The Hidden truth behind success in Exams.

A boy used to attend my live sessions regularly and was also in touch with me through DMs. One week after the results of his exam I received call from him. I asked him whether he cracked the exam or not. To which he replied disappointingly, ” Sir, my luck did not favor me. Despite a lot of hard work, I couldn’t crack the exam.”

I clearly told him that, this was meant to happen as he kept on playing video games, Netflix and used mobile during his entire preparation. He was very easily convinced with a lie that the exams would be postponed due to lock down. I even advised him to utilize that extra time for preparation but he did not heed to my unpleasant advises, rather kept wasting his time.

Result being, when the exams took place even in the epidemic, he was not able to score well and was also not able to clear the exam because he was procrastinating and making a false belief that exams will get postponed. He already knew the truth behind his actions but had convinced himself that it was his bad luck that he did not succeed in the examination.

In fact , YouTube had millions of students watching videos related to exam postponement and merely 1000 views on high quality video related to revisions. Most of the students wanted to hear the news of postponement which is nothing but comforting lie. So most of the students want to listen and believe in comforting lies and run away from unpleasant truths. And this is the reason why most of us are not able to convert our potential into performance.

Preparing for any competitive exam is a long journey and in this journey we face many situations where we have to decide between comforting lies and unpleasant truths. It is this decision which differentiated between Topper and average student.We all know what happened in movie- Munna bhai MBBS, when father of Sanjay Dutt came to know that his son in not a doctor. Munna told lies to his father, that later on broke his heart when he faced reality.

Success is very easy to achieve but at the same time it is not something you will find lying on the road. It demands hardwork and patience. Candidates or aspirants do not want to compromise when it comes to a good lifestyle and masti. Everybody wants best of the best. Everybody wants the top Rank. But when it comes to preparation, they get stuck in the delusional advises. In spite of them knowing what is the truth they keep on believing in comforting lies and shying away from Unpleasant truths.

During preparation, you will come across many such people who would try to satisfy your ego by telling you comforting lies rather than telling what you should actually know. People around you would always say things that you want to hear and mask the reality in their lies.

Some Examples of comforting lies vs. unpleasant truths

1. Many coaching/mentors will tell you that you can crack the exams in 3 months but reality is you need minimum of 1 year time to crack these exams

2.  Good coaching is enough for your success. Many students believe that just by taking admission in coaching their selection is ensured but the reality is unless coaching is backed by self-study nothing would happen. Many students do not believe in self-study.

3.  Many people will even tell you that IIT-JEE/ NEET or competitive exams are not important and will give examples of many people who have done well without clearing IIT- JEE/ NEET but that is not the correct advice. IIT-JEE/ NEET or other competitive exams may not be the only things but it definitely gives you an advantage.

4.   Most students want to go with the flow and don’t plan as it leads to tension and pressure but the truth is without plan, you will never achieve success. Some students study at their own pace and at their own will , without any plan and some people might tell you that you are going fine but that is not the correct advise. Remember, if you are failing to plan, you are planning to fail.

5.  People will tell you 2-3 hours of study is enough. But the truth is that most of the students and toppers study 6-8 hours consistently. Hard work is must for cracking these exams. You need consistent hard work of 6-8 hours every day for 1 year.

6. Another lie that you hear is that you can prepare for Mains exam after prelims. But the truth is if you want to crack Mains exam you have to prepare from beginning but in the last one month before Mains focus on Mains to build exam strategy and speed.

7. People will tell you that working in your comfort level is OK and will tell you not to work too hard. On the contrary, hard work and pushing your limits is must.

8.  Many students think that they will crack exam by doing 1 month crash course after boards and many institutes run crash course promising the same but the truth is if you don’t have strong base build over 1 year nothing can happen.

9.  Students think that I they are School toppers and their selection is pakka. But they forget that there are 20 Lacs schools and 20 Lac school toppers, whereas only 5000 good seats. So, just being school topper is not enough. Never overestimate yourself and underestimate your competitors.

10.  Students always see the solution without trying their best but unless you learn to struggle with the questions you will not move forward.

11.  Students often spend more time on their strong subjects and run away from difficult subjects. Some teachers even motivate students to focus on 1 subject ignoring others but the truth is all subjects are equally important.

12.  Some students blindly follow Toppers strategy but the truth is if 800 students crack an exam, then there are 800 different ways to crack it. So listen to everyone but follow your own plan.

Different coaching institutes, mentors would also use these lies to serve their agenda. It is very easy to stay inside your delusional bubble and ignore the reality. But when that bubble breaks ultimately, you face the reality and by that time it would be too late. Awakening yourself and facing the reality is crucial while preparing for different competitive exams.

Remember that Truth might not be very pleasant and attractive but it is the simplest thing. You work hard, study regularly with consistency, follow your plan and implement it in your studies. This is the only way to success. Reality and truth are very simple. The complexity lies in Unpleasant Lies(it has lot of ifs and buts),as you will try to justify your shortcuts, you will seek conformation on those lies from different people and will create a strong belief on those lies.

So make sure that you do not lower the level of your preparation.

Loosing gracefully is better than being in a false delusion. Do not hear people who encourage you to be in your comfort zone. Come out of your comfort zone, work hard and you will do wonders. Also, stay away from people who will tell you comforting lies and learn to face Unpleasant Truths boldly.

It is a conscious choice we make and our future depends on it.

You can also listen to this article on my Podcast

About me

Hi, I am Avinash Agarwal, a sportsman turned entrepreneur & now a Study Skill Coach & JEE/NEET Mentor. I help students in the journey of scoring more marks, cracking exams and achieving their Goals with my SSS framework (Study Techniques, Strategy and counseling Support).

 In the last 15 years, I have interviewed hundreds of Toppers of different competitive exams and have deeply mastered their hidden secrets. My core intention is to share these secrets and empower millions of students by helping them reach their full potential and excel not only in exams but also in life.

 I help students with the help of my Books, free online courses and one to one counseling services.