JEE Main 2018 Topper Interview: Pranav Goyal (AIR 4) “Focus and hard work will help you achieve your goal”

The long wait for the JEE Main Result 2018 ended on April 30 bringing smiles and cheer to Pranav Goyal, who secured an AIR 4 in JEE Main 2018. A Maths and Physics enthusiast, Pranav wishes to take up Computer Science Engineering because of his love for programming. His secret mantras for JEE Main 2018 include a strong focus on the subjects backed up by an equal amount of hard work. Having started his JEE preparation from Class 11 onwards, Pranav has focussed more on JEE Advanced and began to prepare for JEE Main only after his class 12 board exams. In an exclusive interaction with Careers360, Pranav Goyal, talks about other aspects of his JEE Main preparation, the relaxation techniques he used to de-stress, books he referred from and more. Read the complete interview below.

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Careers360: Congratulations for your outstanding performance in JEE Main 2018! What was your reaction upon knowing your rank?

Pranav Goyal: I was expecting this rank as I was aware that my score would be around 350 since I had matched the responses when the JEE Main answer key and the OMR sheet was released.

Careers360: Tell us something about yourself. Which board have you studied under? Which school have you studied in?

Pranav Goyal: I did my schooling from Pavan Vidyalaya Panchkula and it was CBSE board.

Careers360: What is your score in JEE Main 2018? What is your all India rank and category rank?

Pranav Goyal: My JEE Main 2018 score is 350 and my AIR as well as category rank is 4.

Careers360: Did you appear for the offline JEE Main exam or the online one? What is the reason behind this choice of yours?

Pranav Goyal: I appeared for the offline exam of JEE Main 2018 simply because it was held a week before the online exam and this gave me more time to prepare for JEE Advanced 2018.

Careers360: Why do you want to study engineering? When did you decided to study engineering? Which branch would you be interested in? Any reason?

Pranav Goyal: I had always wanted to study engineering as I was always fascinated by it. In my class X , my favourite subject was mathematics and in class XI, it was Physics. Since both the subjects are there is engineering, that was also one of the reasons why I decided to take it up. I would like to take up computer Science as I have interest in programming.

Careers360: When did you start your JEE Main preparation? Tell us something about your preparation strategy and daily routine for JEE Main?

Pranav Goyal:. I started preparing for JEE Main 2018 when I was in my class XI. I used to study for eleven hours in a day. First one and half year, I just focussed on JEE Advanced and it was in the last one and half month that I prepared for JEE Main. Once my board exams got over, I just focussed on JEE Main.

Careers360: Was there a difference in the preparation strategy in the last months of JEE Main considering that the board exams also are during this period? How did you manage preparation for both?

Pranav Goyal: Till the time my board exams got over, I did not bother about JEE Main. Once my board exams got over, I just focussed on JEE Main. I used to study for my class XII and for JEE Main, I used to practise sample papers and past years question papers.

Careers360: Did you take coaching for JEE Main and if yes from where? What are the benefits of coaching according to you?

Pranav Goyal: I took coaching from Sri Chaitanya. The biggest advantage of taking coaching is that it kept me focussed and the teachers motivated me a lot.

Careers360: Mock tests and sample papers – how extensively did you practise with the help of these? Do you think practising from the previous year papers help and how?

Pranav Goyal: I practised the past years JEE Main sample papers and question papers extensively. Solving the past years JEE Main sample papers helped me to know which topics are important are and what to focus on.

Careers360: Are there any special books that you feel have helped with your JEE Main preparation? Are the school text books adequate for preparing for JEE Main and Class XII?

Pranav Goyal: I basically studied from the NCERT books while I was preparing for the JEE Mains. However, for JEE Advanced, NCERT books are not adequate.

Careers360: Did you face any problem during the JEE Main examination? Which subject was the easiest and which was the toughest in JEE Main? What do you think is a tough thing to manage during the JEE Main exam?

Pranav Goyal: My chair was the only one which did not have a back rest and it was quite uncomfortable for me. In JEE Main 2018, Maths was the easiest and Physics was toughest. The most important thing one needs to know while appearing for the JEE Main exam is time management. One should not spend too much time on questions which one is unsure of

Careers360: What do you think are the key factors behind your stupendous success in JEE Main?

Pranav Goyal: One key factor behind my success is the tremendous amount of motivation provided by my teachers and the more significant aspect was the hard work I put in.

Careers360: How did you de-stress yourself during the preparation? What are your hobbies? How often could you pursue them?

Pranav Goyal: In order to de-stress myself, I used to play cricket with my batch mates. My hobbies included reading novels. Every day, I used to read for half an hour. However, four months before the exam, I stopped reading novels.

Careers360: Who is your ideal or biggest inspiration in life and why?

Pranav Goyal: My father is my biggest inspiration as he showed me the right path and ensured that I did not lose my focus. Other than that, my motivation was Sarvesh Methani, who secured AIR 1 in 2017.

Careers360: You know you are an inspiration to thousands of students across the country. Do you have any message for future aspirants on tackling the JEE Main exam?

Pranav Goyal: The message which I have for thousands of students across the country is that they should remain focused. Mere hard work will not yield the desired result if you are not focussed.