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,

Beginning of class 11

Hello!!!

Many of you must have just started out your JEE preparations. I'll be mentioning some do's and don'ts of JEE preparation and an overview of the preparation.

So, basically, you will be starting out with Mechanics in Physics, Algebra/Trigonometry in Mathematics and Atomic Structure/Mole Concept in Chemistry. You can see a post on Mechanics here.

1. Books

Many students tend to get distracted by people as to what books to follow. I have made a comprehensive list of books to follow. You can see them here. Follow the instructions mentioned well, and you will be fine. Don't buy too many books, it's quite confusing and a waste of time. Follow one set of good books and you are done.

2. Coaching and self-studies

Many of you are confused between Coaching and self-studies. Well trust me on this one, coaching helps in many ways. It systematizes the preparation, and we get good study material. I didn't go to Kota for the simple reason that I had a good coaching in Udaipur and I wasn't confident if I would survive there. If your family can afford coaching and you have a good coaching centre nearby, I recommend joining it ASAP if not done. If you are unable to, then see the post on Books, for books to follow for self-study. I will post on how to self study too, soon, please have some patience and check this post again after a week.

3. Healthy Practices

Some healthy practices for students preparing for JEE are hard work, regularity, regular homework completion, clearing every doubt as soon as it comes to your mind, analyzing test papers after tests, maintaining a copy for short notes, maintaining good class notes, marking important questions while solving questions from books/coaching sheets, maintaining solution copy for coaching material/primary preparation source, etc. helps.

4. The process

Coming to the process, i.e. how to approach studies in these two years. For those who go to coaching, attend all classes and get all your concepts clear in the class itself. Don't hesitate to ask doubts. Then come home, relax a bit and then study your notes, write down any doubts, and get them cleared next day. Your teachers must be giving you some homework. Solve it well. By well, I mean that try to solve them for at least 5-10 minutes. Think about the equations and formulae involved, etc. at least understand the question. If you are still unable to do, move to the next question, and eventually solve the homework. Then come back to the questions you left and then do them again. If still in doubt, consult teachers the next day. Take out some time (say an hour) to revise stuff which was taught sometime back. Mark important questions as you move ahead. Notes revision is very important.

For those who don't go to any coaching, I recommend you to pick up some good books(Arihant Book series in each, for example, or DLP of a good coaching) and make it your teacher(HCV too, I mean). Or you can see some YouTube channels(not highly recommended, but can be useful)like Tyagi sir's lectures or Etoos. Make slots and a proper time management. Then solve the questions in those books as your homework. Rest is the same.

5. Time management

Many of you used to do many sorts of things like going to parties, hanging out with friends, social media, etc. Believe me, leave all this if you really want to succeed in JEE(make sure you like my FB page and follow me everywhere before logging out :p). You have to devote as much time as possible to studies to be successful. Take out some time for exercise too. Make a proper schedule and follow it. Don't waste time, or you'll regret it later on. Have a track of your time.

6. Motivation

There would be many ups and downs in your JEE preparations. Don't worry, everyone faces them and you would succeed only if you get over them and concentrate on your target. This is the most important thing you get out of JEE preparation. Talk to your parents or teachers whenever you feel low,. Don't compare yourself to the topper, just keep on working and you might be the topper one day(I myself experienced this). You might feel burdened at times, but just keep on moving.


I hope I have summarised almost all the important things which a student must know at the beginning of his/her JEE preparation. Feel free to comment anything you wanna ask. Follow the blog for more.

You might also wanna check out: KVPY, Olympiads, Target JEE 2020, Quora Answers for JEE

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

All the best!!!

For Medical Dropers

Hi!!! A friend(Athreya) has written a post for droppers(medical stream). Check it out.


'Hi everyone, this is Athreya. I am a student of SVMC Tirupati. I scored 560 in NEET 2017. My state rank was 540.

This article is for those students who are willing to work hard for another year for reaching their goal, that is becoming a doctor.

Now coming straight to the point, since you are done with your boards, you can dedicate your time to objective exams. Droppers have 2 advantages and 2 disadvantages 

Advantages : Time and knowledge (what you learnt during +1 and +2)

Disadvantages : Time and knowledge

I'll explain how the same thing can be both advantage and disadvantage. Coming to advantage, you have ample to time to repeat,revise and reproduce things in exams. The subject you have already learnt helps you here and you revise things quickly , giving a lot of time to practice MCQ's (practice makes man perfect).

Now the other side of the coin, knowledge u have gained and time you have can make you lazy and over confident. Yes, I have seen droppers who have done this thing.

The strategy : RRR -- READ,REVISE,REPEAT FOLLOWED BY PRACTICE.

Subject-wise:

Biology:

 NCERT first. Learn NCERT by heart. According to previous trends , every year few questions are asked that are not found in NCERT. For these questions the best books are Telugu Akademi Books ( these are 11th and 12th class textbooks andhra pradesh/telangana board and they are separate for botany and zoology). if u are done with the above books, you will score a bare minimum of 320+ or even more.

Chemistry:

Inorganic chemistry : stick to NCERT. You will ace in this department.

Organic: Learn +1 organic thoroughly.then start with +2. Practice the mechanisms and named reactions from NCERT first. For additional reactions you can refer your coaching institute manual.

Physical : Understand the concept and learn by practice.

Physics :

Understandings and the concept and learn by practice. Practice as many questions as you can.

Complete learning part by December. Revision for 2 months and mock exams for 2 months.

The mock exams I have mentioned are additional to your week end exams. Make sure that you have consistency in scoring

and a final note, aim for a seat in prestigious colleges.. don't underestimate your caliber.. after all , TODAY'S DROPPERS ARE TOMORROW'S TOPPERS..

ALL THE BEST

ATHREYA'

Thanks to Athreya for this wonderful post.