Beyond the Books: My Honest JEE Story

Board exams are knocking at the door! I know pressure must have increased a lot. Mains 1st attempt maybe went smooth or maybe went rough, but I hope the post-exam hangover is all gone now and everyone's focus is now on the boards. To be very honest, you might feel like board marks are not at all important as far as JEE or NEET is concerned. But you also need to know that they will again act as a factor to boost your confidence or down your morale just like JEE Mains did (Apart from the fact that its marks will only be valuable for your relatives and not for your admission to colleges). Here's what I will discuss today: Smart Strategy: Use Boards to Boost JEE/NEET Prep 3-Day Physics Preparation Plan Important Points to Keep in Mind  Manifestation and Confidence: The Secret Sauce to My Journey Smart Strategy: Use Boards to Boost JEE/NEET Prep Now, most of the students consider board exams to be a time waste for their JEE or NEET preparation. Here is where the trick comes. You hav...

Enough of Mock Tests! I woke up at 8 AM that day and made myself a promise: No mock tests today. But as much as I tried to stay calm, thoughts of the next day refused to leave my mind. “What if things don’t go as planned? What if I let my parents down after everything they’ve sacrificed for me? What if my mind goes blank, and I forget the formulas I’ve practiced a hundred times? What if I get stuck on questions I know I can solve? What if all these months of sleepless nights and hard work end up meaning nothing?” These questions kept me company as I stepped into the day. My Maa , busy preparing breakfast in our small rented room in Delhi, had let me sleep in. She knew the pressure I was carrying— the weight of expectations, the dreams of a 17-year-old . Even though I didn’t say a word, she saw it in my eyes. She didn’t wake me up, thinking a little extra rest might help me more than anything else. Once I was ready, I sat down at my desk with a clear plan: No new problems, no new topi...

Disclaimer: I’m writing this blog because I’ve noticed that many students tend to avoid math as if it’s some alien language. Let’s face it, math can be tough and requires a solid effort, but let me remind you—if you truly want JEE (and a decent branch), there’s no escape. You’ve got to understand that JEE demands math . Math is a skill every engineer needs, no matter the branch (especially CSE) . Ignoring it is like trying to build a skyscraper on sand—it’s just not going to work. So, if you’re struggling, here’s my advice: dedicate 2 hours daily to math , no matter what. Not 1 hour, not 3 hours—just 2 focused hours. But do it consistently. Math is the language of engineers, so better start speaking it now . If not, well, be ready to face some “interesting consequences” later. Odds are not in your favor otherwise. "Coordinate Geometry" – One topic that many students conveniently ignore because “too many formulas!” But here’s the thing—it’s one of the highest-weightage t...

This story is for everyone who once told me, “You won’t make it.” In 2014 , the JEE results came out. I was in Class 9 , and Souhardya Da , a senior from our school, topped the state with an AIR of 2500+ . The respect and attention he received left a mark on me. His name was in the newspapers, and coaching centers had his photos everywhere. He was felicitated at our school assembly, and as a 13-year-old, I was impressed by the attention he received. That day, on the bus ride home, I told my friend, “IIT pawar ekta pickup ase na? Jodi ekdin amaro hoiya jaito” (There’s something about making it to IIT, right? Wish I could make it someday). He laughed and said, “Tui prothom e school e 90% paia lo.” (First, get 90% in school). When I started exploring Class 11 physics topics in class 9, I was excited. But instead of encouragement from teachers, I was met with warnings. They told me stories about students who failed in Class 9 and 10 because they were too focused on showing off their int...

IIT felt like a distant dream now—a dream I’d first seen in my 9th grade, seemed like it would remain just that, a dream, for the rest of my life.  BITS Pilani seemed like a safe bet— 375 out of 350 (Attempted Bonus Questions) , I thought. Surely that would land me in Pilani for CSE. And if not, Jadavpur CSE was within reach, with an  AIR  of 49 . We packed our bags, left FIITJEE behind, and returned to Agartala. There was no point in waiting for the results anymore. The four-year journey had come to an end—not on the note I imagined, but it had shaped me into someone better. As I checked my friends' marks, I realized that 172 wasn’t as bad as I thought, considering how tough the 2018 paper had been. The 2017 paper had been much easier, leading to an inflation of scores. Still, I knew 172 wouldn’t get me a rank under 5000. The idea of "500 te eshe porte pare" felt like a joke I had made of myself. June 10 at 10 AM , the result was set to be announced. Even though I did...

Ironically, the time after giving  JEE Advanced 2018 wasn’t exactly a period I look back on with pride. I walked out of that exam hall completely unaware of what was coming. I still remember Maa’s hopeful face as she asked, “Kemon holo?” (How was the exam?) . With a confident smile, I replied, “Under 500 e eshe porte parte” (Might just land under 500) . Maybe part of that happiness was just relief—the battle felt like it was over, and I could finally go home, reinstall Clash of Clans, and focus on my clan instead of calculus. But fate, it seemed, had its own plans. The next morning, Rajat called. "Bhai, Answer key aagaya, kitne ban rahe?" (How much are you getting?) Half-asleep, I brushed him off, “Tu check kar, mujhe sone de” But you know how it goes—as soon as you hear "Answer key aagaya” sleep is gone. I hastily woke up, downloaded the Resonance answer key, and started matching answers from memory. "172…that’s it?” I rechecked, then checked again. Every quest...

Hey Readers, To those who don’t know me yet, let me introduce myself. I’m Soumyadeep Nandi , an IIT Kharagpur alumnus with a background in Chemical Engineering and a minor in Mathematics and Computing. After a year working as a software development engineer at Trilogy Innovations and Agtuall, I left the corporate world to follow my true passion—teaching. Guiding young minds on their journey to JEE has been a way for me to relive my own path and share in the dreams of tomorrow’s achievers. This blog is dedicated to all my students and the wider family of brothers and sisters out there who carry a world of questions and uncertainties—not just about academics, but about life’s twists and turns. I know that when students reach out to me, I can only answer a few questions at once. So, this blog is here for everyone, a space where I can share my own JEE journey—one that, like yours, was full of ups and downs, setbacks and comebacks. I’m writing for the students who feel hesitant to ask, wh...