Hey folks, the GATE 2022 is over and the results are out. Hundreds of you got the desired results and others thousands did not. Now everybody has analyzed their answer key and knows what they did wrong. It could be silly mistakes, conceptual gaps, lack of practice, nervousness, and many other reasons.
Thousands of students are watching the toppers talk to see how s/he cracked the GATE. It is not a food recipe that you will get the same tasty food if you follow the steps perfectly. Learn from the topper's talks but don't blindly follow anyone because everyone is different. The strategies that worked for them may not work for you and vice versa.
"I want to have what that topper student has, the fame, the money (hmmm?), the respect, the rank, etc, etc"
That is what most people feel when they watch a video. Those are not the reasons to give the exam, that is the wrong way to dream. GATE exam is more than just the results. The entire GATE syllabus is to make you understand the basics of your field and be a better engineer.
The Primary Things
Everybody knows the primary things you need to do to score a good rank in GATE. Understand the concepts, practice questions, solve PYQs, give tests, figure out your mistakes, know your gaps, fill your gaps, revise, revise, revise, etc.
The most important and hidden ones are the secondary reasons that make the journey easy and comfortable for you. Before moving on to the "Secondary reasons" let me tell you about my journey first.
My Gate CSE Journey
I started my preparation in May 2019. I bought the online paid course with two years of validity with the money I borrowed from my friend. I did pretty well till August 2019 and completed three subjects C programming, DS & Algo, and Discrete & Engineering Mathematics. I had difficulty with Mathematics as my high school basics were not clear to me. That made me lose my confidence and rethink If I wanted to give GATE or not. So I left the preparation and started a digital marketing company in partnership.
When Feb 2021 came closer, I gave the exam without any revision or practice and scored only 20 marks. As it happens to everybody, the results made me believe that If I prepare well then I could easily get a good rank. So I started preparing for GATE again along with the work. I took a break from work in September and started full-time preparation.
With all the hard work, still, I couldn't complete my test series and the PYQs of TOC & CD. Yet my mock tests marks were in the range of 55-60. So I was confident enough to score good marks.
I got AIR 1133 (😐).
The Secondary Things
At the start of the preparation, every student is different some have their basics strong, some are from very low tier-3 colleges, some are from NITs or new IITs, someone's family is supportive and someone are not, some are preparing with a job, and many other reasons to see. So never compare your journey with someone else's.
The following are the secondary things that are pillars to the primary things:
Why do you want to give the GATE? Your objective should be clear and not just based on some coaching's motivational video.
The backup plan, the day of the exam is very uncertain, so you should figure out every alternate possibility. So you are not tense during your preparation.
Commitment, you can't have an on and off relationship with the preparation.
Consistency, do not take it for granted.
Enjoyment, do not be too serious, enjoy your preparation.
The Good company
"You are the average of the five people spend the most time with"
“Show me your friends and I'll show you your future”
Be in a GATE community, it could be online but try to make a local one from your city.Entertainment, 30 to 60 mins of watching a Day keeps your mind light.
Health, exercise, or at least walk 15 mins daily.
Not studying time is also important, use it wisely. Focus on your happiness, do meditation (important ✌️), quit social media if you can (it's better for a happy & healthy life), and spend time with your family and friends.
I had a hard time focusing on my studies. I get distracted so easily, but meditation helped me a lot in clearing the clutter.
Look into the Human Tech to take control of your social media use.
Conclusion
Do not be a Buridan's donkey and focus on one thing. Nine to twelve months are required for smooth preparation. Focus on the learnings rather than on the results. I have a software internship because of the learnings. Primary reasons are necessary but not sufficient. Secondary reasons are underrated but they are as important as the primary ones.I have missed some of the secondary things that have caused me to lose a few primary things and I regret that. I wish I knew earlier.
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