My journey from exam prep to college admissions: Jitanshu Singh

I am studying at Haldia Institute of Technology. It’s not a great college like the IITs, NITs, or BITS, but it is one of the popular colleges in West Bengal and Bihar (from where I belong). This story is about my journey from joining a good coaching institute for IIT preparation to joining a good college.

It was the time of summers. Matriculation exams were over and I was busy enjoying the freedom from books. I was busy with cricket. I don’t remember the date but it was mid of May, when one of my school teachers came and raised his concern about my future studies to my parents. My dad, who is also a teacher, had thought about it months before (according to my mom). They started discussing my career over tea, and concluded that I should join an IIT coaching in Dhanbad, which was approximately 150 km away from my home. My mom and my dad came to help me settle in the hostel. It was the first time I was going out from home.

My coaching started. Let me tell you I was totally unaware of IITs, NITs, etc.  Two months passed and I was struggling with high level or I would say ‘IIT-level’ questions and thinking skills required. Everything was going well; a new member was introduced in my coaching and my hostel as well. He was a cousin of one of my friends. He gave us a long, rounded information about the selection process of IITs and NITs. Before that, I was totally unaware of why all these things were happening in my life. But from that day, our days of fear started.

We were in Class 11^th, so there was no tension of exams. Class 11^th went well. I passed the standard with approximately 74% marks. AIEEE became ‘JEE Mains’ and IIT-JEE became ‘JEE Advanced’.

Then came Class 12^th and due to some circumstances, I had to change the coaching. Now, I was in Raebareli, a town in UP. I must say, studying for Class 12^th and simultaneously preparing for IIT is the riskiest thing you can do because you have to focus on 12^th Boards and JEE Mains as well. There was a criteria set for JEE Advanced selection that only students who clear the cut-off for JEE Mains and have 75% in Boards could give JEE Advanced exam. Class 12^th got over. I appeared for Mains and Boards both, and in neither of them, I qualified for JEE Advanced. I paused and didn’t give any other exams that year. I joined another coaching institute and started preparing for Boards as well. I was a decent student and was focusing to get admission in a better college this time. The year passed and this time also, I wasn’t able to clear the cut-off. But Boards went well- I scored 80%. I performed well in VITEEE as well, but my family couldn’t afford that college. I gave WBJEE too and scored 10665 rank all over West Bengal. The choice of selection was tough because with my rank, I could get the best colleges but the worst branches, and not so good colleges with the best branches. Somehow, during the first cut-off of colleges, I got Instrumentation and Control Engineering branch in Haldia Institute of Technology.

I fixed my seat and took admission. Currently, I am a student of 4^th year in HIT, Haldia. The college life is also coming to an end. I hope I get placed in the best companies.

About the Author:

My name is Jitanshu Singh. I am currently in the 4^th year of Instrumentation and Control Engineering at Haldia Institute of Technology (HIT), Haldia.