What was your motivation for pursuing engineering, and why did you choose Mechanical Engineering?
From an early age, I’ve always been deeply interested in automobiles and cars. So, I decided to pursue Automotive Engineering in my undergraduate. This led me to choose the science stream in class 11th. I joined IIT-JEE coaching, as every AIEEE and JEE aspirant does. Later, I was faced with the decision to choose between Automobile Engineering and Mechanical Engineering at DTU, I went for Mechanical Engineering. I came to know that Automobile Engineering is the sub-branch of Mechanical engineering and it is restricted to automobiles only. Mechanical on the other hand is a more open field and it provides an opportunity in various other sectors apart from the automotive sector.
When did you decide that the GATE was the right course of action for you?
I was always into the core subject matter of Mechanical Engineering. So, I sought a career option which would require technical knowledge and expertise. Based on my immediate goals and preferences, I decided to prepare for GATE. This ensured my thorough understanding of various subjects, and it certainly helped me with my core placements too. I started a full-fledged gate preparation in the sixth semester.
I would suggest students do complete research of the competitive exam or exams they are targeting. As far as the gate exam is concerned, you should be well acquainted with gate exam pattern, gate exam eligibility, gate preparation, gate exam date, so that you can plan your future course of action according to that.
How was the experience of preparing for GATE? What were the problems that you faced and how did you overcome them?
I started my journey for GATE while I was in the 5th semester. I joined a coaching institute, Made Easy in Saket. I had joined the one-year classroom programme, weekend batch. Classes were generally held from 9 A.M. to 5 P.M. which usually got pushed to 7 P.M. So, it was challenging to first attend five days of college on the weekdays and then attend the coaching on the weekends. Waking up early in the morning at 6, travelling for two hours to Saket, and then studying for 8 hours, was a real struggle.
One other challenge for me was to devise a framework to decide which topic to focus more on based on the weightage of various subjects. The syllabus of GATE is very vast and gate exam pattern is very peculiar. There are about 16 subjects in Mechanical Engineering’s GATE syllabus, and it is impossible to have the same level of command on every subject. It is very critical in the gate prep, or any competitive exam for that matter, to have a complete understanding of the weightage of various subjects and topics and examination pattern as a whole. This is the basis on which one should chart out the future course of action. Speaking of GATE, subjects like General Aptitude and Engineering Mathematics account for 30% of total marks. This is a very high percentage and one should plan accordingly and focus should be given on these subjects, as they are very scoring. In GATE Mechanical Engineering Paper, few core subjects have more weightage of marks than other subjects. Subjects such as Strength Of Materials(SOM), Theory of Machines, Fluid mechanics etc. should be given more focus and subjects with less weightage should be tackled accordingly.
I also joined a test series to keep track of my learning. I attempted them as if I were taking the actual exam. There were times when I could not perform well in the test series. This was disheartening, but I never let it influence my gate preparation.
All you have to do is learn from your mistakes and never repeat them.
These were some of the challenges that I faced while preparing for GATE.
What is your take on the role of coaching classes during GATE preparation?
I think coaching is a personal decision of the students. I was not lacking in terms of discipline. I joined a coaching institute because they have made a framework which ensures regular revision of the subjects for students. This is why they charge us a significant amount of money. They have done a comprehensive analysis of the whole pattern of the paper and they try their level best to convey this knowledge.
One more benefit of joining a coaching institute is that apart from the inner self-motivation that you have, you also get motivated every week that you have to show up for the classes as you have paid for it. If you can have that motivation yourself, then you can prepare on your own with the help of notes and study packages. You can get these notes from the Photocopy shops outside of the coaching institutes and you can also purchase various study packages of coaching institutes online or by visiting the coaching centres. But there is a psychological motivation of extracting as much as you can when you join a coaching institute.
What are the various study materials students can refer to?
I would recommend every student to join a coaching institute if they can afford it, as it gives you an edge over other students who don’t join it. I would advise you to make short notes for each topic out of the notes you prepare in the class, or you purchase from outside photocopy shops. You can take 2 or 3 iterations to finally come to a comprehensive 3 to 4-page short note. This should contain all the formulas and important concepts. You can also refer to the study packages of coaching institutes. These materials are very comprehensive, and they give you a holistic view of the subject. I would only recommend textbooks if you have to understand a topic and its core concepts.
What is your final word of advice to the other engineering students who are also GATE aspirants?
My final word of advice is to not chase every subject as it is practically impossible to master every subject in such a short time frame. Prioritize various topics according to their weightage. Be result-oriented and prepare smartly. Always try to open your mind and try to manage time and things in a proper manner. Tests should be taken regularly. Previous year questions also play a major role, and you can attempt previous year questions along with test series. Regular revision is the key to success in this highly competitive examination.
Keep your motivation high. Whatever you want, just try your best to pursue those things within given circumstances and time limit.
