You’ve probably heard this before: “Crack IIT or your future’s doomed.”
Yeah, I heard that a lot too. And honestly? I failed. Hard.
At one point, I was scoring in double digits on tests. Not ranks—marks.
But somehow, from almost quitting to making it to IIT, I turned things around.
This post isn’t about feel-good quotes or miracle stories.
It’s real. And it might help you do what I did—go from being lost to finally making it.
Here are the top 7 tips from being a failure to cracking IIT—from someone who’s been there from the best JEE coaching institute in Nagpur.
Top 7 Tips From Being a Failure to Cracking IIT From an IIT Topper
1. Admit You’re Struggling (And Stop Pretending)
I know how it feels when you’re stuck in a loop.
Low scores. Zero motivation. Everyone seems ahead.
You pretend to be fine, but inside you’re thinking, “Maybe this just isn’t for me.”
That’s where I was, too.
So here’s the first thing:
Be honest with yourself.
Stop pretending you’re okay if you’re not.
Once I admitted I was struggling, I finally reached out to a mentor at a JEE coaching institute in Nagpur.
I wasn’t expecting much. But that decision changed the game.
Real progress starts when you stop hiding your failures.
2. Fix Your Daily Routine (Before You Worry About Books)
Before thinking about which book or module to use, fix your day.
A broken routine means scattered focus. And scattered focus means you’re wasting time.
I used to study random topics at random times.
No structure. No system.
What worked?
- Set 3 clear study blocks per day (morning, afternoon, evening)
- Focus on just one subject per block
- Add breaks—real breaks—not scrolling Instagram
And please, sleep.
At least 6–7 hours. I tried pulling all-nighters. Felt cool for a week. Then crashed hard.
A cracked routine will crack your chances.
3. Pick the Right Coaching, Not the Famous One
This one matters more than you think.
I joined a big-name coaching center in the beginning.
Huge batch size. Fancy branding. But I was invisible.
Couldn’t ask doubts. No personal feedback. Just one-size-fits-all teaching.
Then I switched to a more focused JEE coaching institute in Nagpur.
Smaller batch. Direct interaction with faculty. Regular tracking.
That personal push? It changed everything.
Ask yourself:
- Can you ask questions freely?
- Are your weak areas being tracked?
- Do you get individual attention?
If not, change it. Don’t wait. Don’t settle.
4. Start From Scratch (If You Have To)
Here’s the ugly truth—sometimes, your foundation is broken.
And patching holes won’t fix it.
I had to go back and relearn the 11th basics. Stuff everyone else had “moved past.”
At first, it felt embarrassing.
But within a month, I saw my scores jump.
If you don’t get current electricity, go back.
If basic calculus feels like alien math, pause and relearn.
Try this:
- Make a “concepts I don’t get” list
- Watch short 10–15 min videos per topic
- Solve 3–5 examples daily
You’ll feel slow in the beginning. But then you speed up. A lot.
Going slow to relearn is faster than rushing with gaps.
5. Stop Studying What You’re Already Good At
I was great at Chemistry. Loved it.
So, guess what I kept studying? Yeah—more Chemistry.
But my Physics and Math were bleeding marks.
Your brain loves comfort zones. It tricks you.
So you keep reviewing what you already know to feel productive.
That’s fake progress.
So I changed it:
- 60% time → Weak subjects
- 30% → Revision of strong subjects
- 10% → Mock tests
Every Sunday, I’d check where I wasted time. Usually, I’d been avoiding Math.
Face your worst subject head-on. Every week.
6. Use Mock Tests the Right Way (Most Don’t)
Mock tests don’t help much if you’re just collecting ranks.
You finish the test. You check the score. You sigh. You move on.
That’s pointless.
What helped?
- I spent 2 hours analyzing each test
- I marked every silly mistake, conceptual error, and guesswork
- I had a notebook just for test analysis
Guess what I found?
- 30% of my mistakes were stupid calculation slips
- 40% were concepts I thought I knew
- 30% were just bad time management
Mock tests aren’t about the score. They’re a mirror.
Use them to see what’s going wrong.
7. Don’t Study Alone Forever
Look, some people love being lone wolves.
I tried that. For a year.
Zero help. Zero discussions. Just me vs. books.
And it didn’t work.
When I finally started group revision (even with just 2–3 others), things clicked faster.
- We’d explain tough problems to each other
- Share alternate methods
- Push each other during low days
Even just having someone say, “Hey, I also didn’t get that,” helped a lot.
Learning is faster when it’s shared.
And if group study isn’t your thing?
Just make sure you talk to someone regularly—a mentor, a senior, or a friend.
Isolation is a slow killer during JEE prep.
I was not born with a genius-level IQ.
No coaching ever ranked me #1.
My initial scores were, frankly, depressing.
But I kept tweaking.
Kept showing up.
Kept fixing one thing at a time.
If you’re feeling like a failure right now, don’t quit.
You’re not stuck—you’re just in phase one.
Remember:
- Admit where you’re stuck
- Get the right support (coaching matters)
- Rebuild your basics
- Use your time better, not longer
- Learn from mistakes, not just scores
And if you’re in or around Nagpur, check out the best JEE coaching institute here. That’s where I got my turning point. Real mentors. Real guidance. No fluff.
This was my journey—from being completely lost to cracking IIT.
Yours might look different. But it’s possible.
Really. It is.
