Get CET… GO !!!

As soon as the chapter of board exams ends, an important chapter of Entrance exams begins. It is a dream of every student to get into a premier engineering college. I wasn’t an exception to it. Like everyone else, I too was preparing for the entrance tests. Every person around you, be it your teacher, parents, cousins have a success mantra of their own to share, to help us succeed with flying colours. But ultimately you have to create your own master plan and follow it, because no one knows you better than yourself.

Many have said “33% Hard work, 33% Dedication, 33% Determination and 1% Luck” are the ingredients of success. But in addition to it I garnished the dish of success with my own “secret ingredient” to stand out from the crowd. And as they did serve the purpose I feel free to share the ingredients with you. They are:

Be Conceptually Clear: Knowing the fundamental concepts of a topic is very important. Even if a twisted question appears, one finds a way to solve it only if his concepts are very clear. It is always observed that the theory of a subject is not taken seriously by student as the CET has multiple choice questions. It is easily forgotten that, these questions are formulated from the theory itself. Knowing well the “prescribed textbook” is crucial, as nothing out of it is asked most of the times. A trick to know that you know the topic well is if you are able to explain it to someone without confusing him. Solve as many questions as you can. The type of questions should vary at the same time. There is no use of solving same type of question again and again, as there is no guarantee that it would be asked in the same way. By solving different types of questions, you develop a technique to approach the question. Once you know how to decipher the question, solving it is much easier. Sometimes it also introduces you to new concepts. Don’t bombard yourself with difficult questions at the beginning itself, as it may lose your confidence. Increase the difficulty level gradually.

Be Time Bound: To crack these exams one should not only have his concepts clear, but should also be able to apply them effectively and efficiently in minimum possible time. Practice is the only way to achieve this. Keep it a habit of setting the time limit, whenever to solve problems. Of course, solving the question in a given time is equally important to solving it correctly. One should be thorough with the formulae and be quick in calculations for solving the questions in time. Formulae should not just be mugged up; they should be understood as well. In this way, even if one forgets the formula, he is able to go ahead and develop the logic there itself. In the course of time, you become familiar with the type of questions and you take much lesser time to solve it than before.

Be Disciplined: It is always beneficial to make a timetable for studying, provided you follow it daily. A well planned timetable ensures that you study every subject equally. If one is weak in a particular subject, he could assign extra too for that subject. Doing subject like maths in the morning is beneficial. A fresh mind is required for calculation and it helps you to stay awake too. Once you refresh your mind, it is easy to assimilate the theory subjects. Following timetable could be a challenge to anyone. But it doesn’t matter if one doesn’t have it. Whenever you feel like studying, grab a book and go ahead with it. But being honest with yourself is important, otherwise you will stand nowhere. Keep an aim like completing a particular topic in a day by any means.
Don’t just go on studying for a long time at stretch. Sufficient amount of break is necessary, not only for the brain, but also for the body. Sitting in same position for a long is tiring and unhealthy. A break time should not include watching TV or spending time on PC or cell phone. If you do this, you are straining your eyes even more. A small walk, listening to music, lying down for some time or doing any mind refreshing should be done. It helps you to retain whatever you have studied in mind.

Put a test for yourself by solving question papers. It helps you to efficiently recall all the topics and subjects together. This is very important as in exam, questions from all topics are asked. It also helps you to practice solving the questions in time limit and score yourself. Always try to work on the weak areas. Adequate practice by these methods helps you to develop self confidence. Having self confidence is very important. It avoids panic situations if you are not able to solve any particular question in exam.

This mantra bagged me a seat in the college I desired. I hope it helps you in some way to achieve your goals. Remember, an exam is always difficult or impossible to crack for the one who isn’t prepared. Prepare yourself thoroughly so that later you don’t have any regrets. After all, practice makes a man perfect.