''Didn't Study Half As Much'': IIT-JEE Topper After Aspirant's Rigorous Schedule Sparks Debate

The IIT JEE (Indian Institute of Technology – Joint Entrance Exam) is considered to be one of the toughest in the country which demands strategic planning, focused dedication, and a disciplined approach. Recently, a photo of a 17-year-old's demanding schedule for JEE preparation went viral, shedding light on the dedication and commitment required to succeed in such competitive exams. According to the schedule, the 17-year-old aspirant gets up at 4:30 am every day, after sleeping at midnight, getting just 4.5 hours of sleep. The rest of the day goes into revising old chapters, attending class, and completing class work with hardly any time for leisure or other activities. 

The viral photo also sparked a heated debate on social media, with several other aspirants and IITians discussing the number of hours needed for preparation for the IIT-JEE exam. Now, Kalpit Veerwal, who scored full marks in the first part of the entrance test (JEE Main) in 2017, also reacted to the post and remarked that he didn't study as much as depicted in the viral schedule.

''I literally scored full marks in JEE Main 2017 (AIR 1) and didn't study half as much. Students who study this much usually end up burnt out, with skill issues,'' he wrote on X, in response to the viral screenshot. 

Here's the post:

I literally scored full marks in JEE Main 2017 (AIR 1) and didn't study half as much.

Students who study this much usually end up burnt out, skill issue https://t.co/esOdG692vh

— Kalpit Veerwal (@kalpitveerwal) March 21, 2024

In a follow-up post, Mr Veerwal said he chose to stay in his hometown despite offers from Kota coaching centres and made time for his hobbies while studying more than eight hours a day.

He wrote, ''I had received multiple offers from Kota coachings to stay in their VIP hostel and stuff, they were even paying me to attend their classes. I rejected and stayed in Udaipur only, I used to play cricket, watch TV, etc with regular 8+ hours of studies. And I still felt pretty burnt out by the time I entered college, my whole first semester in IITB was enjoying lol.''

i had received multiple offers from Kota coachings to stay in their VIP hostel and stuff, they were even paying me to attend their classes.

I rejected and stayed in Udaipur only, I used to play cricket, watch TV, etc with regular 8+ hours of studies

And I still felt pretty…

— Kalpit Veerwal (@kalpitveerwal) March 21, 2024

However, Mr Veerwal's post didn't go down well for many, who called him ''arrogant'' for dismissing someone else's way of preparing. One user wrote, ''AIR 1 and all good for you, lad! However, undermining someone else's hard work to cope in a shorter duration (starting preparations on the 11th) while brushing off your privilege of doing so pretty early (starting preparations on the 8th) and calling that a 'skill issue' shows how condescending you are! Stop being so arrogant for a change!''

Another commented, ''Yeah, demeaning some hardworking kid who's doing his best. It says a lot about how well you are doing in life to take pleasure in demeaning a kid on the internet. Great going, Mr. AIR 1.'' A third added, ''Enough with the RGgiri. While the BurnOut topic was relevant, it's important to acknowledge that everyone learns at their own pace. Some grasp concepts quickly, while others need more time to fully understand.''

Notably, Mr Veerwal from Udaipur, Rajasthan became the first person ever to achieve a perfect score in the JEE (Joint Entrance Examination) Main. He scored 360 out of 360 to ace the competitive entrance exam in 2017. The student also made it to the Limca Book of Records for his feat. Mr Veerval, in the past, had also topped the Indian Junior Science Olympiad and National Talent Search Examination.

"I did not study for 15 hours a day, I did not go down the usual 'Kota route' for IIT preparations but consistent studies helped me a lot," he told PTI in 2017. He went to attend IIT-Bombay.

JEE is an engineering entrance examination conducted for admission to various engineering colleges in India. Candidates have to first qualify for JEE Mains to appear for the advanced level of the entrance exam (JEE Advanced). The exam is held twice a year in office mode. The first exam is held in January and the second in April.