The Coaching Experience

Overall the coaching experience taught me many things. 

1. Life is unfair, get used to it. When I started with my preparation I found I was up against people who have covered a significant part of the syllabus back in 10th standard, people who have started their preparation back in 6th standard, NTSE scholars, KVPY scholars, international olympiad medalists. And then there was me starting everything from scratch. I used to waste a lot of time thinking how the competition was unfair, how the institute was unfair to me, how unfair it was for me to be sick during my preparations. It did not change the fact that if I want to get into an IIT getting the best possible rank was my only option, irrespective of everything.

There will always be someone who will have an edge, or some situation in which you will have to compete irrespective of all odds being against you. This doesn't mean that you will give up but ranting about it will not going to help. In such cases when you cannot change anything, you are actually in a colosseum and the only way for you to survive is to fight and win. 

2. Connections matter. After being thrown to a not so amazing batch I still had support from some of the "star" faculties of that institute who helped me with stuff that faculties of my batch cannot handle, reason being, I had shown 100% obedience in the initial few months. And it was because of such connections there was still a ray of hope for me to get into a good college, or at least that's what I thought. 

 3. Importance of having trustworthy peers. There are many things that only a friend can explain and understand. Whether it is the complex mechanics problem that you are not able to handle or that girl who keeps distracting you. There should be someone to lift you up or guide your way. The smarter they are the better but be vary of the facts that smartness cannot be measured by marks and sometimes it comes packed with arrogance and selfishness.

And please avoid the guy who keeps his knowledge to himself fearing that if you get a share of it you might just get a better rank, they are the most toxic kind of people you can have in your life. These guys don't have any confidence in their own efforts and I can say that because at some point I was that guy.

4. Be a good friend.  I always treated my friends like my enemies, never used to talk to them properly, never went out with them, used to feel jealous of them, I was alone in a journey where I needed their support the most. Worst part is they were there to offer it, I was foolish and arrogant enough to deny it all. Whether you have a gold medal in some xyz olympiad or you have scored better in some vaguely designed exam or you are one of those like me who are simply watching your buddies getting ahead in the "competition". Remember this, after a point this JEE or any other exam will have no significance in your life, but the few people who love you always will. Its okay if you cannot find time for them but please don't be rude to them and in case if you are one of those who have already spilled acid on your friendship, own it and apologize before its too late.

5. Not many f**ks should be given. Once one of my faculty at my institute said “IITs are for extraordinary, be happy if you get into a good NIT” probably because he himself was from a NIT, not a very great one, but taking him seriously was a big mistake. Other one said “Don’t sleep until you have completed the module” and I took it darn too seriously, just to make my already miserable life more miserable, I was now sleeping 4-5 hours every night. In both the cases my father recommended me to avoid taking them seriously but I did. 

There were people in my institute who used to bully me a lot like calling names or throwing stuff at me, there were many such comments like the following written on the attendance sheet against my roll number-

                                            "????? shouldn't he be in a batch far below us ??????"

                                            "???? what is he doing here ?????"

                                            "???? his father has some really amazing contacts ??????"

They were more concerned regarding how low I score rather than how well they were doing. One guy even threw my bag out of my class just to show how unfit I was to be there.

And I took it all too personally thinking someday I will get a great rank and prove all of them wrong, slowly I started consuming every comment, every remark and every gesture to fuel my revenge and revenge became my main motive to clear JEE, revenge on my batchmates, the institute and on everyone who had ever laughed on me or my dreams, making my life even more miserable.  

6. True value of self-belief . I used to feel that without them teaching me anything I will not get a good rank. My own efforts can never get me into IIT. That did happen but whatever college I got in, whatever marks I scored it was result of my hard work that I did after I stopped going to the institute.

I have started believing a little more in myself then I used to. Probably the only good thing that happened after wasting so much money and time on the coaching experience.