JEE Main 2021 topper interview: Pal Aggarwal wants to join IISc Bangalore, not IIT

Pal Aggarwal, a native of Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, has cracked Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) Main 2021. She has secured full marks (300/300) in all three subjects of chemistry, physics and mathematics. 

She is among 17 students from across India to have scored 100 percentile score in third session of JEE Main. Pal, a student of Seth Anandram Jaipuria School, Vasundhara, Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh, had earlier attempted JEE Main in February and became Uttar Pradesh state topper with 99.988 percentile. However, she was not satisfied with her performance and thus, attempted third JEE session. 

Shiksha caught up with Pal Aggarwal to know about her JEE Main preparation strategy and more. Read full interview below.

Congratulations on your performance in JEE Main 2021. What was your reaction upon knowing score?

I expected to be JEE Main 2021 topper. I had earlier appeared in JEE Main 2021 February session in which I had scored 99.988 percentile. Though I was declared Uttar Pradesh state topper, I was not satisfied with my performance and appeared in July session again to improve my score.

Why do you want to study engineering?

I am not planning to do engineering. I want to become an astrophysicist. I am planning to either join Indian Institute of Science Bangalore for bachelor’s in physics or Indian Institute of Space Science and Technology , Thiruvananthapuram. I have already cleared Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana entrance exam twice in Class 11 and 12, so I am eligible for admission in IISc and have also registered for same. To get admission to IIST, one has to clear JEE Advanced. I am preparing for JEE Advanced and will appear for it this year.

When did you start your JEE Main preparation?

I have been preparing for JEE Main for past two years. I started preparing for exam in Class 11 and used to devote time to it daily. Also, I scored 99.2 per cent in Class 12 exams.

Did you take coaching for JEE Main? If yes, from where?

Yes, I took coaching from FITJEE, Ghaziabad, to prepare for JEE Main. I first joined FITJEE in Class 8. At that time, my motive was not to get into IIT. I joined it to get some extra information because I was attending regular school as well.

What was your JEE Main preparation strategy? Which subject did you focus on more and why?

My favourite subject is mathematics, so I did not pay much attention to it. I found physics a little tough and focused on that more. For chemistry, I relied on NCERT books as most of questions in this section were from NCERT.

Are there any specific books that you think helped in your preparation?

Though I majorly relied on material provided to me by my coaching institute for all subjects. For physics, I consulted ‘Concepts of Physics’ by HC Verma. It’s a good book for JEE preparation. I did not refer to any book for maths as I never found it that difficult.

Tell us something about JEE Main July exam. Which section was easiest and which was the toughest?

My JEE exam was on July 25, 2021, in Ghaziabad, in evening shift. I found maths section a bit tougher than JEE Main February session, but overall difficulty level of July session was same as that of February session. Physics and chemistry were of equal level, not very difficult, not very easy.

How helpful are previous year papers and mock exams for JEE Main preparation?

Practice makes a person perfect. To prepare for JEE exam, it is important to take mock exams and solve previous year papers as it helps students develop problem-solving skills. This helps a lot while appearing for actual exam. So, when you solve enough practice papers, you will know what it is like in actual exam. When I sat for JEE Main, I did not feel as if I am appearing for it for first time, I found it like a normal mock exam.

What message do you have for future JEE aspirants?

I would like to tell future JEE aspirants that they should not study just for sake of exam because when we study just to pass exam, we have a different mindset like we just keep in mind pattern and study accordingly, we try to develop shortcuts and learn as many formulas as possible, but if you are studying for yourself, you try to derive each and every formula like how has it come, why has it come and from where has it come.

Who is your biggest inspiration and why?

My biggest inspiration isformer President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. I met him when I was in Class 3. He awarded me a prize for academic excellence.

Will you be appearing for any other exam?

I am currently preparing for JEE Advanced and will be appearing for it on October 3, 2021.