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You’ve heard it, I’ve heard it.
"Focus on Physics and Maths, that’s where the real challenge is."
And it’s true. They are the
gatekeepers to the IITs. But I learned a hard lesson in my time.
Physics and Maths get you the best
college, but Chemistry gets you the best branch.
I remember my prep days, staring at my
books, completely overwhelmed. Physical Chemistry felt like a tough
T20 match where every ball was a googly. Organic Chemistry’s reactions
looked more complicated than a Bollywood family drama. And Inorganic? Bas,
don't even ask. It felt like I was forced to memorize the names of all the
guests at a giant family wedding. I kept pushing it to the side.
Big mistake.
My mock test scores hit a plateau. I
was getting into a decent college, but the dream of Computer Science seemed to
be slipping away. That’s when my teacher told me something that changed my
entire funda: "Your rank isn't decided by the questions you
solve, but by the questions everyone else leaves."
Chemistry is that subject. It’s the
rank-pusher. So I stopped fighting it and started making friends with it.
Here’s the simple jugaad that
worked for me:
- Inorganic Chemistry = Meet the Relatives. Stop the pure ratta. Treat the periodic table like a family tree. s-block elements are the cool, predictable cousins. p-block are the quirky, dramatic ones. Every time you meet them (study them), you learn a new story, a new trait (property). Make it a daily 15-minute gossip session.
- Organic Chemistry = Your Personal Movie. Don't just learn reactions; build a story. The reactant is your hero, the reagent is the catalyst (the friend who gives terrible advice), and the product is the climax. Give them character. Why did this hero choose this path? Soon, you’ll start predicting the plot.
- Physical Chemistry = The Final Over. This is all about practice.
Treat each problem set like the final over of a chase. You have a target
(the answer), and you know the rules (the formulas). The more matches you
play, the better you get at hitting sixes under pressure.
Your JEE journey isn't a
100m sprint; it's a marathon with strategic moments. Chemistry is your final,
rank-deciding sprint to the finish line.
What was YOUR rank-deciding subject or topic? Share your story in the comments!
