Preparing for big competitive exams is never easy. Aspirants are expected to work wholeheartedly to get success. Apart from time, money, and effort, the emotional investment is also very enormous.

Many students make some mistakes while preparing for the competitive exam that can cause high chances of failure. These mistakes can be major obstacles to your success. However, with practice and determination, you can avoid these mistakes.

5 Mistakes Students Make While Preparing For Exams 

1) Overestimating the Difficulty of the Exam: 

It is quite possible that while you are preparing for the exam, you may create a fear in your mind about the exam and its difficulty level. You must have heard about it in your school years: how tough is IIT, how tough is NEET, etc. Gradually, this creates fear in your subconscious mind, and you start perceiving the exam as much tougher than it actually is.

Do not let the difficulty of the exam overwhelm you. Analyze the difficulty level of the exam properly before starting your preparation and do not be extra stressed about it. 

2) Underestimating Your Ability: 

When an elephant is captured from the jungle as a young child, it gradually loses its ability to resist its human handlers. Over time, as it evolves into a giant being, it remains mentally enslaved, unable to break the shackles. The same story applies to young students, who may underestimate their potential. As you grow, you underestimate your own strengths, and cannot break the shackles.

Let your mind roam free, and explore its own limits. Do not let anybody control you.

3) Looking for Multiple Solutions: 

While preparing for a tough competitive exam, a student tends to get agitated if they are not able to perform well in the institute they join. In that case, some students may try other teachers or other institutions in parallel. This is likely to complicate things further. This is because you are now looking for success from not one, but many mentors. A better way is to have an open talk with your current mentors and find a way, instead of trying to find a solution in multiple ways. Analyze your own self and try to know your strengths and weaknesses.

4) Treating Yourself like a Machine: 

Every human being has some needs, which have to be fulfilled continuously. A person looks for small instances of joy and happiness every day. Everybody wants some relaxation every day. It seeks a stable emotional connection in order to get maximum energy to work. If you treat yourself like a machine and ignore all human needs, you will break down like a machine. Try to take an hour off every day to rejuvenate. Do not neglect your basic needs including emotions, good food, rest, and happiness.

5) Comparing Yourself With Others: 

One important mistake you can make is to constantly compare yourself with your peers. In every friend group or class, there is one or two percent of members who are true geniuses, and no matter how hard others try, they could not beat their performance. One should learn to live with it and happily accept it. But if you are not able to do that, then while preparing for the exam, there are chances that you will fall into the unnecessary quagmire of negativity and self-criticism. So, be realistic and acknowledge your genius peers. Be the best in who you are.

These 5 major mistakes can be great obstacles during the preparation for competitive exams. Avoiding these mistakes is the only way to success. Hope these eye-opening tips will help you gain confidence and help you in getting success.

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Step Up Academy is a platform that provides free online classes for K-12 students, preparing for various competitive exams like JEE, CUET, CLAT etc. Stay connected with Step Up Academy to strengthen your concepts and crack your exam.