JEE Prep: 10 Most Common Mistakes Students Make

By Aman Goel

JEE preparation is enigmatic. You think you're on the right track, but Lady Luck doesn't bother to smile upon you. Stop and introspect. Perhaps you're committing a few of the cardinal sins of JEE Preparation and are oblivious to your blunder. Don't worry!

This article will help you to identify the mistakes that frequently show up in preparation strategies. Once you're aware of the pitfalls, you'll see your productivity soar!

1. Falling Prey To Various Distractions

This article assumes that you, as a responsible reader, have set a reasonable limit to your usage of electronic devices. Stress builds up, and you do need entertainment. However, getting hooked on to social media and binge-watching web-series can ruin even the most diligent of aspirants. Use your mobile phone judiciously- it can throw you completely off your goal.  

2. Taking It easy During Grade 11

It's tempting to take your foot off the pedal in the first year of preparation because these topics do not carry a lot of weightage. Do not fall for this trap.  The 'scoring' topics use a lot of concepts from grade 11. So if you do not pay enough attention to your 11th grade studies, you're doomed.

Moreover, once you realize you're in trouble, your confidence will nosedive. With morale running low, it will be hard to recover. You won't be able to escape the vicious cycle. Build a good base. You'll thank yourself for it later.

3. Measuring Study Time By The Number Of Hours

The amount of time that you spend with your books has little to do with the value that's added. The quality of time matters far more than the quantity. You could spend six hours 'reading' inorganic chemistry notes, with your mind pondering on the latest Infinity Wars fan theory.

However, if you want an outcome in which you ace JEE, you need to do something more engaging. For example, it would be better to revise your concepts through an hour-long quiz. That would be much more valuable!

Set yourself realistic targets every day. This exercise will infuse a drive in you and make your sessions more purposeful. Moreover, a statement like, "I solved 200 problems today." gives you a better idea of where you stand, rather than saying, "I studied Math for 8 hours today."

You should judge your productivity by the number of goals you accomplish. Ensure that you're honest with yourself!

4. Neglecting A Subject

Bright minds enjoy studying Physics and Math. In a rush of excitement, aspirants devote ages to their pet topics. Their sense of time management vamooses, and Chemistry suffers. Don't do that.

All three subjects carry equal weight in JEE, so it doesn't make any sense to neglect any particular subject. It is often Chemistry that makes a difference, once everyone cracks Physics and Math.

Hence, you must consciously try to maintain a healthy balance between all three subjects. The approach is different for each aspirant: you need to play to your strengths as well.

5. Not Getting Enough Problem-Solving Practice

JEE is an exam where you have to get your hands dirty and solve as much problems as you can. Hence, thinking along the lines of, "I know the concept, I'll manage when a problem comes along." is an absolute no-no. We lose several marks just because we take 'trivial' stuffs for granted.

Solve practice problems, expose yourself to all possible themes and profiles so that you won't face any trouble recalling the method in a crunch situation. You must also adapt to the exam environment because JEE is about temperament as well. Make it a point to practice in a time-bound manner whenever possible.

If you survive several high-pressure situations, you will have developed nerves of steel! That's an invaluable asset to have on the D-Day.

Ensure that you have a sound technique, and you won't go blank under the pressure of the D-Day.

6. Not Working On Endurance

Everybody knows that JEE consists of two papers. Surprisingly few aspirants factor this into their preparation. "I got drowsy during Paper 2," sounds like a valid excuse for a lapse. Right?

Wrong. You need to figure out a way to keep your intensity up for 6 hours. Doesn't the last question you attempt deserve as much attention as the first?

6 hours of alert problem-solving is a marathon effort. How do you train for a marathon? You start well in advance and push yourself to go the distance and beyond.

Solve a full test and analyze your performance around thrice a week, and you'll be as fresh as a daisy at crunch time!

7. Taking Mock Test Scores Too Seriously

Here's a little secret: coaching classes, at their core, are businesses that toy with your insecurities. They want you to think they're indispensable, so they often set Mock Test Papers with irrelevant problems to make you feel worthless.

While the mock tests are necessary for practice, your scores in the mock tests are not always indicative of how you'll perform in JEE. As long as you have your concepts clear, a calm head on your shoulders and a pulse of what kind of questions are trending, you're good to go!

8. Being Overconfident

A lot of students overestimate their potential simply because they have good score in school exams. This leads to overconfidence which is the worst disease that you can encounter during your JEE preparation. Students who are prey to overconfidence perform poorly in JEE. The syllabus is so huge that even if you feel that you have completed all the portions, there will always be some area left where you will be completely trumped. In such situation, it is important to stay humble and motivated even if you are performing well in the mock tests.

9. Not analyzing test papers

Most students just appear for the test. Once the test is over, they forget about it. Good students however take a note to analyze the test paper carefully to see:

• What types of mistakes they made?
• What went right and what went wrong?
• What all silly mistakes were committed?
• Which areas require further conceptual clarity?
• … etc

This is one key area which differentiates JEE toppers from JEE dreamers.

10. Taking JEE Too Seriously

JEE is just an entrance exam to an undergraduate program. At 17, you've got an entire life full of possibilities ahead of you. JEE is important. However, it isn't the end of the world if you don't do that well.

Coaching classes have an agenda; they have to promote their business. That's why they burden students with so many expectations. They couldn't care less about you once you finish JEE. Please do not attach too much importance to their words.

Try to look at the bigger picture: how JEE fits into the grand scheme of things. Don't get bogged down. You don't deserve to deal with depression.

Study earnestly, fall in love with the subjects, don't worry too much about the results and focus on enjoying this incredible journey that’s called JEE preparation!

About the Author:

Aman Goel is co-founder at a Tech Start-up. He holds a BTech in Computer Science Engineering from IIT Bombay with a JEE Advanced AIR 33 (Year 2013).

During his free time, he enjoys writing articles/blogs. He is an Entrepreneur, Coder, Speed-cuber, gamer, and fan of Air crash investigation!

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