Advice from an IITian who wanted to do science

There are many people who can advise you and tell you many things. But it’s always best to listen to the narration from the horses mouth rather than anyone else.

Here is some valuable advice from an Electrical Engineering from IIT along with his story:

After giving his graduation through IIT, he got admitted into a top Ph.D. program in the US,

Here’s what he has to say:

JEE Main is a journey which is not simply restricted to a result. It’s an effort you have to put to keep going on. The little endorphin rush when you solve a very difficult problem or the little light bulb that lights in your head when you realize that Gauss’s theorem in Electrostatics can actually be applied to ANY conservative field and can be used to solve gravitation problems with quarter of the effort you were taught by your physics teacher – for me these were the things that made it worth the effort. For example, are you now curious about how Gauss’s theorem can be reformulated for a gravitational setting. The question is are you enjoying studying science and are you curious?

If you can discover the pleasure of learning and exploring, then what happens in the JEE doesn’t matter. Even if you don’t make it through (and there is a high chance of that since JEE is as much about luck as it is about skill, especially for middle rung aspirants) you will be a better and stronger person at the end. At that point, you can join a 2nd tier Engineering institute or a pure science course and the JEE process will still have been very beneficial to you.

Personally, I wanted to be a scientist very early in life. I vaguely wanted to ‘do science’ but wasn’t sure whether pure (physics, chem, math) or applied (engineering) was the way to go. I was vaguely pushed into Electrical Engineering and loved it, but would have probably loved Math/Physics too. I didn’t like chemistry like you. So, it’s OK to be confused as long as you do have an analytic bent of mind and enjoy science. You will discover more specific interests as you go along and with some effort, push yourself into those areas. If you do decide on engineering and are vague about your interests, go into a branch which is broad like Electrical or Mechanical rather than very specific like Production/Biomedical/Instrumentation. You can always develop specificity as you get acquainted with a broad area.

Some tips to prepare for JEE:

Preparing for JEE by yourself will, Of course, work at times but you might lack the discipline to just do it yourself. Then coaching classes will help to enforce a schedule. But don’t expect them to help in understanding or self-development as they all consider the end result (getting into an IIT) more important than the journey.

What is Engineering all about?

Engineers develop analytical skills by solving problems. Lots and lots of problems. Not same kind of problems over and over again. But different challenging problems, all the time. Don’t get me wrong. The theory is good and important, you should read Feynman and relish every line. But real mastery is achieved when you solve difficult problems on your own. So buy Irodov, solve all the problems. This will not be easy. It’s a bit like long distance running. The first few sessions are tortuous and tremendously difficult. But you have to keep at it, even if it takes you a day to solve a problem. And you should not cheat and look at the solutions.

You need to believe in yourself:

I always treated it like a computer game – like you had a set number of “lives” for each chapter, and that was the number of problems you can look at the solutions for. If you use up all the lives, you are “dead” and have to read more about the chapter and solve easier problems from HC Verma or something and then try again. But very soon, you will start relishing the endorphin rush, and get good at it, and be surprised at your mind’s extraordinary capabilities to stretch. Of course, if you are not interested in science, you won’t last through this. It’s a rite of passage really. And it’s OK if you cannot do it. You have surely discovered more about yourself, right?

So here’s your chance to buckle up, and start enjoying the journey. A journey whose memories you will relish down the lane of life. All the best!

Source: Need advice on studies.