Time management, smart studying can get you into IITs, says JEE 2016 topper Deepanshu Jindal

by Shabnoor Irshad

Eighteen-year-old Deepanshu Jindal has secured the top spot in the All India Ranks (AIRs) in the JEE Main rank list 2016 - accorded by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Jindal, a student of SD Public School, Pitampura, scored 98.6% in Class XII, securing 100 in Maths and Physics and 99 in Chemistry. He now looks forward to studying Computer Science from IIT Delhi.

In an interview with Catch, Deepanshu revealed how managed to crack IIT. He also shared a few examination tips for his fellow aspirants. Take a look:

Which IIT do you want to join?

I would like to join IIT Delhi and take up Computer Science.

Did you attend coaching?

I took coaching classes from Narayana Coaching Academy, Punjabi Bagh.

How much did you score in Class X and XII?

In Class X my CGPA was 10 and I scored 98.6% in Class XII.

Was IIT always your dream?

No, not always. But pursuing science and mathematics were always a dream. I zoomed into getting into an IIT from Class X on. Earlier, I was into science and research. Then I realised that that an IIT could help satisfy my curiosity and provide a nice platform for my future. Therefore, getting into an IIT became my goal.

What was the difficulty level of JEE 2016?

TheIIT exam is one of the difficult engineering exams. JEE 2016 was a standard JEE paper. The kind of paper that we can expect would come.

What was your preparation strategy?

My strategy was simple. I never had a fixed routine or schedule. It was flexible. I worked according to my frame of mind. I followed the advice of my teachers at institute. My mentor Anurag Mishra, the director of the institute, was always there to encourage and motivate me. I had constant support from my family. All these factors helped me throughout. No one pressurised me. On my part, I was more focused towards building the concepts because that is the key for advance papers. Even if you haven't solved many questions and practiced all the concepts covered in JEE, it won't be much of a problem.

Which is your favourite subject? How much time did you give individually to each subject?

There were no favourites. PCM (Physics-Chemistry-Maths) was my all time favourite. In last two months, I gave around four hours to each subject. I always studied in breaks. I had participated in many co-curricular activities in school.

What are your plans after IIT?

I plan to take up a regular job. After that I plan to go for entrepreneurship. I might go overseas for higher studies but for entrepreneurship I'll come back to India.

What are your hobbies?

I like playing football and cricket. Sometimes I paint as well. I am also into social networking.

If engineering was not an option what would have been your second choice of study?

I might have been a scientific researcher or a nature enthusiast perhaps.

Tell us something about your family background.

My father is a tuition teacher and my mother is a home maker. I have a younger sister who is in Class IX. My father is the one who laid the foundation for me. He taught me since my childhood.

Any tips for JEE 2017 aspirants?

Time management is the key. Another important thing is smart work. Always believe in smart work. In today's time hard work is not sufficient. You have to do hard work but that has to be coupled with intelligent selection of what you have to do and introspect. Know what are your weakness and strengths.