India

JEE Main is one of the toughest competitive exams. If you are planning to prepare for this or any other competitive examination without having any coaching, you need to take care of certain things for sure. IN the very beginning, I would like to share that according to a study, in the year 2013, there were only 52% students who had cleared JEE Mains/Advanced, had not got any type of formal coaching. It will be required to start of Preparation way early since you have to manage everything on your own independently. The correct time for anyone to start with the preparation will be as soon as you step into class 11. This way you will have ample time to correct your mistakes and improve. Before you move on to the preparation, it is important to understand the structure of the exam. You need to be fully focused and concentration during self-studies. Get familiar with the exam pattern and syllabus well. Solve as many mock and previous years' papers as you could. Clear yourself on each little doubt. A very important tool for you will be time management. Even a simple tool like Google Calendar can be used to allot time or days to chapters/sections. Confidence can be the key to you. Taking small steps and following the right strategies can make a huge difference. From your study pattern and reference books to the way you solve the paper, all can go a long way in helping you achieve your IIT dream. Here are a few tips you should follow in your preparation, which if done properly, can be game-changers. Practice at home is the most effective when you test yourself. Also, develop a smart strategy while solving the papers. After you are done with your NCERT studies, move on to reference books. These books cover topics from the basic to advanced-level application-based questions. I guess this is a myth around that one cannot crack JEE Main without coaching. Rather, I personally doubt whether these coaching actually gives enough and required polish to the Engineering aspirants or not! Some of the past years' JEE Main Toppers too believe that coaching might not be necessary to crack an exam like JEE Main. Amplify your revision by solving practice questions on the topic from reference books instead. Tips in short:
1. Time Management. Without Time Management, No Magic Can Happen
2. Follow a proper schedule
3. Understand the Syllabus and Exam Pattern
4. Study concepts, solve problems, cross-check solutions
5. Solve previous years' papers
All the best!