Posts Tagged ‘ course ’

Tips for IIT JEE Success #3 – Develop a System- The Ultimate Weapon

Monday, December 27th, 2010 by

Develop a System- The Ultimate Weapon to Win the IIT JEE Battle

Compile the study material

Some questions that come to our mind are:

  • How much material?
  • What IIT JEE courses material should I use?
  • Should I study from the school textbook or the one recommended by the tuition teacher?

There is little time to complete one set of textbooks. It is next to impossible to complete two different sets. Keep just one set of text books for studying the theory (concepts, definitions) and basic problems.

The new pattern of IITJEE has brought it much closer to the school syllabus. So, ideally, it should be the textbook recommended as part of your school syllabus. There is very little difference in the theory presented from one textbook to another. After one set of textbooks is completed, students can look at other books as reference.

Similarly, keep just one set of IITJEE course material.

Note: Collecting too much material is a recipe for disaster

After you have chosen the material that is best for you, how do you put it to the best use? There are as many different ways to study, as there are different people. The trick is to find the study style that works best for you.

Read

This is one of the most useful activity. It takes minimum effort and brings maximum result. Students, who are used to studying from coaching notes, tend to avoid reading. This is the single biggest reason for their failure. No coaching notes can replace reading of textbooks.  The information you gain from reading is important. If you just “do it” without learning something, it is a waste of time. Train your mind to learn!

Read the following:

1. Title
2. Core text and examples
3. Introduction and Summary
4. Heading and subheading
5. Graphics – charts, maps, diagrams, etc. are there to make a point – don’t miss them.
6. Reading aids – italics, bold face print, chapter objective, end-of -chapter questions

Understand

You must understand thoroughly the major ideas and concepts presented. Without such a conceptual framework, you will find yourself faced with the impossible task of trying to cram hundreds of isolated facts into your memory.

* Locate and note down the new terms, which are introduced in the chapter.
* Note down statements, definitions, formulas, etc. which you must remember completely and precisely.
* If you are not able to figure out the meaning, then look it up in the glossary or dictionary.
* Study charts and figures. They usually summarize in graphic form the major ideas and facts of the chapter.

Note: It is a good idea to keep a glossary of your own in the front page of the book. Record the terms and their definition or the page number where the definition is located. This is an excellent aid to refer to when you are reviewing for an examination, as it provides a convenient outline of the course.

Ask question
Ask questions and keep trying to answer them as you read the chapters. The more the questions, the better your comprehension is likely to be. You may always add further questions as you proceed. When your mind is actively searching for answers to questions it becomes engaged in learning.

* Write down the key takeaways (learning) from every topic (make notes)
* Write down the questions that you cannot answer?
* Mark sections for clarification wherever necessary
* Review the key takeaways (notes) after completion


Which is the best course material for IIT JEE?

Saturday, December 18th, 2010 by

Most people seem to be asking this question all the time.

* “Which is a better course material – FIITJEE, VMC, BT or Bansal Kota?”
* “How should I choose the best correspondence / postal course?”

It is not fair to endorse one brand over the other, particularly when I know that most of the above stated brands were rendered completely useless, less than 3 years ago, when the IIT JEE pattern was changed. The changes were made completely with the objective of reducing the impact of coaching.

The old IIT JEE coaching brands have no experience in Objective type problem solving techniques.

In this context one can understand that emerging brands in IIT JEE coaching, have better material than most old ones. In fact, buying course material from old brands is a recipe for disaster.

How does one choose the course material?

We have listed down some of the critical parameters that should be seen by the students and parents while choosing the course material

* Authors?
Ideally, it should be written by IIT graduates (who have successfully appeared in IITJEE), who are involved in IITJEE coaching. IITians understand the psychology behind successful preparation for IITJEE. By coaching students an IITian is likely to become aware of the problems faced by students.

* Based on the ‘New IITJEE Pattern’
Established teachers in old brands are well aware of the ‘Old IITJEE Pattern. They have no clue of the nuances of the new pattern. Just changing the problems from descriptive to objective type is not enough. A good course must be good on the following parameters:

* Is it time managed?
The biggest problem faced by students is managing time. The course should have a time plan to itself. Having a course material with a lot of problems is of no use unless we know the time to be spent on it. Some course materials try to give a lot of material making it impossible to complete. The total course material should be balanced in such a manner that a student can complete it within the time available.

* Strategies on solving objective type problems
Since, most of the traditional instructors did not face any objective type problems, they dont know the methods of attempting objective type problems. A lot of problems can be solved by elimination of wrong alternatives, intelligent guessing, modulating the speed, speed reading etc. The course should have special focus on the above.

* Synchronization with the school syllabus
Since most students now have to prepare along with Class XI – XII, the problem of managing IIT JEE preparation along with school studies has become more acute. The course should be such that it benefits students in synchronized study.

Other key parameters to assess the course material are:
* Online testing
BITSAT has become online. CAT has become online. It is very likely that IIT JEE also become online by 2011. Online testing also gives a good comparative assessment immediately. Students dont need to join all India test series on paper.

* Preferably in workbook format
Students should get used to solving problems in lesser space. A course material in workbook format limits the space available, forcing students to get used to the format.

Quest course for IITJEE that fits all the above requirements and more.


IIT JEE Study Planner: Minimum recommended time for self study

Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 by

Most students find it difficult to determine exactly how much time, they should spend in activities in studying. This is particularly important right at the beginning of the study so as to make an effective study plan.

This is complicated even more by the fact that every chapter requires different amount of time. Even different subjects require different amounts of time in theory and problems.

The different questions that come to the mind of the student are:

  • How much time should be spent in reading from the textbook?
  • Are the notes from tuition/coaching enough? Can I manage without reading the textbook?
  • Is there anything to read from the textbook in Mathematics?
  • How much time should I spend in solved examples given in the IITJEE course material>
  • How much time should be allocated to a certain topic?
  • How much time should be spent on a problem that is not getting solved before looking at the solution or asking for help?
  • How much time should I spend in testing at home?
  • How should I calculate the total time required?

We have tried to answer these questions by giving an indicative time plan.

List of chapters (with recommended time slotted)

Topic Total Reading (textbook) Solved examples Conceptual problems Exercises (problems) Chapter test
Mathematics

1

Complex numbers

21

2

2

1

16

2

2

Quadratic equations

19

1

1

1

16

1

3

Logarithms

6

1

5

1

4

Progressions

10

1

2

1

6

2

5

Permutations and combinations

22

1

2

1

18

2

6

Trigonometry

35

2

2

1

30

2

7

Straight lines

18

2

3

1

12

3

8

Circles

21

2

4

1

14

4

9

Conic sections

34

4

4

1

25

4

10

Binomial theorem

33

2

3

1

27

3

11

Functions, Limits and Continuity

49

4

4

1

40

4

12

Differentiability and differentiation

19

1

4

1

13

4

13

Application of derivatives

33

1

3

1

28

3

14

Indefinite integration

10

1

3

1

5

3

15

Definite integration

10

1

3

1

5

3

16

Area under the curve

19

1

5

1

12

5

17

Differential equations

14

1

4

1

8

4

18

Determinants

23

1

5

1

16

5

19

Matrices

11

1

2

1

7

2

20

Probability

16

1

4

1

10

4

21

Vectors

13

1

3

1

8

3

22

Three dimensional geometry

10

2

2

1

5

2

Total

446

34

65

21

326

66

Physics

1

Units, dimensions, vectors and calculus

15

2

2.5

0.5

10

2

2

Kinematics

13

3

2.5

0.5

7

3

3

Laws of motion

18

2

2.5

0.5

13

2

4

Work, Power and Energy

17

2

2.5

0.5

12

2

5

Center of mass, linear momentum, collision

28

4

3

1

20

4

6

Rotational dynamics

33

4

3

1

25

4

7

Elasticity, fluid dynamics and properties of matter

35

4

3

1

27

4

8

Gravitation

16

2

1.5

0.5

12

2

9

Simple Harmonic Motion

21

3

2.5

0.5

15

3

10

Wave motion

23

4

2.5

0.5

16

4

11

Heat and Thermodynamics

48

5

5.5

2.5

35

5

12

Electrostatics

45

5

3.5

1.5

35

7

13

Electric current and resistance

28

4

3

1

20

4

14

Magnetism

27

4

2

1

20

4

15

Electromagnetic Induction and AC

18

3

2

1

12

3

16

Geometrical Optics

21

4

2

1

14

4

17

Wave Optics

18

4

2

1

11

4

18

Modern Physics

18

5

2

1

10

5

Total

442

64

47.5

16.5

314

66

Chemistry

1

Basic concepts of chemistry

18

3

2.5

0.5

12

2

2

Structure of atom

15.5

3

2.5

0

10

2

3

Periodic properties

10

3

1

6

2

4

Gas laws

21

4

2.5

0.5

14

3

5

Chemical bonding

15

3

2

10

2

6

Chemical energetics

18

3

2.5

0.5

12

2

7

Chemical equilibrium

20

4

1.5

0.5

14

3

8

Ionic equilibrium

23

4

1.5

0.5

17

3

9

Redox reactions

16

3

2.5

0.5

10

2

10

General organic chemistry

29

5

1.5

0.5

22

4

11

Hydrocarbons

16

4

12

3

12

Alcohols and ethers

13

3

10

2

13

Alkyl and aryl halides

13

5

8

4

14

Solutions

26

3

2.5

0.5

20

3

15

Solid state

21

3

2.5

0.5

15

2

16

Chemical kinetics

20

3

2.5

0.5

14

2

17

Electrochemistry

25.5

3

2.5

20

2

18

Nuclear chemistry

14.5

3

1.5

10

2

19

Functional groups containing nitrogen

14

4

10

3

20

Aldehydes and ketones

14

4

10

3

21

Carboxylic acids and their derivatives

19

4

15

3

22

s-Block elements

17

5

1.5

0.5

10

4

23

p-Block elements

24

5

1.5

0.5

17

4

24

d-Block elements

19

5

1.5

0.5

12

4

25

Metallurgy

19

5

1.5

0.5

12

4

26

Qualitative salt analysis

19

5

1.5

0.5

12

4

27

Coordination compounds

15

5

1.5

0.5

8

4

Total

494.5

104

40.5

8

342

78

Chapter tests

210

Full length tests

120

at least 20 tests of various formats, of 6 hrs each
Self assessment

30

Revision / other material

60

Total Time (Required)

1802.5

This is just a recommendation. Students can make changes to the study plan based on their proficiency in the subjects. The actual time spent by the student can vary by 10% – 15% depending on the student’s personal style of study. Please consider that the time given here is the minimum that a student needs to spend. The total time spent in studying for IITJEE across 2 years should not be less than 10% of the given.


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