me - ah! That did hurt - just 7 marks !!
Well, this time I made my mind that I will bridge this 7 mark gap.
Class 9th, term 2 - Topped all 4 sections with a margin of 14 marks.
Class 9th finals - Topped all 4 sections.
Class 9th finals - Topped all 4 sections.
In the certificate distribution ceremony, the girl G was standing beside me and she asked me - yaar Aman kaise padhte ho itna sahi? (Aman, how do you study so well?). Well, that was a victory for me.
After that I never looked back. Just moved ahead, on and on and on.
I had realized my potential very well. I knew that I can really do anything if I work hard, trust myself and remain patient.
Class 10th - secured 97.4% and topped the school with a rank of 3rd in the city!
It has always happened with me that initially I don't perform well (as you can see from me school profile). But later on, I pick up and work very hard - having 100% faith in myself.
School - started with 23rd rank in class 6th, ended with topping school in class 10th.
JEE - started with 153/240 in the first test, ended with 293/360 in JEE Advanced (AIR 33)
B.Tech - started with 5/10 in first quiz, ended with a CPI of 9.86 in the first year
Well, to motivate you, here is my resume in this link which captures all my academic achievements so far. This was the resume that helped me to get a summer internship at Germany!
Home page : http://www.cse.iitb.ac.in/~amangoel/
This summer (2015), I would be going to Germany for my summer internship. Candidates were shortlisted on the basis of resume and final selections were made on the basis of a personal Skype interview.
After my summers, I will surely write about my experience in Germany.
Till then, stay motivated, work hard, be patient, enjoy studies.
All the best for the upcoming exams :)
Wednesday, 25 March 2015
Hard Work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard
Yes, you read it right.
I will tell you my own story here.
About me - I am a B.Tech Second year, Computer Science and Engineering undergraduate student at the prestigious IIT Bombay - a place where many aspire to go, but only some get through.
Well, just like you or any other student, I was also in the same place 2 years back - JEE on the head! Back to back exams - Boards, Olympiads, JEE Main, JEE Advanced, BITSAT and what not!
We as the quote suggests, hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.
I was a very average student in school - just to tell you, I got 23rd rank in school in class 6th. I was not a topper until class 9th.
But I had faith in myself - I knew that I can do anything I want - I knew my potential.
I was not at all "born intelligent by birth". I don't have a super high IQ or a super huge memory. I am just an average student just like anyone else.
Now that must be bothering you - JEE 2013 AIR 33 saying that he is an average student! How come ???
Well, then let me tell you about myself.
I spend hours and hours studying a topic. It takes me approximately twice the amount of time to learn something which someone else can do in a small amount of time.
Well, you might think that's weird, but really, it was the case that I had to spend endless time to learn something which my friends did quickly!
So what to do now ?
Talent seems to be failing here right ?
Work hard ...
I have seen it and experienced it. What I am today is not because of any inborn talent, but solely because of my hard work, commitment, dedication and patience.
For a JEE aspirant, getting a rank in top 50 is a dream come true.
I managed to fulfill my dreams solely with my hard work.
Even here in IIT Bombay, I have seen super intelligent people - who can understand absolutely anything in a single shot!
On the other hand, it takes me hours to figure out what's happening!
But, in the end, we are all level. Why ?
All the best for JEE Main
I will tell you my own story here.
About me - I am a B.Tech Second year, Computer Science and Engineering undergraduate student at the prestigious IIT Bombay - a place where many aspire to go, but only some get through.
Well, just like you or any other student, I was also in the same place 2 years back - JEE on the head! Back to back exams - Boards, Olympiads, JEE Main, JEE Advanced, BITSAT and what not!
We as the quote suggests, hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard.
I was a very average student in school - just to tell you, I got 23rd rank in school in class 6th. I was not a topper until class 9th.
But I had faith in myself - I knew that I can do anything I want - I knew my potential.
I was not at all "born intelligent by birth". I don't have a super high IQ or a super huge memory. I am just an average student just like anyone else.
Now that must be bothering you - JEE 2013 AIR 33 saying that he is an average student! How come ???
Well, then let me tell you about myself.
I spend hours and hours studying a topic. It takes me approximately twice the amount of time to learn something which someone else can do in a small amount of time.
Well, you might think that's weird, but really, it was the case that I had to spend endless time to learn something which my friends did quickly!
So what to do now ?
Talent seems to be failing here right ?
Work hard ...
Hard Work beats talent when talent doesn't work hardIts really true.
I have seen it and experienced it. What I am today is not because of any inborn talent, but solely because of my hard work, commitment, dedication and patience.
For a JEE aspirant, getting a rank in top 50 is a dream come true.
I managed to fulfill my dreams solely with my hard work.
Even here in IIT Bombay, I have seen super intelligent people - who can understand absolutely anything in a single shot!
On the other hand, it takes me hours to figure out what's happening!
But, in the end, we are all level. Why ?
Hard Work beats talent when talent doesn't work hardSo, go ahead, dream big, achieve big, and most importantly, work really hard!
All the best for JEE Main
Tuesday, 24 February 2015
Its all about the right planning
Few months to go and you'll be facing a row of competitive exams.
Its very important that things are well planned in order to make maximum use of the precious resource - the time.
What exactly does it mean to plan the things ?
Well, firstly there is no single plan that works for everyone. Each student is different and so will have a different plan.
I will list down a few guidelines for you so that you can make the optimal use of your time.
Firstly make a list of topics at which you are weak
Note that the list should be as concise as possible.
A possible example of a list :
p-block elements : Nitrogen family
Fluid Mechanics : Surface Tension
Permutations and Combinations : Derangement
...
...
...
...
The list should clearly specify the chapter name and the sub-topic.
Now update your list in the following way :
p-block elements : Nitrogen family - NCERT
Fluid Mechanics : Surface Tension - HC Verma
Permutations and Combinations : Derangement - RD Sharma
...
...
...
...
The idea is to mention the suitable resource with which you are going to cover the topic.
Note that choosing the resource is an important step. Choose a wrong book and you are screwed. Its generally a good idea to decide your level of comfort with the topic and then decide the book. Do not think that you are absolutely blank and so you should start with scratch again. The end result in this way would be that you learnt nothing. So start with something tougher. Maybe you can choose to pick up JD Lee for p-block elements because you feel that you have done NCERT once but are still not fine with Nitrogen family part.
Now once you are done with making this list, here comes the crucial part : prioritizing the list.
For this, you need to to decide 2 things :
The order in which you'll cover the things
and the time you will devote to each topic
Both of these things are equally important so you should spend plenty of time to decide this based on your level of preparation and your intelligence/aptitude.
The next important step is - executing!
This is where most people fail
Just sit down, open the books and start solving the problems!
Many people wonder what to do ? Let's bother seniors and ask what they did. Let's google it. Let's post a useless quora question
Shut down the damn computer, open the books and start reading with a pen and paper in hand to solve problems!
Do it and I assure you that in the end you will be comfortable with that topic and will clear JEE with flying colors
All the best :)
Its very important that things are well planned in order to make maximum use of the precious resource - the time.
What exactly does it mean to plan the things ?
Well, firstly there is no single plan that works for everyone. Each student is different and so will have a different plan.
I will list down a few guidelines for you so that you can make the optimal use of your time.
Firstly make a list of topics at which you are weak
Note that the list should be as concise as possible.
A possible example of a list :
p-block elements : Nitrogen family
Fluid Mechanics : Surface Tension
Permutations and Combinations : Derangement
...
...
...
...
The list should clearly specify the chapter name and the sub-topic.
Now update your list in the following way :
p-block elements : Nitrogen family - NCERT
Fluid Mechanics : Surface Tension - HC Verma
Permutations and Combinations : Derangement - RD Sharma
...
...
...
...
The idea is to mention the suitable resource with which you are going to cover the topic.
Note that choosing the resource is an important step. Choose a wrong book and you are screwed. Its generally a good idea to decide your level of comfort with the topic and then decide the book. Do not think that you are absolutely blank and so you should start with scratch again. The end result in this way would be that you learnt nothing. So start with something tougher. Maybe you can choose to pick up JD Lee for p-block elements because you feel that you have done NCERT once but are still not fine with Nitrogen family part.
Now once you are done with making this list, here comes the crucial part : prioritizing the list.
For this, you need to to decide 2 things :
The order in which you'll cover the things
and the time you will devote to each topic
Both of these things are equally important so you should spend plenty of time to decide this based on your level of preparation and your intelligence/aptitude.
The next important step is - executing!
This is where most people fail
Just sit down, open the books and start solving the problems!
Many people wonder what to do ? Let's bother seniors and ask what they did. Let's google it. Let's post a useless quora question
Shut down the damn computer, open the books and start reading with a pen and paper in hand to solve problems!
Do it and I assure you that in the end you will be comfortable with that topic and will clear JEE with flying colors
All the best :)
Friday, 20 February 2015
Time for Board Exams
As we all know, the time for board exams is approaching. It becomes very hectic to manage competitive exam preparation parallel to board exam preparation (I am not considering board exams in the set of competitive exams).
By now, JEE 2015 aspirants must be aware of their potential - the rank which they can get in JEE.
So, depending on what you feel about yourself, you might fall into one of the following categories :
1.) Absolutely a noob : Heard of JEE only a couple of months back. In this case, sit back and relax. Appearing for JEE Advanced will waste your pocket money. Prepare hard for board exams and try to do as good as possible in JEE Main. Just NCERT, and nothing else
2.) Aiming for JEE main, but not JEE advanced : In this case, stick to NCERT. Make sure that you are well versed with the book. You don't need any other book but make sure that you have solved past year papers. It is very easy to strike a balance between JEE Main and CBSE preparation. Just study NCERT hard, keep practicing - ensure that your speed is maintained and you'll clear JEE main with flying colors
3.) Struggling to clear JEE Advanced : You are almost on the same line as that of a student aiming for JEE main. However, it is good to practice past year JEE papers (at least JEE 2008 onward). Study hard for board exams. If you are unsure of your selection in JEE advanced, JEE main might serve as a good backup to get you a decent NIT.
4.) Sure of clearing JEE advanced : In this case, you can decide not to devote much time to board exams preparation. Note that you should never be over-confident about yourself. It is always good to consult teachers and only then decide this. Keep practicing problems, studying from NCERT, revising coaching material and standard textbooks, test series papers, etc
5.) Sure of clearing JEE advanced with at least a 3 digit rank : Sit back and relax. Don't give a damn to board exams. In the worst case, you might end up with at most a 4 digit rank which is still fine to get you into an IIT. Start preparation (for board exams) a couple of days ago. Focus solely on JEE preparation - books, notes, revision packages, test series papers. Keep practicing and never give up. It is always good to try harder problems than your level.
All the best to everyone
By now, JEE 2015 aspirants must be aware of their potential - the rank which they can get in JEE.
So, depending on what you feel about yourself, you might fall into one of the following categories :
1.) Absolutely a noob : Heard of JEE only a couple of months back. In this case, sit back and relax. Appearing for JEE Advanced will waste your pocket money. Prepare hard for board exams and try to do as good as possible in JEE Main. Just NCERT, and nothing else
2.) Aiming for JEE main, but not JEE advanced : In this case, stick to NCERT. Make sure that you are well versed with the book. You don't need any other book but make sure that you have solved past year papers. It is very easy to strike a balance between JEE Main and CBSE preparation. Just study NCERT hard, keep practicing - ensure that your speed is maintained and you'll clear JEE main with flying colors
3.) Struggling to clear JEE Advanced : You are almost on the same line as that of a student aiming for JEE main. However, it is good to practice past year JEE papers (at least JEE 2008 onward). Study hard for board exams. If you are unsure of your selection in JEE advanced, JEE main might serve as a good backup to get you a decent NIT.
4.) Sure of clearing JEE advanced : In this case, you can decide not to devote much time to board exams preparation. Note that you should never be over-confident about yourself. It is always good to consult teachers and only then decide this. Keep practicing problems, studying from NCERT, revising coaching material and standard textbooks, test series papers, etc
5.) Sure of clearing JEE advanced with at least a 3 digit rank : Sit back and relax. Don't give a damn to board exams. In the worst case, you might end up with at most a 4 digit rank which is still fine to get you into an IIT. Start preparation (for board exams) a couple of days ago. Focus solely on JEE preparation - books, notes, revision packages, test series papers. Keep practicing and never give up. It is always good to try harder problems than your level.
All the best to everyone
Tuesday, 6 January 2015
JEE tips by JEE 2014, AIR 2
Here is an article by my junior in IIT Bombay, Sai Chetan who secured an All India Rank 2 in JEE 2014
http://jee.wileymaestro.com/Blogs/iitian-speaks-sai-chetan-jee-main-advanced-preparation-tips.html
http://jee.wileymaestro.com/Blogs/iitian-speaks-sai-chetan-jee-main-advanced-preparation-tips.html
Monday, 17 November 2014
Planning the end
This post targets JEE 2015 aspirants.
Roughly 6 months to JEE - May 24, 2014 is the date for you.
The time is roughly mid of November - the time when most of you (who started the preparation in 2013) must have completed the syllabus and are heading for revision work.
So here are some pointers on "how to revise" :
Since most of the serious JEE aspirants are enrolled in some or the other coaching institute, I will first discuss the revision strategy for them.
So, since your coaching material is meant exclusively for JEE, it is a good idea to start with your coaching booklets/notes (which you made). These notes are "to the point" and are surely going to help you for revision. It's always better to revise from notes. Reading same old book again and again is not only boring but also its of no use because you are not necessarily learning anything new. So, Start with coaching notes
When you are done with notes, you might decide to solve problems. Specialized revision packages like the ones provided by FIITJEE/Resonance are no doubt useful for JEE - but make sure to stick to the syllabus.
Specifically for inorganic chemistry, I would like to mention that revising from NCERT is the best option because of the past year trends in JEE which say that a majority of inorganic chemistry questions are from NCERT directly.
Moving on to those people who aren't enrolled in any specific coaching institute - you people have no choice other than books. Don't get disheartened if you do not have access to "FIITJEE" or "Bansal" material - you are not losing anything. Where there is a will, there is a way. Work hard and you'll end up being the best. All you need is a good planning methodology.
Start with standard textbooks - HC Verma, DC Pandey, LG Wade, NCERT, OP Tondon, TMH, RD Sharma, etc. Start absorbing the formulas. Make a diary mentioning those things which you tend to forget - and make sure to revise this diary again and again.
Parallel to revision, you should focus equally on problem solving - from revision packages (which you can purchase from the market) as well as from books.
The aim is "not to forget whatever has been done already".
Work hard, stay motivated and you'll end up with flying colors in JEE
Roughly 6 months to JEE - May 24, 2014 is the date for you.
The time is roughly mid of November - the time when most of you (who started the preparation in 2013) must have completed the syllabus and are heading for revision work.
So here are some pointers on "how to revise" :
Since most of the serious JEE aspirants are enrolled in some or the other coaching institute, I will first discuss the revision strategy for them.
So, since your coaching material is meant exclusively for JEE, it is a good idea to start with your coaching booklets/notes (which you made). These notes are "to the point" and are surely going to help you for revision. It's always better to revise from notes. Reading same old book again and again is not only boring but also its of no use because you are not necessarily learning anything new. So, Start with coaching notes
When you are done with notes, you might decide to solve problems. Specialized revision packages like the ones provided by FIITJEE/Resonance are no doubt useful for JEE - but make sure to stick to the syllabus.
Specifically for inorganic chemistry, I would like to mention that revising from NCERT is the best option because of the past year trends in JEE which say that a majority of inorganic chemistry questions are from NCERT directly.
Moving on to those people who aren't enrolled in any specific coaching institute - you people have no choice other than books. Don't get disheartened if you do not have access to "FIITJEE" or "Bansal" material - you are not losing anything. Where there is a will, there is a way. Work hard and you'll end up being the best. All you need is a good planning methodology.
Start with standard textbooks - HC Verma, DC Pandey, LG Wade, NCERT, OP Tondon, TMH, RD Sharma, etc. Start absorbing the formulas. Make a diary mentioning those things which you tend to forget - and make sure to revise this diary again and again.
Parallel to revision, you should focus equally on problem solving - from revision packages (which you can purchase from the market) as well as from books.
The aim is "not to forget whatever has been done already".
Work hard, stay motivated and you'll end up with flying colors in JEE
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