Preparing for the National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) is one of those difficult but very rewarding processes. Each year, lakhs of students spend months and, sometimes, even years preparing to fulfill their dreams of becoming a doctor. Of course, while most candidates prepare seriously for the exam, all of them don't achieve their goal. What is to notice is that there is nothing unusual about such an outcome as the difference in results of two candidates caused by some minor mistakes.
Indeed, many candidates start their preparation enthusiastically, but as a result of inadequate planning, lack of revision or improper method of studying, they become less effective in their preparation and more stressed before the examination.
Fortunately, almost all of these mistakes can be easily avoided. Being aware of them, and changing the approach to preparation, you will be able to enhance your results considerably.
Let's consider the most popular mistakes which NEET aspirants usually make.
1. Ignoring the Importance of NCERT
The biggest blunder that students commit is giving importance to many reference books but not considering the NCERT textbooks. While advanced books may help, most of the NEET biology questions and even some chemistry questions are derived directly from NCERT.
Rather than accumulating a number of study materials, one should concentrate on studying NCERT books first. This involves studying the chapters from NCERT thoroughly, comprehending all concepts and then revising them several times before proceeding to other sources.
An effective way of doing so is:
- To read the book line by line.
- To memorise the diagrams and tables.
- To highlight the key concepts.
- To keep revising the book.
2. Studying Without a Proper Plan
A lot of the candidates tend to embark on studies without a fixed timetable. It is their mood which decides the subject they will study and not a schedule. It leads to omission of many topics and brings a lot of stress with it.
The realistic study schedule must break down the syllabus in sections along with sufficient time for revision and test-taking. In place of random studies, fix a daily/weekly goal to be met.
One needs to keep in mind that a regular study timetable is better than a tough-to-follow ambitious schedule.
3. Creating Too Many Backlogs
Putting off the hard chapters is a common problem among students. Sadly, if one skips a chapter then more and more follow until it becomes hard to revise for the exam.
Instead of skipping hard things, break them up into smaller bits. Doing just one hard chapter each day is better than postponing it forever.
Consistent revision of the finished chapters will ensure that previously done topics don’t become backlogs.
4. Memorising Without Understanding Concepts
NEET is designed for testing knowledge of concepts and not memory. Students who memorise the facts find difficulty answering questions posed in a new form.
The subjects such as Physics, Genetics, Human Physiology, Organic Chemistry, and Biotechnology need a proper grasp of the concept before memorising it.
Every time you study a subject, ask yourself the following questions:
- Why does this process occur?
- What is its relation with other concepts?
- Can I describe it in my words?
If your answer is yes, then you have understood the chapter, not memorised it.
5. Neglecting Revision
Learning the whole syllabus alone is not sufficient preparation. If you do not revise your lessons, then most of what you learn will be forgotten in due time.
Most candidates devote several months to learning the lessons in each chapter but save the revision portion for the last few weeks before the NEET.
The more efficient thing to do is to integrate revision into your preparation routine. These are the steps that you should take:
- Regular revision of the chapters that you have just learned.
- Weekly revision of important chapters.
- Revision of the whole syllabus once a month.
- Revision of the whole syllabus before mock tests.
6. Avoiding Mock Tests Until the Last Moment
Many students avoid mock tests due to their apprehension about performing badly in them. However, shying away from tests will only postpone improvement.
The purpose of taking mock tests is not to gauge your performance but to learn from them. They are necessary for gaining insights into time management, accuracy and the weak spots that need improvement in the actual test.
Post every mock test, try to analyse:
- The wrong answers.
- The silly mistakes.
- The time-consuming questions.
- Repeated mistakes.
7. Solving Too Few MCQs
Theory reading with insufficient practice leads to overconfidence in the student. The students have theoretical knowledge but find it difficult to use it in the exam.
After completion of each chapter, practice of MCQs must follow it. You must practice old NEET questions, test questions for each chapter and topic-based questions.
Practice makes you familiar with the pattern of the exam.
8. Ignoring Weak Subjects
Students tend to spend more time studying subjects that they like. Even though this sounds like a positive activity, most of the time, it is always accompanied by neglecting weak subjects.
Rather than revisiting the strong subject over and over again, one should concentrate on the weak subject in order to boost their performance.
9. Comparing Yourself with Others
Every aspiring candidate has his/her unique pace of learning and style of studying. Keeping yourself in constant competition with others through social media can make you lose self-confidence and increase pressure for no reason at all.
Rather than wasting your time on competing with someone’s preparation, you should judge your performance by comparing it with that of your last mock test.
Always aim at becoming a better person than what you were earlier.
10. Ignoring Physical and Mental Health
In times of extensive preparation, students often lack sleep, physical activity, and proper diet. Although prolonged study hours may appear to be effective, health problems will eventually impair one’s ability to concentrate and remember things.
To ensure a healthy lifestyle, you should:
- Sleep for 7-8 hours per day
- Eat healthy food
- Drink plenty of water
- Take regular study breaks
- Exercise on a regular basis
- Refrain from excessive screen time
Being healthy physically means being healthy mentally as well.
The Importance of Expert Guidance
While self-study constitutes the crux of NEET preparation, a mentor ensures that the aspirant stays on track. A well-experienced tutor makes it easy for students to understand complex ideas, gives them a structured way to study, conducts tests at frequent intervals, and also helps them to remove their weaknesses.
At Target PMT, a candidate gets all this help from their expert faculty members, NCERT-based learning, test series, personalised clarification of doubts, and disciplined academic planning.
Conclusion
It’s not the amount of time that you put in your preparation for NEET, but rather the quality of your preparation that makes you succeed in NEET. Most students make sincere efforts; however, it is because of some basic mistakes like not preparing NCERT, not revising, not taking up mock tests, and not planning while preparing which make them fall short of their best.
The important thing is that you have to identify the mistakes early on and work on them in a systematic manner to become successful in NEET. With an appropriate strategy and some discipline, you can overcome the mistakes and come a step closer to fulfilling your dream of joining a reputed medical college through NEET.