This is Part 1 of our series 103 Weeks of JEE Preparation. You have just finished your Xth board exams, spent some time relaxing, and are all ready for class 11th, and your JEE Preparation. Soon, as your school and coaching classes begin, you will be packed with studies on your way to the top engineering college of the country.
Having successfully taught and counselled JEE students for over 20 years, we understand your apprehensions quite well.
Remember, your preparation journey of almost two years – roughly 103 weeks – will require you to adapt, adjust, and change on a much deeper personal level. With each passing week, you will be one milestone ahead.
But what lies ahead? How can you adapt to this incredible upcoming journey?
Keep reading to find out how you should cross each milestone
Weeks 1 – 8 : Observe and Audit
You have studied for school exams, done homework, and attended classes at school for 13 years of your life now. As you are readying yourself for JEE, it’s time to take careful notice of your habits.
For the first 8 weeks of your preparation, observe your schedule daily. How much time do you spend eating, sleeping, playing, and relaxing per day? What time goes for school and coaching including traveling? How much are you able to self-study? These weeks are meant for you to understand what a day in your life looks like, and whether you are able to balance your studies and personal time well. If at the end of the day, you are not happy and relaxed despite studying for hours, it is time for you to make changes to your schedule. Plan ahead such that you can relax even after meeting your daily study target.
Weeks 8 – 16 : Iterate and Test a Schedule
Now that you have an accurate idea of how you spend your day, you should allocate time to self-study and try to design a schedule that you can honestly follow until the JEE exam. Of course, you won’t be able to design the perfect schedule at once. This is when you should experiment with different time slots for each activity like eating, sleeping, studying, playing etc. You cannot change the hours of your school and coaching, but if you’re wise, you can use the free time you have in between classes to cover backlogs or just relax for a while. Even the time it takes for you to commute to school and coaching won’t go waste if you spend it with other aspirants, discussing your goals and resolving doubts.
If you are focusing primarily on JEE mains, you have to devote at least 28 hours per week on self-study. For JEE advanced, this has to be 35 hours. Fit in these hours at whatever time of the day you are comfortable with. Meanwhile, also fix time for sleep and recreation. It might be difficult to stick to your schedule at first, however your weekly study targets should not be reduced in any case.
Remember, the end goal here is to arrive at a schedule that will keep you both physically and mentally healthy while aiding your preparation fully. This schedule should be flexible enough to accommodate backlogs, missed classes and school work. At the same time, it should allow you to relax and spend time with your friends. During these weeks, do not worry a lot about your test scores. Instead, focus on designing a good schedule for the next 87 weeks, because this schedule will be a crucial part of you reaching your dream.
If you continue facing difficulty, speak to your mentors. They will surely show you the right way.
Weeks 16 – 24 : Adjust and Adapt
Getting the hang of your new schedule will certainly take time. Don’t worry, spend these weeks adjusting and adapting to your schedule. Once you have, perfected your time table, making constant effort will surely give you an edge.
Remember, the stricter you are with yourself during this time, the better your results will be.
Weeks 24 – 34 : Your First Major Milestone
This is the time when your grade 11th Half-yearly exams will approach and the validity of your schedule will be tested.
If you had a winning schedule, you won’t have any issues balancing school and coaching studies. You won’t score poorly in either, and will not feel lost and anxious during exams.
However, if your schedule was flawed, which it shouldn’t have been if you designed it in consultation with your mentor, your marks will suffer. Don’t panic if that happens. Just make changes in your schedule and prioritize well. This time, talk to your mentor beforehand and take their help at every step.
Weeks 34 – 44 : Continue Working Hard
You have had your first major exam at school, optimised your timetable perfectly, and are studying regularly. Well, continue doing that. At this point, you just have to stick to your already perfected time table and work on both school and coaching tests well.
By the time your 11th Final Exams approach, if you are able to score well in both school and coaching, and are confident and relaxed, you are doing really well. However, if you are having difficulty managing your studies, you have to make some adjustments. At this time, focus solely on your school exam for the next few days. After your exams pass, you will have a chance to reschedule and refocus. Don’t panic, because you will be back on track after the exams.
Weeks 44 – 48 : Backlog Lifeline
At this time, your 11th grade is over and you have a vacation from school which means zero work from school right now, and only coaching tests and homework to focus on. Now, you have extra time to work on backlogs. Use this much-needed lifeline of a time wisely and manage your backlogs effectively. Devote extra time to studies during your vacations after the exam or in the summer. You can study for 8-10 hours a day for the next 45-50 days, but ensure you take care of your mental health even while doing so. If you successfully do that, all your pressure will be alleviated before 12th grade starts, and you will be confident with the syllabus.
The information above was meant to help those who haven’t performed decently due to some inevitable reasons.
However, if you have done well, continue with your usual work schedule and tactics. You should also devote about 1-1.5 hours every day to revise previous topics. This will give you a lead and expertise over the chapters you have already covered and will be crucial in determining your AIR.
The journey doesn’t end here! There are many more weeks to go. Read Part 2 of this series to find out the journey 49th week onwards, leading up to the JEE Mains and Advanced.