By cracking JEE, I proved everyone wrong: Manish Sharma

IIT Mandi

I belong to a family where my elder brother is an Engineer, so since class 8, my father wanted me to take Commerce with Mathematics in 11^th class and become a Chartered Accountant.

So, in class 11^th I took Commerce with Mathematics, on the very first day when I studied Economics, Business Studies, etc. Soon, I realized that Commerce is not my cup of tea. So I shifted to PCMB and then to PCM Computers, but finally ended up in PCM (Physical Education). This made me realise that deciding upon a career is not an easy task. After trying different subjects, I found out that no subject can match my love better than PCM and especially Mathematics.

My admission journey

Being a Science student, I soon came across something called IIT-JEE. I had no clue about IIT-JEE. Everyone in the family, my teachers, my relatives told me that JEE is the toughest exam and you can’t clear it. Also, my elder brother (who is my role model and is very intelligent) attempted this so called JEE exam twice and failed.

This gave me the motivation to crack JEE. That what my brother didn’t achieve, I have to. Not for me, not for family but only for him because I love and respect him more than my parents.

After my 1^st attempt I got AIR 17006 in JEE advance 2015 with 90.8% in Boards. I decided to drop a year and prepare for JEE Main again. In my 2nd attempt in 2016, I got AIR 4868 in JEE Advanced. That year, the question paper was the toughest in JEE history. That was the happiest moment of my life as I had proved everyone wrong.

I took JEE coaching from ALLEN, Jaipur and I realized the best way to crack JEE is to just follow what your teachers says with 100% dedication. I was a below average student. So, if I can crack this exam then I think anyone can.

Can you guess my CGPA in class 9^th? 4.8. Yes, you heard it right 4.8!!! But from class 10^th onwards I worked little bit more on my weaknesses and result is in front of you!!

My JEE score got me a seat in Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi in the Electrical Engineering branch.

Learnings & Insights

Life at IIT Mandi is amazing. The exposure you get here is simply great and the peaceful environment always keep you motivated to learn new things and innovate. This motivation, this spark, makes you different from other college students. Apart from studies the most important aspect of college life is extra-curricular activities. College education along with your extracurricular activities helps in your mental as well as physical development. You can either play a sport or you can be an event/club co-ordinator.

I have made some mistakes, like not going to the morning classes, skipping breakfast, not eating proper diet but I am working them and improving my habits.

At this point of time, I am completely satisfied with the decision I took years ago from now and I am honoured to be a part of this IIT Mandi family.

About the Author:

My name Manish Sharma. I am currently pursuing Electrical Engineering at Indian Institute of Technology Mandi. My hobbies are playing cricket, football, hockey, watching NBA and online gaming.