Are 2 Years Enough for NEET Preparation?

Hello, future docs! Every year, thousands of students start their NEET preparation journey, and they all have one crazy question in their heads, “Are two years gonna be enough to crack NEET?”

Well, obviously the answer isn’t that very straightforward. It depends on your preparation, your strategy, your consistency and approach. Let’s try to answer this question with a breakdown. The answer is:

Yes, If:

Early Start in 11th Standard:

If you’ve started your NEET preparation in the 11th standard itself, you’ve taken a wise step. Starting early provides you with a chance to understand the syllabus thoroughly and completely. You can easily cover the entire syllabus in two whole years.

This early start allows you to understand each topic in detail, this will lay a very good foundation for your entire journey. You are really working on you basics if you start that early. These basics will later help you solve the tough questions in NEET too.

Consistent Planning and Studying:

Starting soon is obviously great, but yeah, it’s not enough. You NEED to study regularly and systematically from the day you begin studying to the day you are in the exam hall.

Do one thing. Just sit down for some time and think about it, ‘everybody knows that they have to study to clear NEET. What are you doing different? What are you doing better than the other aspirants, something that takes you ahead?’

A consistent study schedule (studying everyday), timely completion of the syllabus, and discipline are what help you get better in the lakhs of aspirants sitting for the exam with you.

Consistency helps you improve a little bit every day. Having a good study schedule makes sure you’re covering everything. Discipline is the most important quality to have as a doctor.

If you are meeting these three basic necessities then maybe, 2 years will are enough to clear NEET.

Practice Practice Practice!!

In exams like NEET, there’s one rule that is very very important to follow, it is: PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE. You must solve all types of questions from a topic and also it’s previous year questions (PYQs). This will really help you understand the exam pattern better.

Going through different questions will also make sure that you’ve seen all the kinds of question types and this thus improves your problem-solving speed, as you do not get shocked by a new type of question.

See, the NEET test is not just about being right and ticking the right answer for questions, it is about ticking the right answers fast too. If you are not able to solve the NEET exam paper in the 3 hours 20 mins time, there’s no point in knowing everything and more. All your knowledge goes to waste.

So, if you can attempt the paper entirely in set time, with accuracy: you’re on the right track my friend.

Regular Mock Test Analysis:

Mock tests provide you with a sense of the real exam environment. Analysing these tests afterward helps you point out your strengths and weaknesses. It tells you where you need to put in more effort and where you’re already strong. It gives your efforts direction.

If you appear for NEET without having practised enough mocks, there is a chance that you may panic as you are not used to the stressful exam environment. Also, if you don’t give mocks, you do not have good exam attempting strategies either.

You might lose out on selection for medical seat just because of this idiotic blunder. Be smart, get to it- start solving mocks today itself.

Confidence on Exam Day:

Your confidence level on the exam day is as important as your preparation. If you’ve prepared well, you’ll naturally feel confident in the exam hall. This confidence keeps you calm and also a visible impact on your performance can be seen.

Remember this one day decides the course of your career. I can tell you that it does not matter if you’re confident or not, but I do not want to lie to you. IT DOES.

Maybe No, If:

Not being Regular in your Preparation:

If you fail in any of the above points or if your NEET preparation lacks consistency, maybe two years aren’t enough. NEET has around 2 million competitors. Poor preparation leads to poor confidence during the exam, resulting in many silly mistakes. It’s a vicious cycle.

Bad Luck on Exam Day:

Sometimes, performance on the exam day can be affected by sheer bad luck. You might have prepared well, but on the final Exam day, you might fall sick or feel extremely nervous. You never know. These factors can influence your performance.

As I said, one day decides it all. A lot of my friends, whom I considered to be way smarter tahn me couldn’t get a seat. All because of anxiety or poor health on the exam day.

Now that we’ve discussed some of the very obvious factors that decide your selection, let’s talk about some cheat codes,

Cheat Codes to Crack in 2 Years:

Flexible Timetable and A Flexible Strategy:

Maintain a flexible and dynamic strategy and timetable. Never ever blindly follow someone else’s timetable. If you feel a plan isn’t working, modify it, make it work.

You’ll see the difference in your preparation as soon as you start giving yourself the liberty to change your plans as per need. Flexibility makes your studying more effective.

Taking care of Mental and Physical Health:

See, mind is the master of your body. And your body is essentially your everything. These two aspects are so connected and so dependent on each other, that you cannot keep one healthy while the other is not.

Studying is a taxing task. You need headspace and positive vibes, and a good physical health to get into it.

Regular exercise, a balanced diet, and adequate sleep keep you mentally and physically fit, improving your concentration. Don’t ignore the health aspect; it makes a huge difference.

Commitment:

Remember, NEET preparation isn’t child’s play (ironically, yes). It requires commitment and maturity. You should have the ability to take feedback, learn that you need to improve and then work on it too.

Hard work, passion, and relentless sacrifice aren’t just words on paper. We medicos have worked 12-15 hours a day during NEET prep, and we still do. Make sure you have a passion for medicine; without it, such hard work won’t be possible.

What If I Couldn’t Do It in 2 Years?

Firstly, don’t stress. Understand the sheer volume and competitiveness of NEET. It’s VERY, VERY DIFFICULT. Failing even after doing everything right isn’t uncommon. We understand.

Most of my batchmates, around 60% of them (being in one of the top MBBS colleges in Mumbai) are droppers. Having 1 or 2,3 or even 4 drops is common. You don’t have to be stressed about the drop thing. When you get to college, it won’t matter.

Drop Year:

So, as we discussed, if you couldn’t crack NEET in two years, you can always take a drop year and prepare with more dedication. First, analyse your mistakes from the past two years, then what? Just go for it bro. Dreams don’t have an expiry date, they are forever.

Conclusion:

So, cracking NEET in two years is totally possible, yes, it is challenging, yes, you’ll cry through it. But, you can do it. Don’t let the idea of having only two years overwhelm you and put you in a box.

But also, don’t underestimate yourself by thinking you can’t clear NEET in two years. Everything is possible; it’s all about how much you’re willing to put into it.