VisionIAS
13:54
JEE Main
2018 and Board exams are due to take place, one after the other. Now, this
isn't a news to many while is a cause of concern for candidates who aspire to
get into top engineering colleges to pursue their technical education.
JEE Main exam is scheduled to be held on April 8
2018 in offline and 15-16 April in online mode. The last date to apply for the
same is January 1st, 2018. This means there isn't much time for
students to take a break after the boards which usually take place in March. In
short, a tight schedule!
On the
other hand, this calls for a practical and more organized approach for studies,
if the goal is not just high scores but gaining admissions into preferred
courses of study.
Of course
by now, even your teachers must be focusing on examination tips. It is
also important to avoid stress and anxiety. Though the syllabus is more or less
similar for both exams, JEE Main requires better clarity of basic fundamental
concepts and their various applications. This is exactly why one must
prioritize the various topics of study for both the exams and understand which
requires more time and effort with less than three months away. This is
possible through a careful self-evaluation of one’s strengths and
weaknesses. So, the rest of this blog is going to be about exam
preparation tips in this regard. That is, best way to manage studies
effortlessly for both JEE Main and Board exams.
How to Juggle between Boards and JEE Main
With just
two whole months away, the key is to use maximum time for your benefit so that
you feel prepared at the end of the day. A detailed and practical plan
here can work wonders but do not overdo it. One shouldn’t be feeling both tired
and exhausted with stress. Hence, plan your time tables with adequate
rest.
Syllabus
Planning: Concepts and Theory
The first
thing is scrutinizing the syllabus for both the exams and developing a time
table accordingly. Do remember that board exams deals with more theoretical
knowledge while JEE Main focuses on practical application of basic concepts and
theories.
The class
11 and 12 syllabus of NCERT
books are usually followed for JEE Main. Therefore, preparing for boards
ensures about 50% preparations for JEE Main as well. So, a smart planning
can work wonders here. The trick is to separate the topics along similar lines
as JEE Main require deeper clarity in concepts. The highlighted sections of
NCERT books is also relevant to right syllabus planning of theory and concepts.
One can
plan in covering certain topics every month. Lastly, it's essential to cover
the entire syllabus and not miss out on any topics for both the exams. This is
crucial to acing the Boards and JEE Main.
Mock
Tests and Solved Papers
After
preparation, it is the perfect time to test weak areas and strong subjects.
There are online test series for both the exams that can be easily made use of.
Now, practicing previous years board question papers is just as relevant as JEE Main. This not
only gives one a thorough understanding of question paper pattern, but also the
time required to finish the boards.
There are basic differences between
the paper pattern of boards and JEE Main. This is where one gains edge by
working on both. It is advisable to not compare the pattern or difficulty level
of both these exams.
A time table to solve one test series on a weekly basis is also smart planning. If this is too much for some students, they can resort to one mock test and previous year paper for every two weeks, starting from January.
Experts
and Coaching Guide
Thirdly, we would like to highlight the importance of a good coaching center. This is basically for those who find difficult in planning their own study routines or adopting a systematic approach for writing both boards and JEE Main. In fact, many coaching centers do appropriate test assessments and bring out customized study routines for diverse student needs. So, even if one does not prefer to join these centers, they can listen to expert videos available online.
Constant Practice and Revision
By default, our next point is
constant practice and revision of each and every topic. This includes solving
as many question papers as possible.
Sometimes, it is smart to develop
own methods of finding solutions for easy remembrance and saving time. This is
possible through rigorous practice. For theory, the topics require memorizing
and help in scoring high marks.
A foolproof plan also involves careful understanding of all such topics that appear frequently in both the exams, topics with maximum weightage of marks and also the proportion of questions from every topic. Now, writing all this down, actually helps in a more specific prioritization of topics and deeper clarity in JEE Main as this exam is rather tricky with conceptual application.
With good revision comes the need for best study material. So, apart from the NCERT syllabus textbooks, one should also go through recommend books, especially for JEE Main. There is other reference material available online on multiple exam coaching and tutorial platforms.
Self-Assessment
While drawing up study schedules for two major exams, try for self-assessment on a weekly basis. This is a solid method to assess if one needs to push themselves more or less.
For this, one can make notes of test
performances in the practice sessions right from the beginning. This helps to
point out the areas of constant mistakes or wrong answers. It is better to
mark these separately for JEE Main and Boards and keep one’s competency level
in check. It is good to mark this status in study charts for better assessment
of topics and subjects that require more revision or practice. More
importantly, this ensures adequate rest and recreation time for any student.
Without the deserved rest, any student would find it impossible to balance out
a good study time table.
