What are the disadvantages of drop in NEET?: What you NEED to know

Hello dear friends, I take it that you are contemplating taking a drop if you have landed here. It is a very difficult decision, as it should be. Yes, taking a drop can get you a medical seat in a good government college. But there is a flip side to the drop decision too. 

I feel like there is a lot of taboo around speaking up about the bad side of a ‘drop year’. Coaching teachers, online tutors, influencers, nobody talks about it because there is a lot of backlash in the form of comments that say ‘Do not discourage us aspirants from taking drops.’

Well, I feel like it is my duty to tell you the reality instead of just the success stories. You must have all the information before making the decision.

So, here it goes.

Uncertainty of Success

This is the single biggest disadvantage of taking a drop. You never know if you will succeed. A lot of droppers succeed, you can find hundreds of success stories on the internet. But, there are also stories that you do not see often, these are stories of the people who couldn’t crack NEET even after 4-5 drops. 

There is no rule that says that droppers always succeed. Before taking a drop you have to be fully conscious about the possibilities after the drop year.

Plan ahead, think about what you will do if you don’t succeed. Think about your family’s reaction, will they support you? Will you be able to shift to another career option after spending so much time on NEET?

Think about everything before you make the decision.

Pressure and Stress

Stress is a very obvious disadvantage. Most droppers start from zero just like freshers, the only difference is that they are ten times more stressed than freshers. Every wrong answer on a test hurts as much as a physical wound. The fear of being left behind makes you work just double of the freshers.

There is a lot of shame in society, relatives will taunt you. Your family might not support you at times. You will feel lonely and isolated. 

You have to take into account all this emotional burden that comes attached to being a dropper. It won’t matter once you have cleared NEET, everybody who taunts you now will be proud of you. Relatives who made fun of you will ask you for guidance. And all your neighbours will look at you with respect.

But, while you are in the drop year, the disrespect will hurt like hell. You have to be prepared.

Financial Burden

While some droppers prefer self-study, most of them opt for either offline or online classes. These classes come with a fee which is usually hefty. There are also costs for study material and books.

If you decide on going to Kota or elsewhere to study, the rent, the food, and all other necessities will cost money.

It might put a financial strain on your family if you are not economically sound enough. You have to consider this when you make decisions about your drop. Is your family financially secure enough to handle the strain? Will it trouble the future of your siblings? Will it endanger any other necessity? You need to consider everything before taking a drop.

Delay in Career Progression

MBBS is already a 5.5 year course. You will see your friends graduate and start to earn at 21. At that point, you’ll still be 2-3 years away from a stable income. Taking into consideration the decreasing value of just the MBBS degree, you will also have to work on clearing NEET PG or USMLE, this might take another 1-2 years.

Drop years will delay this already long process.

This means that you will be financially dependent on your parents till your late 20s even. You have to decide if you are okay with this. You can consider the financial condition of your family for the same.

Social and Emotional Challenges

You will be all alone during your drop year, this is the truth. Yes, some people find good friends in drop years, but that is a rare chance. Most of my friends that have been droppers in NEET, tell me stories of how alone they felt during the phase.

Your friends will move forward. Some of them might get a seat, some might opt for other courses, some might even get admission into private colleges. 

They will tell you stories about their college lives and their new friends. You will have to cut them out to be able to study, but then that comes at the cost of isolation. Choose for yourself.

Increased Competition

If you think that you couldn’t clear NEET this year because of the intense competition, let me break it to you. The competition is only going to increase. If it was 25 lakh aspirants this year, it will be 30 next maybe, can be 50 the next year, it can go upto 1 crore, who knows?

The point is, you will have to face a lot of peer pressure too. Other droppers might be doing better than you. You will have to deal with this competition

Alternatives to Taking a Drop

There are other options too, you can opt for another medical course, you can get admission into private colleges or you could opt for a career in engineering too. There are endless possibilities.

Check out all these possibilities before committing to the drop year.

Conclusion

The drop year decision comes with lots of disadvantages too, these are:

1. Not knowing if you will succeed in clearing NEET
2. A lot of stress
3. Financial Burden
4. Delay in earning money, even longer than it already is
5. Losing out on friendships
6. Increasing competition leading to a lot of peer pressure

However, the possibility of getting a MBBS seat in a government college is bigger than all of these problems. The respect in medicine is unmatched, it also offers financial stability like no other profession. You will feel morally satisfied, like a responsible member of the society. You have to weigh the dream against the reality, understand your condition and only then take a decision.

I would advise you to talk to your parents and siblings before making the decision. Listen to their point-of-views, listen to their restrictions and conditions too, talk to them about your dream. Listen to your heart too.

All the best.