Hello future doctors.
The straight answer to this question is ‘Yes’. Droppers can crack NEET without coaching classes. Freshers can do it too. You need not always apply to an expensive dropper’s course and attend hours of daily lectures if it is not meant for you.
But how do you decide what will work best for you? And how do you go about self study in your drop year? We’ll discuss all this in detail in this blog.
Identify your learning patterns
The first thing that you should do before switching to self study is to analyze your study patterns. Do you feel that it is difficult to study when nobody is asking you to study? Do you feel lost without a schedule made for you? Do you feel like it is difficult to navigate the NEET journey without proper one-to-one guidance and doubt solving?
If the answer to any of these questions is yes, then you might need coaching classes. There is no shame in admitting that you do, most students perform very well under experienced teachers and mentors.
But if you feel like you can figure it out on your own then you can opt for self study too. The self-study path comes with a lot of challenges, let’s see what problems you can face.
Self study?
Loneliness
See, firstly, it is important to remember that you will be alone the entire year if you choose self study. A coaching class offers a sense of camaraderie in the form of other students. You feel like a part of a group, all taking up the same battle.
When you opt for self study, you feel a little more lonely. You might feel cornered and might start thinking that you are alone in your fight.
Yearly Schedule
You might also find it difficult to form a yearly schedule on your own. Coachings offer a good yearly time table wherein you can study without worrying about completing the syllabus on time. The coaching already decides on the number of hours that must be given to each chapter and makes a yearly schedule accordingly.
It becomes a little difficult to navigate through the year without a definite time table.
No doubt-solving
The downside to self study is no access to class teachers and thus no doubt-solving sessions. This might seem like a small problem right now, but when you have a doubt and you’re unable to get an answer, it gets very frustrating.
No competition
You might start slacking after a while if you are self-studying. Coaching classes come with peer pressure, which makes you compelled to work hard, you feel scared that you will be left behind. Without this pressure, you start getting lazy too.
Even though self study comes with these disadvantages, there are some good benefits too.
Self-study, why not?
Personalization.
Everybody has studied something in 11th and 12th. You might have some strong chapters, where you don’t have to put in a lot of effort. Whereas, you might also be very weak in certain chapters. In coaching classes, you will be taught everything equally. It won’t matter if you have studied something beforehand.
Whereas, if you opt for self study, you can dedicate your time to your weak topics instead of learning your strong topics again. This way, you will be able to personalize your study time, which is not possible in coaching.
Own pace
In coaching classes, you will be taught at a default speed that most students understand. It is possible that you take more time to understand certain concepts and less time to understand other concepts. If you opt for self study, you can take your time in learning at your own pace.
Less pressure
While coaching classes can mean healthy competition for some, it can also mean pressure for a lot of students. Pressure that they cannot handle. It is thus better for them to work alone. I faced a lot of difficulty handling competitive pressure as well, and thus preferred studying on my own.
So, all in all, I think that you have a better understanding now. Self study comes with some advantages and some disadvantages. But, there are ways by which we can overcome these problems too.
Tips for Self-Study
- Ask your friends for the timetable that they are following in their classes. Try to stay somewhat aligned with that yearly timetable. This will help make sure that you complete the syllabus on time.
- Keep solving questions daily. It is easy to stop working when nobody is keeping you disciplined. So, try to keep a daily target and ask your siblings to check up on you at the end of the day.
- Stick to the useful resources, don’t get diverted. Use NCERTS and NEET relevant material. Do not get into difficult- JEE level questions and resources. They will be a waste of time.
- Do not get scared of coaching class students, instead ask them for help if you’re stuck somewhere. They can help you in clearing doubts.
- You can apply for online courses with doubt-clearing sessions. They can also help you with a yearly schedule.
- Join a good test series. You should have an idea of where you stand in the competition.
- Keep your parents in the loop. If they are strict, ask them to keep you disciplined.
More stories:
Some online resources that you can use for self-study.
Schedule for a dropper who opts for self study.
Conclusion
A drop year with self study is surely not an easy task, there will be a lot of problems. You will have to learn how to solve them. Do not feel hesitant to ask for help whenever needed.
Keep working consistently and keep your spirits high. You can do it.
All the best, dear aspirant.
