Name: Ananya Talukdar
Birth Place: Delhi, India
MedBound Handle: @ananya14
In which year did you qualify for NEET?
2021
At which attempt did you qualify for NEET?
1st attempt
College Name and admission batch
Bharati Vidyapeeth Medical College, Pune, India (Admission Batch - 2021)
Why did you choose this profession?
I chose this profession because I like to learn; medicine being a lifelong learning profession really attracts me. I like learning about new advances made in the field of imaging, whether it be the 4D flow machine or in research. Along with that, the art of caring and being able to help someone is quite rewarding in my view.
When did you actually start preparing for NEET?
In 11th grade
Did you take any coaching? If yes, do you think coaching is necessary for clearing NEET?
I did take coaching from Aakash. I think the only help that is needed is in physics (for most biology students), and taking just coaching for that and doing past papers would have been sufficient. During my preparation, I watched various YouTube videos that were more helpful.
How did you balance your school and NEET Preparation? Was it the same or you studied separately for NEET and the school examination?
My 11th grade was offline, and coaching classes were on weekends, so it was relatively okay to balance both. I used to do school work on the same day and then some additional work for coaching. Sometimes the study was different, as for school exams we needed to write more, whereas for NEET it was just objective.
What were your sources during preparation for biology, physics, and chemistry?
- Biology NCERT + Aakash question bank
- Physics from Aakash module
- Solely Chemistry NCERT + Aakash question bank
Are NCERTs sufficient for cracking NEET? What's your opinion on this?
For biology and chemistry, yes. But not for physics.
What were the major challenges that you faced during preparation, and how did you tackle them?
Physics, by regularly doing 10–15 sets of questions every day.
Is it true that when you prepare for this exam, you have to devote 18 hours a day or something like that? Did you attend family functions or festivals, or were you always studying?
I didn’t count the number of hours of study. I did attend a few family functions.
How did you keep yourself motivated during your entire journey?
Just the thought of having that prefix as doctor was a true motivation
Did you use technology like social media or your phone during your preparation? How did you prevent yourself from Doomscroling?
I used my phone during preparation, but I didn't use social media apps much.
Nowadays, coaching for NEET has started from 6th or 8th class itself. What is your opinion on this?
I believe it is too early to start. Students should first explore the subjects rather than dive into them like a race.
What do you think is the right time for starting preparation for NEET?
11/12th standard
Till how many attempts one should give this exam?
2 maximum, rest depends on the choice of the person
As the cost of pursuing an MBBS degree from a private university in India is very high, not everyone can afford it. What do you suggest someone do if they are unable to secure admission in a government college? Should they take a gap year or seek admission abroad for the same course?
Abroad and good private colleges cost the same. A gap year is mostly preferred. They can also look into semi government colleges.
Your Mantra for success
Never stop achieving.
What advice would you like to give to the NEET aspirants?
I know NEET has become your whole life, but it just seems like that at the moment. Once you pass it and get admission, you’ll miss the days back at home. So try and be optimistic, as college life is really challenging, more than NEET preparation.
(MSM/NEETQuest)
