At least in Kolkata, almost all the students of my batch in college had given JEE, did not qualify and joined a BSc program to save some grace. Only a few had genuine interest in research. I belonged very much in the former category, except that I had qualified JEE. I knew I had an aptitude in Chemistry but did not know how to improve myself. However, while studying in a very good state university, I rubbed shoulders with some of the sharpest students in (I believe) India, and gradually shifted to the latter category of people who genuinely wanted to pursue research as a career. And for people who wanted to be in research the next logical step was to prepare for IIT JAM.
The inception of my preparation began after the end of third semester. I bought all the study material offered by Chem Academy's JAM course. I also bought Arihant's IIT JAM Chemistry Solved PYQs. Then I placed them in my cupboard where they collected dust for another six months.
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| A strained smile amidst rigorous preparation |
Most of the students who crack IIT JAM take coaching, but I did not. I prepared on my own and this plan will be particularly useful to those who cannot afford coaching or don't want to join one.
However, I bought the mock test series of Chem Academy and it proved to be extremely useful on the day of the exam. If you are starting earlier than June, even better, adjust the time frame and try to finish everything earlier than I did.
The Plan
Step 1: Chalk it out
The first part of cracking any competitive exam is having a clear structure, having a macro and a micro view. It is important that every time you sit down to study you have decided what you are going to study that day. Take a small notebook and plan out your preparation. It must have two parts to it:
1. Long term goal: Plan all the topics that you will cover in the span of the next six months. I started in June and planned to cover everything till the end of November. Devote every week to a subject or a topic until November. Cover all the important topics that carry a lot of weight in the beginning. You will find the list of important topics in any solved PYQs book. During my time the main chapters were GOC, Reaction Mechanisms, Pericyclic Reactions, Coordinate Chemistry, Thermodynamics, Kinetics and Equilibrium and Photochemistry.
I took an extra month to cover everything. However it is important to finish the syllabus as early as possible to not leave out anything for the last minute. December was my buffer. A buffer is necessary because you need to account for uncertainties. Semester exams, unit tests and occasional parties will eventually consume the buffer.
2. Short term goal: You need to plan every day of the week. Start the week by reading theory from the study material and watching lectures of the chapter on YouTube (everything is available here for free). In the middle of the week practice MCQs ,MSQs and NATs from that chapter. At the end of the week try giving chapter tests and revise everything you learned throughout the week. If a topic spills over to the next week then it's absolutely normal. Ensure that it doesn't take more than two weeks. Recalibrate your long term plan accordingly.
Step 2: Start learning
Study Materials: I only studied from the material provided by Chem Academy. It was more than sufficient for me, however I was meticulous enough to read every single line of the material. I occasionally referred to some class notes that I made in college. I was not particularly fond of books. I relied on YouTube when I was not able to understand a topic. A lot of people recommend making notes. I did not make notes specifically for JAM, however my college notes served the purpose to a great extent. Contact me if you need my college notes, I'll be happy to help you out!
Choosing the correct material: You can ask any coaching of your liking for study materials. Usually, the more reputed ones have sufficient information and good quality of questions. Ensure that they have solutions to their problems that you can understand. The solutions will form the backbone of your preparation.
Step 3: Practice what you have learnt
December is the time you should start to wind up your learning. If you have not finished any important chapter now is the time to complete it.
You should give yourself a break of a day or two to relax and give yourself a pat on the back for having come this far. You have achieved almost 80% of the job. All that remains is execution.
After finishing my syllabus in December I took a break during Christmas and binged Netflix for two days wrapped up under layers of blankets.
After you are done you should review everything that you have learned for a day or two. It is usually winter vacation for most colleges during this time so you can devote your entire day to it. You will find things that you have forgotten but that is completely fine, practice will take care of it.
Now is the time for mocks. I started giving mocks in January. I started by solving the PYQs of JAM and moved on to Chem Academy Mocks. After each mock the entire day was spent reviewing what went wrong and what my weaknesses are. My entire revision was done only through mock tests. Solve PYQs of at least the past 5 years and attempt around 7 to 8 mocks.
Take the mock scores with a pinch of salt. I never got a good score in my mocks. The PYQs gave a clearer picture. The mocks are there only to simulate the environment of the exam. It is natural to not score well during your initial mocks. What's important is how you use the mocks to find your shortcomings and work on them.
It's good to stop giving mocks 3 to 4 days before the exam. Review all the important concepts and questions that you feel are important.
Step 4: Finishing touch
All that you've practiced will culminate into your performance on the day of the JAM exam. Hence to ensure nothing goes wrong register for GATE as well, which usually takes place a week before JAM and the centers are also usually the same as JAM. I made a few blunders in GATE that I ensured did not happen in JAM. Another advantage of giving GATE before JAM is that JAM results are announced after that of GATE and if you have done well in one it is almost always implied that you'll do well in the other.
If you have come this far you should know that you've already booked yourself a seat in an IIT. This exam is a knowledge based exam. If you have studied for it, you will do well. Keep calm and give your best.
Even if you follow everything to the T and it does not pan out well on the day of the exam, do not beat yourself upon it. A degree from IIT is not a prerequisite to having a good career in research. You are as likely to (not) win a Nobel Prize with or without an IIT tag. But the effort you put in JAM will surely help you in every endeavour you take up in life.
All the best to those appearing for IIT JAM this year. And to those who are planning on appearing next year, buckle up!
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