Effective Study Strategies for Competitive Exams

Active recall and focused studying improve exam performance by 5-10 marks, achievable through strategic note-taking and efficient time management.

### Strategies for Academic Success: Insights from a Top NEET UG 2018 Topper
* 📚 Anoj, a NEET UG 2018 topper, shares his study strategies, including **active recall**, **note-taking**, and **question framing**.
* 🧠 Anoj emphasizes the importance of **understanding weak topics first** and **framing questions for active recall**.
* 📝 He recommends making **concise notes** and solving questions even on **unfamiliar topics** to aid understanding.
* ⏰ Anoj shares that he has studied for up to **20-21 hours in a day**, but he doesn't recommend it for **regular study sessions**.
* 🚫 He advises against distractions like social media and **emphasizes the importance of physical health** during exam preparation.
* 💑 Anoj suggests that being in a relationship can be beneficial if both partners are **productive**, but it can be a **distraction** otherwise.
* ⏳ Anoj believes that any student, even below average, can **improve and reach the top** with focused study and effort.
* 🎯 The goal of the interview is for viewers to **score at least 5-10 marks higher** in their next exam by implementing these strategies.

so at this point of time, how long can you actually sit and study? 20 hours, 21 hours. I have done that. So from the morning till the night, you should be going through that notebook as many times as possible. Do you recommend a J aspirant or a NE aspirant, you know, get into a relationship while they're studying? If you're a student who's preparing for a competitive exam like IITJ, where the competition is so intense, then this video is for you. Because in today's video, we have Anoj, who's a doctor, content creator, entrepreneur, who is also one of the toppers in NEET UG 2018. He also got two gold medals and nine distinctions in MBBS, and is now preparing for NEET PG 2024. And that's exactly the reason why he's the perfect fit for today's podcast about how to become a topper if you're a mediocre student. Let's start. Hi. So first things first, the goal of this entire podcast or the interview is that if someone is

watching this video till the end. I want to make sure that they are scoring at least 5 to 10 marks more in their next exam. So, first question, uh let's take you. You have one month to remember entire NCERT chemistry textbook. One month, one NCERT textbook end to end. What are the things, uh, that you do to make sure that you remember it properly? First of all, uh, I'll take the book and I'll look at the index. Most important page is the index. You see which are the topics, you see, do you know anything about them, do you know something, which are your weakest, which are your strongest. And my first target will be the weakest ones. Like that's where I'll improve most of my marks. Going about to how will I actually read it. The most important thing I'll be doing is taking notes because before the exam, I will not have the time to read the book once again. Now how will I make my notes? I will open up each of the chapters and when I'm reading, I'll write

down only the important topics in it. Next, what I the most important step, which I did way back in class 11th and 12th as well, uh, is that I'll frame questions from as many topics as I can. For example, taking the digestive tract, instead of just writing down the entire theory about this is how a protein is digested in our body, uh, I'll actually just write the question, which is the enzyme which is most important for protein digestion? So, I'm practicing active Rec from the morning till the night. You should be going through that notebook as many times as possible. So, this is the way I would go for it. So now, one big question inside this is, uh, would you also read your NC biology or chemistry textbook again, apart from your class notes, or wouldn't you care about it? I probably would not care about it that much if my notes are everything. If my notes have everything which is important, which is being asked upon, I probably would not read it as frequently as I would read my notes. Now, imagine there are a couple of instances

couple of topics that you don't understand. So you definitely don't have time to uh see the entire lecture right now, right? So what will the source be right now? So I would just try to solve the questions from that. You might think that it's ctive. I don't even know the topic. How will I solve the questions? So yes, you'll get the answer incorrect. But then you read the explanation, you solve the questions, you get it wrong. So you know that what they're trying to ask. And if you find that that explanation is something which is worthwhile, write it down in your notebook. Got it? So at this point of time, how long can you actually sit and study longest? I probably have done 20 hours, 21 hours. I have done that. So in the morning, uh, from let's say 5, I have studied till night at 1 or 1:30. So I think holy, but how, how, how, how did you do that? Like that's usually happening one day before the exam. It's

not something which I recommend MH so one day before the exam. I'm just trying to cram everything. No question should go missed the next day. So how do you plan out these long sessions? People go out for lunch, dinner, whatever it is, right? And there are also a lot of distractions. Just turn off all the internet and then just put the mobile phone in a different room. Next, with respect to your lunch, dinner, and all. So I do take half an hour in between, but that half an hour, there should be no mobile phones, there should be no screens. My plan usually is I revise two times before going to the exam. So if I have, let's say tomorrow, I've got a test with three chapters. So those three chapters should be done two times. And during the last day, don't focus that much on understanding. This is something which I'll say in an opposite direction. What are some of the worst habits that a student can have while preparing for a competitive examination? First is having too much indulgence into social media.

secondly, I would say, is your body ignoring your physical health is something which you should avoid. Do you recommend a J aspirant or an NEET aspirant to, you know, get into a relationship while they're studying? Uh, it depends on what kind of a person your partner is. The partner is good for you if you are both productive. I would recommend it because it's like having a best friend. If it's the other way around, if you're feeling that too much time is being wasted, dump them. So, uh, have you ever had any of your friends who don't appear like they're studying, right? They be like time pass morning, they like. But when you see their exam marks, they're always on the top. And some people who study the entire day, they're almost at the bottom. The people who are studying so much every day, from the third perspective, it might feel okay. They are studying so much, maybe they sitting in the library, sub. But how much of that time are they actually putting into studies when you

actually deeply look they are on the same page since 2 hours. So have they actually made any progress? So maybe they're zoning out. So most important is uh the number of hours, the number of quality time you are spending uh reading and studying, rather than looking at I studied 15 hours today. Just look at out of those 15 hours, how many hours did you give your 100% best, efficient like that is the most efficient you have been like. So the people who you know top, even after less studying, they study in that zone and use the other hours just for enjoying life. And I think that's the way it should be. If there's a student who's not even average, like below average, how long do you think would it take for him to be in the top five? Do you think anyone can do it? I think every person can actually do it. You should just know what are your weak areas and you should just put in the hours, because the reason why you scoring low is maybe you have not done your Basics well, maybe you have

not done your 10th. Maybe you have not done your 9th or maybe or 11th that well. Without putting in the hours, there is no way levels you have to climb makes sense, makes sense, yeah. So I guess that is it. I just wanted to uh hit up on a touch up on a couple of basics, right? And I think we've completely done it. I believe this would be helpful for the people who are watching this video, at least, right? Uh, I really. So thank you so much. So that was it. The entire conversation between me and ano happened for more than 1 hour, but these were some of the most important questions and answers. I hope it was useful, but just remember, all this strategy, it's just a waste of time if you don't start working hard, if you don't take the action. So make sure that you start, you use these tips, and score at least 5 to 10 marks extra, 5 to 10 marks more from the next exam onwards. That is the goal. I wish you all the best.

I want you to win, and you will win. See you.

INSANE Study Tips from MBBS Gold Medalist 🔥

Quantum Project - Tharun Speaks

Tips for Acing Competitive Exams from a Top Performer

Studying for long hours and reviewing material multiple times is crucial for exam preparation.

The interviewee, a top performer in NEET UG and current NEET PG 2024 candidate, emphasizes the importance of focusing on the weakest topics to improve scores.

Taking detailed notes while reading the textbook is recommended, as it serves as a valuable resource for quick revision before the exam.

Effective Study Techniques for High School Students

Active recall, which involves generating questions from the study material, is a crucial step in the study process.

Focusing on comprehensive class notes is prioritized over rereading the entire textbooks.

When struggling to understand specific topics, solving related questions and documenting valuable explanations is recommended.

Plan long study sessions with no distractions and breaks without screens or phones.

Focus on revising multiple times rather than understanding deeply the day before the exam.

Avoid excessive social media use and neglecting physical health while studying.

Whether to pursue a relationship while preparing for exams depends on the partner's impact on productivity.

Success in exams is not always about the amount of time spent studying, so avoid comparing yourself to others.

Focus on quality study time rather than just the number of hours spent.

Identify weak areas and focus on the basics to improve.

With dedicated and efficient studying, it's possible for anyone to improve their academic performance.

I'm here to help you with that! If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to ask.