Preparing for JEE – beginners guide

/in , /by

Teachers and institute: Needless to say, studying at a place where teachers are good is very important. But more than the teachers, academic system and processes are more important. Generally its seen that a balanced institute with good teachers and disciplined academic system produces better result than an institute with hyped and famous teachers but with no clear cut strategy and academic system . What is a good coaching institute depends on the city where you are living. Get the material, and also pay full attention in class. Do not go to tech-savvy places where they just give you a tablet and ask you to view the lectures… I had old-fashioned JEE profs who used to make learning fun, and they used the blackboard/whiteboard.

Coming to the timetable part. Since there are so many topics to study, there is no point in me detailing a topic-wise timetable. Instead I will give you a few points to keep in mind while making a timetable.

Planning: The key point about preparing for IITJEE is planning. You must have a clear idea of what you are going to do tomorrow and also have a broad idea of what topics you are going to cover in the next 3-4 days, or maybe even a week. By clear idea, I mean, for example, you must be absolutely sure which sections of which chapter you are going to read up, which problems from which Sheet/DPP you are going to try out, and how many of them you aim to complete as well. Further, clear idea means you must know at what time of the day you are going to do which of the tasks planned on that day. You should spend some 15-20 mins before you sleep everyday, outlining the tasks for the next day and the time slot for each task. Having regular study hours is very useful in this context. By broad idea, I mean you must know that in the next 3-4 days, you must finish chapters XXX in subject YYY and their corresponding problems from DPP/ Sheet no. ZZZ. Also, at the end of each day, review mentally what were the things that you did, and what are the pending items.

Theory: It is best to start a chapter/unit by studying the theory. Do not start with problems and think that you will learn the theory as the problem demands. Finish the theory off thoroughly. For example, I would take circles and parabolas as one segment of Conic sections and finish learning thoroughly all the formulae/concepts involved. Only then would I start attempting problems from circles and parabolas. You must be able to tell all the concepts/formulae from memory before you start attempting any problems.

Problem-solving: Please, please start with easy problems. Do not straightaway try to master the hard problems, it will not work. Firstly, doing the easy problems will help you verify that your concepts are correct, and you are using them correctly. Secondly, it will set your brain along the correct path of thinking required for that chapter/unit. Thirdly, and crucially, it will build your confidence. Doing hard problems first, and not getting them right will shatter your confidence. Then gradually raise the level, go to medium , and then to hard. In many JEE materials, if the problems are not already classified, then the first few problems are easy, and the last few ones are hard, with the difficulty level gradually increasing. If you do not get a problem , please spend as long as possible to get the solution by yourself. Do not immediately refer to the solution manual. This way, you will subconsciously internalize many ideas that would not have come to you if you gave up on the problem after just one/two attempts.

Time spent on studying: You don’t really have to slog 12 hrs after school and coaching classes on weekdays. You’ll die. Study maybe 6-8 hrs depending on how much time you have… but study effectively. No point sitting for long hours if your concentration levels are low throughout. Stay away from noise, crowd, people while studying. Some people (like me) require absolute silence while studying, while some may require some pleasant music. Find out what works for you. On Sundays, try spending 8-10 hrs and maybe a bit more if you don’t have any classes/tests etc.

Happy Reading  🙂
Team Matrix

 

 

 

Failure doesn’t define you, success does

/in , , , /by
This is the time in the year when all the students are geared up for your exams be it JEE MAINS or your 12th BOARDS. This is also the time of the year when the pressure on the students is on its peak. And sad to say but this is also the part of year when most of the students face mental as well as nervous breakdown. This blog will mainly focus on the ill effects of the huge amount of pressure that the education system puts of the students.
Let me illustrate my point. Kota or “the city of coaching classes” as it is called leads in the number of suicides that the students commit. Every year around this time a lot of students take this extreme step and in all cases the reason is same….they could not perform to the expectations of society.
The point that I am trying to make is that these exams don’t define who you are. Qualifying these exams is not at all a parameter to success. Failing them will not guarantee that you are unsuccessful and clearing them does not mean that you are successful. I have numerous examples in which students who were not able to clear JEE reached the pinnacle of success and also those who failed even after getting admission in IIT.
Failures are just a stepping stones to success. I know how much it hurts to be in a situation in which you think that all the efforts that you have put in these years have been a total waste. But it is not the destination that matters but the journey itself. Success is something which never comes to anyone on their first go. You have to prove yourself that you are truly worthy for that success. Don’t think that you were not able to clear the exams, but rather think what did the life teach you in this entire journey and believe me there is no way a 3 hour paper can truly be a indicator of amount of hard work that you have done. Nobody is perfect in this world. Its ok to fail, everybody fails at some point of time but it is equally important to learn from the mistakes. There might be many reasons why you failed, maybe you were not able to manage time properly or just that you are not able to perform well under pressure.
Listen to me, if life would have been so easy then everyone would have been able to fulfill their dreams.
The wealthiest place on this planet is the graveyard because in a graveyard we will find inventions that were never really worked on, superb ideas that were never really worked on, hopes and aspirations that were never really acted upon. The question is what you are going to do with your time. What drives you? Success does not mean taking a giant step, rather it means taking lots of little steps in the right direction. You will never be successful until you turn your pain into efforts, until you allow your pain to push you from where you are to where you need to be. Just dace your pain, embrace it because it is going to be a part of your product, a part of your prize, a part of yourself.
See it’s time now. Now the decisions that you take will change your life forever. If you want to fulfill your dreams say yes to pain, say yes to suffering, yes to failures and say yes to your potential. When you die, leave no dream left behind guys. Leave no opportunity to accomplish your dreams and at last leave no regrets.
Best of luck
Team Matrix

Why IIT is cool not just for its placements?

/in , , , /by

images (51)

1) Chance to grow more from a mere nerd after joining IIT

The awesome opportunities, die-for networking, sensitization towards social issues, confidence of making a mark in the world, constant broadening of horizons are just a few benefits of being an IITian. It’s not just about book smarts. It’s about real smarts!

********************
2) IITs produce more entrepreneurs than even Ivy Leagues

According to a study by Pitchbook Data, a US based private equity and research based firm, IITs ranked fourth beating all Ivy League institutions such as Princeton, Cornell, Yale. It even beat Harvard, which ranked fifth, in churning out the most number of entrepreneurs. Some of the most popular IITian entrepreneurs are Gagan Goyal (Think Labs), Bipin Preet Singh (MobiKwik), Narayan Murthy (Infosys), Sachin and Binny Bansal (Flipkart).

*******************
3) Creativity

You would be surprised to know that IITians are not just brainy, nerdy and all into science all the time. Many of them are highly artistic and creative and do venture into areas of their passions too. Many have taken the impossible decision of leaving the lucrative engineer career and tread the paths of their calling. And the best part is, they made their mark even in creative field, letting the world know that IITians are capable of any feat. Think Chetan Bhagat. His first novel “Five Point Someone” was inspired by IIT culture. And the next time you’re gorging on Q-tiyapa, think Arunabh Kumar, the co-founder of The Viral Fever who left a lucrative job at United States Air Force to follow his passion and gift India a gem of a web series. And if you were really inspired by the Ranbeer Kapoor starrer blockbuster “Salesman Of The Year”, then you must also remember Amol Pareshar, who made a debut with this film as a supporting actor! So much inspiration floating around in IIT!

*********************
4) Huge variety of companies, bigger chances of exploration.

Companies that come for campus placements at IIT are not restricted to technology alone. All companies from software giants to consulting firms come to IIT to find best minds of India. So you know you can explore various companies for internships as well and don’t have to be restricted just to one field.

**********************
5) You learn the importance of discipline and hard work every second of your life at IIT

Being at IIT, among the best minds from all over India and many parts of the world as well, makes you push out of your comfort zone each moment of your life there. For the first time, you will not only be studying but also innovating, networking, exploring, learning, appreciating, having fun and what not. And donning so many hats at once requires that you are on your toes all the time. No dillying dallying or procrastination any more. Hard work, sincerity and self discipline become your virtues once you reach at a platform like IIT.

To know more about how to get into IIT, the entrance exams and special tips, keep watching for the next post! Till then have fun and dream all you can about your life at IIT!

International physics Olympiad (IPhO)

/in , , , /by

The International Physics Olympiad (IPhO) is an annual event, which is held in the month of June – July every year.  The country of the venue of IPhO varies from year to year. This activity has been conducted regularly for the past 37 years.  However, India began to participate in the IPhO only in 1998.

The IPhO is a keenly contested examination in physics open to pre-university students of all countries in the world. It serves as a bench-mark for study of physics at pre-university level. It also fosters friendly relations amongst students of different countries.

It is believed  that India’s participation in the IPhO  boosts the level of science education in the country.The physics olympiad programme in India aim to promote excellence in physics at the pre-university stage and to select and train participants for the IPhO.

If you want to know more about the stages of application process you can download the file named “All about Olympiad” at http://www.matrixedu.in/downloads