How to Deal with Last Minute Anxiety Before JEE Advanced

So, the first hurdle of your IIT dream is over, and now you have to gear up for the next big step. JEE Advanced is the phase II of the IIT JEE preparation and entrance examination. This year the examination will be conducted by IIT Madras and 2,20,000 top performers of the paper I in JEE (Main) 2017 shall be eligible to sit for JEE Advanced. While most students are confident about the JEE Main paper, the advanced level of JEE puts them under a lot of stress. For starters, it is perceived that the examination is much tougher than JEE Main. Secondly, unlike JEE Main where candidates need to just appear for one paper, JEE Advanced is conducted in two parts.

IIT Madras, the conducting authority of this year’s JEE Advanced has not yet released the exam pattern. But for the sake of students who will be appearing this year, below is the quick glimpse of the last year’s paper:

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Although the exam pattern of JEE Advanced is drastically different from JEE Mains, the syllabus is fundamentally the same. Students must stick to the NCERT syllabus in all three disciplines. However, certain chapters that are part of JEE Main, may not be included in JEE Advanced and vice-versa. Also, when students prepare for JEE, their ultimate goal is to crack JEE advanced successfully. Given that, most candidates are already familiar with the question pattern, syllabus, and the marking system.

Despite relying on technologically aided learning platforms like Aakash iTutor, taking endless mock tests and studying hard all the year around, candidates tend to feel stressed out as the date of the examination gets closer. Feeling anxious before a big exam such as JEE Advanced is nothing extraordinary and almost every student experiences it. But if you want to excel and give-in the best shot, you need to learn how to control these feelings.

Below we have listed a few causes of anxiety and tension, followed by techniques on how to tackle or deal with a roller coaster of these feelings.

Since these are solutions it should be more optimistic. For example

# 1 No Faith in the Preparation Have more faith in the preparations

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At this crucial juncture, no matter how much you study or prepare for the exam, you are not satisfied. You don’t feel confident, and most importantly, there is a constant fear of forgetting everything before the exam.

Solution –By now you may have taken dozens of mock tests and practice tests. Trust us, JEE Advanced is very much similar to those tests. You have done well in Mock tests before, so do not let the fear of the main examination overwhelm you.

# 2 Worried about All India Ranking Worry less about All India Ranking

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Until 2015, there were in total 19 IIT Institutes in India. Last year, four more campuses in Jammu, Goa, Bhilai and Dharwad (Karnataka) were added to the list. While, every IIT campus boasts excellent learning environment, faculty, and training, students have a preference on the campus and the course they want to secure a seat. For instance, if a candidate is aspiring for a computer science seat in IIT Roorkee or IIT Kharagpur, he or she should get a good All India rank.

Solution-While securing a good rank is the ultimate goal of every engineering aspirant this is not the right time to worry about that. The more you worry about these nuances of the examination, the more anxious you will become. Put these thoughts away and instead focus on your study and health.

# 3 Studying too Much Avoid Over studying

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Roughly there are just 6 weeks of time left between JEE Main and JEE Advanced. For maximum output in a short duration of time, students may put in 18 to 20 hours of study every day and ignore sleep. Compromising on sleep can lead to confusion and lower retention which becomes a cause of worry for the students.

Solution –Do not study for long hours. Take breaks in between. A short spell of power naps will refresh your mind for a new round of studying. Also, ensure that you get at least 7 to 8 hours of sleep daily.

# 4 Peer Comparison

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Peer interaction for JEE preparation is great. You can exchange notes and even take help from a fellow student. However, peer interaction can become problematic if you start making a comparison. It is often seen that students start obsessing what others are doing and judge their performance and preparation with others. Such a practice and lead to demonization and anxiety.

Solution- Remember that everyone has their strengths and weakness. While you may excel in Math, others may be better in Chemistry. Secondly, almost everyone has their study methodology. Some are comfortable studying during the day, and some prefer studying during the night. Therefore, never compare. Just stick to your study plan and do not deviate.

Closing Thoughts

Simply put, unnecessary stress and anxiety can affect the result. To ensure that you are on the right track till the very end, IIT JEE preparation calls for a realistic, smart and doable approach. You must remain mentally strong and above all have faith in yourself.