A budding author who wrote a novel in Class VIII, Manan Aggarwal has made a mark in one of the highly competitive exams of India. Bagging the position as the state topper, Manan from Sonepat, Haryana has achieved an all India rank 14 in JEE advanced examination. He shares his story with Brainfeed.
How did you get interested in engineering?
By the end of class IX I knew I wanted to do engineering and Physics has been my favourite subject. Engineering has a fair amount of application of physics and hence engineering became my natural choice. I wish to join IIT Bombay to study Computer Science Engineering (CSE). My All India Rank was 14. I scored 302 marks in JEE Advanced. I had scored 341 marks in JEE Main and secured an All India Rank of 194.
Tell us about your preparation for JEE Advanced exam.
There was just a month for the JEE Advanced exam. To make the most of the limited time, I started solving two papers every day based on the JEE Advanced pattern and with the help of my teachers analyzed my performance and made sure I did not repeat the mistakes. A revision plan to rectify errors too played an important role. The exam was conducted as a computer based test. To do well, practicing in a simulated environment (like the actual JEE testing platform) helps. So, I used to solve online tests regularly, which were conducted by FIITJEE.
How is the preparation for JEE Advanced different from JEE Main?
JEE Main usually requires speed & accuracy, while JEE Advanced requires a strong understanding of concepts and in-depth knowledge.
Tell us about your daily routine.
I started my JEE preparation from class X. I did not follow a rigid time-table during preparatory days but used to study for 12 hours a day.
How extensively have you practiced for the mock tests and sample papers?
I used to solve mock tests at least once a week. Practising questions from previous year papers is helpful. It helps gain a very good idea of the type of questions that are frequently asked and their difficulty level. It also gives one an idea and boosts confidence as one is in familiar ground. The thought of cracking the questions that were already asked helps.
What are the books you followed?
For JEE preparation, I solved a few books such as H C Verma, Vikas Gupta, M S Chauhan and A K Jaiswal.
What is the toughest part to manage during the JEE Advanced exam?
Chemistry was the easiest and Mathematics the most difficult. Time and stress are the two most important things to manage during the exam.
What are your plans after IIT?
After graduating in Computer Science Engineering from IIT Bombay, I wish to become a successful entrepreneur and write another novel. I wrote a novel ‘A Blank Invitation’ when in Class VIII. It is a love story based on real events in my life.
What are the other competitive exams you cleared?
I cleared National Talent Search Examination (NTSE), Kishore Vaigyanik Protsahan Yojana (KVPY), National Standard Examination in Astronomy (NSEA), National Standard Examination in Physics (NSEP), National Standard Examination in Chemistry (NSEC) and Indian National Physics Olympiad (INPhO).
What are your hobbies? How often could you pursue them?
I listen to music and watch movies. I also love playing badminton, although I could not pursue very often during my preparatory days.
Have you taken coaching?
I took coaching from FIITJEE Punjabi Bagh Centre. According to me, coaching institutes make us well-prepared for the final exam with the help of regular tests, quizzes and doubt-classes which help us to understand our shortcomings and provide remedy.
Where do you see yourself in the next seven years?
After four years in IIT Bombay, I want to go into entrepreneurship. I have a basic idea of a start up. I also want to go into some form of literary work like I have already written a book, I want to continue that in my life as well.
What’s your message for other students?
My one advice would be to enjoy the subject in order to excel. Even if you are not enjoying, try to find entertainment from it, only then you can master the subject. If you are not enjoying, keep practicing it until you improve, after that you will start enjoying the subject on your own.
JEE Advanced 2019
- Around 1.62 lakhs students competed
- Approximately 12,000 seats available
- Across 23 Indian Institute of Technology (IITs)
