Informal post(1,00,000 views)

We have reached 1 lakh views on the blog in a very short span of time(i.e. 2 months of active writing). Thanks to everyone who has viewed/followed my blog.

There are many people who visit the blog but don't follow it. If you are interested in the content, do follow it via email/blogger(both the options can be found in the right sidebar and its recommended to do both). It will help you get notified about the latest posts.

Also, today is my father's birthday too!!! All this in one day is huge. And Elon Musk and Helen Keller too have their birth date today.

Anyway, you will be seeing such informal posts time and again, so that you don't get bored :p

Thanks to everyone again!

College101- An Introductory guide for about-to-be college students

So, exams and results over. Most of you would have already decided whether to take a drop or not. If not, see this. So, this post will guide you about the Do's and Don'ts for college, based on many messages, emails, and comments I have been seeing over the last couple weeks. I'll be doing this as a Q&A session, based on the questions most requested to me.

1. Which college is the best for me? I am yet to decide my choices for counselling.
Well, check this out, this is a complete guide to choose your choices. Also, please consult people from all the choices you are filling. You can discuss your doubts here. This group has people from all colleges. Also, see this post. It will help you. Finally, I must say that it's your choice to go for a particular college/branch. I am not at blame if you end up choosing something you don't like. Consult many people and decide.

2. What should I do in the 1-month break I have before joining college?
Well, you had been studying for a long time, so I suggest you enjoy this time. You can pick up a hobby, learn to code, spend some time with family and friends, etc. In my case, I watched a TV Series called 'The Big Bang Theory', learned to play the Guitar, made up my Facebook page(like it for interesting stuff on JEE, college, and computers), visited a lot of places, etc. This time is precious as it won't come again. I strongly recommend learning to code in this break. It is because it is fun, every college has a course on Programming, and it's a must-have skill today.

3. How to learn to code in this break?
There are plenty of resources out there on the Internet. I strongly suggest you to learn C++ as a first step. You can do it first by seeing this playlist by thenewboston(really nice work). You will not get everything in the first try, but keep on trying. You can use this book along with these tutorials. For problem practice, I recommend you to practice a bit on SPOJ. Go to the basic problems sections, arrange them in the order of decreasing number of users, and solve around a 100. If you do this you will become really good at coding and will ace the first year(irrespective of whether you are in CS or not). You should see these articles-Getting Started with Computer Science- Part 1 and Getting Started with Computer Science- Part 2

4. Should I buy a laptop for college?
Well, if you have a financial problem, then you don't need to for now, because every college has a Computer lab, but still having one is immensely useful. Everything in college depends on your laptop, and you must buy a good one. If you haven't thought of buying a laptop yet, and plan to do it later, DON'T. Get it now, and get used to it, code a bit, play with it. A good laptop must have an i3 or above processor(7th gen or above), 4/8GB RAM or more, a decent Graphics card, and a good hard drive(SSD preferred, or 1TB hard drive at the minimum). Currently, many back to college and cashback offers are available on Amazon, so you might want to buy from these links. I have searched for the best laptops available in every range(arranged in increasing order of price). Some of these(the cheap ones) don't have OS, you can install Windows(paid) or Ubuntu(free)

Asus Vivobook X541UA-DM1358D (Intel i3 7100U (7th Gen)/4 GB DDR4/1TB/Intel HD Graphics/DOS) - Silver

Lenovo Ideapad 320E 80XL0378IN 15.6-inch Laptop (7th Gen Core i5-7200U/4GB/1TB/Windows 10 Home/2GB Graphics), Onyx Black

ACER E5-575G/Ci5-7200U/4/1TB/W10/2GB GRAPHICS/BLK NB (NX.GDWSI.007)

Dell Inspiron 15 3000 3567 15.6-inch Laptop (7th Gen Core i7-7500U/8GB/1TB/Windows 10 with Office 2016 Home and Student/2GB Graphics)

Apple MacBook Air MQD32HN/A 13.3-inch Laptop 2017 (Core i5/8GB/128GB/MacOS Sierra/Integrated Graphics) (If you can afford 60k, do go for it. Apple is a class apart, unless you are into gaming

HP Pavilion 15-CC129TX 2017 15.6-inch Laptop (Core i5/8GB/1TB/Windows/Integrated Graphics), Silver

Microsoft Surface Pro (Core-i5 7th Gen/4GB/128GB/Windows 10 Pro/Integrated Graphics), Silver

2018 Flagship HP Pavilion 14" WLED HD Premium Business Laptop - Intel Dual-Core i5-7200U up to 3.1GHz 16GB DDR4 1TB HDD B&O Play 802.11ac Bluetooth HDMI USB Type-C Webcam Backlit Keyboard Win 10

The list is by no means exhaustive, but I have tried to cover laptops of all range. If you are too lazy to buy one from out, you can order from here, I have taken this list from various tech websites and personal experience. You will find them good. Avoid watching a lot of TV series/movies.

5. How to survive in college?
Every college has a different culture of study, extracurriculars, etc. Talk to seniors and develop a healthy relationship with them. Ask them about the study patterns. And talk to many people. And try to adjust against feelings like homesickness, lack of friends,etc. Develop confidence and avoid bad habits.

This was all. If you have any more doubts, feel free to comment here.

Coordinate Geometry, 3D, and Vectors

This is usually counted among the tough topics. Because it involves a lot of formulae and calculations(at times) and hence costs a lot of time during exam. You might wanna be very fast in calculations before moving here. So prepare your algebra well!

So, the topics will be 

1. Straight Line and Basics- This is the most important chapter because this forms the basis of other chapters. There would be various forms of lines, and you must be familiar with each and everyone of them. There would be lots of definitions in this chapter(orthocentre,incentre,etc.)Lots of formulae, learn them all by heart.  Shift of origin and family of lines are two important topics which will help you solve questions fast. Practice a lot, and different types of question, don't solve 10 questions of the same type. Solve 10 questions of 10 types(i.e.1-2 questions of each type).

2. Circles and Conic sections- You must be well prepared with formulae of equations in standard form, parametric form, positions of foci, vertices, length of latus rectum,etc. tangent, normal, etc. Joint equation of curves and lines is very helpful at times. There are a few special results(e.g. reflection properties of parabola and ellipse). It's tough to remember them all in one go. Take your time and try to apply them in questions to learn them. Do a lot of locus problems. Again, lots of types, and solving many problems of different types will help you.

3. Vectors and 3D- 3D is just a continuation of 2D Geometry. Have a good thinking of the problem in 3D. It will help you. Again, formulae-remember them. You won't face much problem in 3D. Vectors would give you problems :p. Well, try to think of vectors in terms of 3D when in trouble. There are a few standard techniques(taking dot product, cross product with something, etc.) try to implement them and see if they help. Keep on solving a variety of problems. Various lines forms get confusing. Tricky questions can be easily formed in vectors. Try to think of all the formulae available to you. It will surely help. Again, this is mostly based on revising and practicing. 

So, Coordinate Geometry, Vectors and 3D are mostly calculation based, with a handful of central concepts which apply to all the problems and situations. If you study it deeply you would find beautiful connections between various formulae and situations. I'll leave them for you to discover(NCERT style :p).

BOOKS

As usual, if you go to a coaching, follow that book. If you don't you can take this book from Resonance. I can't find the link for other books, so you'll have to take the ones mentioned below(I was from Resonance and found their study material pretty good).

If you want more practice, go for Arihant coordinate geometry and Vectors and 3D.

S.L. Loney is another beautiful book, with some very good questions. It is surely worth solving, if you have time. Apart from this, A. Das Gupta has some really nice questions in 2D coordinate geometry. Do solve them if you want a very good grasp and rank.

So, do well in coordinate and Vectors and 3D. They carry a huge weightage. They need some revision and practice. Give your best, and let me know if you have any doubts by commenting below.

All the best!!!

Also see : Calculus, Algebra, Trigonometry, Best books for JEE

Trigonometry-Tough and easy

This is going to be a short post because Trigonometry is quite a small portions. However, it is fundamental to the rest of mathematics, and you must be good in trigonometry before moving towards other chapters.

The basic rule of Trigonometry is the same as that of Mathematics in general- remember all formulae by heart and practice as much as you can. There are 50+ formulae in my short notes. And you need to remember them by heart(most formulae are symmetric and can be learnt by short tricks). Practice makes you familiar with all the tricks of the game, and you begin to get 'clicks' in your mind whenever new problems come up.

The first chapter is identities. Lots of formulae and tricks. Can't do much apart from practicing a lot and remembering formulae well.

Then comes Trigonometric equations. Almost the same, just few more formulae for the standard solutions. Be careful with intervals of pi and all. And practice few questions based on graphs, pretty common in JEE.

Next is SOT. Very nice chapter. Important from KVPY and Olympiad point of view. Again, lots of formulae, and the trick lies in massive problem solving.

Then comes Inverse Trigonometric functions. This one is easy. Remember the principal values, do a little bit of tweaking by a factor of pi(carefully) and you are done.

Basically, trigonometry is an easy portion. But question wise, it can be tough as hell. The only thing you can do is practice, practice, and practice. From the books below.

BOOKS

As usual, coaching books are the best for maths. If you are studying on your own, get the book by Resonance. For extra practice, Arihant is the best. If you want more practice of a basic level, go for S.L. Loney(its a bit old fashioned though). For those who love challenges, go for A. Das Gupta. It has the toughest questions from trigonometry among all other books(even I had tough time solving them).

So, as usual, study hard, practice a lot, and comment down your queries below.

All the best!!!

Also see: Motivation, Calculus, Coordinate Geometry, Vectors and 3D, Algebra, Best books for JEE, Organic Chemistry, Mechanics,

Algebra-Where it all begins...

This is a portions which is divided between 11th and 12th. Anyway, I'll go chapterewise-

1. Basics of JEE Mathematics- This basically involves stuff like Logarithms, Graph making, equation solving, polynomials, identities, etc. Now this is really basic stuff and you must practice it really well in order to do well ahead. It might be tough for some students in the beginning, but make sure that you keep on trying it. Eventually you will have a good grasp on it.

2. Sequence and Series and Quadratic Equations- These two are relatively easy chapters and you just need to be good with formulae and practice well. It will seem tough, because you aren't used to this stuff(class 10 habits), but just keep on trying and you willl do well.

3. Permuations, Cominations, Probability, and Binomial theorem- Well Binomial isn't that tough a thing. There is just one formula, some calculations, and a few question types. Master them all. And remember the summation formulae for various types of series involving nCr. The real challenge comes in P&C and Probability. There are lots of tricky questions. Its completely based on your thinking skills. Here too, the key lies in practicing and trying to remember the approaches behind everything. This helps a lot. And try to solve tough questions, and then make sure you see where you went wrong(if you did) and remember the approach. Probability is the same in terms of strategy. Give importance to Conditional Probability and Bayes theorem.

4. Matrices and Determinants-This is quite a straightforward chapter. Simple concepts and calculations. Just questions can be tough, which can be the ones involving calculations on equations like A=BC, etc. Use properties of inverse and practice these kinds of questions well. Some good questions can be formed by involving previous topics. Prepare well for these.

5. Complex number-This is a good one. Be used to polar representation. It helps, and use concepts of Binomial Theorem and Trigonometry here when needed. Again, practice.

As you can see, Algebra is pretty straightforward. All it needs it regular commitment from you and practice. Maintain short notes to list important formulae and concepts. And revise it and questions regularly to get a good grasp.

BOOKS

Go for a good coaching material as your main source. You can use these books by Resonance if you don't go to coaching. I used these and found them pretty useful.

For extra practice, you can solve books by Arihant. If you need even more practice/alternative practice book, then you can refer to A Das Gupta's book. It has some really great questions, and they are much better than any other study material. Must solve if you are aiming for a rank in top 50/100.

You must refer to previous papers too, so I have attached the Kindle edition of past JEE papers too. Kindle edition is easy, and you can use the Kindle app for reading it.

All the best, and comment out your queries!

Also see: Trigonometry, Coordinate Geometry, Vectors and 3D, Calculus, Best books for JEE

Calculus-The toughest portion in JEE Math, let me make it easy

This post will be about calculus- considered to be the toughest topic in Mathematics. I'll be covering what all must be taken care of while doing it, and the best books to be followed. Remember that calculus, and Mathematics in general is a deciding factor in JEE(Advanced). Physics and Chemistry can be done easily by a student who has studied well in 11th and 12th. Mathematics needs lots of patience and practice, and critical thinking skills.

If you are in 11th, then pay special attention to Mathematics, because it is the most important, if you aim for a top rank(but don't ignore other subjects). If in 12th or dropping, don't worry, you still have a lot of time.

So, topicwise discussion-

1. Functions- Well, since Mathematics is more about practice, all I can say is to practice a lot. Still, in this chapter, make sure you know the definitions well. Make sure that you know the graphs of various functions, and know how to plot graphs and solve equations.

2. Differentiation-Relatively easy. Lots of formulae, but they are used so often that you easily become used to them. Revise the formulae for standard derivatives and rules to remember them well. Application of Derivative part is really very important. It is linked with Coordinate Geometry and so carries even more importance. Practice all kinds of questions well. Another important type of questions involves using Rolle's and Lagrange's theorems. They are tricky, and understanding the derivation well helps.

3. Integration- This is easily the toughest chapter in JEE mathematics. It involves all chapters of mathematics- Trigonometry, Coordinate Geometry, Algebra, etc. So, first things first-rememeber all the formulae pretty well. Be regular from day 1. Most students don't learn formulae well, and as a result, they feel that their Maths is weak. It is not the case. There are perhaps 50-100 formulae in Integration, and you must learn them all. Practice helps in this. Another thing is strategies. There are lots of problem-solving strategies in this chapter, and revise them regularly. Then comes practice. Tough things become easy only through practice. Use your coaching material and revise well using these books.


 BOOKS

The best book for Calculus is one issued by coaching centres. They are quite comprehensive and have all the concepts, and all types of questions. I used Resonance material and found it pretty good. You can use it too(if you are studying on your own)-

Coming to books for extra practice, you should definitely go for Arihant. I used it and found it pretty awesome. Apart from these, I don't think any other book is required. Foreign author books aren't useful for JEE. Do past papers as mentioned in the books post.

Do let me know if you have any doubts in the comments section.

All the best!!!

Also see: Algebra, Trigonometry, Coordinate Geometry, Vectors and 3D, Best Books for JEE

Physical Chemistry- The easiest numericals you'll ever find

Yeah, you heard it right! JEE is well known for its tough numericals- Be it Physics, Mathematics or Chemistry. But Physical Chemistry is the easiest of all three, because most questions asked from Physical Chemistry in JEE(Advanced) are simply based on formulae.

But this is where things get tough- there is no good book available in the market for JEE! This is in contrast to other subjects where there is at least one book available in the market which can be your god book. So, you might need to resort to coaching class material for this. Anyway, I'll come to that later.

So, topic wise, majorly we have the following to be covered-

1. Mole concept- This is the first chapter(and probably the running chapter for class 11 students). This is a simple chapter(although it might be looking tough right now). Be clear with balancing equations, and various methods for that(you might be taught redox stuff later, but if you are being taught redox reaction now, then do remember the rules well). This chapter is nothing but simple balancing and simple mathematics. Be quick with calculations. The key to this chapter is massive practice. Practice a lot. As much as possible. This chapter is the starting point of many chapters and you must do it well in order to understand future topics well(for class 11 students). Solve a lot of questions from coaching/books.

2. Atomic Structure- This chapter is immensely important. There was a paragraph of 3 questions in 2017 from this topic. Also, this will come again in 12th in Physics, so it well now, so that you can do well in 12th. There are a lot of formulae. Make sure that you are thorough with them, and make their list. Revise t daily when the chapter is going on, and half the job is done. This is a fundamental chapter, be clear with electronic configurations and exceptions(Copper and Chromium I guess :p). This is a big chapter and usually takes a month or more to cover, so be patient and do it regularly or you will be stuck. The questions are usually conceptual, and don't need much(don't misread it, I mean less, not none) practice except for getting used to formulae, but read theory well. Don't ask too many questions in Quantum Mechanics, and be ready to accepts facts and formulae(Heisenberg, De Broglie concept, etc.). Chemistry Olympiad has some really good questions from here.

3. Gases- Closely linked with Mole Concept, just one equations. Practice a lot, as there are many types of questions in this topic. Also, do some graph based problems too(very common in JEE. e.g.- draw a P,V graph for T= constant/ some function of P,V). Van der Waal equation looks scary, but its easy and remember the concepts of non- ideal gases well.

4. Chemical Equilibrium- A very important chapter. It links with it around 50% of Physical Chemistry. This chapter is highly conceptual, and requires good understanding. Clear every doubt which comes to your mind. Practice a lot of conceptual questions, specially from Le Chatelier principle. Olympiads have a good number of questions from Chemical Equilibrium.

5. Ionic Equilibrium- Based on Chemical Equilibrium, but has many formuale and conditions for acids bases. Practice and revise a lot. Be careful about which cases apply(strong acid/ salt/ buffer etc.) This chapter will fool you a lot. Apply approximations carefully. Sometimes they can be wrong. Practicing numericals is the key here. Some really good questions can be formed from this chapter. Writing down all possible equations helps(acid/base, buffer, solubility, etc.).
 
6. Thermodynamics- Another highly conceptual chapter. This is related to Physics, so study it well. Some conventions are different in both chapters, so be clear about them. This is linked to Chemical Equilibrium, so be ready for mixed type questions. There are a few equations in this chapter, and remember them well. Practice questions well, like in Hess' Law and different types of questions using First Law. Second law has many conceptual questions, so practice conceptual questions well from this part.

7. Solid State- Relatively easy, but requires good 3D sometimes. There is a tiny bit of memorization(voids, free space, geometry, coordination number, etc.). Learn  it well. It will boost up your speed. Remember the facts about defects and all. BE clear with radius ratio calculations and all those concepts. Practice and learn them for once, and they will stay for long.

8. Solutions- Easy one, there are a few formulae(Raoult's law, Henry's Law, and Colligative properties). Remember them, read NCERT, and practice a few questions.

9. Surface Chemistry- Very few concepts, and is mostly based on learning the stuff in NCERT. Just learn well, and be clear with the (small numb er of) concepts(calculating charge sign using the type of suspended particle, etc.) involved.

10. Electrochemistry- Have a thorough understanding of Ionic Equilibrium before you move here. Lots of concepts and formulae, and be clear with them. It is easy to get confused between positive and negative terminals. Practice a lot, and understand the derivations well. There are a lot of tough questions and that too of many types. Be clear with every type and do it again and again until you are crystal clear. Mixing of ions Ionic conduction, and Kohlrausch's law are few more topics which need practice. Overall, this is relatively challenging and requires lot of revision. Be patient and give some time to it. Important from Olympiad point of view too.

11. Chemical Kinetics- This is mostly mathematics. Do a few questions on calculating rate laws,etc. Not too tough, but important(specially for Chemistry Olympiad). Then there is Arrhenius equation and collision theory and related theory. Read it a few times, solve some questions and you are done.

12. Nuclear Chemistry- Again, linked with Physics. Mainly has questions from radioactivity and stability. For stability, remember the rules(magic numbers, even odd, etc.). And then there is some theoretical stuff. Study it well from some good books.

This was the topic-wise analysis of Physical Chemistry.

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BOOKS-

To be honest, there aren't many good books available for theory out there, so your coaching teacher/sheet has to be your godbook. If you study on your own, then you can use the study material of a coaching. I was from Resonance and found it pretty good, so I will recommend their material. It was upto mark and had good questions. If you have access to some other material then you can do it too.

                                                                                                                                                                                                     
For practice I recommend P. Bahadur. I have heard that R.C. Mukherjee is another good book(I didn't solve it). You can see Wiley's book which a friend used. It might be good too(it has theory as well as questions). I won't recommend too many books, as it confuses students. Buys either Resonance material/ Wiley for theory and P. Bahadur/R.C. Mukherjee for Practice. If you are interested in theory, you can go for Bruce Mahan. It has awesome theory. Bit off-track for JEE, but builds concepts well(specially Atomic Structure is given really well in this book). Reading NCERT is a must.

                                                               

So, basically Physical Chemistry has easy numericals and little tough conceptual questions. So, practice well where needed, and revise well where conepts/formuale are many. Reading NCERT, and making good class notes is highly advised.

For Olympiads, see this.

All the best, and do let me know if you wanna know something more in the comments!

Also see: Books for JEE, Organic Chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry.

After JEE 2018 : Choosing branch and college, and taking a drop

Disclaimer: The views presented here are mine(and based on some facts in few cases) and I would not be responsible if anyone ruins his/her future by reading this. Choose carefully and consult multiple people.

See opening closing ranks of previous years here : JoSAA site. Take a look and look at the seats available and possible at your rank.

So JEE 2018 is over and results are out too. Congratulations to all those who did well. Now comes the real dilemma. Which college to choose? Which branch to choose? Should I drop? Should I take a partial drop?

First, I'll come to droppers. You might be thinking that taking a drop is a waste of an year. While its true in a sense, but if you feel you can score more next year, then surely go for it. It won't make a difference in the long run. Plus college life is tough and you get to stay in coaching(the best phase in my life till now) for another year. Its a blessing in disguise. Droppers know what all mistakes they committed and can easily make up for it. You don't have boards and all. If you feel you can improve your performance significantly, then do go. I have seen people achieve a lot in drop year. However, if you are getting an IIT/ BITS with a good position(compared to your potential) then you should join it. Drop only if you feel you didn't study well in 11th/12th and are willing to study now. Or if you messed up the paper real bad, and will ensure you won't do it the next time. If you studied hard enough and still didn't make it, there isn't much point in repeating as you probably won't make a difference in another year. People will call you dropper, get over it and don't listen to them. Prepare well. You aren't wasting time if you are studying well in drop year. Try to get into a coaching class if possible. Partial drop isn't recommended because it is really tough to study for JEE in college. But some people have done it in past. A friend of mine changed from BITS Pilani to IIT B Electrical. But again, better focus on one goal.

Coming to those who won't be dropping, I recommend you to read the above paragraph too, so that you will understand that dropping isn't a bad idea if you can improve your rank. Anyway, coming to the point, I guess the preference of choosing a branch and college should be-

Old IIT 'good' branch >BITS Pilani 'good' branch=Old IIT 'okayish' branch> New IIT 'good' branch= BITS Pilani 'okayish' branch= top NITs > New IIT okayish 'branch'=other BITS.

Note that this order is pretty rough, and consult seniors from colleges for more information. But this is the general guideline. Some more myths which have to cleared are -

1. IITB= IITD= IITK So if you live in Delhi and feel that you would waste your opportunities by not joining IIT Bombay, it's a myth, and stay in Delhi if you wish to stay close to home(only if your branch is better/same). Last year a student in top 5 AIR chose to stay in IITD as his home is near it. And IITD has the almost the same prospects as IITB.

2,. While IIT tag is important in society, BITS Pilani has a very good research/placement/future prospects. So join BITS Pilani if you are getting it, instead of joining new IITs just for the IIT tag.

3. If you don't have an idea of what to do and have a good rank, opt for CSE/ Electrical because these have good prospects in future. You can always change your branch after first year to 'lower' branches, but changing branch to CSE is tougher than shifting low.

4. Please don't join IIT Bombay 'low' branches instead of say, BITS Pilani CS, thinking that you will change your branch to a good one. IITB has many top 3000 AIRs in it, and to change branches you need to be in top 1000 or below of 10000 IITians. It is tough. Only 10-12 students get into CSE after branch change, and you have to be top 10 in a college which has many top 100 AIRs in it. Still many have done it, and it is not impossible. So go for it if you feel like, and take an informed decision.

5. Top IITs have a good reputation everywhere. IIT Bombay boasts of a rich culture and is quite active in many fields like Entrepreneurship, Cultural activities, Tech clubs, etc. If you are into one of these things, IITB might be suited for you. But it is competitive too. If you join Old IITs 'okayish' branches, you get to stay with people who are better than you at that point(almost all top 50 rankers would be there). It causes some people to move into depression, and on the other hand it gives a healthy competition to many people. Many people who get into IITB regret it, because its too competitive, and even after getting good JEE ranks, many are unable to cope up. People who take up CSE/Electrical in new IITs are happier. Because they are the toppers in their college, as compared to the case where they would be last rankers in IITB or IITD, and get more time for other stuff. New IITs although having relatively poor infrastructure and opportunities, give more peace than the highly competitive old IITs. These things are important too.

Coming to my college(IIT Bombay), if you are someone who is into cultural activities/technical clubs/startups, someone who can deal with pressure, and someone who can manage time well, then IIT Bombay is for you. But don't get too lost into other activities too much, this is not your aim.

If you are someone who is 'different' and want to pursue research/non ' conventional' branch(like Aerospace engineering/Aeronautics/Physics/Mathematics etc.)then I highly encourage you to pursue it. Try to get the best possible college for these topics(if you are clear with your goal). You will simply love your job/branch. Don't listen to others saying that you should join this/that branch. Follow your heart, but again, think wisely.

There are some other good colleges like IISc, IIITH, IISER, CMI, etc. I have no idea about them, except for the fact that they are really good and reputed.Consult people from these places for more information.

This was all I had to say, and  I'll sign off with these words which many elders say that college/IITs/branch are temporary things. What matters is your dedication and hardwork. And it really doesn't matter which college are you in as long as you are happy. A happy person in a private/local college is much better off than a sad/depressed person at IIT Bombay : )

P.S.- I'll say it once more, I am only one year into college, and I might have been bit biased towards IITs. This is what I had inferred from the internet and seniors. Sorry for any wrong information, and do consult people from your possible colleges and research well. Ask as many people as possible and don't get confused. Take your time and discuss with your family members too. And finally, it's your call. You are responsible for taking your life's choices more than anyone else. Also, no offence meant to any college. 'Good' and 'Okayish' are the branches labelled by society and the trend, and not me.

Importance of NCERT for NEET/AIIMS

Hi there!!!

For all the NEET/AIIMS aspirants out there, this article is about the importance of NCERT books in your preparation.

Before going to the actual matter, I am writing this article because a lot of my juniors and friends have neglected NCERT textbooks claiming that they are too boring and have insufficient matter. I just want to stress that NCERT has sufficient matter in it. Start your preparation with the NCERT textbook. NCERT is the gold standard for the entrance examinations. Read it, understand it, and above all love it. These textbooks are so elegantly written that u won't feel any burden while going through them. in my view reading other books without going through NCERT is like attempting to write an essay without Alphabet. Let me make you understand subject wise 

Biology-

Two textbooks.. learn them perfectly, you will score a wow kinda score in NEET and your AIIMS score will be 58/60(approx). I guess this emphasizes the importance of NCERT textbook for biology. whatever the reference you use.. read it after completing NCERT textbook. under no circumstance a WORD, I repeat a WORD must be left without reading. Reference books provide a lot a unnecessary information, so read them with caution.

Chemistry-

The basics of this subject are given in the easiest way possible in the textbook. Learn every formula. practice every equation and mechanism. Inorganic questions in NEET are from NCERT only. 

Physics -

I bet that half of the students reading this never thought of opening NCERT textbook for this subject. But believe me, this book is the bible for NEET and AIIMS . Most of us don't even care about the textbook and focus on problems. it is like trying to build Burj Khalifa without foundation. for example: when I ask you what is coefficient of viscosity, most of you will say it is a force acting between fluid layers when velocity gradient is one.. blah blah.. but the actual definition of it is given in NCERT Textbook. Try finding it out. the intext questions(examples) are of much higher level than ur average NEET question. and the questions in additional exercise section are brainstormers  .. try them, then u will understand the level of questions. reading textbook for this subject makes it very easy to solve the problems. If your aim is getting into AIIMS .. then it is absolutely essential that you read and understand it.

On a finishing note, do read NCERT, it may be difficult in the beginning, but as you read daily, you will fall in love with this book. don't judge a book by the number of pages it has. NCERT books are small when compared to reference books, but every word of NCERT is important including the summary. I have seen MCQ's from the summary. I will chalk out the prefect strategy to ace in ur entrance examinations in my next article. If you have any doubts pls be free to ask in comments section.

Thanks You!!!

ATHREYA

Hi guys! Kalpit here. Thanks to Athreya for another awesome post. Follow the blog for more. You can buy NCERT textbooks of various subjects from these links-

You can check this post for reference books

All the best!!!

Books for NEET/AIIMS

Hi. 

This article is about books that one needs to study as a NEET or AIIMS aspirant.

Biology-

 NCERT- Don't leave a single line in this book. Read the summary given at the end of every chapter. After reading the chapter, write the important points of that chapter in a book. These important points allow you to revise quickly. Now take a MCQ book. I recommend MTG. Do all the questions in exam atmosphere. In this way, you will get used to solving MCQs. After solving, assess your performance. Identify your weak areas from the mistakes committed. Read those once again from NCERT. Finally take previous year papers,solve them. First few weeks focus on accuracy, then get on with speed. Make sure that u won't commit any silly mistakes. If you commit any .. read the topic again until your concepts are crystal clear. Clear all your doubts . 

Chemistry-

 NCERT first. For inorganic chemistry,stick to NCERT and ur classroom notes. Learn all the ascending and descending orders of atomic radii,I.P. these type of questions are frequently asked. Coming to physical chemistry, read the concept, understand the formula and then start to practice. G.R.B is an  excellent book. Solve the questions and assess yourself. Correct your mistakes. Now comes the most important one.. organic chemistry. Read class 11 first. Understand it. Then move on to class 12. Practice reactions on paper. O.P Tandon and MS Chauhan are good books. Solve MCQs. Both physical and organic chemistry should be practiced on a paper. After every chapter solve previous year papers. Assess yourself.

Physics-

Understand the theory part well. Clear your concepts.then practice. Dedicate at least 1-2hrs for this subject. Also, learn some formulas from calculus (learn as many as you can), coordinate geometry and circles (basics are enough). Practice as many questions as you can. Solve assignments, worksheets. I recommend D.C Pandey. Assess yourself. Practice again. 

In addition to above-said books, I suggest you to subscribe for MTG magazines for all the three subjects.

Also, clarify all your doubts.

Few important things:

1. Do not neglect NCERT

2. Stick to one reference book.

3. Solve as many MCQs as possible

4. Correct your mistakes (most important)

5. Stay dedicated and motivated.
6. Be confident but not overconfident.

7. Revise old chapters once in a while.

Thank you

Athreya

Note(by Kalpit)-

You can order the books from here(I searched the web and came up with the latest editions)-

   

Visit here to get links for other NCERT books.

All the best!!!

Also check : Best books for JEE , Motivation, A complete JEE preparation guide, Organic Chemistry, Mechanics, Algebra, 

Importance of Short Notes while preparing for JEE

Short notes are very important. It is one of the few regrets in my JEE preparations(I could not complete my short notes). It didn’t affect me much, but short notes helped me a lot in last few months.

Short notes help in the following ways-

1. While making short notes, you are reading your class notes/books thoroughly, and then you pick up the most important points and jot them down. First of all, you are reading the book/notes thoroughly, which itself is very rewarding. Then you are rereading and writing down your important points, which is 3 times the normal revision of the most important points of the chapter.
2. Making short notes will make sure that you never forget those points because those are the first thing we see when we have less time to revise for a test. And trust me, JEE is half cleared if you know those ‘important points’ well.
3. Making short notes helps a lot during revision sessions, especially in class 12, when you need to revise a big topic in say, 2 hours. You can’t read the entire book. You can read the short notes and then directly go for problem-solving.

Write down all formulae, reactions, reaction mechanisms, important conditions and exceptions while making short notes. There are books in the market, but personalized notes are always better. Also, maintain a track of important questions in study material(I used to mark important questions with stars).

The real importance of short notes is realized one day before JEE. You want to revise, but you don’t have time to study all your notes. Do make them if you don’t want to regret later.

Also check : Best books for JEE , Motivation, A complete JEE preparation guide, Organic Chemistry, Mechanics, Algebra, 

The subject which makes JEE interesting- Organic Chemistry

This post is about Organic Chemistry- one of the most interesting subjects in JEE syllabus. I never got bored in an Organic chemistry class- thanks to my wonderful teacher.

Coming to the point, Organic Chemistry doesn't involve much learning, and is mainly based on understanding concepts. Most questions would be easy to solve(except a few, which are always there in any paper) provided you have studied well. I'll be telling you chapterwise syllabus and how to prepare for it. I would give you links to some books in the end, and you can buy the books without having to waste time on searching(I searched for the latest editions and put them here).

Make good class notes. This is very important. Organic is best taught by a teacher. Remember all kinds of effects, their exceptions, their preference orders, etc. Making short notes turns out very useful later on.

So, the main areas you'll study are

1. Basics of Organic Chemistry- 

This itself is a big topic. It involves topics like Nomenclature, Isomerism(stereo and structural), Electronic Effects, Acidic and Basic strengths, bonding in Organic compounds, basics of Organic reaction mechanisms, Practical Organic Chemistry. Now these are some really important topic and every coaching class has a different way to approach them. We were taught these concepts as and when they were required. You should follow whatever approach you are being taught. If you attend a proper coaching, then concentrate on their teaching and sheets. If not, then there are plenty of books out there, to help you, keep reading.

2. Reaction part

This is the essence of Organic Chemistry. 90% of questions asked in Organic chemistry are from reactions. This includes Hydrocarbons, Aromatic compounds, Alcohols, Phenols and Ethers, reactions of acids, Grignard Reagent, Oxidation/Reduction, etc. The list is very long. There are a lot many reactions in this section. But panic not. These are taught in a very structured way in Coachings/Books. Follow their way, and be regular. Remember stuff up as soon as they are taught. Maintaining a reaction+mechanism+exception diary helps. Revise it everytime before you sit to study Organic Chemistry. Constant revision is the key here. Understand the mechanisms really well. A lot of questions are asked in JEE(Advanced) based on mechanism. They would change the reaction a bit and they will ask you the product. You can solve it only if you have an understanding of the mechanism.

So, the main thing is- keep all the reaction, reagents, and exceptions on your tips, and have a good understanding of mechanisms. Practice them by writing them down till you remember them. Solve a huge number of problems as they will help you remember the facts.

Also, a good understanding of Basics of Organic Chemistry is also important, otherwise you won't be able to move ahead. So strengthen that first.

Self study people can pick up a good book(keep reading) and start from there. Try to obtain a good coaching material to practice from. Youtube tutorials can help you understand mechanisms.

3. Biomolecules and miscellaneous part-

This is relatively easy. It is important, as at least 1-2 questions are asked from the chapter 'Chemistry in everyday life'. Just mug up this chapter from NCERT. This is it. It will cover Boards, JEE(Main), and JEE(Advanced) all at one go. Then comes biomolecules. This is an interesting chapter, and JEE has asked some really tough questions from this chapter. Remember all Amino acid structures, if you can, as there was a question in JEE 2014 based on this. There are lots of concepts and structures, specially in Carbohydrates and Proteins, be familiar with them.


Books-

There are lots of good books available in the market. But it is tough to choose which one to follow. I would say any of these books is good to follow, but some books have an upper edge over others. If you are going to a good coaching, then nothing can be better than that, because they have great question bank, so I recommend to find some coaching study material with solution if possible.

Still, some books I recommend are-

• Solomons(I used it personally and found it very useful)
• M.S. Chauhan's book for problems( An awesome collection of tough questions)
• Paula Bruice(Not JEE oriented, but has great explanation)
• Peter Sykes(For advanced learner and has tough language, not JEE oriented, but has good detail)
• Arihant(mainly for those without a coaching, as it would have all kinds of problems

So this was all about Organic Chemistry. The important things to remember are to make a diary containing all reactions and mechanisms(and exceptions). Use it for revision. It helps a lot in final revision. Keep the reactions on your tips, and read notes many times to remember them.

I hope you liked it. Feel free to comment any doubts.

All the best!!!

Also see: Inorganic Chemistry, Best books for JEE , Motivation, A complete JEE preparation guide, Organic Chemistry, Mechanics, Algebra,

Rocking JEE- Inorganic Chemistry

This post is about inorganic chemistry, one of the least liked topic in JEE preparation. But finally, this is going to be the one subject which will fetch you marks most easily. Many people ignore inorganic chemistry and are at a loss. Inorganic chemistry questions can be solved with a tick and provide time for other questions. So, do this section well to Rock in JEE. You might find it boring, but that happens only when you are studying it for the first time. Once you study it well, you will answer questions with a tick, and that is clearly worth it. Mathematics and Physics are relatively tough. So score marks here and you can compensate for Maths and Physics.

There are two sections in inorganic chemistry: the understanding part which includes periodic table, chemical bonding, coordination compounds, etc. and the learning based part like s block, p block, d block, qualitative analysis, etc.

The understanding part is more important from JEE point of view as more questions are asked from it. You should be parallel with your teachers and study regularly. I'll be going topicwise.

1. Periodic Table- This is the first and very important chapter for JEE Inorganic Chemistry. You should be thorough with all the trends(radius, I.E, Electronegativity,etc.) when you go up and down. Try remembering the periodic table as time goes. Remember the exceptions of periodic trends well. And get the logic behind each.

2. Chemical Bonding- This is purely understanding based. Have a good grasp on bonding, VSEPR, and MOT. Hybridisation is important. Remember the structures(or I should say, have the art of drawing structures on your tips) and how to make them. Some very important and fundamental concepts like H Bonding and Dipole Moment are studied here. Get comfortable with them. Keep this topic crystal clear.

3. Coordination Chemistry- Very important and has a good weightage. Be absolutely clear with CFT and electronic configuration. Nomenclature, color, hybridisation,etc. Lots of concepts, learn them all relaly well. Learn all exceptions, and important complexes names and properties.

Memorization part- Well, I can't tell you what to learn and what not to, but I'll mention the name of chapters. At least do till NCERT. That is minimum requirement. I have mentioned a learning strategy below. follow that. The topics are s block, p block and d block. Learn everything- important compounds, properties, colors, electronic configurations(design tricks or use trends). Then comes Metallurgy and Qualitative Analysis. Just remember all tests, color changes, ores, extraction details, reactions, etc. As many as mentioned in the syllabus(see this). 

I followed the following strategy for effective learning :

I first mentally divided the chapter into 3 or 4 segments. Then I read around a page of each segment and tried to fit as much as possible into my mind. Then I recalled it without seeing and read it again. So page by page I covered a segment. Then I read and recalled and reread the segment again. Then same procedure was repeated for all segments. Then I read the whole chapter and then recalled and read it again. Now the entire chapter would be in my mind for a long time. This procedure was spread over a week or two and not one day effort. After learning you should also revise by reading chapters again by recalling as and when time permits.

Books-

• NCERT(must have)
• Arihant
• JD Lee
• Cengage

     

You can choose any one of Arihant and Cengage as you main book if you are preparing without coaching, and can refer to JD Lee as reference(for both coaching and non-Coaching students). I have mentioned only those parts of NCERT which have chapters from Inorganic portion. I personally used Resonance study material, JD Lee(foreign edition), and NCERT. And I strongly recommend going for NCERT+Coaching sheet if you feel that books are overloading you. Books mainly are for those who don't go to coaching/want some extra practice.

Feel free to comment any doubts you have. Follow the blog for more.

All the best!

Also check out- BEST Books for JEE, Organic Chemistry, Physical Chemistry. Motivation, A complete JEE preparation guide, Organic Chemistry, Mechanics, Algebra,