NEETQuest: Snayini Das

Name: Snayini Das (MedBound handle: @_snayini07_)

Birth Place: West Bengal, India

Educational Qualification: MBBS from Nilratan Sircar Medical College & Hospital - [NRS], Kolkata, West Bengal, India (Admission Batch: 2023)

Languages you speak or write: English, Bengali and Hindi

1. In which year did you qualify NEET?

   2023

2. At which attempt did you qualify NEET?

   2nd

3. College Name and admission batch:

   Nil Ratan Sircar Medical College and Hospital (2023-2028)

4. Why did you choose this profession?

   An interest in genetics was my first inclination towards medicine. That was followed by a volunteering experience during the second wave of COVID-19 in India, back during 2020-2021. Helping several patients access contact to hospitals and arranging oxygen cylinders as a student volunteer, I think that was the sense of calling finally. Besides, I used to observe health problems in my family and acquaintances from a pretty young age and somehow, I was always interested in understanding the symptoms most of which I haven't forgotten to date - be it a leaky heart valve or Parkinson's. All of these added up to me finally realizing my love for the path of healthcare and medicine.

5. When did you actually start preparing for NEET?

   To be honest, it took time to truly understand myself and what I wanted to do. So yes, there was a gap year after completing my school during which I started preparing for NEET earnestly.

6. Did you take any coaching? Do you think coaching is necessary for clearing NEET?

   I did take the help of coaching at Aakash Institute, and I am grateful to them for the support I received from the faculty members. The requirement of coaching varies from person to person. While some function better under a scheduled test routine and classes, many others perform well following self-study methods.

7. How did you balance your school and NEET Preparations? Was it the same, or did you study separately for NEET and the school examination?

   As I said, I decided to appear for NEET after completing my school; so my sole focus was NEET itself during preparation.

8. What were your sources during preparation for Biology, Physics, and Chemistry?

   NCERT for reference and coaching materials for practicing questions.

9. Are NCERTs sufficient for cracking NEET? What's your opinion on this?

   NCERTs are really concise and for Biology, Chemistry (especially organic and inorganic), I would suggest focusing on NCERT and reading the books thoroughly. For physics, speed and accuracy matter the most. So, one should be thorough with the basic concepts, formulae, and practice questions in a time-bound manner.

10. What are the major challenges that you faced during preparation? How did you tackle them?

    There's a mental toll that the preparation brings on you. While I felt burnt out or demotivated, I asked myself to take it one step at a time. Taking breaks does help on certain ends. What mattered the most to me was consistency.

11. Is it true that when you prepare for this exam, you have to devote longer hours or burn midnight oil? Did you have time to attend family functions or festivals, or were you always studying?

    For any exam, I believe what you require is a balance between your academic life and your social life. Otherwise, it gets tiring in the long run.

12. How did you keep yourself motivated during your entire journey? Journaling my thoughts helped me a lot. I used to put up certain positive, self-help quotes which worked as doses of motivation every day.

13. Did you use technology like social media or the phone during your preparation? How did you prevent yourself from doomscrolling?

    I had deactivated my social media accounts, so doomscrolling wasn't an issue, but yes, I stayed in touch with some of my closest friends.

14. Nowadays, coaching for NEET has started from an early age (even 6th or 8th grade). What is your opinion on this?

    It depends on the students as well as their parents' point of view. Personally, I think being in practice is good, but 6th or 8th grade is too young an age to decide what you want to pursue ahead. However, what's unfortunate is that the rising competition has made people believe otherwise.

15. What do you think is the right time for starting preparation for NEET?

    There's no such right time. I think there's a reason why there is no upper age limit for the exam. I believe it depends on the sense of calling after all.

16. How many attempts one should take at this exam if one does not succeed?

    As many as they want. If you are determined to pursue MBBS, then I believe you can surely succeed. The number of attempts doesn't matter at the end of the day.

17. The cost of pursuing an MBBS degree from a private university in India is very high, and not everyone can afford it. What do you suggest someone do if unable to secure admission in a government institution? Should they take a gap year or seek admission abroad for the same course?

    It depends on the financial condition of a family. If a student is determined to reattempt the exam and get a seat at a government college, then they should definitely go for it. On the other hand, if their family can support them for education at a college abroad, then that's also a considerable option.

18. Your Mantra for success?

    Stay consistent.

19. What advice would you like to give to the NEET aspirants?

    The same as the success mantra - be consistent. Ask yourself what you truly want to achieve and believe in yourself!

20. Do you believe that a relationship hampers your selection? If yes, why? If no, then why not?

    It depends again on the individual. If you can balance the preparation stress alongside a relationship, then great. I personally am not someone who could do that.

21. What is your spiciest opinion that most people disagree with?

    The "cancel" culture is actually unhealthy - it doesn't really provide a chance for someone to correct themselves.

22. How would your parents describe what you do?

    My father thinks I am really restless about everything. Both my mom and dad are, however, happy about me going to medical college.

23. What do you hope the world will look like in 10 years?

    I don't know honestly - I am scared about global warming which has reached the stage of global boiling right now. What if AI really takes over? A lot of questions on my mind and honestly no clear picture as such.

24. Anything you want to share about yourself?

    If not a medical student right now, I probably would have been into journalism or cinematography. The privilege to have the opportunity to experience a lot of extra-curricular activities also had me overthinking my career decisions.

(NEETQuest/Snayini Das/PB)