Remembring The Past

Dear Friends,

  After a prolonged absence I am back to blog. While this period did have its share of significant events viz. Unrest in J&K, Maoist Violence, Debates and Discussions on IPC for Sexual Abuse and Honor Killings, GoM meets on Caste based Enumeration, SEBI vs. IRDA for ULIPs, new logo for INR etc. etc, I was busy in relocating from Vizag.

This article however will not be about any of those events enlisted, instead this is for all those who are preparing for competitive exams of any kind. Preparation has to be planned. So lets get started.

The first step towards our preparation should be to build belief, faith.

There is nothing which we as individuals cannot accomplish.  

And why not, all competitive exams are meant to be cracked. So believe in your abilities. Ability to learn, apply, prevail and sustain. The order is extremely important. Now most of you would have had an attempt at highly competitive exams like JEE, AIEEE, EAMCET etc. and would have learned some lessons from them. One key point to note is

Institutes do not assure success, dedicated preparation does.

Let me make myself clear. I am not taking any credit away from any of the factors concerning this process Institutes play a key role in your success but not every student who is enrolled with them tastes equal success.  The difference of course lies in the way students adapt to the system. Instead you can succeed without a formal coaching.This brings us to the second ingredient: Attitude.

By Attitude I mean the necessity to follow diligently your way of study. You need not work for long hours but work with full concentration for limited hours. Invariably in all exams you need to develop your speed and accuracy. Sit for lets' say 2 hours only but increase the number of attempts and accuracy. More importantly, learn to seek help. May be your friends are also your competitors but learn to share your ways with them. Never hesitate to ask for help from your friends, seniors or faculty. Remember that you are not demeaning yourself by seeking help. You are instead opening yourself to new opportunities to learn and improve and thus get better. Similarly remain accessible to all those who mean something to you. Help them out. Take some time out and address their concerns. Share and you will improve.

Third and most important factor is to keep yourself motivated. It is important for any aspirant to realise and keep reminding oneself of the purpose of the endeavor.  It is important to answer the question, "Why am I doing this?" Pressure keeps building with every passing day and you may find the going getting tougher. This pressure, my dear friends, can make or mar your performance. The pressure or burden of expectations may come from varied sources like your parents, friends or yourself. The best way to negotiate with such pressure is to talk about it. You can talk to yourself or to a friend you confide upon but ensure that you channelize this pressure properly.

 Lets' Convert Ourselves From Desiring Aspirants To Deserving Recipients of Success

I am sure plenty can be added. Awaiting your responses in the form of criticism and comments.

Keep Posting...Keep Blogging ...Keep Learning

With special thanks to Ramya whose suggestion helped me to zero in on this topic.

With lots of love and best wishes
Atul Mishra