“After clearing the JEE mains, I don’t feel like studying anymore.”
“I have scored 193 marks in JEE mains 2016. Though I have qualified for the Advanced I am unable to concentrate.”
“Sometimes I am just not able to focus. I am bored to study and I may not clear the Advanced. Please help.”

These messages that have flooded various social media sites aptly sum up the despair and disenchantment of hundreds of engineering aspirants, who have successfully overcome the first hurdle by clearing JEE Mains and qualified for next level, JEE Advanced. They are vying for a seat in one of the prestigious Indian Institutes of Technology and Indian School of Mines. The exam that will help them secure a place in their institute of choice is only a couple of weeks away. But many of them have complained that are no longer upbeat about the next level of entrance exam and have lost interest in studies. 

It is a case of well begun, but barely half done. Some of these students are almost on the verge of giving up. “After two years of hard work, my daughter qualified for the next round of exam, JEE Advanced, but suddenly she seems to have lost interest. I don’t see her preparing for it. I have invested a lot of money in giving her the best coaching. I can only hope for miracles now, if she has to clear the JEE Advanced,” said Tarun Raathi, whose daughter scored 147 in JEE Mains 2016.

On the other, we have more than 10 lakh students who couldn’t clear the cut-offs and have missed a chance to take JEE Advanced. Despite being disappointed, they have alternate options like the state engineering exams or BITSAT, or entrance exams of the private engineering institutions. “I could not clear JEE Mains. My parents had high hopes, but I messed up my paper. I will now appear for entrance exams of private engineering colleges for which my mother will be accompanying me,” said Anish Singh, an aspirant from Mumbai.

But what makes students chase their dreams with spirit, but not enjoy the fruits of labour? Shivani Manchanda, an education counsellor, based out of Mumbai, attributed this attitude to the constant pressure that students face during their preparation for the entrance examination. “Students often tend to get sloppy in their attitude once they clear JEE. It’s hard to maintain their motivation after the initial grind. Parents should avoid taunting or scolding their children, and instead speak to them positively and motivate them,” she says. She also added that between two exams, the students will feel rejuvenated if they take a day’s break with family or friends. By avoiding the monotonous and strenuous study regime, they can avoid boredom and systematically revise their syllabus.