The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) scare has gripped the entire world and has affected every walk of life. Different nations have adopted different strategies to tackle this pandemic, from making quarantines and health care arrangements, putting a hold on travel, to imposing lockdown, efforts have been made accordingly. Like other people, the students are also taking a great toll academically, physically as well as mentally in this situation. The pandemic of 2020 caught the students off guard and they were left hanging in terms of preparation. However, the NEET exams took place last year amid all the speculations. The year 2021 has again put the clouds of uncertainty over students’ future as once again the situation seems to worsen this time.
The coronavirus pandemic has pushed the dates of NEET 2021, which allows all the MBBS aspirants some extra time for preparation and revision for this grand medical entrance test. Aspirants who are serious about pursuing their career as medical professionals must use this extra time of lockdown to focus on the preparation for their NEET 2021.
It is very important to have a piece of proper knowledge of the syllabus and pattern of the examination. The pattern of the NEET is based on the 11th and 12th standards of the NCERT curriculum and covers topics from physics, chemistry, and biology. The aspirants are in general familiar with the pattern. The paper consists of 180 questions from these three subjects. The questions are multiple-choice questions, with 4 options for each question, where the students are supposed to choose the correct answer.
It is important to study the NCERT books and other guides, books/supplementary study material of all these subjects in order to clear the exam. Indeed NCERT is the most important part of the syllabus. It has all the chapters related to the NEET exam. Reading and revising the 11th and 12th NCERT will help all the students to polish their basic knowledge before moving on to other study materials. Also making notes from the relevant chapters and sections are very important.
The teachers and experts often advise a good schedule with at least 8 to 10 hours of study and adequate time for revision. Only studying the chapters and making notes is not enough if there is no revision of the already studied chapters. The key concepts from all the subjects should be revised again and again. Along with a good schedule, it is important to have hold of all the NCERT books as well as supplementary readers. The NCERT books are also available online, and there is plenty of material in video tutorials as well. In the digital age, students can be more technologically sound to save some time of preparation by looking at key concepts and queries on YouTube and other study-related apps. It saves a lot of time and also helps to clear out the basic doubts more often. The students should also be in constant touch with their teachers, in case of clarity regarding any problem they are having.
As the students already know that the syllabus contains the NCERT of both 11th and 12th, it will be ideal to revise the class notes and important topics from the books of NCERT. Solving problems from the NCERT books is often suggested for revision.
Solving the previous year’s question paper can be very helpful. It gives the idea of the syllabus and also the area of focus in these papers. It is vital to solving the previous year’s papers during the given time to brush up the speed. Solving these papers will help with the strategy and pattern to solve the paper. It is also vital to understand the chapters or topics where a student might be having problems. These papers help with new and unique questions as well. Sometimes even the questions are repeated, so the revision of the previous year’s papers keeps the students well informed.
Apart from studies, it is important to have sound mental and physical health. It is a well-known fact that due to the lockdown, the mind and the body of students are taking undue stress. In this case, parents are advised to support their children with constant encouragement in order to give them proper mental and emotional support. It is also important to take proper care of the nutrition of the student. The students are advised to be involved in home workouts and yoga, in order to release physical and mental stress. Meditation is often advised by experts and psychiatrists to maintain calmness of mind and to improve focus. Students with fixed schedules can also entertain themselves by watching movies or playing indoor games for relaxation. Managing physical and mental stress along with proper study is the key to clearing NEET.
