How You Can Prep Up for Both Engineering and Medical Entrance Exams
According to research, maximum number of students in India aspire to be doctors, or engineers. For either of the two, one has to sit for two of the toughest entrance examinations in the country- NEET or JEE Mains. While preparing for even one of the above can be a tedious and never ending process, some candidates aspire to appear for both.
Studying for any two entrance exams at the same time can be tough task, yet alone the toughest exams of all time. However, now that you have decided, there is no going back. One needs a smart strategy, never dying will power and the strength to put in a lot of efforts in order to tackle the pressure of two entrance exams at the same time.
In situations wherein two exams are to be attempted, the first step should be to understand the entire syllabus for both the exams. This helps to come forward with a study plan or study schedule. In addition to this, here are a few tips that one can follow to enhance your preparation while preparing for both medical and engineering exams at the same time.
Multi- tasking
One of the first useful tips for all such aspirants is to pick up multitasking as a skill. This will come in handy, especially when there are two major exams. NEET 2018 being the closest, ought to have the immediate attention of students. Multitasking is also important as students require time and energy to juggle between coaching for both the exams, personal study schedules, practicing mock tests etc.
Further, it helps one to be quick with notes and find out shortcut methods to learn and memorize better, especially in the case of mathematical equations and formulas. This definitely leads to less stress and panic during exam days.
Time Management
The next obvious point after Multitasking is efficient time management. Being a core component of multitasking, managing time to cover both relevant topics and practice enough mock tests is a must for all medical and engineering aspirants. Prepare a proper schedule and follow the same. Include equal time for preparing for both the exams with a decent amount of time for resting and recreational activities.
One needs to figure out if he/she wishes to drop a year or not, for preparing for both entrance exams. Again, this is a personal choice depending upon the student’s individual capacity. Therefore, this decision should be taken carefully and not under pressure from friends or family. Many a times, students do take a break of one year and prepare accordingly.
The key is to remain focused and motivated throughout the study period to clear the exams.
Complete Entire Syllabus
Understanding the complete syllabus is our third preparation tip for those considering medical and engineering entrance exams. This is simply because it becomes easier to understand the common subjects or topics by studying accordingly. This step definitely helps saves time.
Now, Physics and Chemistry are considered to be the common subjects for both medical and engineering exams. Likewise, there will also be other similar topics or chapters of relevance that can be noted for better preparation for both exams. For instance, having a good hold over Mathematics subjects and topics can help with certain concepts in Physics.
This kind of a separation and underlining, is best when done at the beginning of studies.
Subject and Topic Wise Difficulty Level
Further, division of topics also helps with understanding one’s weak or strong subjects of study. For some students Mathematics can be a concern while preparing for JEE Mains, for others it can be Physics or Chemistry. Therefore, it is advisable to allocate more time to difficult topics or subjects and prepare study schedule accordingly.
Knowing the weightage of various chapters and topics helps in smarter time allocations. The next logical step would be investing the best resources for preparation. NCERT textbooks are a great choice for that. It is also smart to know which subjects and topics has more NCERT oriented questions such as Biology wherein 80% of the questions are based on these books.
Other good books for entrance exam preparations include HC Verma Physics Vol I and Vol II, NEET Preparatory Series: Objective Chemistry Vol I and Vol II by Arihant, Objective NCERT At Your Fingertips for NEET Chemistry by MTG Editorial Board, Trueman’s Biology Volume 1 and 2, NEET Preparatory Series: Exploring Biology Vol I and II etc.
Don’t Shy Away from Coaching
Joining a good coaching center for medical or engineering entrance is a good idea when it’s requirement can’t be put off.
Some of the best names for coachings include Akashi Institute, Resonance, FIITJEE, Narayana, Vibrant Academy, IITians PACE, Brilliant Tutorials etc.
Coaching centers or institutes are better options for those who wish for external help or guidance through the entire preparation process. Sometimes, students can also benefit from one to one education counselling or career counselling as they are beneficial in their own way.
Choose One
Be clear about which subject you like studying more: mathematics or biology. If it is mathematics, then your strategy should be such that you are able to clear at least JEE if not medical and vice versa. Make sure you clear at least one of the above. While it is good to be prepared for both the exams, there is nothing wrong in having a little extra knowledge of one of them. Though the idea is to clear both the exams, remember that in the end, you can go ahead with only one field. So choose wisely and prioritise accordingly.
Practice
It is important to give time to mock tests, tests series for both the exams and get acquainted with the exam patterns especially JEE Main, AIIMS MBBS and NEET 2018 exams. Such tests are usually available on the official websites before the exam dates for practice.
Regular practice with tests helps students to keep track of their scores and improve accordingly. Online test series such as NEET 2018 Test Series, Aakash Test Series, Allen Career Institute Test Series , Career Orbits Test Series , Altus Knowledge, ThinkMerit Test Series etc are reputable and worth checking.