Name: Shray Srivastava
Birth Place: Prayagraj, India
Academic Qualification: MBBS from Adesh Medical College and Hospital (AMCH), Kurukshetra, Haryana, India (Admission batch: 2021)
In which year you qualified NEET?
2021
College Name and admission batch
Adesh Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Bathinda, India (Admission batch: 2021)
Why did you choose this profession?
This profession brings hope and promise to many people around us, including us, to have a healthful life with our beloved ones. In critical life situations, only doctors are trusted ones.
When did you actually start preparing for NEET?
2019
Did you take any coaching? If yes, do you think coaching is necessary for clearing NEET?
Yes, well coaching gives a competitive environment to excel in entrance exams, and rest, only individual hard work pays off.
How did you balance your school and NEET Preparation? Was it the same or you studied separately for NEET and the school examination?
School requires subjective capability, while NEET requires speed in solving objective questions. The only extra thing apart from the school habit was giving objective tests and having a bit of extra knowledge of the same topic given in NCERT.
What were your sources during preparation for biology, physics, and chemistry?
NCERT and coaching notes.
Are NCERTs sufficient for cracking NEET? What's your opinion on this?
Yes, NCERT is the Gita of entrance preparations, and at least giving it 3 to 4 times reading makes one closer to cracking the exam, as many questions are direct text lines from NCERT.
What were the major challenges that you faced during preparation, and how did you tackle them?
The major challenge was to stay motivated and consistent during my preparations, and to tackle this, I gave regular tests which made me consistent and motivated.
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?
Yes, it is TRUE, there were times when I went completely away from attending gatherings during my preparations, and I usually studied nightlong to accomplish my goal.
How did you keep yourself motivated during your entire journey?
Well, there were some moments when I felt low; covid 19 also brought some hurdles in preparation but having quality time with family made me motivated.
Did you use technology like social media or your phone during your preparation? How did you prevent yourself from Doomscroling?
Yes, I did, but in the right way for getting information regarding the exam. I used to set reminders on my phone to leave for studying, and it helped a lot.
What do you think is the right time to start preparation for NEET?
I think 6th or 8th standard is a budding year for a child to see what their interest is. It's like imposing a particular profession on a young child; maybe they may like to have a career in sports and arts.
Nowadays, coaching for NEET has started from an early age (even 6th or 8th grade). What is your opinion on this?
Right from the 10th standard, having a foundation, and 11th standard should be studied deeply to have a grip on all concepts.
Till how many attempts should one give this exam?
A maximum of three attempts can be taken.
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?
If one is unable to afford to take admission in an Indian government college, giving a second attempt is better rather than leaving behind the dream to become a doctor. Moving to foreign medical colleges is not a bad option, but choosing the college wisely, considering high FMGE clearance rate and safety of the location, must be considered.
Your Mantra for success.
Giving off leisure and accepting failures.
What advice would you like to give to NEET aspirants?
Only remember yourself and family members' hopes and happiness you will get after tremendous hard work.
Do you believe that relationship hampers your selection? If yes, why? If no, then why not?
It's about understanding each other's priorities, and it does hamper the selection when the hunger for selection is overridden.
What is your spiciest opinion that most people disagree with?
To ignore anyone, even the most trusted one if they start hampering the time.
How would your parents describe what you do?
Courageous and mad to accomplish goals.
What do you hope the world will look like in 10 years?
It will transform greatly with the use of AI in every field.
Anything you want to share about yourself.
I always look for opportunities and look forward to working together.
(NEETQuest/Shray Srivastava/PB )
