A Great Remedy for Self-Doubt and Success in JEE-Main-A Story of an IITian

I was in love with machines since I was just a kid. Being around machines would bring me utmost happiness. I had decided very early that I would become an engineer one day.
But the critics in my life enjoyed making fun of my dreams. I am sure you must have heard the same in your life too:

“Being with machines will get you nothing except hands smeared in grease. While it’s a nice hobby to have, you can’t really make a living out of it. You’ll just be another starving guy.”
As a kid, I took this criticism for granted. If the adults say so, it must be true, right?

“Love for machines is nice but not necessary. I’ll never be able to make a great career out of it anyway. I am not as good as the others. I can’t even clear entrance exam for it.”

I stopped being around machines for a while. I was afraid. I was afraid of criticism. I was afraid of people not liking me trying to build new machines. I was afraid of not making it into IITs.

Your fear makes your goal look impossible to achieve. But this is not just ends here, or does it? The infectious bite of fear and self-doubt spreads with time until you run desperately out there for a cure.

Suddenly, one day I realized that trying to beat out my self-doubt wouldn’t help. It will only add to my worries. It wouldn’t rebuild my confidence.

If I wanted to believe in myself, I needed to face my self-doubt and be willing to take care of it. I believe that self-doubt is a fearful creature crying for help. You must control it on time to improve yourself.
I had stopped telling myself, “I can’t crack the JEE-Main to get a seat in IIT.”
I had started asking myself, “How can I crack JEE-Main to get a seat in IIT.”

I took baby steps in the direction and cracked the JEE-Main with my hard-work and self-belief. It was all about my perspective that changed my life.

The following tips will help you manage your self-doubt right before JEE-Main 2014 Entrance Exam:

1. You should not take on new topics when only a few weeks are left for JEE-Main 2014 exam. This is the right time to revise and strengthen your preparation. Taking on new topics will only complicate your preparation.
2. As the date for the big day draws closer, you should make revision quite like a daily routine. Revise all your notes and go to sleep with a calm mind.
3. Don’t neglect your health and diet. Wake up every day in the morning and go for a short or long walk. Exercise should be your daily routine. Taking walks in the morning is considered the best cure for stress and depression.
4. Start your day with short-revisions.
5. Notes written in the class rooms are essential. Revise them often effectively.
6. You must work on your answer writing speed. You can do that by practicing filling in OMR answer-sheets.
7. Instead of trying high scores in the exam aim for a balanced score. A good rank can be achieved by scoring well in two subjects and above average in one.
8. Don’t ignore the importance of planning and strategizing. Select right questions during the exam because the number of correctly attempted questions will decide your fate.
9. Keep a positive attitude.
10. Complete your syllabus.