How to Prepare for IIT? 7- What tools one should use?

Now we will talk about the tools and techniques about how one can increase their learning efficiency. What are the tools? how to use it? How to manage time? What should be the revision pattern?

Tools that will help in the preparation:

1- Reference Books

2- Study Materials

3- Test Series 

4- Previous Year's Papers

5- Notes (Notes Making is very important)

6- Notes of Mistakes

7- Peer Group

8- Online Resources

9- Planning Calender

Let us talk about the above tools in detail.

1. Reference Books:

one should have exactly one good reference book. How to decide which book is good?

Factors:

1. Managed and To the syllabus contents.
2. Examples.
3. Level wise Practice problems.
4. Quality of problems should be good.

For students it will be difficult to judge about the books so take the advice of some expert or go along the folks. If you are confused between two or more books then use point system (as used earlier for deciding coaching) and then compare. But buy only one reference book.

How to use it?

1. First read the content or theory part.
2. Try to solve the examples without looking at the solution.
3. Look at the solution analyze your method and learn shortcuts, formulae, method update it to your notes.
4. Go for the exercises and solve it to the end. Reaching to the end is important.

I have seen most of the student, they start the exercise let’s say there are 100 problems then they reach up to 70-75 problems and leave the rest. Due to lack of time or due to rushing nature that “I have to touch the next chapter.” Sometimes students buy 2 or 3 reference books and try to solve all of them at a time. Suppose there are 100 problems in each books, what they do, they pick one book, solved 10 problems, then pick another one solve 10 problems then next book solved 10 problems. Ultimately for them they have solved 30 problems. But in my opinion they have learned only the 10 problems. This is a wrong approach. Suppose there are 200 problems and you have lack of time. Or you want to solve only 100 problems then solve the problems at even place(2,4,6,8,……,100) or odd place (1,3,5,…..,99) this way you will cover nearly all type and level of problems.

"I fear not the man who has practiced 10000 kicks once, but I fear the man who has practiced one kick10000 times."

Bruce Lee (a famous martial artist)

Approach should be buy only one books and master it in such a way that you can solve thousands of such books rather than buying thousand books but not able to solve even one book completely.

Note: Always Update your notes if you find anything special.

2. Study Materials:

There are a lot of coaching/ institutions available. Mostly provide study materials. One can buy any good coaching’s study materials. Why to but a coaching material, when one has bought a reference book? Study materials are prepared for exactly the entrance exam point of view. These are concise and the representation is good. Key points are highlighted. Problems to the recent pattern. Regularly updated. Tips, tricks and shortcuts. Analysis is good.

How to use it?

1. First read the content and theory part.
2. Try to solve the examples look at the solution analyze the method and learn shortcuts, formulae, method.
3. Find anything unique update it into your notes
4. Go for the exercises and solve it to the end.

3. Test Series:

Regular evaluation is necessary for the competition so join any test series or get the papers of test series somehow. Benefits of the test series.

1. Evaluation will keep you on the track.
2. Timely completion of syllabus.
3. Experience of examination environment.
4. Time management will improve.

Points to keep in mind:

1. Take the tests seriously.
2. Take each test as it is the final examination.
3. Set goals for each test, if required change the strategy.
4. After each test analyze the mistakes. Categorize the mistake.
5. Update the mistakes in the notes. Or make a separate notes “Notes of Mistakes” for this see the next post on “Notes of Mistakes”

4. Previous Years Papers:

After reading the reference books and study materials and solving the problems in there. One should try the problems of previous years’ papers. If you are able to solve the problems correctly, It means your preparation is going in the right direction. If wrong then see the type of mistake and improve it.

If you are not able to solve the problems then possible reasons are as following.

1. You have not understood the concepts or the methods, not attentive in the lectures. (Your side problem)
2. You might not have been taught. (Teacher side problem)
3. Others, you can categorize see the “Notes of Mistakes”.

Some problems you will find which will need knowledge of many chapters. Come again and solve those remaining problems after finishing those chapters.

Try to solve previous year papers completely.

Update the concepts into your notes time to time.

It will boost your confidence as you are able to solve the problems which came into previous years’ papers. You will know the pattern of the examination, level of the questions. It will give you a direction “what and how much is still needed?” By analyzing you can guess the problems that might come in future.

Note: Buy that previous years’ papers books that is written chapter wise. This way you can monitor your progress chapter wise.

5. Notes Making:

In this section I will tell you the importance of notes. What should be put into the notes? How it should look like? In short how to make a good notes?

Notes making is an art. Good notes can give you success in the examination. When you are taking notes, you are writing by your hand, at the same time you are printing on your memory. It keeps you attentive in the lecture and self study time as well. Very helpful in revision in the last minutes.

Components of a Good notes:

1. Concise and to the point information, and only with key terms.
2. Use of geometrical shapes circles, ovals, lines (mind maps).
3. Highlighted texts.
4. Use of Graph, flow chart.
5. Use of 2 to 3 color pens Or Underline by solid/dashed lines.
6. Classification and arrangement.
7. Questions with star rating.
8. If there is any mistake or wrong method write it too in the notes and a cut by single crossed line highlighting it as wrong method with reason why is it wrong.

Steps :

1. For note making buy in a good notebook as you have to study it many time.
2. Put page numbers in the notebook.
3. Leave first two or three pages for “Table of Contents”. You have to make the content table as following table:

S.No.	Chapter or Topic	Page no.	Date	Revision dates
1	Quadratic Equation	3	15/06/201..	01/07/201..	03/10/201..	10/02/201..
2	Progressions	21	25/06/201..	03/07/201..	03/10/201..	10/02/201..
3	Complex number	52	02/07/201..	02/08/201..	04/11/201..	11/02/201..
4	Binomial theorem	70	15/07/201..	5/08/201..	04/11/201..	11/02/201..

Write Revision dates so that you can monitor your revision pattern you can also put an advance date when you want to plan the revision.

4. Start making notes from the chapter you want to start. Write date on top of the paper and title of the chapter.
5. Make it neat, clean and spacious. It should feel good to the eyes.
6. While revising the notes use star rating, highlight the texts which seem important.
7. A separate notes “Notes of Mistakes” can be prepared Or can use the tips of that in this notes as well. It is your choice want to make separate notes or combined notes.

      

      6. Notes of Mistakes: We will talk about it in different post. (click here)

      7. Peer Groups:

What is peer group?

A group of people of approximately the same age, status, and interests. You have to create your own peer group of students preparing for the same competition. If you have joined a coaching/institution then it will be easier. But be careful the group should not be big, 4 to 5 students are enough. This will help you in problem solving, concept clearing, comparing the marks and knowledge.

Peer groups are healthy when they exert a positive influence, disastrous when rejection or negative pressure is involved. It acts like all will sail across the river or all will drown into it.

Take part into the discussions related to the topics of syllabus. Don’t involve into too much discussions. Share your notes in the peer group. Look into the notes of others and update and improve your notes.

8. Online Resources: Lots of online resources are available one can use it wisely. 

    Warning: Remember your aim is to get the amount of knowledge required to get into IIT         only. Don't start research work means don't give a lot of time for just one topic. If you will       do it Believe me you won't be able to finish the syllabus in time.

     I will try to provide topic wise list of contents with time requirement in some of my future       posts. You can follow that but remember that all of us have 24 hours a day.  

9. Planning Calendar: Take 12 A4 size papers or you can use the pages of your         notebook. Make a Monthly calendar. You have to mark the reasons why you could not             study on particular date. This way you can monitor your progress and how you can reduce       the wastage of time.  Suppose on 15th July you were sick. So mark due to sickness.                 Suppose on 26th July a friend came and you could not resist to go with him so mark the           name of that friend and how much time you were with him.