On June 10 JEE Advanced result was out and Pranav Goyal, a Punchkula boy, was held JEE Advanced 2018 Topper .Needless to say what magnitude of joy that must have brought to him, who credits his success to his Parents and Teachers.MTG Congratulates Pranav Goyal for his winning performance and interviewed him to know get some tips for JEE aspirants. Read on JEE Advanced 2018 Topper Interview-Pranav Goyal to know his preparation strategies, books that he referred, and more.
MTG : Why did you appear for Engineering Entrance?
Pranav : I was always interested in pursuing engineering due to my interest in Physics and Mathematics. I had made up my mind in class 9th itself that I would pursue engineering. I would like to take up Computer Science in IIT because of my interest in programming.
MTG : What exams you have appeared for and what is your rank in these exams?
Pranav : I have appeared for the following exams :
JEE Advanced(2018)- 337/360 AIR-1, JEE Main(2018)-350/360 AIR-4, CBSE Board- 97.2% (Tricity Topper), KVPY Scholar, NTSE Scholar, INMO, INCHO, INPHO (AIR-5), INAO.
MTG : How many hours in a day did you study to prepare for the examination?
Pranav : I used to study for 11-12 hours a day.
MTG : How much time does one require for serious preparation for this exam?
Pranav : It varies from an individual to the other, because it actually depends upon the hard work of an aspirant.
MTG : Any extra coaching?
Pranav : Yes, from Sri Chaitanya Institute, Chandigarh. The coaching institute is extremely helpful for any JEE aspirant. It provides the correct study atmosphere for the preparation. The institute laid to focus on our recreation activities also. Test series, online tests and timed speed tests are very important.
MTG : Which subjects/topics you were strong/weak at?
Pranav : The primary challenge during the preparation was Chemistry. I had severe trouble in attempting to memorize both Organic and Inorganic Chemistry. Also, I possess a very weak memory, hence, I would often forget the important stuff. I also faced problem with my accuracy. I found Physics , easy as the questions were simple, numerical-based and previously studied. Maths was toughest as it required excellent solving skills and there were unexpected tricks.
MTG : Which books/ magazines you read?
Pranav : A few books such as H.C. Verma for Physics, Pradeep for Chemistry and Physics theory. Solomons & Fryhle for Organic Chemistry and S.L. Loney for Mathematics. These majorly served as references. However, I studied my teachers’ class notes completely and thoroughly.
Recommended MTG Books For JEE Main & Advanced 2019 Preparation:
MTG : In your words what are the components of an ideal preparation plan?
Pranav : Well, during preparation,I did expect to get a good rank in JEE Advanced. But never in my dreams did I imagine that I would be one of the toppers of JEE Advanced. In JEE Advanced, I focussed more on conceptual understanding than rote-memorizing which is essential for JEE Main. Also, I did skip some topics for JEE Advanced which were not included in its official syllabus.
Well, my preparation strategy was quite different after JEE Main. My study hours increased and I preferred to give speed tests to improve on my speed. Also, I avoided too much extra knowledge and focussed only on the part in JEE syllabus. I extensively used mock tests and sample papers. I gave all these in the form of timed tests. Any JEE aspirant has to solve at least 8-9 previous years’ papers. They are very important to give you a proper idea about difficulty level and a rough estimate regarding your subject time distribution. Also, these papers give you a fair idea of the topic that you need to practice and revise. I would like to suggest the same to all the aspirants.
MTG : What role did the following play in your success?       Â
(a) Parents (b) Teachers (c) School
Pranav : (a) Parents: My parents, sacrificed a lot for my studies. My mother often had to stay awake late at night and wake up very early every morning. She did this only so that I could study. I owe my entire success to her.
(b) Teachers: Well, definitely my amazing teachers’
stupendous guidance help me a lot. Beyond preparation teachers played major role in motivating me and helping me.
(c) School: I did my schooling from Bhavan Vidyalaya, Panchkula. The teachers of my school always motivated me and encouraged me to reach my goal.
MTG : Your family background?
Pranav : My family consists of my grandparents, parents and younger brother. My father, Mr. Pankaj Goyal is a businessman. He works as a director of a pharma company. My mother, Mrs. Mamta Goyal is also a businesswoman like my dad.
MTG : What mistakes you think you shouldn’t have made?
Pranav : In the initial months, I used to struggle like any other child. Initially, I found it hard to cope with Mathematics. I really felt that, though I used to study hard but still at the beginning I didn’t put all those efforts which were actually required.
MTG : How have MTG Magazines helped you in your preparation?
Pranav : MTG Magazines really helped me as from these magazines I used to read the content thoroughly and practiced all the MCQs based on chapters.
MTG : Considering other hot career today, e.g., Biotechnology, etc., why did you still want to be an engineer?
Pranav : I was always interested in taking up Engineering because of my interest in both Physics and Maths. I decided that I would take up Engineering in class 9th.
MTG : Was this your first attempt?
Pranav : Yes , it was my first attempt.
MTG : What do you think is the secret of your success?
Pranav : Secret of my success is that you should be focussed well, your study hours won’t really matter. So, just stay focussed and calm. Have faith in your teachers and their guidance, and always ensure that your knowledge is conceptually sound.
MTG : What advice would you like to give our readers who are JEE aspirants?
Pranav : Well, I would say, “if you focus well, your study hours won’t matter. However, if you don’t focus, then too your study hours won’t matter.”
Believe in your teachers and their guidance. Ensure that your knowledge is conceptually sound and do solve previous years’ papers.
DO YOUR BEST AND FORGET THE REST!
