5 Lessons I Learned After Failing a Test (And How You Can Improve)

 I decided to pursue engineering as my career when I was in 11th standard. I started preparing for JEE through self study and youtube during COVID 19 pandemic. At that time, my school classes were online, which made me quite lazy. At the same time, I had a strong desire to crack JEE Advanced.

 However, my preparation was not complete. 

In 2022, I appeared for my Class 12th board exams and then JEE main. I cleared JEE main and  became eligible to write JEE Advanced, but I failed that year. 

Even then, I wasn't ready to give up. Like many other aspirants, I decided to take a drop year and  prepare again. I joined a coaching institute, and everything seemed to be going well in the beginning. But towards the end, procrastination, lack of discipline, and inconsistency caught up with me- and I failed JEE Advanced again. 

Yes, I failed JEE Advanced twice.

At that time, it felt unbearable. 

But when I look back now, I realize those failures taught me some important lessons-  lessons that most aspirants don't talk about.

Here are the 5 lessons that I learned:

1. Be mentally prepared for this journey: This exam requires strong mental clarity and long-term vision. You need to be ready to invest your time and energy fully.. You cannot succeed with a half-hearted effort.

2. Have a proper plan: Many people talk about making new plans every day or week, but sticking to a plan is the real challenge. Before starting your journey, create a long term plan. Then break it down into daily,weekly, and monthly targets. Most importantly, review your progress regularly.

3. Discipline is everything: You need to be extremely disciplined. Study every day- even on days when you feel tired or unwell. On such days, try to study at least for an hour to maintain consistency. 

4. Revision is as important as studying: You may be studying regularly, but if you are not revising properly, it won't be effective. Revision is what strengthens your understanding and clarity.

5.Don't put too much pressure on yourself:  Take breaks and do things that make yourself happy. You cannot focus properly if you are mentally drained. 

These are the lessons I learned from my failures. I believe these lessons are not only useful for JEE aspirants but for anyone preparing for competitive exams.

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