Karthik Mahesh, a native of Pune, was sure he wanted to get into an IIT after class 12. His passion for Physics, Chemistry and Math made him Maharashtra’s state topper in JEE Advanced 2015. Today, he is a first-year student at IIT Bombay (IIT-B), pursuing B.tech in Computer Science.
PaGaLGuY spoke to Karthik to know how he prepared.
Karthik’s score was 404 in JEE Advanced. “I never expected to be the topper, not even in my wildest dreams. I gave my everything to JEE, so that I could fulfil my ambition of becoming an engineer,” said Karthik.
JEE is a tough nut to crack, but for Karthik, the journey was made easy, thanks to his love for the PCM. “The fact that I enjoyed Math and Physics, was an advantage. Though somehow I always found Chemistry to be my weak point. I tried to make it up by revising as much as possible. The only way to tackle a weakness is to face it and conquer it, not avoid it,” he says.
“There are no easy ways to solve the actual paper on the day of the exam,” the topper affirmed.
His study pattern was not very stringent. He ensured that he had enough time for both studies and Karate. “It is also helpful and important to have a good friend circle. Both of my closest friends are also in the IITs today, one of them my batch-mate in IIT-B itself. They act as a constant source of support,” he further added.
His passion for engineering was nurtured from a very young age. His parents come from an engineering background as well, and that helped greatly, the topper concluded.